the gecko
07-02-2011, 06:46 AM
If you haven’t heard from me much lately, its cos Ive started a new job managing a resort, and I had to move house, wife and boat to Urangan. Did it at Sept, right in the start of jack season too. Took me 2 mths before I could find time for a fish, then it rained for…… how long did it rain for? It feels like I gave up fishing, it felt so long….No more quick runs up the Burrum jack hunting, Im stuck with Urangan harbour or River Heads for local ramps, so I left River Heads and headed south down the Great Sandy Straights in search of new grounds.
60 mins later, lost somewhere in Turkey Straights, I found a small creek and thought this looks good. I musta been in the right area, cos I bumped into a guy who said he just got busted off by a jack. Not a bad sign for 10am, after a late start.
I found a snaggy mangrove and anchored up in just 4 ft of water, deepest spot in the creek, I reckon. After a few snags and no hits, I repositioned the boat a few boat lengths away, and went for my ‘go to lure’ that strangely resembles a half fillet of mullet. 30lb braid and 45 lb leader, drag on heavy, as usual. 15 mins later, all hell breaks lose and the line is running fast, thankfully for open water. This is a more sustained run than mr jack, but not as speedy as the threadies, but he still knows how to make a run, hmmm. Ive got just another half turn on the drag before I have to worry about the ping, so I use it, and the Sustain manages to put some more hurt on him, and slow him right before he jumps. I saw him jump clearly, from 60-70m away, but I cant id this fella. I all I can say is that hes over the metre…... Very silver with a dark green lateral line like a greenback, but hes way too big for Tailor. Hes not all silver, so hes not a barra, and he actually looked a bit like Dolphin fish to me. A few more runs, and a few more jumps, and Im still not sure what he is, Im just stoked that its not a shark, and Im trying not to lose him to the snags, cost theres plenty of them. Nows hes tired, OK, undo the drag a bit, don’t want to lose him now. Oh yes, raise the outboard leg with one hand, don’t want to lose him to the prop, Ive learned that lesson before.
As he finally comes to the surface all tired out, I can see a magnificent queenie!! Only the head fits in the net, so I pick up the tail with the other hand, and pray he doesn’t have enough strength to break the line with his teeth while I boat him. Ive never caught a queenfish before, so what a way to open my account. The brag mat wasn’t big enough, and I couldn’t find enough space on the floor to measure him flat. He kept sliding around on the mat, so he was hard to measure perfectly, sorry about that. Lets just say hes somewhere in the lows 120s range. Is that big for a queenie? Im not sure about em. I went home happy anyway.
I had to leave cos the tide was falling, and it was a bit skinny getting out around there. No jacks, but not bad bycatch for just 4 ft of water.
cheers
Andrew
60 mins later, lost somewhere in Turkey Straights, I found a small creek and thought this looks good. I musta been in the right area, cos I bumped into a guy who said he just got busted off by a jack. Not a bad sign for 10am, after a late start.
I found a snaggy mangrove and anchored up in just 4 ft of water, deepest spot in the creek, I reckon. After a few snags and no hits, I repositioned the boat a few boat lengths away, and went for my ‘go to lure’ that strangely resembles a half fillet of mullet. 30lb braid and 45 lb leader, drag on heavy, as usual. 15 mins later, all hell breaks lose and the line is running fast, thankfully for open water. This is a more sustained run than mr jack, but not as speedy as the threadies, but he still knows how to make a run, hmmm. Ive got just another half turn on the drag before I have to worry about the ping, so I use it, and the Sustain manages to put some more hurt on him, and slow him right before he jumps. I saw him jump clearly, from 60-70m away, but I cant id this fella. I all I can say is that hes over the metre…... Very silver with a dark green lateral line like a greenback, but hes way too big for Tailor. Hes not all silver, so hes not a barra, and he actually looked a bit like Dolphin fish to me. A few more runs, and a few more jumps, and Im still not sure what he is, Im just stoked that its not a shark, and Im trying not to lose him to the snags, cost theres plenty of them. Nows hes tired, OK, undo the drag a bit, don’t want to lose him now. Oh yes, raise the outboard leg with one hand, don’t want to lose him to the prop, Ive learned that lesson before.
As he finally comes to the surface all tired out, I can see a magnificent queenie!! Only the head fits in the net, so I pick up the tail with the other hand, and pray he doesn’t have enough strength to break the line with his teeth while I boat him. Ive never caught a queenfish before, so what a way to open my account. The brag mat wasn’t big enough, and I couldn’t find enough space on the floor to measure him flat. He kept sliding around on the mat, so he was hard to measure perfectly, sorry about that. Lets just say hes somewhere in the lows 120s range. Is that big for a queenie? Im not sure about em. I went home happy anyway.
I had to leave cos the tide was falling, and it was a bit skinny getting out around there. No jacks, but not bad bycatch for just 4 ft of water.
cheers
Andrew