Croc signs offputting...

[gregw]

Just returned from a month of kayak fishing rivers and creeks up to Gladstone. Everywhere I went there were signs saying beware of crocs. I spoke to lots of locals all who had never seen anything bjut had heard some stories. Sort of puts you off a bit and makes sure you keep your eyes open at all times. Saw a few dark shapes on water line but on closer inspection turned out to be debris or logs or something else. Gets the heart pumping at times.
Fished 1770 up river (Thomas Ck), Tannum Sands (Wild Cattle Ck), Baffle Ck, Burrum Heads, Harvey Bay, Poona. Targeted flathead on plastics with mixed success.
Overall a great trip and kayaking just makes it so much better, then the plus of ease of access, increased fitness, being close to the water, etc. etc.

Cheers - Greg W

[JRJR]

I fished on my Kayak up at Lucinda last year and at one stage shared the water with a big croc up one of the creeks off Dungeoness! I know this because I saw the big bugga slide off the bank and into the water. I then turned around and left and went out into the Ocean and fished instead.

The thing is I actually went looking for one as I wasn't going to be satisfied until I spotted a croc from the Yak. I just wasn't expecting such a big one. Just a little fella maybe. Moral of story, careful what you wish for.

[Just_chips]

There are croc sighting warnings for Gary's Anchorage at the southern end of Fraser Island posted on the EPA website.

Says the reports of a large estuarine crocodile have come from reputable sources.

Kev

[Haji-Baba]

Hi! Greg W.

Met a young man up north this year fishing from a kayak with an electric motor and solar panel fitted over the back of his Kayak. He was very well set up and caught a lot of fish. All were released.

He accidentially snuck up on a crock in the creek where he was fishing and both got a fright.

This one was only about 2.5 meters long but two others are much bigger in the same creek. They live elswhere but come into the larger creek where we were all fishing just to have a feed and sneak back to their own smaller creek and hide.

There are lots of them up north but if you are careful and keep a good lookout you are fairly safe.

I think if crocks were as bad as they could be, a person would be taken every day.

Some people are just plain stupid the way they walk around in the water in croc. country.

Don't be mistaken, the signs are correct and you will only see a very small percentage of crocks that inhabit a stream, but they are there.

Have Fun Haji-Baba

[Swindells]

There are croc sighting warnings for Gary's Anchorage at the southern end of Fraser Island posted on the EPA website.

Says the reports of a large estuarine crocodile have come from reputable sources.

Kev

I wonder what sort of numbers these warnings are referring too, is it just one lost croc or are the actually moving south? I'm taking my girlfriend on a trip to gary's anchorage for a week in October, i wonder how cautious we should be, we enjoy the odd swim.

[childers]

Hi! Greg W.

Met a young man up north this year fishing from a kayak with an electric motor and solar panel fitted over the back of his Kayak. He was very well set up and caught a lot of fish. All were released.

He accidentially snuck up on a crock in the creek where he was fishing and both got a fright.

This one was only about 2.5 meters long but two others are much bigger in the same creek. They live elswhere but come into the larger creek where we were all fishing just to have a feed and sneak back to their own smaller creek and hide.

There are lots of them up north but if you are careful and keep a good lookout you are fairly safe.

I think if crocks were as bad as they could be, a person would be taken every day.

Some people are just plain stupid the way they walk around in the water in croc. country.

Don't be mistaken, the signs are correct and you will only see a very small percentage of crocks that inhabit a stream, but they are there.

Have Fun Haji-Baba
There was a guy pulled out of his canoe and killed not so long ago in lakefield nat park ,better off in a tinny in crock country arnt you, cheers

[Haji-Baba]

Yes Childers,

There was a bloke taken up there out of a canoe.

Even in a tinnie you are not entirely safe as anything fairdinkum of any size will soon take charge and you will be in trouble.

Not too many tinnies have been attacked to my knowledge. That doesn't mean it won't happen or hasn't in the past.

I think a lot of problems are caused by people taking unecessary risks and playing right into the old crocks food chain.

The ones you see are a small proportion of those that live there.

Most have favorite place where they sun themselves and generally keep to a set area.

They are good to see and I suggest people treat them with the respect they
demand.

Have Fun Haji-Baba

[bushwacker]

Fishing the run off in the kimberlys when i was living their a few of the better gutters that had a big (4m+) resident croc of that gutter quite often used to tail slap the bottom of our 6m tinnys, never did much our boats, you would hear a loud tump then wait for them to come up nearby, i reckon they just establishing who is boss, hate to have it happen in a yak though.

[JRJR]

There was a guy pulled out of his canoe and killed not so long ago in lakefield nat park ,better off in a tinny in crock country arnt you, cheers


You don't by any chance have the link to the news report for this incident do you?

[STUIE63]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/30/2378520.htm

[Matthias]

I take my canoe out in some of the freshwater parts in the NT but only in National Parks that get surveyed after the wet.

Crocs will have a look at you and stalk you before they attack so just keep your eyes open. If a big croc comes up beside you in a yak or canoe it will flip you in a second and you wont come back to the surface.

Crocs are becoming more and more prolific up here and get into some really strange places.

IMO I would never canoe anywhere in an estuary where there are crocs- it's a little crazy to take the risk.

Cheers
Pete

[michael.cl]

Hi Guys, I live in the north and one thing that upsets me a lot is to see these darn Torres boat operators with a boat load of over sea's Torres from you know wear, feeding large croc's from the side of the boat just for the all might dollar. croc's are creatures of habit and soon get to know a boat means food, and we are not all out there in big dam boats. So if you are one of these Torres operators give some though to what you are doing, and us fishermen trying to have a Good day out in small boats.

michael.

[Bros]

There is a theory that a croc sees a canoe as similar to another croc and will attack it. A tinnie is too big for it and doesn't resemble a croc so the message is stay out of croc country with a canoe.
That's real croc country not around Gladstone but in the top end.

[JRJR]

There is a theory that a croc sees a canoe as similar to another croc and will attack it. A tinnie is too big for it and doesn't resemble a croc so the message is stay out of croc country with a canoe.
That's real croc country not around Gladstone but in the top end.

A major factor with regards to this is breeding season as a large male might see a small boat such as a canoe or Kayak as a competing male trying to muscle in on their territory. This can be a dangerous time.

[greenie.77]

A major factor with regards to this is breeding season as a large male might see a small boat such as a canoe or Kayak as a competing male trying to muscle in on their territory. This can be a dangerous time.

or as a possible mate!!!!!

[Chamelion]

I take my canoe out in some of the freshwater parts in the NT but only in National Parks that get surveyed after the wet.

Crocs will have a look at you and stalk you before they attack so just keep your eyes open. If a big croc comes up beside you in a yak or canoe it will flip you in a second and you wont come back to the surface.

Crocs are becoming more and more prolific up here and get into some really strange places.

IMO I would never canoe anywhere in an estuary where there are crocs- it's a little crazy to take the risk.

Cheers
Pete

You can blame the cane toads for the increase in croc numbers. The toads kill off the goanas and thus the goanas aren't numerous enough to keep the number of croc eggs down.

[warti]

I have paid for a kayak and hopefully it turns up next week. I will then be able to tell you if there are any crocs around the gladstone region. Have fished here most of my life and havnt seen one yet. Have been told of one that lives up the top of the calliope which is just up the road and i will be hitting it a fair bit, so i will find out eventually. Going down the baffle this weekend, no crocs but hopefully some jacks.

[borisdog]

You can blame the cane toads for the increase in croc numbers. The toads kill off the goanas and thus the goanas aren't numerous enough to keep the number of croc eggs down.

TRIPE.

Nothing to do with the lack of bullets flying around anymore?

There are multiple generations of crocodiles around now that know no fear of man, they've never been shot at and in fact have been a protected species for many years now.

Their population will increase as much as their food supply and habitat conditions will allow.

They're an apex predator - once they get to a certain size it's only their own kind who present the threat to other breeding size crocodiles.

Darryl