Family Fun on the water The water temperature is heating up already on the coast so we should be starting to see some good variety of fish coming through in November. We headed out yesterday on a little "Half Day," 5 Hour fishing trip. Decided to cancel Saturdays trips as the forecast and actual were up around 25-30 knots. The general consensus was that our guests wanted to leave at 11.00 am and be back at 4.00 pm. Usually not a great time of the day for fishing but this trip is more about being out on the water, enjoying throwing in a line and just having some fun. Turned out to be lots of activity - hooked onto over 50 fishing in that time, not a lot of keepers but we were on the spot and it's all about hooking on, learning and fun. Sarah booked her parents on for this trip as a gift. They had a Bacon & Egg Burger freshly made and ready for them when they arrived and a coffee to wash it down with. This was devoured while we were waiting for other guests to arrive. They took home a couple of good sized fish for dinner and looked like they thoroughly enjoyed the trip. Conditions were magnificent - blue skies, a light breeze, no swell - ideal. Spanner Crabbing is closed now until late December so it's all about the fishing and fun till then. If you are after a few hours on the water with lots of laughs, check out our 5 hour fishing charter
Family Fun on the water
The water temperature is heating up already on the coast so we should be starting to see some good variety of fish coming through in November.
We headed out yesterday on a little “Half Day,” 5 Hour fishing trip.
Decided to cancel Saturdays trips as the forecast and actual were up around 25-30 knots. The general consensus was that our guests wanted to leave at 11.00 am and be back at 4.00 pm. Usually not a great time of the day for fishing but this trip is more about being out on the water, enjoying throwing in a line and just having some fun.
Turned out to be lots of activity – hooked onto over 50 fishing in that time, not a lot of keepers but we were on the spot and it’s all about hooking on, learning and fun.
Sarah booked her parents on for this trip as a gift. They had a Bacon & Egg Burger freshly made and ready for them when they arrived and a coffee to wash it down with. This was devoured while we were waiting for other guests to arrive.
They took home a couple of good sized fish for dinner and looked like they thoroughly enjoyed the trip.
Conditions were magnificent – blue skies, a light breeze, no swell – ideal.
Spanner Crabbing is closed now until late December so it’s all about the fishing and fun till then.
If you are after a few hours on the water with lots of laughs, check out our 5 hour fishing charter
Great to be back on the water! It seems like it has been so long since we had been out fishing. In fact it was over two weeks which is a long time when you rely on your weekends to survive. After all the rain and winds, and boy, did we cop a lot in one hit!, we were hoping to see some turn around in activity with the fishing. They say "Drought on land, drought at sea" and this was certainly starting to show that was the case. Each trip out, it was a matter of - what can we expect today and getting grimmer each week. We were lucky enough to have a Maxi Day - that's a 12 Hour Deep Sea Fishing charter. One for the keen fishermen. So out we went, passed the Barwon Banks and beyond. It was tough at times but by the end of the day we were throwing back Trevally. Picked up a nice mixed bag but mainly Trevally on the day. Sunday was a different storey. A Full Day Charter - 9 hours, so much that much shorter than the Maxi Day but it was hard work. Hardly any fish on board but had a few guys having a bit of a Christmas break up and they still enjoyed being out on the water, having a few beers, dropping a line in and being away from it all on land. The BBQ lunch didn't go astray either. :) If you are looking for a bit of an end of year break up - get away with the boys, give Paddy a call on 0412 155 814 and jump on board Crusader 1 for a few hours. You can also book on line or simply check out our website - www.sunshinecoastafloat.com.au
Great to be back on the water!
It seems like it has been so long since we had been out fishing. In fact it was over two weeks which is a long time when you rely on your weekends to survive.
After all the rain and winds, and boy, did we cop a lot in one hit!, we were hoping to see some turn around in activity with the fishing. They say “Drought on land, drought at sea” and this was certainly starting to show that was the case. Each trip out, it was a matter of – what can we expect today and getting grimmer each week.
We were lucky enough to have a Maxi Day – that’s a 12 Hour Deep Sea Fishing charter. One for the keen fishermen. So out we went, passed the Barwon Banks and beyond. It was tough at times but by the end of the day we were throwing back Trevally. Picked up a nice mixed bag but mainly Trevally on the day.
Sunday was a different storey. A Full Day Charter – 9 hours, so much that much shorter than the Maxi Day but it was hard work. Hardly any fish on board but had a few guys having a bit of a Christmas break up and they still enjoyed being out on the water, having a few beers, dropping a line in and being away from it all on land. The BBQ lunch didn’t go astray either. :)
If you are looking for a bit of an end of year break up – get away with the boys, give Paddy a call on 0412 155 814 and jump on board Crusader 1 for a few hours.
It's School holidays again - and it's Spring. A great time of year to pull out the cossie and get back into the water. We have had some lovely Sunny days of late and hopefully it's the start to what we can expect for Summer on the Sunshine Coast. This time of the year it's all about enjoying time with the kids out on the water. Here at Sunshine Coast Afloat, we offer a range of marine activities but some that are more "Family Focused" are: - Deep Sea Fishing & Spanner Crabbing - The 5 hour fishing trip is ideal for families. It's all about being out on the water, seeing the marine life - dolphins, whales, seeing how the Spanner Crabbing is done and taking part in that, throwing in a line and seeing how you go. Whale Watching without the Crowds - We only have a few more weeks left to enjoy seeing these beauties swim up and down our coastline. Crusader 1 is our 55 ft. vessel but we only take a maximum of 23 passengers + 2 crew. Our aim is to give you more of a personal experience with guaranteed rail side viewing, light refreshments, all non-alcoholic drinks and an informative trip all about Humpback Whales. Our dedicated staff love giving you a memorable experience! Check out our website www.sunshinecoastafloat.com.au or phone Paddy for a chat on 0412 155 814 - Always happy to help.
It’s School holidays again – and it’s Spring. A great time of year to pull out the cossie and get back into the water. We have had some lovely Sunny days of late and hopefully it’s the start to what we can expect for Summer on the Sunshine Coast.
This time of the year it’s all about enjoying time with the kids out on the water.
Here at Sunshine Coast Afloat, we offer a range of marine activities but some that are more “Family Focused” are: –
Deep Sea Fishing & Spanner Crabbing – The 5 hour fishing trip is ideal for families. It’s all about being out on the water, seeing the marine life – dolphins, whales, seeing how the Spanner Crabbing is done and taking part in that, throwing in a line and seeing how you go.
Whale Watching without the Crowds – We only have a few more weeks left to enjoy seeing these beauties swim up and down our coastline. Crusader 1 is our 55 ft. vessel but we only take a maximum of 23 passengers + 2 crew. Our aim is to give you more of a personal experience with guaranteed rail side viewing, light refreshments, all non-alcoholic drinks and an informative trip all about Humpback Whales.
Our dedicated staff love giving you a memorable experience!
This week has mainly been about Bucks Parties. We have had a good few weeks of fabulous weather conditions so are bound to cop an upheaval, which we did this weekend. Here's hoping we have magical weather for the school holidays. We've had canal cruises and deep sea fishing trips mainly this week, no whale watching. It must be the season for pre-marital celebrations, Spring is in the air which usually means "love" is in the air, so that means - celebrations!.....Party time! A last minute request gave us a nice 3 hour cruise during the week. The boys had a full day planned and most likely weekend as they still have not returned to pick up their left over alcohol. They had been to skirmish in the morning, then had lunch at the Aussie World Pub - which turned into a long lunch as they turned up late for their cruise. A few hours of cruising the canals,at sunset with mates, a few beers, a lot of banter and laughter. After the cruise - which they wanted to stay in the canals, especially after that big lunch, they headed to Duporth Tavern to watch the footy game that night. Friday's Deep Sea Fishing Trip was also a Buck Party and they had come from the Duporth Tavern that night but not all turned up so it was obviously a big night of footy. Not too much fishing got done. A few keen anglers fished from the back but we certainly had our share of burly contributors. Saturday we managed a small 5 hour fishing trip before the winds settled in. The conditions were not great, typical of weather forecasts - wrong again. We managed a few fish and the Whales were in much closer too so that's encouraging. Our
This week has mainly been about Bucks Parties.
We have had a good few weeks of fabulous weather conditions so are bound to cop an upheaval, which we did this weekend. Here’s hoping we have magical weather for the school holidays.
We’ve had canal cruises and deep sea fishing trips mainly this week, no whale watching. It must be the season for pre-marital celebrations, Spring is in the air which usually means “love” is in the air, so that means – celebrations!…..Party time!
A last minute request gave us a nice 3 hour cruise during the week. The boys had a full day planned and most likely weekend as they still have not returned to pick up their left over alcohol. They had been to skirmish in the morning, then had lunch at the Aussie World Pub – which turned into a long lunch as they turned up late for their cruise. A few hours of cruising the canals,at sunset with mates, a few beers, a lot of banter and laughter. After the cruise – which they wanted to stay in the canals, especially after that big lunch, they headed to Duporth Tavern to watch the footy game that night.
Friday’s Deep Sea Fishing Trip was also a Buck Party and they had come from the Duporth Tavern that night but not all turned up so it was obviously a big night of footy. Not too much fishing got done. A few keen anglers fished from the back but we certainly had our share of burly contributors.
Saturday we managed a small 5 hour fishing trip before the winds settled in. The conditions were not great, typical of weather forecasts – wrong again. We managed a few fish and the Whales were in much closer too so that’s encouraging.
Our planned overnight fishing charter, last one for the season, was cancelled based on the forecast but it now looks like it’s settling down out there.
Planning a Party? – Bucks, Hens, Birthday or Christmas; what ever the occasion, we can help. Crusader 1 is perfect for that get together. Call Paddy on 0412 155 814 or head over to our website – www.sunshinecoastafloat.com.au to check out what we can offer you.
YES - Here at Sunshine Coast Afloat we do school excursions for High School Students. Marine Studies and Recreational Studies students gain benefit from these trips. The trips usually incorporate a 5 hour deep sea fishing & Spanner Crabbing charter, followed by some lunch from the fish shops in Mooloolaba where they get the fish straight from the Trawlers. We then take a walk along the dock to view some trawlers and a quick look inside the Tuna Factory. These trips can be adapted to cruises if fishing is not the key component. Our tours are based around what the students are studying at the time. If it's sustainability, we can talk to them about how Mooloolaba was a thriving hub, what happened, the impacts and how things have changed to now. The current relationship between fisheries and the trawling industry and how they work together. If the subject is more about boat licensing, rules and regulations - we can talk about what is required for different levels of licensing - Commercial and or Recreational. This is an early morning start but exciting day out for students and teachers. Hand on and certainly not the normal type of field trip. This time of the year is also perfect to be out on the water as we generally see Whales and Dolphins on our venture along with a cheeky turtle that is trying to eat our Spanner Crabs.
YES – Here at Sunshine Coast Afloat we do school excursions for High School Students. Marine Studies and Recreational Studies students gain benefit from these trips. The trips usually incorporate a 5 hour deep sea fishing & Spanner Crabbing charter, followed by some lunch from the fish shops in Mooloolaba where they get the fish straight from the Trawlers. We then take a walk along the dock to view some trawlers and a quick look inside the Tuna Factory.
These trips can be adapted to cruises if fishing is not the key component.
Our tours are based around what the students are studying at the time. If it’s sustainability, we can talk to them about how Mooloolaba was a thriving hub, what happened, the impacts and how things have changed to now. The current relationship between fisheries and the trawling industry and how they work together. If the subject is more about boat licensing, rules and regulations – we can talk about what is required for different levels of licensing – Commercial and or Recreational.
This is an early morning start but exciting day out for students and teachers. Hand on and certainly not the normal type of field trip. This time of the year is also perfect to be out on the water as we generally see Whales and Dolphins on our venture along with a cheeky turtle that is trying to eat our Spanner Crabs.
What a fantastic day of good quality fish on board the Full Day (9 hour) Deep Sea Fishing Charter last Saturday. As always heading out on the full day we all have high hopes and expectations but to have good weather, a great bunch of people on board, a good feed, some fantastic fishing, even 30 odd Spanner Crabs (keepers) as well, makes for a great day out on the water. Once of those days when it all comes together and you have that smile on your face because you have delivered! Photo is a great pick up - Samson fish So far, Winter is proving to be what we all hope for, particularly since we got hit with unruly weather the first 6 months of the year. Spanner & Cobia are the target fish for winter. Have not had a lot of Cobia on board as yet but seeing some good sized Snapper appearing. Still have another month or so of winter so get out and enjoy fishing sunset. We will be continuing our afternoon/evening trips a for a while yet and have started some 5 hour trips coming back in at 8.00 pm to catch the sunset fishing. Head over to our website to book online or call Paddy on 0412 155 814
What a fantastic day of good quality fish on board the Full Day (9 hour) Deep Sea Fishing Charter last Saturday.
As always heading out on the full day we all have high hopes and expectations but to have good weather, a great bunch of people on board, a good feed, some fantastic fishing, even 30 odd Spanner Crabs (keepers) as well, makes for a great day out on the water. Once of those days when it all comes together and you have that smile on your face because you have delivered!
Photo is a great pick up – Samson fish
So far, Winter is proving to be what we all hope for, particularly since we got hit with unruly weather the first 6 months of the year. Spanner & Cobia are the target fish for winter. Have not had a lot of Cobia on board as yet but seeing some good sized Snapper appearing. Still have another month or so of winter so get out and enjoy fishing sunset. We will be continuing our afternoon/evening trips a for a while yet and have started some 5 hour trips coming back in at 8.00 pm to catch the sunset fishing.
Head over to our website to book online or call Paddy on 0412 155 814
What a fantastic week of activity and weather. A mixture of an 18 hour overnight fishing trip to the fun 5 hour corporate social club outings. Throw in some Whale Watching and we even assisted the Coastrek event. (Wild Women on Top) The weather last week was for nominal with beautiful sunny days and calm seas which always makes being out on the water magical. Our New Zealand friends have been loving the fishing and we are certainly enjoying showcasing the Sunshine Coast fishing, coastline and conditions to them. Jason sent through this fabulous text after there trip last week: - "Thank you so much for yesterday Paddy. Your staff were so friendly and helpful, everyone had a great time. It has been the highlight of their trip so far and thanks for the rod and reel, that was so nice of you guys." After ferrying the Coastrek participants from La Balsa Pontoon to The Public Boat Ramp in Mooloolaba on Friday, we headed out whale watching for the afternoon. Had a lovely encounter with a few mum's and calf's. The whales are starting to come in a lot closer now which is good as they are generally more playful and active. Last weekend was all about fishing. Corporate events and bucks parties followed by our big overnight trip. We were lucky enough to have a company from Toowoomba on board on Saturday and his was kind enough to put up a google & Trip Advisor review. "The staff were fantastic, they made the trip something to remember. It was a real pleasure to be on the water, I would definitely recommend this charter for everyone." - Michael Our 18 hour, overnight trip was filled with all sorts - On the way out we were lucky enough to experience a
What a fantastic week of activity and weather. A mixture of an 18 hour overnight fishing trip to the fun 5 hour corporate social club outings. Throw in some Whale Watching and we even assisted the Coastrek event. (Wild Women on Top) The weather last week was for nominal with beautiful sunny days and calm seas which always makes being out on the water magical.
Our New Zealand friends have been loving the fishing and we are certainly enjoying showcasing the Sunshine Coast fishing, coastline and conditions to them. Jason sent through this fabulous text after there trip last week: –
“Thank you so much for yesterday Paddy. Your staff were so friendly and helpful, everyone had a great time. It has been the highlight of their trip so far and thanks for the rod and reel, that was so nice of you guys.”
After ferrying the Coastrek participants from La Balsa Pontoon to The Public Boat Ramp in Mooloolaba on Friday, we headed out whale watching for the afternoon. Had a lovely encounter with a few mum’s and calf’s. The whales are starting to come in a lot closer now which is good as they are generally more playful and active.
Last weekend was all about fishing. Corporate events and bucks parties followed by our big overnight trip. We were lucky enough to have a company from Toowoomba on board on Saturday and his was kind enough to put up a google & Trip Advisor review.
“The staff were fantastic, they made the trip something to remember. It was a real pleasure to be on the water, I would definitely recommend this charter for everyone.” – Michael
Our 18 hour, overnight trip was filled with all sorts – On the way out we were lucky enough to experience a pod of dolphins riding the waves and the bow of Crusader 1. Enjoying a few drinks and nibbles while watching the sun set, a nice big feed of eye fillet steaks and a variety of other meats. Breakfast was croissants, bacon, eggs, hash browns and anything else you want.
Some fabulous fish caught, but instead of rattling them off – watch the video: – Enjoy.
If you would like to know more about our Fishing Charters, Whale Watching, Cruises – just call Paddy on 0412 155 814 or check out our website – www.sunshinecoastafloat.com.au
Overnight Fishing Trip cancelled - Of all the times for the weather and play havoc, it was that one night. All the planning and excitement of heading out overnight again, gone. The winds came in fast and furious but didn't hang around which was good so we managed to get a small 5 Hour trip out on Saturday afternoon. Typical of the 5 Hour charter, a bit quiet but Shalmaine pick up a nice Amber Jack which I'm sure she'd be happy with. Sunday, we headed out to the Barwon Banks on a Full Day of fishing. Matt bought on a group of guys which were great company. South Easterlies crated a bit of chop which the few that didn't take their motion tablets felt but some great fishing on the day. Lost a couple of big fish. A few good long hard fights to bring them in but lost them. That Cobia that got away is one of those fish that will be spoken about for ages. :) All in all, a good weekend of fishing. This week is looking awesome from a weather perspective. We have a couple of trips this week with a few spots available and with such nice conditions this is definitely the time to be out on the water. Grab the added bonus of seeing the Humpback Whales!
Overnight Fishing Trip cancelled – Of all the times for the weather and play havoc, it was that one night. All the planning and excitement of heading out overnight again, gone. The winds came in fast and furious but didn’t hang around which was good so we managed to get a small 5 Hour trip out on Saturday afternoon.
Typical of the 5 Hour charter, a bit quiet but Shalmaine pick up a nice Amber Jack which I’m sure she’d be happy with.
Sunday, we headed out to the Barwon Banks on a Full Day of fishing. Matt bought on a group of guys which were great company. South Easterlies crated a bit of chop which the few that didn’t take their motion tablets felt but some great fishing on the day. Lost a couple of big fish. A few good long hard fights to bring them in but lost them. That Cobia that got away is one of those fish that will be spoken about for ages. :)
All in all, a good weekend of fishing. This week is looking awesome from a weather perspective. We have a couple of trips this week with a few spots available and with such nice conditions this is definitely the time to be out on the water. Grab the added bonus of seeing the Humpback Whales!
This is one for the hard-core fisherman! Sunshine Coast Afloat’s Overnight Deep Sea Fishing Charters are the only overnight fishing adventure on the Sunshine Coast! On this 18 hour charter, our experienced crew will take you deep, deep into the ocean, all the way to the Continental Shelf. These tours are carefully planned out around the moon cycle, tides and fishing reefs, to ensure ultimate fishing success! We’ll take you to a number of closely guarded locations that have proven themselves as fantastic night fishing locations. These charters target snapper in particular, but large Pearl Perch and other night predators are certainly in our scope as well! This charter is only run during the winter months when the weather is more stable, as it relies heavily on favourable weather conditions. Winter is also big time snapper season, and they love to feed at night! Sunshine Coast Afloat only takes a maximum of 12 passengers on these trips (despite being able to comfortably fit plenty more!) designed for maximum comfort and plenty of space. With sleeping accommodation for up to six people at a time, this charter is designed for maximum fishing time! Dinner, breakfast, snacks and non-alcoholic drinks are all included. Mother Nature usually only allows us to run a maximum of eight trips per year, making them all the more special and exclusive! Dates for our overnight charters are released in May for the winter – July is booked out and we only have a couple of spots left on our August 26th trip. September 9th is started and will probably be our last for the season so if you have been thinking about these trips I'd suggest you get in quickly.!
This is one for the hard-core fisherman!
Sunshine Coast Afloat’s Overnight Deep Sea Fishing Charters are the only overnight fishing adventure on the Sunshine Coast! On this 18 hour charter, our experienced crew will take you deep, deep into the ocean, all the way to the Continental Shelf.
These tours are carefully planned out around the moon cycle, tides and fishing reefs, to ensure ultimate fishing success! We’ll take you to a number of closely guarded locations that have proven themselves as fantastic night fishing locations. These charters target snapper in particular, but large Pearl Perch and other night predators are certainly in our scope as well!
This charter is only run during the winter months when the weather is more stable, as it relies heavily on favourable weather conditions. Winter is also big time snapper season, and they love to feed at night!
Sunshine Coast Afloat only takes a maximum of 12 passengers on these trips (despite being able to comfortably fit plenty more!) designed for maximum comfort and plenty of space. With sleeping accommodation for up to six people at a time, this charter is designed for maximum fishing time! Dinner, breakfast, snacks and non-alcoholic drinks are all included.
Mother Nature usually only allows us to run a maximum of eight trips per year, making them all the more special and exclusive! Dates for our overnight charters are released in May for the winter – July is booked out and we only have a couple of spots left on our August 26th trip. September 9th is started and will probably be our last for the season so if you have been thinking about these trips I’d suggest you get in quickly.!
We finally had a full weekend of great fishing and weather conditions. We did a "Mega Day" - 11 hour fishing trip on Saturday. Not a trip we do often. It was great to see a lot of our regulars on board and after the mid week flare up of weather, it gave for some good fishing out wide. A great variety of fish on board ranging from a nice big Tusky, Tea Leaf Travalley, Wrasse, Moses Perch, Banana Fish and a beautiful Clown Fish which obviously went back. Poor Zoe nearly had a fit when a Crested Tern, that is a bird for all you fisho's, got tangled in Tony's fishing line. It was all hands on deck to save this poor little thing. Zoe nurtured him to recovery, mind you I think he was happy nestled into Zoe's chest while recovering but soon after releasing him a Booby bird tried to attack him but that soon sent him off. Our usual Dolphin visit is always a bonus. Sunday was a small 5 hour fishing charter - lovely conditions out on the water with a lot of Happy Moments coming up, more than we've seen in a long time. A few (just) undersized Snapper were caught but a few of the passengers managed to hook a nice Grassy Sweet Lip and a good size Mowong. Slightly frustrating as it was clear from the sounder information that the area was solid with good sized fish under the boat! It was nice to see some women on board and Julie hooked up a nice Trigger Fish .
We finally had a full weekend of great fishing and weather conditions.
We did a “Mega Day” – 11 hour fishing trip on Saturday. Not a trip we do often. It was great to see a lot of our regulars on board and after the mid week flare up of weather, it gave for some good fishing out wide.
A great variety of fish on board ranging from a nice big Tusky, Tea Leaf Travalley, Wrasse, Moses Perch, Banana Fish and a beautiful Clown Fish which obviously went back.
Poor Zoe nearly had a fit when a Crested Tern, that is a bird for all you fisho’s, got tangled in Tony’s fishing line. It was all hands on deck to save this poor little thing. Zoe nurtured him to recovery, mind you I think he was happy nestled into Zoe’s chest while recovering but soon after releasing him a Booby bird tried to attack him but that soon sent him off.
Our usual Dolphin visit is always a bonus.
Sunday was a small 5 hour fishing charter – lovely conditions out on the water with a lot of Happy Moments coming up, more than we’ve seen in a long time. A few (just) undersized Snapper were caught but a few of the passengers managed to hook a nice Grassy Sweet Lip and a good size Mowong. Slightly frustrating as it was clear from the sounder information that the area was solid with good sized fish under the boat!
It was nice to see some women on board and Julie hooked up a nice Trigger Fish
