Mud Friday and a Mishap

[Blackened]

G'day

Well I hit mud island on friday morning early, launched at wynnum creek at 430am and headed straight out.

It was an excellent trip out to mud, and you get that feeling of just the little chill in the air pre dawn in glassed out consitions and looking back onto the lights of wynnum manly, it's a beautiful feeling.

Anyway, I learned what not to do..... and that is not to keep a proper lookout, It was a dark morning, and nearing first light and when looking at the GPS, I thought i would have had enough water to come inside one of the south markers on mud, and scoot across the shallows to a spot on the sou eastern corner. This wasn't to be as in a few seconds doing about 30kph.... I hit mud, and landed about 10' away from the water.

Kinda shocked, I stopped the engine realizing I have hit this reef pretty damn quick and thought I had opened the hull up like a tin of baked beans. Well, I jumped out of the boat, and worried that i'd miss the prime fishing time, I pulled the boat back into the water.... just walking it over the reef a little bit at a time.

I got back into the water after about 15 minutes and fearing the worst, was taking on ALOT of water. Put the bilge pump on and the boat on the plane, emptied most of it and just thinking how big could this split be?

Turned out one of my bungs had been torn clean out.... I have no idea how, but I inserted a spare into it and then went fishing always keeping an eye on what water was in the bilge.

So, I got to some ground on the sou eastern side, and got one of the nest hits I had ever had, hooked up solidly.... took a massive run, swu towards the boat again, another longer run this next time and then!!! spooooled..............

It was worth it, and there wee boats nearby as well, so its always good. That was in about 7m of water, Was on a golp 5'' jerkshad in blue pepper neon.

I worked the shallows of about 3.5M and into 7M there for a few undersize squire with a southerly drift and as the sun became to high, I searched for more ground on the western side.

Over there where was much less boat traffic that suited me just fine and plenty of dolphins around, some exellent shows on the sounder and a few more hits, the odd grinner and I landed a 45cm gold spot cod on my floater, which was a welcome catch.

The weather was perfect and I stopped off at st.helna jetty on the way home, and headed back to wynnum crek after that, decided to explore it a bit and got as far up as the mole hole, for any of you locals.

I was back on trailer by about mid day.

It was an excellent trip despite the mishap at the beginning, and I can see myself becoming a mud regular.

I travelled the best bit of 45km, for about 7L of fuel

Dave

[chief]

Yep deffinantly a local boy when he knows where the mole hole is.Must have done some worm digging in your time young fella

[wags on the water]

Were you still in the boat Dave? If so, it could have been worse. Lucky you carry spare bungs. Shame about the unstopable though. After you put the boat on the trailer did you notice the battle scar?

Wags

[Blackened]

G'day

Yes chief, nope... didn't ever dig worms, but have walked that creek a few times, usually with mates after scouts at wynnum there.

Wags.... Yes I was still in the boat, had a look at the battle scars and really, I got off lightly.

Dave

[dogsbody]

Thats not the way to get a wakeup call Dave, lucky escape good thing to carry a spare bung or two. as long as you caught some and enjoyed your day and didn't have to swim home all is good.

7lts of fuel would make some envious.


Dave.

[Greggo1]

It's been years now but I remember from school canoeing there were a couple of pretty rocky sections between Wynnum Marine and the foot bridge behind the Waterloo. What were you in to get that far up?

[robersl]

dave that bit of reef you it wouldn't of been on the south west corner cardinal mark by any chance where the gap is about 50 mt to the island

shane

[Blackened]

G'day

Yes shane, it was on the sou west corner of mud.

Greggo, I run a 12' tinny and 9.9 merc, up past wynnum marine there is quite a few backyard jetties and a few pro boats believe it or not. I was quite surprised by the properties there at high tide

Dave

[webby]

Hope you didnt damage the reef

[robersl]

ok thanks dave thought that might of been where it was a few reefs run out between the 2 cardinal marks there sit just under the water 1 runs from weeby's photo of the second or furtherest mark out right into the island and also from the oyster lease further round out to the west cardinal mark there as webby has outlined good trolling for tailor there in another month 3-4lbs over the oyster lease with a few grinners thrown in

shane

[Blackened]

G'day

lol, thanks webby.... the reef is fiiiine

I decided to post the mishap as a warning to others, as it DOES happen.

Thanks for the tips shane

Dave

[Hamish73]

last time I left from Wynnum creek I got stuck smack bang in the middle of the channel! But it was low tide. Good to see that you and boat survived ok

[Dantren]

As I found out also, it can happen very easily in poor light. I very nearly launched onto the rocks myself pre-dawn.

WHY IS THERE NOT A LIGHT ON THE S/E BEACON OFF MUD ISL.?????????????????

[Hamish73]

this is where a cheap little chart plotter comes in handy. Of coarse it still doesnt prevent you from hitting dolphins and 44 gal drums ( had 2 close calls recently at night in the Brissie river) but it does help.

[Blackened]

G'day

Hamish, I have a magellan meridian colour, the bluenav software it runs is great, but not totally accurate.

Either way, it's a reminder of what happens when you do not keep a complete lookout 100% of the time.

Dave