Westpoint and Bayrock

[horseboy]

Went for a fish on Friday morning with Tiapan out to west point we got out there a little after 3 am and sat right inshore in a couple of metres of water my first bait i had a grunter then we had a queenie hanging round the anchor lighttried to get a bait to him but no good. Tiapan had some really good hits, and some long blistering runs i got a small sleepy shark about 4 foot and tiapan got a catfish and a couple of good legal grunter not huge but still a feed maybe if we had been a bit earlier we may have had more grunter. Once the sun came up we headed out to bay rock for a look as i have never been out there before. That place is like an aquarium with so many spiecies of small fish there. We caught half a dozen yellowfin surgeon fish( grants verified). Tiapan caught half a dozen small mouth nanagai ( yeah i checked in grant they were sorry i gave a bum steer tiapan) a few undersize stripeys and moses perch. we packed it in about 830 and headed for the ramp with a quick stop at middle reef to get rid of the last of the pillies and i tried son of that berkley instant bait (yes i will admit to buying it) I gueus it would have its place but the small reef fish wont go near it. We allso had a flick with lures around the suger loading jetty for some trevally for no luck but did find a big prawn ball on the soundere under it. Anyway i had a good day out not much fish but i have found a new satifaction in catching undersize fish and putting them back i almost enjoy that as much as catching a big trout or macky. I said almost

[Scott nthQld]

Sounds like a good day, and well done on the feed of grunter, top table tucker they are.

How was the water colour, was it still really dirty?

I too enjoy catching the undersize models, it just shows that the system is in good health and we can expect bigger things to come. Those surgeon fish, do they have a size limit? Or are they protected? I'm sure they would go great as a livey out for a spaniard or even near the bottom for trout and other tasty reef dwellers.

[Taipan]

Was a good mornings effort. I'd like to know what the unstoppable was, just nailed my bait and left for Palm Island at a cracking pace. Realising that if I didn't do something I would be spooled so I put the brakes on and busted him off. Pity he didn't grab my heavy outfit, oh well, next time hopefully.
I had a look in a booki had Wade, mine was telling me they were Java Rabbitfish.

19382

Great fun none the less. At least with all the undersized fish we weren't getting bored waiting. Great morning on the water.
Scott, the water was a little dirty round West Point but was alot clearer out at the rock.
Once again thanks for the trip Wade, how did the grunter taste?

[horseboy]

What book was that in i may have to buy it i thought grants was good but that is definatly what you said aftera search of the internet. but my wife cant work it out she reckons it doesnt look like a rabbit! I think i might ban her from the boat for that comment. lol been looking for an excuse. I took the wife and kids out for a quick cruise today put the canopy on and when i was setting up wife broke a pole so no shade for the kids and after 1hr they all wanted to go home but i still tookem out like promised.
wade

[pickers]

it's a happy moment , so don't get spiked by the bugger or you'll find out why they call them happy moments.
If you get spiked in the finger the pain starts there and works it's way up your arm and into your chest and normaly drops you on the floor for a while (couple of hours) in great pain but on the bright side you will recover and know why they have the name "HAPPY MOMENT"
I don't think there's an antivenom but it won't kill you unless you have bad allergies to something else but while the pain is ON you might think you are going to die.
have fun
pickers

[Taipan]

I'llget back to you with the name of that book mate. I took the missus and kids up to Saunders yesterday to try for some whiting. The missus caught the first, and the young bloke caught a few, all under and went back to grow just that little big bigger.

Pickers, I think this one is a happy moment mate. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. I don't think we get Happy Moments in Townsville, never heard of them being caught up here.

19427

[BLOOEY]

Yep taipan both happys they can change pigment in their skin a fair bit to suit location. Pickers is right about the pain too. Really bloody hurt. Ben

[Greggo1]

In some guides referred to as Black Trevally.
I work with a bloke who used to work on trawlers up north and he said they'd get nets full of them, but would still have to sift through them to check for any of their target catch - wearing Ansell washing-up gloves!

[Rod Fishing]

If you get spiked by one of them cut out their eye and rub it over the spiked area, dont know how but the pain only goes as far as the finger you got spiked in it doesnt go all the way up your arm.

Cheers Rod....

[pickers]

Taipan
pigs bum you don't get them up there , I got wacked by one years ago when I was working on a trawler out of Mackay and it was exactly the same as the one in your pic and the same as the ones I caught off Mooloolabah last sunday.
They do change their colours to suit the habitat in which they are in , the ones we get down here in Morton Bay are a lot darker , same as the one in the second pic , no matter the colour or location ...DON'T TOUCH THEM OR ELSE...your asking for trouble.
Rod
thanks for the tip about the eyeballs thing , will TRY to remember next time I get wacked by one as anything is worth a try to ease the pain from them.
nasty little buggers
pickers
ps...Black Trevally is the most common name you will see them under as they are a prized fish by Asians to eat and another name is Spinefoot.

[Taipan]

Well I'll be!! Thanks for the info fella's. Close call than Wade, one nearly got you didn't he?
The book I looked him up in was Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia, by Rudie Kuiter.

[pickers]

Taipan
up there is plenty of nasty's to look out for and most of them are those little cod-ish looking things you pull up on your line , the first thing I was taught about reef fishing was ....if you don't know what it is ..don't touch it. turns out to be a bit of good imfo to stick by.
working on a trawler saw all sorts of nasty's come up on the sorting tray so you had to be VERY careful.
pickers

ps...go pick youself up a copy of Grants guide to fishes , you'll find just about all the nasty's to watch out for in there and some.