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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kimo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Jan 2019 at 8:37pm
Time well spent Martin
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Jan 2019 at 8:33pm
Did a bit of travelling around today looking for fish. Things are very fluid at the moment after rain in the headwaters of the local river (no pun intended, but ain't gunna re-word it anywayWink). A  flick this morning at the waterfront for only a giant herring on a Mark A stickbait. I then lost one of Wal's lures to a shark.

Wal and I had a look for some jungle perch, I got flashed once and Wal was bumped a couple of times - then nothing.

We then went back to the waterfront, Wal got bumped a couple of times but nothing. A bloke bait fishing caught what looks very similar to a barramundi cod. But the head doesn't look quite right for a barramundi cod and I couldn't find any photos on line of one in this colouration.

Wolf herring


Is this a barramundi cod?


With no other fish photos - a pretty sunset from the waterfront

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hooknose Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Jan 2019 at 8:55pm
Very nice fish whatever it is Martin
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ducks Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Jan 2019 at 7:49am
It's like a colour reversed barramundi cod?
I'll flick through a few books...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ducks Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Jan 2019 at 12:41pm
Flicked through a couple of books which are usually really good for obscure fish ids. Nothing.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Fysshe Salmon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Jan 2019 at 3:48pm
Might be an Ocellated Cod, Chris got one here a few months ago.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Fysshe Salmon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Jan 2019 at 3:51pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tony Mc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Jan 2019 at 6:38pm
A Whitespotted Grouper, Epinephelus coeruleopunctatus, at Taveuni, Fiji. Source: Paddy Ryan / www.ryanphotographic.com. License: All rights reserved
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Jan 2019 at 7:55pm
Just googled the white spotted grouper - not the same as this fish has a scooped head, and the fins are a bit different. I did find a video of a juvenile white spotted in case they  changed shape, but the small ones of the w s grouper are the same shape as the larger ones.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TimmO Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Jan 2019 at 7:36pm
New species.
The Cooktown Horrorheadeis.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hooknose Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Jan 2019 at 8:16pm
Flick the pic to james cook uni might be the go Marty !!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jan 2019 at 8:58am
Good idea and Hooknose
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Jan 2019 at 1:02pm
Originally posted by Tony Mc Tony Mc wrote:

A Whitespotted Grouper, Epinephelus coeruleopunctatus, at Taveuni, Fiji. Source: Paddy Ryan / www.ryanphotographic.com. License: All rights reserved

You were right Tony. Confirmed by Jeff Johnson of Qld Museum via Morgan Grant (Ern Grant's son) as a juvenile white spotted grouper. The differences in the head shape had thrown me.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tony Mc Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Jan 2019 at 2:42pm
  Thumbs UpI got one right Party

Cheers for the reply, MartinBeer
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Jan 2019 at 7:39pm
Not Cooktown, but I'll place this here to save starting another post.
Went to Tinaroo Dam again with Bill Cara for a few days. On the first day, the weather was still quite fine and hot. Bill had a monstrous smash on a bright yellow / orange soft plastic swim bait but it failed to find the hooks. 

The next 2 days were overcast and drizzling. We found plenty of barra on the sounder but they were below the thermocline which was about 10 metres down . (First day's thermocline was at about 7 metres).

When you see the barra above the thermocline, you know they are active and likely to strike. We did not see any above the thermocline. We tried all manner of sinking lures jigging them over the fish, and trolled all manner of very deep diving lures trying to entice a strike but for no joy.

I didn't even get a catfish. Now Cam Cupitt refers to me as Captain No Fish instead of Captain CatfishLOL. Tinaroo is  proving to be my nemesis. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hooknose Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Jan 2019 at 8:19pm
Stick at it Martin 😉👍👍👍
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ducks Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Jan 2019 at 8:37pm
I caught a big long tom and a whole lot of nothing else at Tinaroo on my one visit.
Don't reckon there is anything in there
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Jan 2019 at 6:39pm
Things have been quiet up here on the fishing front with all of the flood water run off and many of our spots cut off by flooded creeks and rivers (still got to get out to ScotchnDry 's place for another beer). We have tried the places that we can get to for a few small bumps for no hook ups.

By our rain gauge so far this wet season we have had 1.5 metres of rain. Last year was a moderate wet season at 2 metres. We need a lot more rain for a good wet this year.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MadDogLures Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Jan 2019 at 7:33pm
Nice catch Martin a beercodLOL


Cheers,
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P.S Keep dryWink
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote scotch&dry Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Jan 2019 at 7:46am
Plenty of cold beers here mate
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Feb 2019 at 7:47pm
I've had a few good goes at the barra since the opening of the season on Friday for a few hits, but I think most of these were tarpon (I know some definitely were tarpon after they got air borne and threw the hooks). But others I am not so sure. 

The winds have generally been down, but when the squalls come through, well I'm glad I'm not in the boat. So until the unsettled weather abates, I am a bit reluctant to head out to the reef.

On the beach today and trying to work this area out, I spun up a few jelly fish tentacles. I don't know if they are from  irukandji or the chironex Fleckeri (box jellyfish) or something else, but I made sure I didn't touch it. Planing on live baiting this beach too try to get an idea what lives here, but Ia might need a stinger suit to throw the cast net. I have trolled just off this beach for just a few spotty mackerel. There is often a lot of small mullet in close and some bigger mullet further out so something must chase them. Some of the locals have told me not to waste my time, and I have only seen a few people fish here before. Something to work out.

jellyfish tentacle


the beach I am trying to work out

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MadDogLures Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Feb 2019 at 8:13pm
Looks like a great beach to fish MartinThumbs Up 


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Feb 2019 at 8:35pm
Originally posted by MadDogLures MadDogLures wrote:

Looks like a great beach to fish MartinThumbs Up 


Cheers,
Dave

Wal and I tried the lures on that beach early this evening before a thunder storm chased us off - just as the bait was starting to turn up. One hit but no hook up. 

There was another mob that was bait fishing and they scored some small permit, a good sized grunter and hooked up onto a metre long shovel nose shark.


Check out the bumper bar on their 4x4LOL

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MadDogLures Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Feb 2019 at 7:20am
Love that bumper barLOL
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Feb 2019 at 7:02pm
We have been trying hard with the lures. The bait still hasn't entered the river, just small schools of small white bait - not really enough to attract the predators. 

The seas are still generally calm, until another storm comes in - so the reef is out. It can go from no wind, to gusts over 30 kilometres per hour with driving rain in under a minute. We got caught out fishing a beach this afternoon - saturated in no time flat.

I had scored a little gold spot cod on a lure made by one of Billy Stringer's mates (see the very bad photo). This afternoon I got a 50 cm plus tarpon on one of Wal's lures (no photo- too wet to bring out the phone).

A few barra have had half hearted swipes at lures but not really interested.

Most of the fish caught has been on bait, and that is mainly permit and javelin fish (grunter) off the beaches with the javelin fish also off the wharf. The general size is small though, usually under 40 cm. The odd mangrove jack has been baited up as well as a couple of big shovel nosed sharks.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Feb 2019 at 7:02pm
Originally posted by MadDogLures MadDogLures wrote:

Love that bumper barLOL

It's pretty cool isn't it?LOL
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote puglee62 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Feb 2019 at 8:36pm
Originally posted by horrorhead horrorhead wrote:

Originally posted by MadDogLures MadDogLures wrote:

Love that bumper barLOL

It's pretty cool isn't it?LOL
the whole ute is cool,love those old 40's.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Feb 2019 at 6:44pm
The river mouth started to look really good this morning - water cleared right up and I was hopeful the schools of white bait  were going to come back up. I was even kicking myself for not having an early start to try the GTs again - I am really hanging out for another GT fixCry.

A bit of rain  and now the river is running dirty againStern Smile.

The weather was predicted to clear up from this afternoon (was raining AGAIN) with predicted light winds on 3 weather sites for the next week.As soon as it does LOOK OUT GIANT TREVALLY.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Chep Buxley Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Feb 2019 at 8:30pm
Good luck with the weather. It's been great reading about your adventures so far.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Feb 2019 at 7:46pm
B.O.M. said a fine day, both Windy apps on the phone said the westerly winds will drop out from 25 kilometres per hour to under 10 by 10 am - so we went out - Mick and myself.

By 10 am, the winds didn't abate but it only got stronger. The side of the reef I like to fish (better bommies) was being crashed by the sometimes metre high wind swell. Seeing as the bommies we drift over is usually 2 metres deep - this option was out of the question.

We tried the back of the reef (the eastern side). The wind caused too fast of a drift over the edge and the electric outboard could not keep on course with the GPS course. By this stage Mick had caught a little stripey and I had a small flower pot cod and a just legal (released) coral trout.

We decided to  try section of coast line that has produced in the past trolling against the wind to get there. When we got to our destination and pulled in the mackerel lures, mine had been hit with some nasty teeth marks on a previously unfished 16 cm Illusion Lure Wedgetail (deep). Mick had also been hit but no hook up as well. Still a puzzle how obviously big mackerel can hit a lure without a bite registering.

A troll along a rocky shore line saw some more hits but no hook ups from small fish. Away from the rocky reef and closer to home and trolling into the dirty freshwater run off out of the river and Mick got hit a few more times using a shallow  diving mass produced lure - still no hook up. My deep diver went unmolested.   Day ended without a decent fish coming aboard - DONUTES ALL AROUND.

Both of my fish were caught on a small Mark A Herring.
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote puglee62 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Feb 2019 at 12:42pm
never mind mate next time.jeez that herring is a beautyThumbs Up
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Feb 2019 at 8:56pm
I lost another one of Mark's lures (a round scorpion type ) in the same colour scheme - to a huge unknown a few weeks ago on the reef.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hypnos Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Feb 2019 at 5:02am
i agree fugly .... i am a fan of big eyed herrings !!! WinkWink
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MadDogLures Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Feb 2019 at 6:43am
Good job Martin love the herringThumbs Up
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Feb 2019 at 6:58pm
The luring barra land based in the river is very difficult at the moment. We are still to have the schools of bait to come back in. A few people I have spoken to said that they have had them "flash" their lures with only a couple saying they had hooked up.

Now not lure related, but Roly got a nice 65 cm fingermark this morning on a dead herring.


The weather is looking pretty good tomorrow, as long as the wind drops out by 7 am tomorrow. I plan to hit the off shore reefs again but the back up plan is to try a coastal reef if the wind is a problem again.
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