North Moreton and surrounds.

[Fillet`n`Release]

So I do a lot of lurking on these forums, I thoroughly enjoy the regulars and their posts. I moved to Bribie about 18 months ago, and I've had only limited success on both estuary and bay trips.

I'm learning the names of lots of places, but that's about where most of it stops so far. I've found the weed beds on the west side of Moreton cause I absolutely love squidding (tastes good, and great bait). I've found the North Moreton Artificial Reef the other week, and whilst I only caught a lot of undersized spanglies and a few little cod, it was encouraging that fish are congregating there so far. I could see large black silhouettes in the water, there were bigger fish sitting in the water column but I had no livies to entice them. The 1 livie I did (foul hook heh) got chomped the moment I dropped it down.

I've spent a few trips around Curtain Artificial (or the Curtain Carpark I call it :) and again I've seen the sounder light up like a christmas tree at times. The structure looks nice, but it's thrashed because of it's accessibility. I'm guessing those in the know, know which days and tides and such that make such a ground slightly productive.

I've been to the 4 beacons a few times in summer to troll, and winter to try for anything else on dead and live baits. Again nothing that'd I'd call successful, and more often end up with a donut :) I've seen the fish actively feeding on the surface, trying desperately to match the hatch with whatever is in the water but to no evail. As I've seen many guys on here comment, sometimes they just won't bite what you're giving them and they can be horribly shy.

So I'm starting to look for suggestions/hints/tips about places I can try (better yet, succeed :) on catching a nice fish or two in my locale of North Moreton. I'm mostly a sport fisho, I enjoy the catching and release. I occasionally keep one or two fish but I'll only keep what I can eat within a day or so. To each his own of course.

I've heard about places like the ledges up around Combie, I've looked around but I'm not sure what I'm looking for in regards to depth etc. There's an awful lot of water out there, and I'm all for bashing around with the sounder to find places but there's a lot of barren ground in between too heh.

Also if anyone fishing up this way and want company (ie : take 1 boat, or 2) drop me a line. I've got a Quintrex Freedom Sport 5.3 with 115hp Suzy 4 so my range is really good. I just won't tempt fate in bad conditions. I do have a healthy respect for the Bay and it's attitude.

I know people guard their "Spot X" with their lives and I totally respect that. But I'm just *fishing* for some pointers from anyone generous and willing to share a little of their knowledge.

Thanks.

[cobiaman]

Try dropping those livies down near the beacons in summertime mate. Also try dropping slugs down near the beacons and wind like crazy. Summertime is a lot more productive than winter. Cheers

[Fillet`n`Release]

Thanks for the suggestion Cobiaman, I'll definitely give it a try. I just need to get better and finding livies on my sounder :) Usually the big bait balls I find are hordes of grinners !

I went to the TnT Show earlier this year and went to a presentation about Cobia in the bay on the channel beacons. Lets call that one a work in progress when the water is a little warmer :)

[Mr Squiggles]

[QUOTE=Fillet`n`Release;1413219] Usually the big bait balls I find are hordes of grinners !
QUOTE]
F'n'R. Grinners are you friends when it comes to the big Spanish. Stock up on a few grinners and then head to the MB2 around the top of the tide. Then you should do a slow drift towards Bribie with the run out (wind permitting). You'll drift over some very undulating country. Good luck.

[Rainbowrunner]

pike can be found this time of year around the bridge at Bribie, find them on the sounder, usually a foot or two off the bottom.and use bait jigs as seen here. We got about 30 in half an hour a few weeks ago.
Im also keen on any Monday and have late September and early October off. Curtain, tangalooma, beacon bashing etc


http://youtu.be/-U_dLAKPXiA

[WalrusLike]

Dumb newbie question..... when you catch and release are we sure they survive?

Like do they swim for a few minutes then die of a heart attack from the stress or maybe catch pneumonia or tetanus? Silly examples but do you get what I mean?

Best evidence would be tagged fish being caught multiple times in open waters... Unless the taggers are so professional that they don't hurt the fish but a dumb bunny like me would....

Just wondering?

[Crunchy]

Depends on the fish, how deep he comes up from and how fast it is brought to the surface, how its handled and how quickly it gets back into the water....I had a couple of floaters last W/E unfortunately:-[

But if they swim away with vigour prolly gunna be OK

I've never caught one but I understand bill fish might look like they are swimming away happily only to sink to the bottom but there will be persons on here more clued on that situation