Sandgate Jetty / Scarborough marina 2.6.2006

[Braddles]

Went fishing with two mates the night before last off Sandgate Pier. I had not ever fished off there, but remember walking along it years ago thinking it was a nice facility and a good potential land based spot..

Caught some bait (poddy mullet) with a cast net off the end lower platform (it was low tide, but very shallow considering how long / far out the end of the jetty is), and we had some small squid and some worms from a bait shop as back up too.

After an hour fishing with poddy mullet and herring (and not a touch) I changed to whole baby squid. Two good bites, but nothing. Tried a worm and had a 31cm whiting within 3 mins. Baited up and tried again, but nothing.

There was an old man fishing beside us who was using glowing floats with small squid jigs suspended about 50cm under - he was catching loads of squid - but that was all that was being caught...

The whiting was still vigorous in the bucket of water so I trimmed the line as close to his mouth as I could and let him go.. (I was using chemically sharpened SS hooks - I hope he will be OK??)..

We then moved to Scarborough marina where only 3 weeks ago I caught a nice feed of prawns.. I casted 'til my arms ached (about an hour) and NOT ONE PRAWN... Funny how in three weeks a spot can be so different.

ON a side note; there were dozens of baby black octopus (about 10 -15cm long and really fine) swimming around ... so I caught one (squid jig dangled beside him and he took it) and rigged him up and casted him into the middle of the marina... Still nothing..

We left about 1am when the winds started picking up - bit dissapointed about the catch (or lack there of) but thankful to be able to spend some quality time with mates doing something we love.

[fishingnottake]

mate those octopus didnt change colour when you rigged em up did they?

[Braddles]

ATTEMPT TWO AT POSTING PICS...

Only one of them went a funny colour..... maybe we scared the colour out of him... one stayed dark grey and black and the smaller one went really pale..

I hope the pic demonstrates this - I have been trying to battle the PC to reduce the image size for 1/2 an hour lol..

[land_based]

Great report Braddles. those octopus make awesome bait for jewies!

[land_based]

I went down there last night couldnt find any of those octopi, but i see they have the pontoon roped off ??

[Louis]

Whether you catch a heap, or just a few, or none at all, it's still lovely to just get out there and sit back and relax with a fishing rod in your hands and anticipation in your heart and mind.

Good on you fellas.




Louis


PS: Fishingnottaken makes a very good point.

Not all octopi are harmless. Some like the Blue-ringed Octopus can kill.

Be careful!!!!



I remember when I was a kid of about 5 or 6 years of age. I and a couple of older kids captured one on the Wynnum Mudflats near the T-Jetty.

We chased it around in this little pool of water using sticks etc until we managed to snavel it up in an ice-cream container.

Even at that age we new what it was and how dangerous it was, but being typical young boys, (i.e. Stupid), we nevertheless took what I now consider to be foolish risks in order to capture it.

[cuzzamundi]

gday mate. pity about the lack of catches. i find the scarby marina to be great for bream this time of year. just gotta be there around high, and cast close to the moored boats. some great fish in there though.

cuzza

[Braddles]

ABout the big bream... I have seen really healthy looking solitary large solid bream feeding off the molluscs / weed growning on the pontoon by the boat ramp next to VMR a couple of times at night.... Even shining a light directly on them doesnt bother them... Drop a bait beside them and they swim away.. must be well fed or extreemly smart fishies.

I have seen a school of squire / bream / travs 25 - 40cm long in a school in another instance, and not been able to get them to touch a bait. This was down the Gold Coast outside SAX restaurant at Marina Mirage. They have a big floot light shining into the water well after the restaurant shuts up, and these pretty impressive fish school here in water that would be no more than 3m deep and very aqua blue / clean looking with 100% visability to the bottom.

If you toss a bit of your dinner role in the drink (when your dining there and dont have a rod with you), they come from everywhere and the water bubbles, but go back when the diners have gone, and the buggers will come but will NOT take a bait...

I have caught the odd decent GT / Squire / Bream / Whiting from out the end where the sea planes leave from - but there are "no fishing" signs up everywhere now and a man with a rotty patrols regularly.