Hey boys.
Well, water temp is now over 28degrees since last time we chatted and the poddies have started showing up in numbers. When they start to move it means it is is the build up!
Hooked up for a long overdue fish with former Brissy boy iank. Decided to work a few flats over the Western side of the Harbour having only fished it once in the past. It's one of those brave the elements journies where in the creek it glass but when you're crossing the harbour back it's mother nature's perfect storm. Take it as it comes.....
Anyways, journey over was uneventful & I was looking forward to prospecting some new ground. 1st stop was a little feeder creek pumping out water with some nice drains either side. 15 minutes into casting I'm hit and up shows a healthy little barra 63.5cm. Didn't go all that hard considering it stayed underwater with no jumps and we were fishing in 3ft.
A few more uneventful bumps and we were off to another set of snakies which were Ian's favourites. In between chats we missed a double hookup but Ian boated a 59cm.
Nice stuff, we met the quota and the rest were 2b C&R for the remainder of the trip. Not bad within the hr I thought.
Wind forced us over to the Eastern side where we hadn't fished much but found steady concentrations of bait always at the mouth of a drain. Fortunately for us that gave us targets and we each nailed a few more barra which we proimptly released. In the end we were cruising in less than 2ft of water sight casting when Ian notices a nice bow up ahead. Calling it for a barra I put in a wayward casting shooting too far left.
Ian's minnow was in the strike zone and no sooner gad he twitched when his drag was screaming. ian fishes with a little twin power and 6lb which is great for sports but after the 1st run and losing 40m we both knew he'd targeted the wrong fish. Big runs and we called it for a Gt as it headed over the flat and for the channel. Sure enough it went for the deep and ended up in 25ft and on the sounder every 5 mins. we guesstimated it to be 5-6kg and after 40mins of slogging it out he decides to put some hurt. Well blow me if this brute was a little under our guesstimates. She would have gone nearly 10kg and on the flats of all places.
Lunch time came and after a bite we headed back to the Western side to fish the turn.
Saw some great looking drains and gutters where Ian dropped a good fish at the boat as he grabbed the leader. Maybe high 70's??I dropped a few too before
rounding the bend and seeing an exposed rockbar. Didn't know that was there but it sure looked the goods. Maybe in some barra article/movie I'd seen.
Anyways, 1st cast and I'm smacked, this time hard and after one powerful run and jump another 63.5cm is boated. This was better. ian nails a few rat trevs on the rocks before my next cast gets whaled near a ledge and I'm losing line toward the rockbar. managed to turn his head and a silver roll with water displacement confirms a nice barra under the boat. Boga'd this bad boy (new net on order) and she went 68.5cm before being released.
Got pretty crazy for the next 5 minutes as we were funneled into a gap between the bar and it was nearly a strike a cast. How we didn't hook one is beyond me as we saw barra charge up from depth and miss our lures. Would have been fun tryin to land em.
Tide came in rather quick and it shut down a bit so we called it quits shooting back. All up for the day 9 barra landed 2 kept and a solid Trev which probably cost us a double bag (thanx Ian).
Tuesday much quieter on the Eastern side with 3 fish landed. 2 rats and a 61cm which I filleted for the neighbour.
Pics attached.
Richie
PS: They are getting a little bit bigger Nick. I'll crack a 70 next week...
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