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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jul 2018 at 12:05pm
Originally posted by Da-Jew-Man Da-Jew-Man wrote:

Hey Martin , Well done.
I would like to see a video of you catching a big Barra on the outfit would be great viewing. Dave

So would I Dave, so would I.

But I reckon I would need to hook it from the boat so I could chase it a bit as these 2 JPs pulled drag and they gave me a hell of a time. hmmmmm ....possibility of getting a barra while fishing a sand bank, but where I have this in mind s very heavily fished. I will have to hit Lakefield National Park to have a better crack at them with this outfit and that road is chopped up with all the unseasonal rain up here at the moment.

BUTTTT .... I will persistLOLLOLLOL
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ducks Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jul 2018 at 1:30pm
I've often considered trying to catch fish on 'novelty' rods to make things interesting.  And have looked at those a few times.
But I find I have so many 'novelty' and 'specialty' lures I need to use that I'd break my back carrying extra rods as well...
Maybe when I'm comfortably retired like Martin... LOLLOLLOL
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rodsncods Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jul 2018 at 2:08pm
Originally posted by horrorhead horrorhead wrote:

Originally posted by Da-Jew-Man Da-Jew-Man wrote:

Hey Martin , Well done.
I would like to see a video of you catching a big Barra on the outfit would be great viewing. Dave

So would I Dave, so would I.

But I reckon I would need to hook it from the boat so I could chase it a bit as these 2 JPs pulled drag and they gave me a hell of a time. hmmmmm ....possibility of getting a barra while fishing a sand bank, but where I have this in mind s very heavily fished. I will have to hit Lakefield National Park to have a better crack at them with this outfit and that road is chopped up with all the unseasonal rain up here at the moment.

BUTTTT .... I will persistLOLLOLLOL
eyes and ears wide open in lakefield martin. saw crocs well away from the main waterway, big ones too. a bloke was attacked in the same camp we stayed in only a week or so before( camp No23 i think.) the last camp at the end of the track......mick
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Jul 2018 at 11:48pm
Yep Mick - stay alert the whole time. It's not unusual to see 5 metre plus crocs and over a dozen smaller "short legged , long tailed swamp terriers" in a day there.  

Today Wal and I tried for jungle perch again at the same spot as a couple of days ago. I had what I thought was 3 solid hook ups only to have the lure spat out.The problem was that both of the trebles continued to hook up with each other. I'll be trying shorter shanked trebles on this lure before fishing it again. Wal had a breif hook up and a few half hearted taps on his lures. All up seeing as it was always about to rain, we were surprised at the activity we did encounter.

Now remember in a previous post I said about that crocs larder of a partially eaten kangaroo? Well this is that little off shoot - minus the roo.


We found Mr Roo about 600 metres down stream, and this time with a big chunk out of his back almost cutting him in half.


We will be leaving this spot alone for a little while so the croc doesn't work out our movements as well as to give the fish a rest so they don't become too educated.

After this session  we tried the wharf. We saw a barra then Wal hooked up to one of similar size, about 70 cm  before being cut off on a pontoon.

And on a brighter note - I didn't loose a lure todayClap
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Jul 2018 at 9:51pm
Opportunity today for a quick trolling run to Dawson Reef with my brother in law as a passenger and his brother David fishing. David was using a Bryan Power's "Ajew" lure and just at the river mouth caught this 51 cm gold spot cod.
 

No other fish was brought to the boat but we did get a couple of hits off mackerel. One hit left some cool teeth marks in the "Ajew" lure and bent the bib by 45 degrees.

A session casting lures with Wal at the wharf only saw us with a small pike each.

Next opportunity to get out past the river mouth seems to be next Saturday if the long range weather forecast is correct.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Screamingreel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Jul 2018 at 9:22am
Any recent rock trips Martin
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Jul 2018 at 9:22pm
No John, the winds have been too strong. I have also been wanting to fish the beaches as well looking for new species for me to catch but can't cast against that wind. Predictions are an easing of the wind next Saturday.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Screamingreel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Jul 2018 at 10:04am
Thanks Martin
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Jul 2018 at 11:04am
The constant southerly and south easterly blow has lowered the water temperatures to around 23 degrees in the rivers and, as seen when I got out to Dawson Reef, off shore as well. This also "inactivates" the fishing. Our best bet is to look for wind protected areas in the freshwater around rock bars that get a lot of sun chasing the warmer water.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Jul 2018 at 11:06am
PS, barra prefer water temps between 25 and 30 degrees. I have a few more leads to try in different systems so a bit more exploring is to be done.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hooknose Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Jul 2018 at 11:48am
A nice little  drive up to Starkey used to be the go Martin Thumbs Up
Cheers Steve R
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Jul 2018 at 12:59pm
That's one of the places that we will go for a night or two. Currently looking at systems closer to home that we can go for just a few hours so we can fit these in around the other things we will be doing. The roads in Lakefield are starting to dry out again so that will be in the near future as well.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hooknose Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Jul 2018 at 5:04pm
Little Oakey ? 😁
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Jul 2018 at 8:57pm
Originally posted by hooknose hooknose wrote:

Little Oakey ? 😁
y brother in law as he gets permission to cross private property there

I can only fish the large lagoons there with my brother in law as he gets permission to cross private property there. The owner will hunt you out if she catches anyone in there without her permission. We only fish those lagoons once or twice a year as they are  easily fished out, plus there is a croc there with about 1.5 metres between the paw prints and we don't want him getting to know us too well. Also because of this croc we like to fish this area later in the season when the water has dropped enough to expose sand banks making it easier and safer to cross the creek.

Today Wal and I explored more of a certain waterway. I think I had a hit by a timid barra and Wal scored a 55 cm dude which also took his lure very timidly. Wal also lost what seems to be a sizeable jungle perch. He didn't get a good look at it before it spat back the lure but by his brief glimpse at it that is all we can think it was.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Jul 2018 at 11:24pm
Some photos of today by Wal


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hooknose Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Jul 2018 at 11:25pm
Good stuff Martin, keep up the good work mate
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 2018 at 7:41pm
Tried the dinky rod again today. First I went to a causeway over a road and scored this little tarpon.


Later in the day I went to my nephew's and fished his dam with him. Soon into this Andrew scored a little barra and I scored another small tarpon.


Over the next 40 minutes I scored 2 more small barra and dropped a couple more. Andrew landed 3 more little ones.



Andrew got hit by a big barra. He didn't see the full length but he saw the depth of the body and it would have been quite large. Andrew has caught barra up to 80 cm in his dam before. He then lightly hooked and briefly landed a 60 -62 cm barra before it flipped off the hook on the bank and flapped back into the water.

This is Andrew fishing on the other side of his dam. Those 2 cows kept on sneaking up behind us licking our pants.


These next 2 photos are of Andrew hooked up to his 60 odd cm barra.
 

I used a small WHIPTAIL PIG made by Wade Garland. Andrew used a small gold bomber.

This dam is naturally replenished with baby barra during the wet and the dam overflows. He often looses the larger barra as they escape to go breeding. He has the Endevour River National Park behind him with a couple of drains to the river that fill during the wet.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote p.j. Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 2018 at 8:19pm
Looks like a nice place and some good fun

Knaek & Break
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HARTE Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 2018 at 8:23pm
Great stuff Martin, looks like a excellent Dam! Thumbs Up
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ducks Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jul 2018 at 9:23pm
Bloody hell. Private dams and all...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote al49 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Jul 2018 at 8:28am
if the bazzas can get in there maybe crocs as well ? id  be standing a bit further back from the dam just in case lol
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Jul 2018 at 12:26pm
Yes the crocs can get into it. But the dogs are always swimming in it and they haven’t been taken yet so we feel pretty safe there at the moment. That said, I’m still always sussing out the water
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MadDogLures Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Jul 2018 at 6:47pm
Looks like fun to me Martin Thumbs Up

Cheers
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Jul 2018 at 8:16pm
Got the boat back after getting some wiring tidied up and had to give it a go in the Annan River. A strong cross wind still howling so I was really had to drive the boat to keep in the narrow channel while Wal was casting to the snags. 

Result for Wal was 8 small GTs, 2 barracuda and a nice golden trevally.

barracuda
 

golden trevally


I ended up with a small GT, a small gold spot cod and a small barracuda - all ondited e the dinky folding rod. Wal took some video footage of this but has to put it all together and edit it. When this has been done I'll post it up.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MadDogLures Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Jul 2018 at 9:00pm
Well done guysThumbs Up

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Jul 2018 at 9:48pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Jul 2018 at 10:02pm
and some more. As you can see, even with these small fish they were taking drag and I had to pump and wind them inLOL


https://www.facebook.com/martin.henderson.7568/videos/pcb.1602344756561857/1602342459895420/?type=3&theater

https://www.facebook.com/martin.henderson.7568/videos/pcb.1602344756561857/1602343356561997/?type=3&theater


https://www.facebook.com/martin.henderson.7568/videos/pcb.1602344756561857/1602343649895301/?type=3&theater
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jul 2018 at 8:34pm
Yesterday my nephew and I went to Lakefield National Park for a few hours. We got to the fishing spot at about 8 am. Expecting cool water at that time of the morning I wasn't surprised that the fishing was slow to start off with. But we still got a few flashes off the barra and we caught a total of 3 archer fish until the water warmed up a little. At about 11 am Andrew landed a barra of about 40 cm and an hor later I had my lure spat out by a legal sized jumping barra. 15 minutes later I landed a nice fat 56 cm barra but still undersized. That's how we finished up as Andrew had family commitments later in the day.

Andrew and his barra


My barra caught on a small Ray Murphy jointed lure


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jul 2018 at 9:26pm
Fishing with Wal today. A quick barracuda each - mine bitten in half. Soon afterwards I scored a nice spanish mackerel then out came the dinky rod which caught a 61 cm spotty mackerel (see video). Wal later scored a norther longtail tuna and soon afterwards I was busted off using the dinky rod. A couple more hits but no hook up - apart from this little trevally that managed to tangle up 3 lines.

the link to the video
https://www.facebook.com/martin.henderson.7568/videos/pcb.1608495675946765/1608496972613302/?type=3&theater


the spanish mackerel and small barracudacaught on Bryan Power's "AJEW" lure and the resulting damage to the lure
  

The spotty mackerel caught on the dinky rod and a jointed Ray Murphy lure


Wal's longtail tuna
  

The Mad Dog lure "WAHOO" that  caught a little trevally that tangled 3 lines. It got hit big time twice for no hook up

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Da-Jew-Man Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jul 2018 at 9:58am
Hey Martin I want my rod back. Its a fish Killer.
Just kidding.
Just goes to show what you can achieve.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hooknose Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jul 2018 at 1:00pm
You wont go far wrong with Ray Murphy's jointed lures mate, go real well casting off the rocks for barra.👍😁
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jul 2018 at 7:09pm
Cheers Dave, that rod gives me al sorts of conniptions when I hook any sized fish.           Yep Steve, Ray’s jointed lures work great. But it was that little pink one that I lost when that big whatever hit the dinky rod
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Screamingreel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jul 2018 at 10:00pm
Martin is there a short cut to  Lakefield National Park from Cooktown.

What is the distance /time travelled. to get to one of your fishing spots there.

It is a large National Park

Thanks 

regards John

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Jul 2018 at 8:16pm
I don't know about a clip of the drive there John, but there should be some on Youtube.

When going up the Cape you have to go to Lakeland. From there you either go to (New) Laura or to Cooktown. While you get into the park faster through Laura, the fishing doesn't start into the park until about an hour's drive into it. All in all, from Lakeland - about the same time to start fishing.

Lakefield is quite a large national park and has quite a few waterways going through it. The main rivers are the Laura, Normanby and Kennedy Rivers with a few smaller rivers and some creeks. Most of the camp sites are along the Kennedy and Normanby.

In the last few years a lot of road works have been done and about two thirds of the way to Lakefield through Battle Camp Road has been sealed. Most of the remainder is good dirt road but half way through the tourist season (now) , it starts to get chopped up with bull dust holes appearing and corrugations getting bigger and more frequent.

Getting to the first fishing spot in the park - Welcome Hole, is about 90 minutes and about 110 k's away and is on the Normanby. Most of the camp sites are further into the park, the most popular is Kalpowar Crossing which is about another 45 - 60 minutes away. The furtherest would be at Saltwater Creek which is another 45 - 60 minutes from Kalpowar.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Jul 2018 at 8:36pm
Had another go for the mackerel today with Wal. No 1.2 metre wind swell today but the wind swell and surface chop was still enough to quickly sap the energy. I got a nice 60 cm spotty mackerel on one of Wal's Illusion Lure "WEDGETAIL"while Wal scored 3 undersized spotties.

I was bitten off trying to get the Bryan Power lure even more chewed up (bugger). And coming in through the leader markers I saw on the side scan a log. But this "log" had, on us going out, moved further into the river mouth. I hooked up onto "it" when using a Mad Dog "WAHOO 160". But this "log" came towards me when I put pressure on the line trying to retrieve my lure. My line broke as Wal was trying to get his lure off from my line (again - bugger).

We are waiting for a good day to get further out to coral reefs for the better fishing.
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