Luring Cooktown |
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horrorhead
LureLovers.com Fanatic LureLover of the Year 2020 Joined: 14 Jun 2011 Location: Cooktown qld Status: Offline Points: 14008 |
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Hope so Chris,I spoke with Ollie and he may be interested with a catch up as well
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Martin-
you don't havta be pretty to fish |
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horrorhead
LureLovers.com Fanatic LureLover of the Year 2020 Joined: 14 Jun 2011 Location: Cooktown qld Status: Offline Points: 14008 |
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Well the wind has been blowing hard, normally from the south east, and this is not very good for the fishing. Too cold for the barra and too rough for the reef / blue water. Thrown into the mix is a frequent shower and the fishing is very very difficult.
Wal and I went out today for 7 am start chasing barra up the river. By mid afternoon we were just poking our noses out through the river heads hoping a mackerel or a queenfish but still nothing. For our efforts Wal was bitten off by a little barracuda and I scored a massive hit from a barramundi but no hook up. At least all of the other boats out fared as badly as what we did.
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Martin-
you don't havta be pretty to fish |
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horrorhead
LureLovers.com Fanatic LureLover of the Year 2020 Joined: 14 Jun 2011 Location: Cooktown qld Status: Offline Points: 14008 |
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The school up here has a bike ride for the year 8's every year. This ride starts from the turn off to Starkey River on Battle Camp Road, and goes over the Starkey, Jeanie Rivers, onto the Wakooka Road then onto Kalpower in Lakefield National Park. This is a 220 kilometre bike ride.
Yesterday my brother in law - Wayne, and myself left to check the road conditions. The section of "road" from the Starkey River to Wakooka Road was only 65 kilometres, but it took us over 6 hours to drive. It is a real 4 wheel drive track. We camped at Barramundi Creek getting there at 7 pm dodging small freshwater crocodiles at some of the creek crossings. All night we heard barra boofing the surface. Next morning saw us throwing lures in this creek, I had a half interested boof on a Pete Rayner stick bait and Wayne had a half hearted hit on a gold bomber. We were still in the grip of strong south easterly winds and it was quite cool. At 9 am this morning we hit a water hole (secret spot) still in Lakefield National Park. We walked the bank towards the bottom end of the pool to a long series of rapids. It wasn't until after 11 am that we started getting hits. We decuced that the water was warming up over the rapids. I ended up with a 63 cm on a Pete Rayner lure, and a 35 cm and a 51 cm barra on a Mark A Lure (which I ended up losing to a snag). Wayne borrowed one of my Mark a Lures after he lost his only two gold bombers (he also lost this lure as well), but he scored a 43 cm barra before it went bye byes. Lots of saltwater crocodiles with two over 5 meters. The barra on the Pete Rayner lure my two barra on the Mark A Lure the 5 metre plus crocs Wayne is with Telstra and he is having trouble sending me his photo of his barra. When it finally happens, I'll post it up.
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Martin-
you don't havta be pretty to fish |
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horrorhead
LureLovers.com Fanatic LureLover of the Year 2020 Joined: 14 Jun 2011 Location: Cooktown qld Status: Offline Points: 14008 |
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Wayne's 43 cm barra on the Mark A Lure
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Martin-
you don't havta be pretty to fish |
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MadDogLures
Stall Holder Mad Dog Lures Joined: 09 Oct 2015 Location: Sunshine Coast Status: Offline Points: 2719 |
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Well done guys and those croc's look sick as
Cheers, Mad Dog Dave
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Life is fishing!
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Tony
Admin Admin Joined: 09 Nov 2009 Location: Hervey Bay, QLD Status: Offline Points: 6012 |
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Thanks Martin, awesome report, I really need to head north again soon I think.
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Cheers, Tony
For the love of Fishing Lures. |
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horrorhead
LureLovers.com Fanatic LureLover of the Year 2020 Joined: 14 Jun 2011 Location: Cooktown qld Status: Offline Points: 14008 |
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Still a hard blowing south easterly wind but we gave it a try in the creeks off the Endevour River- only one small barracuda, not even an undersized crab in the 2 pots we had out with the baits not even touched. No surprise really as the water temperature was struggling to maintain 23 dgrees. Even though I hate the humidity, I can't wait for summer and the higher water temperatures to bring on the bite.
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Martin-
you don't havta be pretty to fish |
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Screamingreel
LureLovers.com Fanatic Joined: 19 Oct 2010 Location: Adaminaby, NSW Status: Offline Points: 6127 |
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What about the rocks
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horrorhead
LureLovers.com Fanatic LureLover of the Year 2020 Joined: 14 Jun 2011 Location: Cooktown qld Status: Offline Points: 14008 |
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Too windy to fish the rocks John, I love rock fishing but not enjoyable in the strong winds.
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Martin-
you don't havta be pretty to fish |
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horrorhead
LureLovers.com Fanatic LureLover of the Year 2020 Joined: 14 Jun 2011 Location: Cooktown qld Status: Offline Points: 14008 |
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Went to a local river today that I had always wanted to fish. Didn't check the tides as it was more of an exploratory trip. Turns out today was one of those "no high tide" days - details are-
low at 8:27 am at 1.48 metres high at 9:19 am at 1.48 metres low at 4:53 pm at 1.10 metres This meant that there as no run in the water at all, and the freshwater reaches of this very short river extended to the mouth of the river. Still we had a pretty interesting session. Wal was busted off right next to the boat by a fingermark, his light light caught up just as the fish went for a final lunge. We found this lure about 6 hours later. I then had a sizzling run on my light rod, left with only 3 wraps of line on the spool, I tried to put the brakes on only to have the leader "scuff" through losing my green jointed Murphy Lure. We found this lure an hour later only to be bricked on an oyster encrusted rock by a mangrove jack. I also lost a Pete Rayner lure on another jack. Lost a Mark A scorpion lure painted in my own coloures to a fingermark that bricked me after I dropped an estimated 75 cm barra beside the boat. Wal ended up with 3 small GTs. I ended up with a small GT and a fingermark on a Cam Cupitt "Headland Lure". And a photo of a little 1 metre croc, one of 7 seen altogether (biggest about 4 metres long). |
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Martin-
you don't havta be pretty to fish |
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MadDogLures
Stall Holder Mad Dog Lures Joined: 09 Oct 2015 Location: Sunshine Coast Status: Offline Points: 2719 |
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Very nice Fingermark Martin, are you coming down to the expo? and I thought you were staying down for it.
Cheers, MD
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Life is fishing!
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horrorhead
LureLovers.com Fanatic LureLover of the Year 2020 Joined: 14 Jun 2011 Location: Cooktown qld Status: Offline Points: 14008 |
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Yes Dave, I'll be at the Expo, but I think I'll be getting to the site on the Friday as I have a few things to do on the way down.
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Martin-
you don't havta be pretty to fish |
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Seaweed
LureLovers.com Fanatic née Capt.Seaweed Joined: 23 Jan 2011 Location: Darwin N.T. Status: Offline Points: 3124 |
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You need some Seaweed Barra lures Martin, the locals have been catching plenty.
Have made a few deeper divers for this year also, see me in Collectors/Traders area, I have a table and I'll be there from Fri. lunchtime. Regards, Tony. |
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"Always Merry and Bright"
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horrorhead
LureLovers.com Fanatic LureLover of the Year 2020 Joined: 14 Jun 2011 Location: Cooktown qld Status: Offline Points: 14008 |
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I'll come and see you Tony.
Went out through the mouth of the Endevour River today. A 16 kph westerly was blowing which kept the swell down. Wal scored a little barracuda and I got a nice 70 cm (estimated) school mackerel on a Mark A Lure- no photos as the fish threw the hooks as it was being lightly subdued with the handle of the gaff. Then the winds swapped around to the south again and blew to in excess of 25 kph with a 1.5 metre choppy swell. Nothing more happened until Wal scored a little GT as we were back inside the river's mouth. Obviously the fishies don't like that stiff southerly as much as me.
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Martin-
you don't havta be pretty to fish |
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MadDogLures
Stall Holder Mad Dog Lures Joined: 09 Oct 2015 Location: Sunshine Coast Status: Offline Points: 2719 |
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Good to catch up
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Life is fishing!
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horrorhead
LureLovers.com Fanatic LureLover of the Year 2020 Joined: 14 Jun 2011 Location: Cooktown qld Status: Offline Points: 14008 |
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Wal and I walked the bank on a small local river today. Wal had a sizeable barra go for his lure as he was lifting it out of the water. This is a narrow and overgrown river so we didn't have too many fishing options. It also has quite a few rock bars in it's length and a spot where you can - very carefully- "drop in" a small tinnie. We have plans on camping overnight with Wal's "Croc Lolly" in the water.
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Martin-
you don't havta be pretty to fish |
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horrorhead
LureLovers.com Fanatic LureLover of the Year 2020 Joined: 14 Jun 2011 Location: Cooktown qld Status: Offline Points: 14008 |
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Wal and I went back to that same river. Result - Wal with 2 little GTs and a little cod spot cod.
While not much, we are getting to learn this river.
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Martin-
you don't havta be pretty to fish |
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horrorhead
LureLovers.com Fanatic LureLover of the Year 2020 Joined: 14 Jun 2011 Location: Cooktown qld Status: Offline Points: 14008 |
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A sneaky photo Wal took of me. My phone camera must be broken - it's supposed to take photos of ME with fish.
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Martin-
you don't havta be pretty to fish |
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horrorhead
LureLovers.com Fanatic LureLover of the Year 2020 Joined: 14 Jun 2011 Location: Cooktown qld Status: Offline Points: 14008 |
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Back at the same river today. Wal is doing me over like a dinner. Wal - one small mangrove jack (that may have been legal but still went back) and a nice tarpon.
ME???? ...... well lets not talk about that Wal's tarpon |
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Martin-
you don't havta be pretty to fish |
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scotch&dry
Senior Member Joined: 03 Dec 2015 Location: Cooktown qld Status: Offline Points: 185 |
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those tarpon sure go hard mate good fun to catch , you turn next I guess martin cheers ed
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Ed.McC
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puglee62
Stall Holder Fugly Lures Joined: 03 Feb 2010 Location: ipswich Status: Offline Points: 7933 |
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in those first pictures i though wal had died his hair blonde.Martin it seems to me Wal is the master and you are grasshopper
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that's no how ye make porridge!
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horrorhead
LureLovers.com Fanatic LureLover of the Year 2020 Joined: 14 Jun 2011 Location: Cooktown qld Status: Offline Points: 14008 |
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[QUOTE=puglee62]in those first pictures i though wal had died his hair blonde.Martin it seems to me Wal is the master and you are grasshopper[/QUOT
Yes Chris, I was "GRASSHOPPER" again today
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Martin-
you don't havta be pretty to fish |
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horrorhead
LureLovers.com Fanatic LureLover of the Year 2020 Joined: 14 Jun 2011 Location: Cooktown qld Status: Offline Points: 14008 |
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Well Wal and I went out again today. 8 hours of walking another "secret" river.
I took an early lead of an archer fish then a barra. But was soon overtaken by Wal. End of the day saw me with 3 undersized barra, an archer fish and the smallest spangled perch ever caught on a lure. I also dropped another 5 barra, 4 I am certain were legal size. Wal scored undersized 6 barra, 2 archer fish, 3 catfish and dropped another 2 barra that seemed to be legal size. Wal was worried that he was going to walk home. Most of my fish were caught on a Fugly "Martin's Minnow". I caught a barra on a Mark A Lure, just waiting for Wal to send me the photo. My archer fish- my barra on the Fugly the world's smallest lure caught spangled perch Wal in a tree to get a cast in two of Wal's barra And a cute little 1 metre freshwater crocodile that liked his photo being taken (less then 2 metres from me) |
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Martin-
you don't havta be pretty to fish |
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puglee62
Stall Holder Fugly Lures Joined: 03 Feb 2010 Location: ipswich Status: Offline Points: 7933 |
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well done Martin.some nice healthy Barra there.That spangley is a new one on the Martins too
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that's no how ye make porridge!
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Screamingreel
LureLovers.com Fanatic Joined: 19 Oct 2010 Location: Adaminaby, NSW Status: Offline Points: 6127 |
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Martin some of the lures are close to the same size as the fish, is a territorial situation, a nip on the tail telling the visitor to move on.
it is not possible that they could swallow the size of the lure that they are attacking. Regards John |
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horrorhead
LureLovers.com Fanatic LureLover of the Year 2020 Joined: 14 Jun 2011 Location: Cooktown qld Status: Offline Points: 14008 |
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Yes some of those are a territorial response. But I don’t know about that little spangled perch though, they are a very aggressive fish. Just as well they don’t grow to five kilos or more, you would be there too scared to enter the water
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Martin-
you don't havta be pretty to fish |
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horrorhead
LureLovers.com Fanatic LureLover of the Year 2020 Joined: 14 Jun 2011 Location: Cooktown qld Status: Offline Points: 14008 |
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Went fishing all over the place today with Wal. Wal scored 2 little GTs near Marton.
We then tried up the fresh water. Now, I was given a folding rod / reel unit by Da-jew-man to catch a barra on and I was using this all day. It casts surprisingly well. A great feature is that when you collapse the telescopic rod then fold the handle and the rod tube over itself, it makes for a very small package that is easily manouvered through the thick scrub we have to deal with. The down side is the lack of drag - at about 1 kilos of drag. We also came across a half eaten kangaroo stored away in a little off shoot of the river. Going by the bite taken out of the chest, we figured this was the larder of an 8 to 9 foot (2.4 to 2.8 metre) croc. Now using one of Mark Andrews (Mark A Lures) little herrings, I scored a 30 cm jungle perch. Wal then scored a 26 cm jungle perch on one of his wedgetails Wal fishing in a tight spot I then scored another jungle perch that went 23 cm long on a Kuttafurra wake bait mouse Now both of my fish pulled drag, I had to pump and wind them in. Imagine the fun I'll have when I finally hook that barra on it.
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Martin-
you don't havta be pretty to fish |
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Ducks
LureLovers.com Fanatic Joined: 24 Feb 2012 Location: Point Clare Status: Offline Points: 2139 |
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Bloody ace!
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bassnbob
Stall Holder B.O.B Timber Lures Joined: 22 Nov 2009 Location: Charlestown Status: Offline Points: 9390 |
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YOU blokes have too much fun up there martin wals lookin fastcrocs wont get himregards bob
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MadDogLures
Stall Holder Mad Dog Lures Joined: 09 Oct 2015 Location: Sunshine Coast Status: Offline Points: 2719 |
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It looks like you have got a gun in your mouth MartinLove the jungle perch Somewhere I have seen those rods
cheers, Mad Dog
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Life is fishing!
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hooknose
LureLovers.com Fanatic Joined: 16 Jul 2013 Location: emu park Status: Offline Points: 1408 |
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Well done Martin, good session 👍
Cheers Steve R!!! |
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MAN I LOVE FISHING ! ! !
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horrorhead
LureLovers.com Fanatic LureLover of the Year 2020 Joined: 14 Jun 2011 Location: Cooktown qld Status: Offline Points: 14008 |
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Cheers everybody.
Yes B.O.B. , Wal is very quick and nimble on his feet ..... and very wary. Here is a photo of that rod packed up. Today's session was a bit of an exploring trip further up this river then we had been before. Wal scored a little GT and a small barra, and snagged ONE lure. I got nothing and lost TWO lures. Usually Wal loses more lures then me Wal's GT. This bloke exploded out of the water and we both initially thought it was a legal barra Wal's barra went about 40 cm long The first rock bar that we found that we can cross the river at low tide. Upstream from here seems very promising. |
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Martin-
you don't havta be pretty to fish |
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bassnbob
Stall Holder B.O.B Timber Lures Joined: 22 Nov 2009 Location: Charlestown Status: Offline Points: 9390 |
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looks like a very fishy bit of water martin
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horrorhead
LureLovers.com Fanatic LureLover of the Year 2020 Joined: 14 Jun 2011 Location: Cooktown qld Status: Offline Points: 14008 |
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yep, those rocks get covered by water on the highest tides. We should be getting jungle perch from these rocks upwards.
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Martin-
you don't havta be pretty to fish |
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Da-Jew-Man
Senior Member Joined: 08 Jan 2010 Location: Brisbane Status: Offline Points: 158 |
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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 |
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Historian/Collector of Old Sidecast Fishing Reels
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