Timely reminder...

[Synful]

Evening guys,

This is specially for the members in FNQ.

Today I was fishing in my favourite little creek that shall remain nameless; however another guy walking a dog came past and advised that someone up at the mouth of the creek had caught a large mullet (and they do get large in this creek - I'm talking in excess of 40cm) with 15cm missing out of it's belly region with tooth marks just under 1cm in diameter on it.

Looks like the "floating hand bags with teeth" are starting to get more active with their feeding as the days begin to get warmer.

Not that we ever stopped; but it's a timely reminder to be extra careful as we head into the warmer months in the rivers and creeks here.

[loophole]

did it stiil live with 15cm mising from it?

[Synful]

Hi Loophole,

I wouldn't have thought so, but when I was leaving I did see a couple with a cast net leaving from an area that leads to the mouth.

They may have just got lucky and snaffled it with the net or could have hooked it retrieving a bait.

[FNQCairns]

Just a little around the bend toward the mouth from where I suspect you were fishing (if in the barron) we saw a large sized one relaxing on the edge a few weeks ago.

cheers fnq

[Synful]

Just a little around the bend toward the mouth from where I suspect you were fishing (if in the barron) we saw a large sized one relaxing on the edge a few weeks ago.

Nope - wasn't in the Barron FNQ

That does sound like the one that I saw in the area you are talking about around 6 to 10 months ago, he was only about 1m or so at that stage. He probably would have put on a metre in that time if he's got a good feeding spot tucked away over winter

Name of that creek escapes me at the moment, you ever caught anything in there? I know there's a nice deep hole at the front of it where it joins the Barron that's supposed to hold fish but I've never got anything there except a sole blue salmon once.

[Is Don Is GOOD]

Hey fellas, am moving up to cairns at the end of september and was wondering is it very safe fishing off the bank? I want to use the lures a bit give it a go for one of these elusive barra or some jacks. But these bloody lizards have got me a bit worried, any hints for fishing the estuarys up there?

Donnan

[PinHead]

you could always adopt one and take him for a stroll

[mikeyh]

The Herbert (Ingham for non FNQ )and most of the north is crawling with them...
A few months ago I was looking at a sugarcane trial I had planted near Halifax after one of the recent floods and came across a 3m model....fat as lard....scared the #### out of me. Have also seen them from the Hinchinbrook lookout with binoculars sunning themselves at low tide in the creeks.....
If you read the latest"survey" there are only 287 in Qld but as one local pointed out there are probably that many just in the Herbert. There have been over 6 crocs in the past months just off the Strand in Townsville. To quote good old Howard with the anti terrorism line...."be alert but not alarmed"
Main thing is never wade into the water to fish in any of the creeks ...no matter how small they look....

[disorderly]

Main thing is never wade into the water to fish in any of the creeks ...no matter how small they look....

Reminds me of my first trip up here nearly 20 years ago.
I decided to walk across a creek mouth just south of Bramston Beach to spend the afternoon fishing further down the beach.
Forgot about the tide though and when I returned late in the afternoon the previously narrow 2 foot deep stream had deepened and widened considerably.
I wasnt at all keen to cross but had no option as the light was failing.
Not a good look wading though water up to the neck with rod and tackle held above my head.
It came as a bit of a shock to my pea sized 20 year old brain when a local fisho on the bank began shaking his head and muttering obscenities at me as I made it safely ashore.
So thanks anyway Andrew but you dont need to remind me to be wary of crocs these days.I stay well clear of them now.

Scott

[Synful]

Hey fellas, am moving up to cairns at the end of september and was wondering is it very safe fishing off the bank? I want to use the lures a bit give it a go for one of these elusive barra or some jacks. But these bloody lizards have got me a bit worried, any hints for fishing the estuarys up there?

Donnan

Hi Donnan,

Main thing is to stay away from the waters edge by about 2m - 3m; if you go into creeks, be on the lookout for slide marks on the banks - see any of these get out *NOW*.

If you don't see any, be very aware of any noise around you and always scan the water in the immediate vicinity for the slightest movement. Also, if you cross the tidal flats on some of the beaches, be aware of the tide; as Disorderly has already noted, you can get caught real quick.

Good eye opener for you might be to go to Hartley's crocodile adventures after you've moved up here - will give you a good insight into how they behave ('specially the boat tour of their lagoon). You'll be surprised how silently and easily they move through water without making (sometimes) any ripples, as well as how high they can get in the water without touching the bottom.

Once you get here, give me a PM and I'll come with you for a fish if you like; always better to go with someone as opposed to on your own.

[FNQCairns]

Nope - wasn't in the Barron FNQ

That does sound like the one that I saw in the area you are talking about around 6 to 10 months ago, he was only about 1m or so at that stage. He probably would have put on a metre in that time if he's got a good feeding spot tucked away over winter

Name of that creek escapes me at the moment, you ever caught anything in there? I know there's a nice deep hole at the front of it where it joins the Barron that's supposed to hold fish but I've never got anything there except a sole blue salmon once.

Synful,

Croc would have been 7 foot tip to tip, quite broad, no idea how fast they grow but he didn't look hungry in great condition, which surprises me in the Barron based on my past fishing experiences I have never in my life soaked a bait for longer in any waterway anywhere for so little return as this river!

That spot seems to be popular, no idea how it fishes, I have it earmarked for a try but so far each time I am going past it's occupied, does look fishy.

cheers fnq

[slickas]

I use to live in Cairns and there was a lot of very silly people who would not heed our warning when we had spotted them in the Barron. I am suprised more people havn't had and all mighty scare if not had a life taken.

[Synful]

Synful,

Croc would have been 7 foot tip to tip, quite broad, no idea how fast they grow but he didn't look hungry in great condition, which surprises me in the Barron based on my past fishing experiences I have never in my life soaked a bait for longer in any waterway anywhere for so little return as this river!

cheers fnq

Hi FNQ,

As far as spots go, don't go past the old trawler that's in the mangroves on the right hand side on your way out to the mouth - nabbed a nice grunter there before today on the high tide and it screams fish

Like you I've found that the Barron can be a real challenge for extracting fish; maybe we should go follow a few of the crocs around to see where they are getting fish based on the croc that you saw. Particularly if it was the same one that I've seen when he was 1m+ - he obviously knows where to go to get a feed; probably be our luck that he's taking birds more than fish

[Synful]

I use to live in Cairns and there was a lot of very silly people who would not heed our warning when we had spotted them in the Barron. I am suprised more people havn't had and all mighty scare if not had a life taken.

Hi Slickas,

Best example of SWP (Stupid White People) i've ever seen was at the mouth there at Machans beach.

Bloke in his mid 20's with his wife / girlffriend, dog and what looked to be a 1 year old baby up to their waists in the water and croc warning signs everywhere before you got onto the beach

Don't really care if he and his missus wants to become the RDI for a croc but having the baby in the water was just plain stupidity and beyond belief where valuing the life of his child

Only problem is (and I'm certainly no greenine); if they got taken there'd be a huge outcry and there would need to be massive croc culls; some people really ask for what they get...