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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rodsncods Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Apr 2022 at 1:46pm
don't play with your dongle martin just get those trout and salty barra i ordered. what about big live mullet hooked between the last tail fin and tail, free swim it. no sinker or even a metre or so under a float? even one of those tarpon. . . .mick
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote p.j. Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Apr 2022 at 5:33pm
Hard times Martin Stern Smile
Hope it soon turns 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Seaweed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Apr 2022 at 12:08pm
Marty, we caught many Turrum off the beach with lures at Coburg Peninsular NT, back in early 90's when I worked for Telstra. Definitely different species than the GT, correct about the body profile being squarish compared to the GT, pulled just as hard though, we'd release them in preference to better eating species we'd catch in adjacent GulGul Ck. which had plenty of Jacks on tap.
Great reports mate, regards Seaweed.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Apr 2022 at 11:19am
Thanks Capt Seaweed- I try to keep the posts informative.

Mick, for some reason the mullet don’t seem to make a good live bait in the wharf area. Out of desperation Roly used one as a livie and was surprised to get a 61 cm barra on one- this was going back at the start of the season. He said that he had never caught a barra on a mullet in the Endevour River before but he had caught plenty in the Annan River on them.

I also know a few local indigenous who won’t use them as live bait off the wharf but will take them to the Annan as dead baits. I see plenty of mullet in the Annan but very few in the Endevour so it may be that it’s something they are not used to eating. A live bait that Roly likes using are the trumpeter and he catches plenty on those whenever he can get them. They have wicked spines on the gills though and I bled like a stuck pig the last time I handled one.

Big tarpon as bait? I’ll have to big out the BIG gear for that- Ugly Stik GB 1706 gut buster, Penn 345 GTi with 50 kilo braid and 75 kilo leader. Any barra that would take that as a bait is one big fish.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hooknose Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Apr 2022 at 1:45pm
Hey Marty, live Pike used to be the best go for Barra at the jetty when i was up there in the 80's. 
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: 23 Apr 2022 at 8:47pm
Originally posted by hooknose hooknose wrote:

Hey Marty, live Pike used to be the best go for Barra at the jetty when i was up there in the 80's. 
Cheers Steve R  !!!

Live like is still popular but the resident barra still mostly ignore them. They still do catch a lot of fish though. They are now more popular as a Spanish mackerel bait off the wharf in spring / early summer. Not any around at the moment.

Since my last post I have only caught a 54 cm barra on one of Per’s banana lures and a 12 cm giant trevally on that little Jonesy lure you gave me.




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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Apr 2022 at 8:52pm
That BIG catch on the little Jonesy.

Internet here in Cooktown has gone lousy again. Lucky to be able to open up any posts at all.

Sorry, can’t open the photo function all of a sudden.




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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Apr 2022 at 7:38am
We have an extended wet season up here in Cooktown this year. Normally the last rains are around February but we didn’t really get any big falls until March this year and today we are getting some big dumping showers. Lakefield National Park is also getting these late showers so I expect it to open much later this year. The dirt roads need to dry out first so the traffic doesn’t chop them up.

Winds for the next 20 days are predicted to be usually in the 30 kph or higher so my fishing will be restricted mainly to trying to catch a barra around the wharf.

There was a little flurry of barra ( about 6) and mangrove jacks ( about 3) caught in the past week with only a couple of barra being legal size. I most probably will need to travel southwards to get into some fish.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 May 2022 at 8:48pm
I’ll write the report here and post the photos when I take the laptop into the Main Street. Can only get 3G just 2 kilometres from the tower here.

Yesterday and today was great weather, especially today- a total glass out.

Yesterday I hit the reef early trolling until the sun came up. With all of the debris in the water I’m not game to hit “ flat boat” until I can see what’s in front of me. I’ll post up photos of a small wrecked catamaran that I came across after I dodged a few logs.

I made it out to my intended reef and while the numbers were not there the quality was quite good. I let most of my fish go but came back with a 51,58 and 61 cm coral trout. Only saw one giant trevally and he didn’t hang around. By 1.30 pm I was backing the boat into the yard.

When Stephen Gane from Ganesy’s Lure was in town I got a couple off him. Lost one second cast ( cry). But the standout lures for the day were RS lures by Rodney Whyte ( member- hey Rod, is your title Fish Lips?). The other stand out lure was Mad Dog “Edge” popper that scored my 2 biggest trout.

Today’s run out again started before dawn. I trolled quite a way because of the worry of debris and I wasn’t in too much of a hurry because high tide was at about 7.30 on the reef and there’s always that quiet period and hour before and after the high tide.

I selected a different reef and the numbers of fish were great, just smaller. I trolled up a 70 cm spotty mackerel on a Beardy lure made by Daniel Beard. Being a deep river it was too dangerous to use it on the shallow reefs. I used another Ganesy Lure for most of the day and scored 5 trout, the biggest going 495 mm. I lost count of all of the little sweet lips that I caught . Don’t you just hate it when you watch a big 60 cm pulse trout rush your lure only to ha e a little stripey swipe it just before the big hook up? 

I used the same RS lure as yesterday and scored another trout before deciding to head back home. But with how clear the water was and watching the trout under the boat darting for cover, or a big flowery cod poking his nose out from under a bommie looking at you- fantastic.

Now this is why You need the long casts from the boat. I saw one decent size trout of about 50 cm swimming away from the boat at about 15 metres away. My lure went right past it and it showed no interest. Now if a trout follows your lure in from a far distance, it can get so fixated on your lure that it may not see the boat and smash the lure from less then 10 metres away.

The trip back home was uneventful. I trolled part of the way, but the hot sun hit me and I just opened up to W.O.T. and was home in no time only slowing down to negotiate my way through a current line full of logs and congregated floating matter. As I was entering the river I saw where a big holding tank of some sort had floated into the river mouth and was roped to the rocks of the waterfront. It would have been hard not to see even in the dark but it’s what you can’t see when boating at night that worries me.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sudanraghu2210 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 May 2022 at 9:00pm
Seems to be a g8 trip Martin, eager to see the pics of your catches .......... Cheers!!

Regards, Raghubir
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 May 2022 at 8:05pm
OK here are the photos. I'll have another story after I finish posting these.

A 70 cm spotted mackerel on a Beardy's Lure




Ganesy's lures








The 495 mm trout










I won't show all of the fish I caught on Ganesy's lures and many are of similar fish of similar size.

Next are the photos of the glassed out day for yesterday and the busted catamaran and the big holding tank.







Ray Murpy's lure caught gold spot cod and shark




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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 May 2022 at 8:21pm
The rest of the photos

Hurtle Flint lure caught fish before it was donated to the reef.








Mad Dog's Ëdge"popper. Only 2 trout but the two biggest of the day at 58 and 61 cm.






RS Lures now made by Rod Whyte







the 59 cm flowery cod






the 51 cm trout



Look at the condition of the same RS lure the next day


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 May 2022 at 9:02pm
This morning I went to the Annan River bridge. The queenfish came on and these were over a metre long. I hooked up about 8 times with some huge screaming runs. I only stayed connected to 2 of these fish. The first was hooked on the Mad Dog Edge popper that got my 2 biggest coral trout on Friday. I tried to lift it up onto the bridge but there must have been a weakness in the braid and it snapped. The second fish was on a HJK20 cm long  popper. It was the first time I used it and it last one cast. This fish fought hard and I had a hard time trying unsuccessfully from wrapping me around a bridge pylon.

On my way to the whardf this afternoon to post the reef trip photos a mate said that there had been a bit of surface activity. Just as he said that, further down all hell broke loose with bait and water flying everywhere. A run down in that direction and casts directed to the commotion saw me hooked up a few times using a Richard Lee made popper. The hooks pulled on my first 3 hook ups but thw next hook up stayed connected and a mate netted a queenfish over a metre long. 

Mickey Rat turned up and we both hooked a dropped a couple of fish before he successfully land one of these big queenfish and a golden trevally about 80 / 90 cm long. By this time the school moved to the wharf area and so did we.

I landed another big queenfish, one  I pulled from the mouth of one of the resident big groper. Michael lost a big queenfish to another (or the same?) groper. Next thing I knew the foster child of a friend was next to me asking if anything was happening with the fishing. I told him about the queenfish and he asked if I had another popper. I gave him the Richard Lee popper KI was using and he started casting that. I tied on a HJK stickbait and soon landed another big queenie.

Paddy came along to coach his foster son and soon he had hooked up. This fish was eventually landed using a small outfit and 10 kilo line. But what a great fight. Mum, dad and son were over the moon.

Now some photos

my queenfish with the Lee's popper





the queenie on the HJK stickbait





Michael's fish on a Halco popper that was a beach find lure. 







The queenie that Paddy's son caught. This fight took 20 minutes and was hard fought,






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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sudanraghu2210 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 May 2022 at 9:35pm
Thanks Martin for sharing amazing & beautiful catches, different species and sizes. Yes catching queen, gt , mackerel are real fun, your adrenaline must have been shoot up. Smile

Paddy's son must be luck to have you beside him for all the useful tips & tricks since it took 20 minutes for a small boy to catching/land  a fighting fish of his age.

Hope you must have informed coast guards on the floating object, correct they are too dangerous for hitting the boats at night.

Thanks again for sharing.

Regards, Raghubir
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 May 2022 at 11:35am
Thanks Raghubir, I did let those that needed to know about the debris. With all of the rain and flooding further south has had I expect there will be a lot more big floating objects in the water.

Paddy copped a bit of flak from his son with "that's how you catch a fish dad"- or something like that, we were too busy laughing at his son sledging him. Paddy just got back from the "Barra Nationals" without catching a fish.

This morning I went back to the bridge chasing the giant queenfish again. I soon hooked onto a big giant trevally of around a metre long. I chased thid fish up and down the old bridge trying to keep it away from a groper hanging around. I groper had a good go at swallowing it but the trevally was too deep to fit inside the mouth. While trying to net the fish, the hooks of the lure tangled in the mesh of the net and that gave the trevally the leverage it need to dislodge the hooks and it swam out of the next. 10 minutes later the same thing happened while trying to net a queenfish over a metre long.

While chasing another school of queenies, I looked down at the water about 2 metres below me and the local croc was watching me. This lizard is about 14 foot (4+ metres) long. The general rule of thumb for guestemating the length of a long tailed short legged swamp terrier is to estimate the distance from the tip of the snout to the eyeballs then multiply that by 8 and that gives you the approximate length.

A little while later I hooked onto another queenfish. This fish really got aerial and jumped and played up big time. However I could not stop it from going under the bridge - the lair of Mr Mega Groper - yep, exit one queenfish and lure.

I then tried the Cooktown wharf again and tossed out another popper. 4 casts later and a hooked queenfish was eaten by another groper - BUGGER. This fish almost landed on the pontoon I was standing on trying to get away. KI left for home as my only popper I had left on me was one without a belly hook as a queenfish I hooked earlier stretched the split ring off.

The first photo is of the 104 cm queenie. All poppers used today were Lee's Lures. 




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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Seaweed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 May 2022 at 1:48pm
Marty, those big Queenies make lovely pickled Numis, as you probably know, but if not google for the recipe. Not much good cooked, but pickled, excellent.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sudanraghu2210 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 May 2022 at 7:00pm
Originally posted by Seaweed Seaweed wrote:

Marty, those big Queenies make lovely pickled Numis, as you probably know, but if not google for the recipe. Not much good cooked, but pickled, excellent.


Very true Tony, they are know for making specie pickles as the meat is hard. Raghubir
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sudanraghu2210 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 May 2022 at 7:44pm
Originally posted by horrorhead horrorhead wrote:

Thanks Raghubir, I did let those that needed to know about the debris. With all of the rain and flooding further south has had I expect there will be a lot more big floating objects in the water.

Paddy copped a bit of flak from his son with "that's how you catch a fish dad"- or something like that, we were too busy laughing at his son sledging him. Paddy just got back from the "Barra Nationals" without catching a fish.

This morning I went back to the bridge chasing the giant queenfish again. I soon hooked onto a big giant trevally of around a metre long. I chased thid fish up and down the old bridge trying to keep it away from a groper hanging around. I groper had a good go at swallowing it but the trevally was too deep to fit inside the mouth. While trying to net the fish, the hooks of the lure tangled in the mesh of the net and that gave the trevally the leverage it need to dislodge the hooks and it swam out of the next. 10 minutes later the same thing happened while trying to net a queenfish over a metre long.

While chasing another school of queenies, I looked down at the water about 2 metres below me and the local croc was watching me. This lizard is about 14 foot (4+ metres) long. The general rule of thumb for guestemating the length of a long tailed short legged swamp terrier is to estimate the distance from the tip of the snout to the eyeballs then multiply that by 8 and that gives you the approximate length.

A little while later I hooked onto another queenfish. This fish really got aerial and jumped and played up big time. However I could not stop it from going under the bridge - the lair of Mr Mega Groper - yep, exit one queenfish and lure.

I then tried the Cooktown wharf again and tossed out another popper. 4 casts later and a hooked queenfish was eaten by another groper - BUGGER. This fish almost landed on the pontoon I was standing on trying to get away. KI left for home as my only popper I had left on me was one without a belly hook as a queenfish I hooked earlier stretched the split ring off.

The first photo is of the 104 cm queenie. All poppers used today were Lee's Lures. 







Paddy may had a flopped fishing show along with his son in the past, now as his son caught one the past experience must have trigger him to say so. Any way its a growing stage of kid and any achievement makes them more exciting.

I know it hard to accept loosing a fish after a hard fight for initial few minutes of lose, but them as an angler its part of the game. Here its very difficult to find & catch groper, its one of the delicacy of Arabs and quiet expensive too.

Good to know that they are aggressive too, here most of the time its either king mackerel or barracuda who attack on the hooked up fish and you end up catching half or only head of the fish.

Some nice pics of queens there, good size .

Thanks Martin for sharing the post, you always narrate a details story of your trip which gives the reader a feeling that they are with you on the trip.Smile

Regards, Raghubir

 


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 May 2022 at 9:04pm
Thanks Raghubir. I try to educate people as to what I do so they can use it, or maybe some of it for their fishing trips.

Well when you are on a good thing - stick to it.

I had another session at the waterfront park this afternoon with Mickey Rat. I got there first and on the third cast I was hit but no hook up. The next cast using a K.A.D. lure made by Damian Flannigan and I landed a queenfish that would have been around 95 cm long. Next cast and I was hit about 6 times but no hook up. That when I saw Michael pull up in the car park and it didn't take him long to get into the action. 

Michael kept me busy running over the rocks to net his fish (2 queenies and a bludger trevally) while I was trying to get a fish on as well as trying to coach a tourist onto his biggest queenfish. This bloke admitted that he hasn't used lure much before and he had only caught one other at 70 cm at Karumba. Unfortunately, while he scored a few hits he didn't get a solid hook up. I gave him the heads up for a fish tomorrow morning before he leaves for Weipa.

While Michael was catching his breath after his last fish, I hooked up to a fis that took  me for a blistering run. My line became caught on a corner of that tied up holding tank and I jumped on it to free the line. I was convince it was a mackerel with the speed and power of the fish but when it came in closer we could see it was another queenie but very deep in the body. I wanted to let this one go as well but it was hooked in the mouth by a 7/0 single and the other 7/0 single had swung around and hooked into the gills. By the end of the fight it was bleeding badly from the gills. I found a friend of my sister's and gave it to him.

I had a feed of coral trout today but I still don't have room in my fridge to store any nummus. But I do have a good recipe for it. I just hope I can get another queenfish when I do get space in the fridge.

My last fish was caught on another K.A.D. popper. The queenfish  seem to prefer a "blooper" popper then one that "skittles" across the surface. Anyway I'll have another go at them in the morning.

K.A.D. popper caught fish




103 cm of fish



I'm pretty sure Michael was using another beach found Halco popper. His biggest also went 103 cm.





The bludger trevally that was "flipped off"when still in the water.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote p.j. Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 May 2022 at 6:31am
Looks like you have a good time. So are we looking your reports
Thanks fore sharing mate

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rivoli Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 May 2022 at 9:57am
Good times at the wharf, how nice to wander down the end of the street and catch sportfish like that. Awesome. 
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Yesterday morning was a non – event. But the queenies were around in smaller numbers late afternoon. I had pulled up to the car park while talking to HJK on the hands free. Mickey Rat was already on the rocks casting poppers but not having much success. After a while I saw a bit of bait movement further past him. The bait was coming in with the clean water just after the turn of the tide. A little while later the bait became very agitated and starting to “shower”out of the water.

That was enough, I was soon on the rocks beside Michael. It took a while for the cleaner water, along with the bait and the fish, to get close enough to us but we eventually started getting hits. We attracted the attention of another fisherman who didn’t have his gear with him but was excited watching the fish hit our lures and I think he was even more excited then we were when we hooked up.

Michael ended  up with 3 queenies , 2 at over a metre and one around 90 cm using his Halco beach found popper. I was using a Cam Cupitt made Headland popper and got 2 over a metre and one around 80 cm. One thing that Michael has observed is that the queenies have a preference for loud “blooping”poppers. We didn’t take photos of all the fish and when we released the fish as fast as we could. Except one of my fish had swallowed the popper too far down and was bleeding from the gill. Still there is always somebody that wants a fresh queenie and they never go to waste.

At one stage this other fisho was tailing our fish and he obviously had caught a lot of fish before. Now this is where things get a little trippy. I met up with Darren again this morning , both loking for more queenfish action, which we were disappointed by. But talking to him he seemed very familiar. The conversation went:

Me- did you used to fly fish Snapper Rocks at Coolangatta?

Him- Yeah mate yeah over 20 years ago.

Me- And some bloke wrote an article with photos of you in it?

Him- Yeah, but he called me Chad, my dick of a mate told him my name was Chad.

Me- That was me who wrote that article.

Two minds blown. Further conversation and we also have a mutual friend – Chris Henry. Chris does videos for BCF, Tide Apparel, Shimano and more. Such a small world  …. Can’t get away with anything without somebody finding out.

Anyway, I’ll be trying again this afternoon for queenies again.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 May 2022 at 3:41pm
The article that Darren was in was in Bay Watch Fishing magazine  volume 2 edition 11







One of Michael's his on the Halco popper






My first fish for the afternoon


Darren tailing one of my fish and the Headland popper down it's throat. A groper tried to steal the fish as Darren was first reaching down for it scaring him.







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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Chep Buxley Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 May 2022 at 8:52am
Nice fish from the rocks. 
Love the story about "Chad" = it's a small world.
Reminds me of when I was introduced to my wife's cousin at a wedding.

Him: I heard you like fishing. Do you use bait or lures?
Me: Lures mostly.
Him: What sort of lures?
Me: Hardbodies. I have a lot. I sort of collect them a bit. I'm on a lure forum called Lure Lovers.
Him: Me too! I'm Steiny.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 May 2022 at 3:06pm
Originally posted by Chep Buxley Chep Buxley wrote:

Nice fish from the rocks. 
Love the story about "Chad" = it's a small world.
Reminds me of when I was introduced to my wife's cousin at a wedding.

Him: I heard you like fishing. Do you use bait or lures?
Me: Lures mostly.
Him: What sort of lures?
Me: Hardbodies. I have a lot. I sort of collect them a bit. I'm on a lure forum called Lure Lovers.
Him: Me too! I'm Steiny.


That is gold .....

Had another quick session last night for 2 queenies before I hit the RSL. Richard Lee's poppers are well suited for them. I kept one for a friend and kept the other for nummus. I'll keep on going on these things until they moved on. The are a few golden and giant trevally around but I think the queenies get to the lures before them.




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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 May 2022 at 8:03pm
Not much happening. I caught a 71 cm barra (which I kept this time) and 2 metre long barracuda on a Ganesy Lures "walk the dog" stickbait (these went back).

A mate was bait fishing one evening using 40 kilo braid with the rod in a rod holder attached to his bull bar.  His line took off under full locked drag. Brett couldn't dislodge the rod from the holder so he "fought" it from the holder. I say "fought it" because all Brett could do was watch as his line disappeared before he held the spool and was broken off. Brett uses a lighter leader just for this reason. He would rather loose a leader then loose a heap of line.

We have huge stingrays here that are the size of Volkswagon cars. This is what most probably took Brett's bait. The resident nurse shark is commonly hooked and is relatively easy to bring in.

My fish on the Ganesy stickbait. This lure walks across the surface very well.








Brett  "fighting " his big hook up.



This resident nurse shark is over 2 metres long and is hooked at least once every week.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Steve B Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 May 2022 at 8:17pm
Nice Barra, love those low 70s fish, I think they eat the best. Well done, Cheers Steve 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 May 2022 at 3:23pm
Originally posted by Steve B Steve B wrote:

Nice Barra, love those low 70s fish, I think they eat the best. Well done, Cheers Steve 

Got to agree with you there Steve. Clap
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 May 2022 at 4:06pm
I had been watching today for the past week and the weather turned calm as predicted. And if the prediction stays true then I'll be out tomorrow and Tuesday as well.

I headed out for a solo mission heading with the westerly wind. I tried a fast trolling speed at 16 kph as I am always hopeful for a hit from a baby black marlin. On one rod I was using a Mad Dog mackerel lure and on the other a "plastic "Killer Vibe 200" bibless lure. I like the bibless lures for trolling but the only person I knew who made the timber ones is now interstate truck driving. So when I saw this mass produced bibless for $5 at a Cairns pawn shop when I was last there - I grabbed it.

Closer to my intended reef the Mad Dog lure took off. A short battle and on board came a nice little 84 cm spanish mackerel (legal size is 75 cm). As I was dealing with this fish, the bibless, being a sinker - naturally sunk. As I took off it rose in the water as it started to swim and it then took off. Now as I was in the shipping channel, I was well aware that a coastal freighter was only a few kilometres from me and heading straight towards me. I left the rod in the rod holder and drove off and a steady pace hoping that the water pressure would not dislodge the lure. I wasn't worried about my line breaking as I was using 30 kilo line and this was not a 30 kilo plus fish.

After a couple of minutes, I was well and truly out of the path of this ship. But by this time most of the fight had been knocked out of the fish and a 104 cm spanish mackerel was easily gaffed and lifted aboard. 

Now even though I was fishing and trolling is the main way I catch spanish, I wasn't really set up to take fish home with only minimal ice to keep my drinks cool- and now I had two fish to keep. Spanish do not release well and they often thrash around damaging their gills so in the esky they went. From then on, my trip for the day was going to be cut short.

I hit the reef and went on the drift testing out a couple of poppers that Joe Flint sent me. One popper scored a few hits but this was not the place to really test it, as Joe said over the phone - it's meant to be used very slowly. My fast drift caused by the boat being pushed along by the low but steady westerly wind meant that I couldn't fish iy slowly enough. 

I put on another experimental popper and it attracted a lot of attention. Pretty soon I had landed a 45 cm and a 59.5 cm coral trout. That one worked well so I tried the minnow made by Rod Whyte that I caught a lot of fish on during my last trip. A nice little 36 cm trout came on board. Two casts later and what I think was a big giant trevally smashed the lure and cut me off on the edge of a bommie.

Time  to go home to keep the mackerel fresh and by 11:30 everything was finished except for writing this report (after a shower, lunch and a rest).

My trip out this morning




The two spanish mackerel. The first on the Mad Dog lure and the second on the bibless lure.






The two coral trout on the experimental Joe Flint popper. The first is the 45 cm fish and the second is the 59.5 cm fish.






The little trout on the Rod Whyte made RS Lure.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rodsncods Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 May 2022 at 4:12pm
just don't forget, i got prawns, you better have trout and salty barra. you still want those eskies? if so , i'll bring them to the expo. . . .mick
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 May 2022 at 7:23pm
Originally posted by rodsncods rodsncods wrote:

just don't forget, i got prawns, you better have trout and salty barra. you still want those eskies? if so , i'll bring them to the expo. . . .mick

I got your trout and salty barra mate.

I'll still take those eskies, but no problem if they are sold beforehand. I'll be around that way for a few weeks before the expo.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rodsncods Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 May 2022 at 7:26pm
rightyo. . .mick
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 May 2022 at 7:56pm
I won't go into too much detail with this report, getting ready to go out again tomorrow.

Mickey Rat and myself  were smashing out to the reef when we saw a very large spanish mackerel take to the sky like a ICB missile, this thing easily reached over 10 minutes into the sky - straight up. I have seen them hit about 6 metres before but never this high. Anyway our subsequent troll didn't raise much.

We hit a reef that I had only been to twice before so I wanted to learn about it more. The reef sharks were everywhere  and I think this had an effect on the fish. We did however score some good fish though and Michael took home 2  coral trout and a spanish mackerel about 95 cm. I didn't need anymore fish so I was happy to let mine go.

Another memorable sight for today, along with the mackerel that burnt out on re-entry was a coral trout in about 5 metres of water. Now this fish was easily over 80 cm long and it was as clear as a bell before it wandered over to an overhang on a bommie.

Some of Michael's fish - a giant trevally trolled up on a beach found lure and a flowery cod on a Wax lure made by Rowland Davis






A coral trolled trolled up on a Mad Dog lure. I was after a mackerel but ended up with this fish that measured in at 48 cm




3 coral trout caught on a Fugly Martin's Minnow made by Chris Sinclair. The biggest from memory was 46 cm.








I used a Channel Runner lure made by Joe (Hurtle) Flint, until I snagged this lure. Was not going o jump in after it with up to 3 sharks swimming around the boat. The surface lures didn't really happ;en today although Michael did score the first coral trout on a plastic Killalure popper.












How is this  for a red bass - all 49 cm of it. This things hammer.




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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rodsncods Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 May 2022 at 5:01am
at it again martin, good onya. look at all MY coral trout. . . .mick
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rodsncods Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 31 May 2022 at 5:03am
Originally posted by horrorhead horrorhead wrote:

Originally posted by rodsncods rodsncods wrote:

just don't forget, i got prawns, you better have trout and salty barra. you still want those eskies? if so , i'll bring them to the expo. . . .mick

I got your trout and salty barra mate.

I'll still take those eskies, but no problem if they are sold beforehand. I'll be around that way for a few weeks before the expo.
let me know when you will be here as i may be going away before expo. . . .mick
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