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Fly Fishing

Chasing Golden Trevalley on the Magnetic Island flats.

Relaxing!

Enjoying one of the many beautiful beaches of Magnetic Island.

Sunday 19 February 2012

More Barra in the big run!

After having a reasonable little session on small Barra with Jake yesterday I decided to take the family back there today. The kids and Tania haven't don't much in the way of lure fishing, especially for Barramundi. So I figured if the fish were in same mood as yesterday they were in with a pretty good chance.

With the top of tide a bit later today, we didn't even have to get up early! That suited the rest of the family quite well, and we didn't drive out of home until about 8.30am.

On arrival the tide had just started to pick up some pace. The water was nice and clean and I was excited to get casting. But a few bends downstream we came past a broken down tinnie. The guys were paddling like mad against the current, and I don't think it would have been long and the would have been going backward! So we towed them back to the ramp. We lost 20mins or so, but were soon heading off to our spot again.

Water was just starting to race out of the little creek mouth, and the dirty water line was forming nicely. The bait was stacked up and odd Barra was starting to cut up the surface. I missed a good fish on an early cast, it hit hard and shook out the lure as it thrashed on the surface.

It was a while then before we saw another fish. We worked the bait around the front of the mangroves and has several follows from small GT's. But the Barramundi appeared to be well back in high water still. But as the water dropped the fish fired up again. Tania was next to get a strike, it took her totally by surprise as she paused the lure to take a bite form an apple! The fish fought well in the fast running water, but it never got airborne. A few tense moments and the fish was led into the net. At 60cm in length it was just a keeper!


Lachlan was using a lighter spin rod with a 3in prong. He was casting like a champ and I had my fingers crossed he would hook up! But I was next to get a strike. And within seconds Lachy was on too! A double hookup and all hell broke loose. The two fish were back and forward around each other while Tania went of the net. Somehow in all the chaos and lack of assistance Lachy managed to guide his fish around the electric motor an to the boat. My fish was now in the net all tangled in about 50m of someones lost braid! Seeing that Lachys fish was under size I did a quick lift over the side. Everything held and we were soon photographing the pair of 55cm fish.


Lachlan was happy now and handed the rod to Sebastian for a go. Sebastian was keen as mustard, and it took only 1 cast for him to hook up! He handled the fish like a pro and soon had it in the net. Another fish about 55cm.


In total we landed 6 Barra and jumped off several more. Everyone caught at lest 1 fish and a really good time. We were back at the ramp pulling out by 11am. Not a bad couple of hours on the water!

Sunfish Annual Take a Kids Fishing Day

Sunfish NQ will be holding its Take A Kid Fishing Day on the 25th March 2012 at Rowes Bay Park.
Kids fishing from 8am till 11.30 am followed by a sausage sizzle and prize draw.

Registration available at the Fishing Warehouse Duckworth St. children must be registed by the 19th March 2012 to allow for catering.

This is a great day out for the family.

If you can help out on the day it would be most welcome just register at the Fishing Warehouse and mark the form volunteer or helper.

Saturday 18 February 2012

Big Tide Barramundi

Very large tides again this weekend really restricts Barramundi fishing! High tides in excess of 3.6m create huge amounts of run and very dirty water in the creeks. The only option I could see was to go looking for some fish among the mangroves and rocks lining the inside of the Cape. So this morning forum member 'Snake' (Jake) and I put in at Cocoa creek and went for a quick run out the front.

We fished an area I anticipated a good bite from, but after working hard the only fish raised was a 65cm model. A good fish that took my Yo-Zuri and engulfed it! It initially hit the lure hard and then just hung stationary in the water. But once the pressure was applied the fish took off past the front of the boat and wide of the mangroves. An easy fight on the 30lb PowerPro. But it was nice to have my first keeper of the season in the eski for dinner.


We then worked a small creek for a succession of miniature Barra in the 30-40cm range. These small frantic fish were keen, but only a few stayed connected. The tide soon fell and we needed to move on before becoming stuck.

The next area we took a look at was some rocky outcrops closer back to Cocoa. But as the tide fell the water dirtied and shallowed pretty quickly. We didn't even see a fish in this area.

Final spot was the mouth of a creek. Water was now belting out as the 3.6m tide fell. Water was dirty but bait was plentiful. We soon found an area where the Barra were consistently crashing the bait. They seemed to be hanging on the edge of a dirty water line and launching into the bait. This is the closest to a 'boil' of Barra I have ever seen! The bite didn't last long, maybe 20mins. But we landed numerous fish and missed many more! I was using prongs on the light rod and Jake had moved to a surface lure. The action was fast, but unfortunately didn't last long. The fish were all about the 50-55cm size range. Nice fish for a bit of fun.


We then pulled the boat out a bit before 11am. Still plenty of tide to ensure easy retrieval at the 'ramp'. If you are down Cocoa way at the moment, just be careful of the high tide. It is coming up a fair way and will reach a car poorly parked in lower lying areas.

Monday 13 February 2012

Maggie Island Fingermark

Saturday morning I took Tania and boys out for a run around the island chasing Figers on plastics. This is a new experience for Tania, and I was keen for her to get her first non creek Fingermark. We put in a bit later than usual, and suffered with having to park on the grass in front of the ferry terminal. Makes it a bit hard with a young family. The weather was ok, a solid 5-10knots most of the morning, good for sticking closer.

We started off around West Point, but could only manage some undersize Nannygai. Not even a run from a decent fish. But it was a chance for Lachy and Sebastian to land a couple of fish and keep them entertained for bit.


We then went in search of some new territory around the back of the island. We worked some of the points and eventually found a school of willing fish. First cast to one rock and I hooked up to a nice fish. Tania and Sebastian had gone for a lie down in the cabin, so it was up to Lachy to grab the net and help out. A solid 3kg fish was soon in the eski. Tania was now out and ready for her cast! We put two plastics out, Tania missed a could of hits and I hooked up big time. This was a much bigger fish and it didn't take long to rub me off on the rock! Unfortunately this lost fish seemed to put the school off and that was the last we saw of them.


We then sounded around the back of Horseshoe bay for a couple of hours, but didn't find anything worth putting a drop on! But I'll keep looking, there has to be some hidden spots still left to be discovered! Lachlan had a bit of a drive home. Check out the smile in the video clip!


Monday 6 February 2012

Cape Barra Quiet!

With a big early morning tide yesterday it seemed ideal to make the mangrove inside the cape my first chase of Barra for the season. But heavy rain Friday night threatened to close of the track into Cocoa creek! A quick message on the forum confirmed for me that, despite some deep water in places, the track in was still passable. So I met up with Ward at the BP about 4.30am and headed of. 

With the tide still making we got the boat in at the mud ramp no problem and were soon on our way out the mouth. With the fast run of the incoming tide, and the rain in the days leading up, the water was very dirty and discouraging. We made our way wider and wider in search of clean water. But even around the corner of the cape was muddy. We worked our lures/flies here for a while and then headed back to the mangroves for the turn of the tide.

As the tide dropped some cleaner water did eventually make its way out, but it didn't seem to help the fishing too much. There were a good half dozen boats all working the area, and a quick conversation with a few revealed no one doing much better. One boat had seen a few rolls and boated a fish, but the other boats all had zeros. 

We kept working the edge and eventually found a small patch of fish. Another boat had moved in beside us and missed two fish in quick succession. I then had a solid hit that pulled drag and than the hooks. A nice Barra but never saw the size. A few casts later and I was hooked up again. A smaller fish that still managed to get me caught up in the groves. I went in under electric a the fish came free. It was soon in the net. Only a little fella about 55cm. Quick pick and he was released very healthy. 

We continued to work some areas on the way back to Cocoa, but the water just got dirtier! The boat was pulled out about 11am with plenty of water still covering the ramp. No video today, the action wasn't good enough to bother pulling it out! Maybe next time.

If you are out chasing Barra at the moment you might like to take a loot at ProTackle's Barra Bonanza Sale. Some good offers there.