Australia’s warm and temperate waters are home to about 4,000 fish species –– and many of the species can be found in the Gold Coast region. This gave us an idea to try some deep-sea fishing activities in Gold Coast, as we’ve never tried it before. The pristine waters in the area are teeming with so much underwater life, it’s hard to keep track of everything we saw!
To be honest, we’ve only tried fishing a few times before we decided to take this trip, so we chose to join a fishing charter, and we’re glad that we did. The novel activity gave us a behind-the-scenes deep fishing experience that we’ll remember for a long time. Here are the highlights of our trip.
Pick Up Time and Location
A jetty will pick up the guests at the Spit pontoon Muriel Henchman Drive Main Beach. Pick-up time is at 6 AM, but guests are instructed to wait at the top of the jetty ramp 20 minutes before. Taking the advice to heart, we made sure to head out early, so we wouldn’t miss the boat.
Despite the early morning, we were happy and chipper in excitement. We were able to enjoy the quiet surroundings of the Gold Coast in the morning and saw the first rays of the sun break the morning sky. We took it as an indication of good weather, and fortunately, the weather cooperated with us throughout our charter trip.
What to Bring and What to Expect
You don’t have to worry too much about your equipment and supplies whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned angler; the charter will provide what you need to fish. All you need to bring is a large container where you can store your catch. Make sure to put some ice in it to keep your fish fresh until you can store it in the freezer or prepare it for cooking.
Other things that guests can bring with them are personal items such as tech items, hats, and sunscreen to protect themselves from the sun’s UV rays. Likewise, the guests are advised to bring a suitable jacket and a raincoat with them if it’s expected to rain. The charter only cancels the trip due to high waves and big seas. In the event of a cancellation, the charter will contact guests the night before and will get in touch for a new schedule.
Meals on Board
Meals and drinks shouldn’t be a problem as the guests may also bring their own food and beverage if they want to. If you wish to have a full meal, you can have lunch at the buffet on board, for an additional cost. We opted to have a meal from the buffet as we took a break from fishing and had the chance to appreciate the beautiful weather and glistening waters of the coast.
Bringing Home the Catch
A member of the deckhand will have your fresh catch gutted, gilled, and bagged for your convenience. As your fish has been cleaned and washed, it will be ready to cook or store in the freezer for up to at least 2 months. Here’s a freezing guide for storing fish at home, as well as how to super-chill a fresh catch or keep fish frozen when freezing facilities aren’t available.
We stored a couple of our catch in the freezer and decided to make dinner with the Snapper. We did expect it to taste clean and fresh, but we were still surprised by how delicate and sweet the fish tasted. It was the perfect reward for the hard work that we’ve done.
For someone who’s only tried fishing a few times (and unable to bring home any catch each time), going fishing with an expert crew of skippers and deckhands made our experience much more enjoyable and productive.
We highly recommend going on a charter trip to anyone who’d like to learn basic fishing techniques, as you will be shown the proper way of preparing your tool and given tips to improve your angling technique. The experienced crew will be happy to share with you a few of the tricks of the trade, and they’ll teach you ways and techniques to help you catch the big one.
Whole-day fishing charters are best for those with little to no experience in fishing. The lengthy trip gives you ample time to practice your new skill and observe how the expert anglers do it. This trip is one of the best ones we’ve had in a long time and something that we’re planning to do again very soon.
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