OFFSHORE: The offshore week got off to a great start with a modest 1m swell and light to moderate south easterlies. There were no TGO's but it was almost 'as good as' on some days. The weekend did cut up a bit rough when the winds moved into the 15 to 20 knot range but for those with an urge to chase pelagics in the bay it was certainly no deterrent.

With surprisingly little current running out wide, trips to The Hards were on the cards with snapper, pearl perch, parrot fish
and the odd amberjack on the bite there.
Double Island Point was also worth the effort, producing plenty of Spanish mackerel and one or two wahoo, mostly on the troll.
Along the middle reef belt, North Reef was the spot for moses perch, pearl perch, coral trout, sweetlip, Spanish mackerel and plenty of spotted mackerel.
Ditte Rus from Denmark (above) was happy to pose with just one of the many 3kg to 5kg spotties that were boated there on Trekka 3 this week.
Sunshine Reef fired quite well, producing coral trout, sweetlip, parrot fish, quality pearl perch (after dark) and the odd Spanish mackerel.
Norm (right) was trolling the outer edge of Sunshine Reef on Wednesday when his red/white 'Chin Guard' troll rig was smashed by the 20kg (est) Spaniard he's posing with.
Laguna Bay, however, was by far the most popular destination with mackerel tuna, Spanish mackerel, spotted mackerel and, as per the photo below, the odd grey or broad barred mackerel on the bite not far out from the river mouth, along the Hall's Reef stretch and in the middle of the bay most of the week. Local angler Hayden Stintman (below) was casting metal slug lures at the boils on Little Hall's Reef on Friday when, after boating a couple of spotties, his line peeled of big time. The culprit was the 7.5kg grey mackerel he's pictured with.

Last but not least, Jew Shoal yielded the odd Spanish and spotted mackerel plus northern bluefin tuna. Vaughan Robinson (below) motored out there just before high tide yesterday morning on his jet ski and attracted a 17kg 'Longtail' trolling a whole pilchard on a Davo's Spaniard Special. Forty minutes later he had it on board and was on his way home.