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View Full Version : Barred Grunter (Javelin) caught in a creek near you!!



Mark Malcolm
30-09-2008, 12:30 AM
Hello, I don't really post much on Ausfish but like to spend my fishing time catching up with mates and showing them why I love fishing so much. I went for a fish up the creek with my mate Heggie who I had converted to plastics on his first trip up the creek and was keen to get out again. I hadn't been up the creek for about a month with work commitments and thought that a trip up the creek was what was needed to quench my thurst for Breaming so last Sunday I hooked up the boat, grabbed the bream gear and off we went in search of a few fish.

Ended up getting out on the water about 10.30 and up the creek we went. Withing 5 minutes I was onto the first fish of the day at 29cm (tail) Bream in the boat after a fun dash amongst the mangroves. A quick removal of the hook and back he went.

A few drifts and I stopped for a bite to eat when I was quickly surprised by the beautiful sound of zzzzzzzzzzzzzz and my mate was onto a fish. I quickly realised this was a big fish in 1.5m of water and it was off at a rate of knots up the creek leaving myself and my mate in a state of shock and excitement. With my mate not having faught too many fish of size I helped him to not rip his lips off (or pop the 6lb leader) and to refrain the temptation to tighten the drag :o .

With a big chunk of the spool gone (in an estuary that is barely 10m wide) this fish was running up and down the estuary with ease and would have gone for a countless number of runs in 7 - 8 minutes before any colour was seen.

Within the first few minutes I had it picked for a monster flathead but was amazed at the pulling power of the fish.... and was dumbfounded to what it could be. With the first sign of colour being silver I had thought it was a Jewy.... Next sign of colour and a shape .... a bream but could it be..... then up came what looked to be a bream but not a bream and I had no idea what it was.

With a few scary moments with the net the fish just fit in the little bream net and a sigh of releaf came as the fish was boated.

The length went 58cm to the tip and after examining the fish I found he had no visible teeth, brown bars and a flat tail... beats me to what he was.

Got a few piccies and he was back in the water to swim some water back through the gills but he was more interested in kicking to freedom and was back in the water to harrass the bait fish within a few minutes.

Got home and jumped onto google to find he was a Barred Javelin aka Grunter!! the fishing after that saw a few more bream of decent size but was only half an effort due to both of us being excited from the encounter with a species I did not know could be caught in the creeks.

All in all a great day and a hard PB Grunter for my mate to break!! If only I had my lure in the water and the fish on my line :D !!

Cammy
30-09-2008, 02:44 AM
Well done to your mate on a fine capture!

Cam

preso
30-09-2008, 06:43 AM
Sometimes I start to hate deckies lol. sounds like a top trip.

bennykenny
30-09-2008, 07:12 AM
nice fish mate well done, where did you catch him, just general location, not after your secret spot.

blue_mako
30-09-2008, 07:41 AM
Been stacks of BIG Grunter in the Pine the last couple of days :) .

Troy

cbruh1
30-09-2008, 09:58 AM
They are a great fish those grunter, taste good too, I caught some up in Arlie over new yrs. Great catch there.

Mark Malcolm
30-09-2008, 10:08 AM
All fish where caught up Nundah Ck, No secret spot, just look for anywhere with steep overhanging mangrove roots and a bit of water covering them and there will be fish there :-), just watch out for the coffee rock at the entrance, saw a guy wreck his prop on it in his tender on Sunday ... Ouch..

Obi _ Wan
30-09-2008, 11:35 AM
Thanks Mark, Thats a good report mate.

The grunter are a good table fish to boot and go like a bloody freight train, really good fun.

I got a good one last year up the Pine, thought it was a jack at first as it went so hard.

Remember Nundah creek will possiblly be a GREEN ZONE soon as it was one of the proposed areas to be turned into a green zone unfortunately.

Cheers,

John.

Mozza
30-09-2008, 11:57 AM
Nice grunter,

A really good feed too. Where there's one, there're usually a few more too so next time...

Mozza

cuzzamundi
30-09-2008, 12:36 PM
gREAT JAVVY FOR THE OLE NUNDAH CREEK! hAVE CAUGHT A FEW OVER THE YEARS UP THE PINE, BUT NEVER AROUND NUNDAH/CABBAGE TREE! WELL DONE MATE.

CUZZA

Mark Malcolm
30-09-2008, 06:14 PM
Thanks Mark, Thats a good report mate.

The grunter are a good table fish to boot and go like a bloody freight train, really good fun.

I got a good one last year up the Pine, thought it was a jack at first as it went so hard.

Remember Nundah creek will possiblly be a GREEN ZONE soon as it was one of the proposed areas to be turned into a green zone unfortunately.

Cheers,

John.

Thanks John, yeh I only heard about Nundah creek possibly becoming a Green Zone on Sunday night and when I checked it out all submissions have closed for the review and there wont be any more!! I read an article in the Moreton Bay Alliance newsletter (can be found on google) that really annoyed me when it included such comments as
"These boats through their wash have undercut large sections of mangroves causing banks to slip and trees to fall. This in turn effects the habitat and many marine creatures and probably interferes with the food chain."

Last time I checked the snags and fallen trees were the best place for Bream and bait to take refuge and the snags and the undercut mangroves are the first place i put a cast to catch a fish.

I can understand changes to prevent any further erosion but IMO believe that this is better managed with a speed limit and worse case a yellow zone rather than removing the access to a creek that is so alive and unlike any I have fished before.

Until I find out the the final zoning plan I shall be making the most of the creek.

Cheers for the posts,

Mark

tunaticer
30-09-2008, 06:42 PM
I caught two undersized grunter today in the Passage near the mouth of Coochin Creek on soft plastics. both were about 30cm.

Jack.

Mark Malcolm
30-09-2008, 07:07 PM
I caught two undersized grunter today in the Passage near the mouth of Coochin Creek on soft plastics. both were about 30cm.

Jack.

Hi Jack, awesome stuff, do Grunter usually show up at this time of year if so where are they coming from?

tunaticer
30-09-2008, 07:31 PM
Normally oct nov they are around in reasonable numbers. First time today tho getting them on plastics. Noticed a lot of glassy prawns around today so I was flicking around powerbait jerkbaits in clear colour and got results from that. 12-15 flathead to about 50cm, 2 grunter to 30cm, 1 cod at 35cm, 7 bream to about 30cm.
Was throwing glassy softs for about 9 hours today.

Jack.

smoked
30-09-2008, 09:09 PM
thats a thumper fish!! 58cm! whatta cracker!! nice one!!

nuggstar
30-09-2008, 10:43 PM
awsome fish mark, ya gotta be happy with that one.

Dezzer
01-10-2008, 05:35 PM
Thanks John, yeh I only heard about Nundah creek possibly becoming a Green Zone on Sunday night and when I checked it out all submissions have closed for the review and there wont be any more!!

http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/showthread.php?p=902730#post902730

It's not to late. Make a submission, they all count.

Regards

ddobson
02-10-2008, 06:18 PM
That drag screamin must have woke you boyz up. Good fish and skinny creek. I found an inlet yesterday in 20 plus notts and got sfa. Afew touches but wouldn't set. Good trip.