Abrolhos Islands fishing newbies

This week we had a group of local health specialists onboard Blue Lightning Charters for their work function. We had 7 ladies and 3 gents onboard for a 3 day live aboard trip, many on their first trip to the Abrolhos Islands.

Trolling at its finest

We kicked off day 1 heading out towards the beautiful Abrolhos Islands. When we were about halfway we decided to set some lures out to see if we could pick up a Spanish Mackeral or 11! Everyone got a piece of the action with the Mackerels on fire. No sooner had we reset the lures from the previous fish, than we had another line go peeling off. Tonya got the first fish for the trip and her first ever Spanish Mackerel, with Jane close behind also with a Spanish Mackerel.

More Sensational Mackerel Moments

Before long, we had a commotion on the back deck. We had a 3 way hook up of Spanish Mackerel, with Anne (her first ever fish!), Louise (first ever Spanish Mackerel and her biggest ever fish) and Fiona all getting their fish to the boat. Shaun was the next contestant nabbing his first ever Spanish Mackerel and his biggest ever fish. Not to be outdone Richard was all over his Spanish Mackerel having caught one before, he handled it like a pro. Terri was also in the mix grabbing a good sized Spanish Mackerel followed by Nikee, with her first ever Spanish Mackerel and once again her biggest ever fish. We rounded out our trolling session in fine form, with Suresh and Tonya both getting the job done, this being Suresh’s first ever Spanish Mackerel. What a session to kick off another awesome Abrolhos Islands fishing charter.

Snorkelling adventures

For our next session we hit a bottom ground. Unfortunately, due to the fast drift (1.9kn) it was a pretty quiet session. We discussed heading in towards a beautiful reef for some snorkeling action. The crew jumped at the opportunity for some sightseeing at the Abrolhos Islands. Tonya, Terri, Louise and Nikee all headed out for a snorkel and weren’t disappointed. They returned to Blue Lightning III full of smiles and gushing about how amazing the scenery was.

An overnight in the Southern Group

We were lucky enough to be able to stay in the southern group, thanks to Pia from Lattitude Jewellery Gallery who leant us her jetty. We had some sundowners at her shack while watching another spectacular sunset to top off another magical day on board Blue Lightning.

Day 2- Visiting the Pearl Farm

We awoke on day 2 to a glorious morning and were super lucky to be able to start the day off with a tour of the pearl farm with Pia. Thank you so much Pia, we all had a great time. Pia showed us how they make such fabulous and stunningly gorgeous jewelry. If anyone is looking for a piece of beautiful jewelry for the special lady in their life (which would be good for brownie points towards your next fishing trip), please head over to http://www.latitudegallery.com.au/

Shallow Water Fun

After a great tour we headed out to the shallows to see if we could entice a Baldchin Groper or two to bite. Fiona got herself more then she had bargained for, catching and releasing a nice sized Samson Fish. Shaun got his first ever Baldchin Groper. Captain Chad managed to get out to the back deck to also nab himself a Baldchin Groper with his trusty old handline. The crew managed to haul aboard a few more Balchins, with a few released to grow bigger.

Next up some Bottom Grounds

After we had had our fun in the shallows, we headed out deeper towards some gnarly looking bottom grounds. Anne was stoked to get a Dhu Fish, her second ever fish, and wasn’t it a beauty! Richard wasn’t far behind nailing a huge Spangled Emperor and Tonya caught a big Pink Snapper. We finished the bottom session off with a nice array of fish including, Pink Snapper, Spangled Emperor, Dhu Fish and Red Throat Emperor.

Anemone Lump & Exploring the Abrolhos Islands

Next, we made our way across to the next group of islands, stopping first at the Anemone Lump so the crew could go for a snorkel and see the local residents. As always the crew were impressed by the incredible wildlife at the Anemone Lump. To finish the day off we headed further north. A few of the crew headed out for another snorkel while the rest chilled out on board Blue Lightning. Captain Chad as always came through with the goods/Crayfish, with his trusty sidekick Tonya carrying the cray bag. What an awesome way to finish off another glorious day on the water having surf and turf for dinner. The crew finished the evening off with lots of laughs and some very competitive card games.

Day 3- Kayaking & Snorkelling the Abrolhos Islands WA

After a cooked breaky and filled bellies we kicked off day 3. A few of the crew headed out on a kayak tour around the reef systems close by. Anne participated in her first ever kayak adventure and we were so proud of her for pushing her boundaries. Meanwhile a few of the others went in for a snorkel. After such an adventurous morning we headed out for the day. We headed towards the Batavia wreck to see if it would be a good day to be able to go for a quick look around the wreck. Days like this are rare with Batavia wreckage surrounded by some difficult areas to navigate. It was this crews lucky day though as it turned out to be a good day as the swell had died down. We geared up and headed over for a look. It still amazes me, the history of the Batavia and how spectacular it is to still be able to see the anchors and the cannons from 1629.

Exploring Abrolhos Islands Fishing Grounds

After we had had a good look around we headed off to some more fishing grounds to see what the crew could raise today. Day 3 proved to be the day of the Red Emperor, with Louise, Suresh and Fiona all getting their first Red Emperor. The crew were lucky with most being a good size and a couple being released to swim on for another day. Jane was happy to grab herself a nice sized Baldchin Groper. We finished off the day with a great mixed bag of Red Emperor, Spangled Emperor and Baldchin Groper.

Charter 5 Complete

We were disappointed that this crew’s Abrolhos Islands adventure had already come to an end and it was time to head back to Geraldton. But what a sensational three day charter it was. This charter was filled with lots of firsts, snorkeling, kayaking, great company and lots of fun had by all.