Gearing Up – Its Heavy Tackle Time!
Posted in: News by Kelly on September 8, 2010 | No Comments
Well another Townsville light tackle season is over, and we’re gearing up now for heavy tackle in Cairns. We’re starting on September 19 and word is that the big blacks have already arrived so we can’t wait to get stuck into them.
Stay tuned as we update throughout the season.
Read the boat test
Posted in: News by Kelly on July 8, 2010 | No Comments
Courtesy of BlueWater Boats and Sportsfishing Magazine and author Warren Steptoe, read the boat test of the new KEKOA.
Available in BlueWater issue 80 on sale now.
Final Barra Blast of 2010
Posted in: News by Kelly on June 12, 2010 | No Comments
Now we are on the final day of our final barra trip of 2010 and we can’t believe the time has gone so fast. Luckily, the boys are ending the season on another high note and so after the marlin seasons are through, we’ll be looking forward to coming back again next year. This week, due to the tides, we started up on the Jackson and Skardon where the wizzer action was fast and furious — with one particular drain producing more than 30 fish in an hour!
For the final few days however, we’ve returned to our favourite spot on the Ducie and the boys are also getting amongst some larger fish. After a slow few days up north, Danny came to form yesterday with some good fish including a 94cm barra and 114cm salmon! (Unfortunately, I don’t have a cord for Danny’s camera that will let me access his pics..) But otherwise, Richard has been stealing the show I hear!
Raymond's 'red' barra (like a MG)
Richards 88cm
Richard's 90cm
Raymond on the Ducie
Ducie 500
Posted in: News by Kelly on June 6, 2010 | No Comments
Another top week on the Ducie is over and we’re already looking forward to coming back here next year. This week, we fished some of the lower Wenlock as well for over 500 barra’s released. Brad pulled out a winner at 105cms. While Steve, on his first barra fishing trip ripped out a 88cm beast from the snags adding to his swag of 80cm plus fish for the week. Likewise Danny, on his first trip catching his first barra and then some, pulled them in left and right! Jason steered another big one around the boat on his new spin outfit at 94cm and Luke stayed consistent with another 92cm. I put my bass outfit to the test with a couple high 70′s on the light braid — a lot of fun! Lets go again!
Brad's 105cm
Steve 87cm
Luke pulled another biggie from the snags
Kelly's 77cm
Jason's 94cm
Danny & Jase and their double hookup
Archer River Roamings
Posted in: News by Kelly on | No Comments
The Mike Carney Toyota team from Townsville joined us on board last week for another visit to the picturesque Archer River at Aruakun. We had another week of perfect weather and quality fishing. Running up and down the river fishing the fresh produced good sized fish with Chris finishing the week with the biggest at 99cm – just shy of the magic mark! Mike did catch his metre long fish, although it was a black jew not a barra.
Chris with his 99cm
Mike on the Archer
Lunchtime barra on the coals
Mike and his metre+ jew
2009 Cairns Giant Black Marlin Season Recap
Posted in: News by Kelly on May 29, 2010 | No Comments
As we near the end of our Weipa season, its time to put our eye firmly on the next goal–namely the upcoming marlin season in Cairns. The new boat is running like a dream and we can’t wait to push her to the limits on the reef. With the extra space the 56 feet affords us, returning guests can expect to be able to be able to relax and truly enjoy their time on the boat more than ever.
We still have a few spaces available for the upcoming season. Contact Captain Luke by email or telephone to 0428 789 840 (+61 428 789 840) for more details. We’d love to have you join us on board!
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To get you as excited about the upcoming season as we are, a couple of highlights from 2009:
Video Still: Jason @ 1000lb
Video Still: John's est at 1200lbs
One of the highlight’s of the 2009 season for the boys on KEKOA was the return of Jason Hassett from Melbourne to fish the Lizard Island Black Marlin Classic in late October. It was Jason’s second trip with Captain Luke, and after losing a 7 and half hour battle with a fish ‘well in excess of a grand’ in 2008, he decided it was all out war in 2009. He brought along his good friend John Wildburger for support and they well and truly got their just rewards.
In four straight days they let go 4 fish over 800lbs including two over a grand – one of those being a huge 1200lbs.
Check out the video of these two fish:
- Jason Hass’ 1000lb black marlin in October 2009.
- John Wildberger on a giant black estimated at 1200lbs in October 2009.
KEKOA fights est 800lber at #5 Ribbon
Big fish jumps away from the boat
A video still of Eric's 900lb-er
Also in 2009, Eric Jalabert from New Caledonia returned to fish the reef after a few year’s absence, and now that he has marlin fever back in his blood, he’ll definitely be back again.
By departure on Day 1, Eric’s mate Christian had yet to arrive in Aus (he joined them on the reef a day later by sea plane), and so Eric decided to start his trip solo. And he jumped straight in the deep end, releasing a fish Capt. Luke estimate at 900lbs and another at 200lbs on his lonesome!
More highlights coming soon – just a soon as I can corner Capt. Luke again!
Ducie Delivers Again
Posted in: News by Kelly on May 23, 2010 | No Comments
Back to the Ducie River this week and the boys have once again enjoyed some good fishing on the flats in the morning and in the drains in the afternoon. The young guns fishing with Capt. Luke were on fire on Friday with 43 on the flats in the morning and adding another 24 on the drains to end with 67 for the day. The biggest fish was 93cms.
Chris with his best at 91cm
Jeff with another good fish at 87cm
One of Chris first ever barras
Another beautiful Ducie sunset
David Granville Weipa Trip Video
Posted in: News by Kelly on May 19, 2010 | No Comments
By popular demand!
Archer River Action
Posted in: News by Kelly on May 15, 2010 | No Comments
The boys went for a big trip UP the Archer yesterday about 40 mile inland and Lui did his trademark barra lunch cooked in a hole in the ground (with Moldan Salt of course!) The Archer is a very pretty river and once you get past the mangrove banks at the mouth, it turns into sandy banks to the water’s edge with gum trees lining the river bed. After a couple of 50-60+ fish days, the numbers were down a little yesterday (taking time out for a leisurely lunch!) but a couple of metre plus barra’s more than made up for it.
Firstly Ross, fishing with Brad for the day, landed the biggest barra so far and his biggest ever on a lure at 108cms. And on the last cast(s) of the day, Robbie and Lui managed to double hook a greedy guts barra and bringing it on board to go 103cms. Congrats guys!
The beautiful Archer River
The barra in a hole lunch
Ross's big 108cm barra
Double hooked!
Robby with his and Lui's 103cm double
Joeseph and his 92cm from Wed
Flats Fishing Again on the Ducie River
Posted in: News by Kelly on May 4, 2010 | No Comments
The boys have come and gone from an early morning fish on the flats of the Ducie and once again they’ve been straight into the fish with close to 50 in this morning’s session alone. Some nice fish amongst them – shots from Luke’s camera of Luke and Brad2′s fish below. On the other Brad1′s boat, Jack has the same camera so I’ll download some of his pictures tonight.
A fun start to the morning after arriving at daybreak and with all on deck ready and raring to go as we had to quickly pull anchor and take off upriver in chase of tender 1 which had decided to come unhitched, complete with lifting chains still attached and was making its way upstream with the incoming tide!!
Luke strikes again
Brad got the first point scoring fish
Brad2 has been collating points (size weighted), and fittingly, he’s already in the lead. It’s not as fun if you don’t count!