QLD Too many species, not enough time.

[Barrabundy]

My fishing trips have been few and far between of late and I make the most of any opportunity to go when I can.

Saturday consisted of funeral related activities for most of the day and then running and packing up a community group food stall for a local street festival. By the time I had finished packing up last night I was knackered but was determined I was going to load the yak and go for fish in the morning. I told my wife it would be a long one, most likely around mid day before I got home.

The alarm went off early and the morning was almost brisk enough to have me crawl back into bed, a lesser human male would have. Off I went to a spot which entailed a 3-5k paddle to get to the zone I wanted to concentrate my fishing effort. I wasn't dissapointed when my first fish was a small barra. It took a 3" Gulp saltwater prawn (pinkish) on a very small and light jighead and with 8lb line.

My next fish after releasing the barra wasn't to be seen, it grabbed my brand spanking silver/black bomber with upgraded hooks and rings and left me with nothing to show but a big swirl in the water. I knew it couldn't have been a barra as it didn't even slip the drag, the braid was cut and I called it a shark. A squidgy slick rig was tied on instead and I threw it back out to troll along while I worked the small rod with the prawn by hand.

I don't remember what happened when, other than the bite was hot, and I caught fish after fish of many different species in a 500m section of creek. I lost a few barra which would have been keepers and released a few trevally. After the first trevally I started to think that one of them may have been responsible for taking my lure rather than a shark....who knows?

To cut a long story short, I got a lucnh invite while out and decided to turn for home and fish the same way all the way back to the ramp. The fish just kept coming and I risked bing late if I kept fishing so I pulled my lines out of the water and headed back to the ramp. I met some ugly Australians as I neared the ramp but I guess I'm lucky it's the first time it's happened. They were full of piss, yahooing, warned me about the wildlife, got annoyed when I just fobbed them off, had music blaring, wheels spinning back the the ramp....you get the idea. I got the impression by their goodbyes amongst each other that they caught nothing. <insert thumbs up here>

Take home tally for the morning was a mangrove jack, a bream, a barra, with many more of the barra and trevally variety caught and released, and a few tiny flathead to widen the variety.

At one stage I spotted a small fish chasing a small prawn right near the kayak without being spooked. I changed to another brand of prawn style plastic after the gulps ran out. Why do the gulps tear so easy? The plastic I fished with towards the end was an oil based one and was tought as nails so far as durability goes yet was still nice and flexible and life like in the water, beats me why the older style powerbait type plastics aren't more readily available.....they don't dry out either!
I'm wanting to go back there again ASAP!

[Barrabundy]

Just a few more photos to round out the report.

[kraley]

1. You are insane
2. Thats a dream session

[Bertros]

Not a shabby day Con. Good on ya.
I can only dream of a day like that at the moment down south here...

[liam8227]

Love your reports Con. So many nice fish.

[carnster]

Fun times Con. No lunch date would take me away from a hot bite like that. You have shown gr8 self restraint mate. I like the gulp prawns also but yeah they don't last long.

[indiedog]

I hate it that you can catch all those species not too far from home and I can't, keep it coming though! Bugger about the bogans.

[ringo]

Nice work Con. I'm glad to see that someone is getting out for a fish. How'd the new combo go? As Indiedog said, it's a shame about the bogans. It's a pity that a croc didn't take one of them.

[killer]

Well done ,
I would have skipped Lunch .

Cheers
Killer.

[nad97]

Thats a nice way to spend the morning con well done

[Brez]

Sounds like it was pretty hectic for a bit there good mix of species . Is that bream a pikey bream ?

[Barrabundy]

I hate it that you can catch all those species not too far from home

This spot borders onto a neighbours property and I could get there via a short drive from my parents place. I've always had to do the long drive around to a public boat ramp to get there though.

How'd the new combo go?

The rod is a 2-piece graphite Okuma Trinus 2-4kg that I bought online. The reel is a Shimano stradic Ci4 2500 which I bought which I also bought recently with some birthday cash. I was using 8lb braid and this was the first time I'd caught a few larger fish and was very impressed at how well everything worked. I know the reel is still new and hadn't been in salt before this, but the drag seemed sooooo silky smooth that I asked myself why I hadn't bought a decent reel sooner. I'd consider buying a heavier rod with another reel the same spooled with heavier line as a heavier outfit....but I don't need one at the moment.

Sounds like it was pretty hectic for a bit there good mix of species . Is that bream a pikey bream ?

Yep, the bites kept coming. It's amazing how much more you can feel on light gear. As for the bream, I know the lure usually fits in the end opposite to the tail but couldn't tell you what sort it was.....yes, I've heard them called pikey before but don't know all the different varieties myself.

[doubletrouble]

If variety is the spice of life, you are a really spicy fella. (^_^)
Great report ... keep up the great mojo

[kayakone]

Con

Just wanted to say I'm not even a tiny bit jealous.










I'm a liar .

trev


i

[fishcq]

Great outing

I know i've had similar days lately here near tannum.

1 trip will see

Jacks
Barra
Tarpon
Queenies
Trevally
Bream
Flathead
Estuary cod
Catfish

Its amazing variety and not that varying tactics or targeting a species in particular, mostly with SP's