Hi All
Been a while since I posted a report, for a number of reasons, including lack of time and catches worth reporting of any major substance. This winter is the 1st in 3 years that the wife hasn’t been pregnant, and I’m starting to get out a bit more. It’s been great reacquainting myself with the Bay and all the old haunts, even if the success rate is down on past years… it’ll come with more time spent on these area’s. Nonetheless, this story is in 3 parts, all relative to the end result – hope you enjoy the read (bit of an epic (of CHARLEVILLE proportions), but trying to make up for lost time)!
Part 1
Good mate Pete (TINN) and I have been mates for only 4 years, but we’ve become pretty good mates in that time and both our families are very close. We love our fishing, whether it’s hanging out trying to snare a feed, exploring new grounds, or just an excuse to get out on our own for some crap talk, that's what it's all about! Pete, unfortunately, suffers from ‘Suppression’. Briefly, Suppression is prevalent in 4 in 5 married men. The first real signs of Suppression are immediately following the exchanging of the vows, and it really attacks with a full head of steam once the 1st bump appears on the spouse. From there it’s anyone’s guess as to how long before it goes into remission, or disappears completely. Doctors are at pains to find a permanent cure, but some have mentioned a good ‘Family Lawyer’ can put some out of their misery. Pete suffers terribly from this dreadful affliction, especially in the company of his spouse. It is extremely unusual for Pete to utter a full sentence on these occasions. It is with little wonder that when it gets pushed into remission briefly, you can’t shut him up when you’re trying to catch a fish! I escape for peace & quiet, him the opposite! Nonetheless, he is a great bloke to hang out with for a fish and as he puts it, ‘fishing is always an adventure’ as most of you longer term AF'ers would know from our past reports! There is a downer to Pete though, and that is he is as blind as a bat when it comes to darkness and no spec’s! If it wasn’t so funny you’d cry at some of his attempts at netting the catch, and it really is heart in mouth stuff at times, as it was last night on one particular occasion…
Part 2
It’s hard catching up with another good mate, Adrian (ALB78) as he does shiftwork. But on one particular day last week, the planets aligned and we conjured a trip. Debating where, the ‘all round white light’ became the hot topic and we decided to give the Brissie river the flick and shoot out to some old haunts in the Bay. Not sure why we were of the opinion that it was only the Brissie where it mattered, perhaps because that’s where we heard everyone was copping the non-negotiable request for a donation, but it was to become clear to us later that night! ¾ of the way into the evening and the sounding of some ground was underway when the only other boat on the water flicked on the blues (about the same time a few Moroon’s were doing the same)! Up they putted and the usual banter blah blah blah. Then in conversation old mate (1) points and says ‘you need to do something about that light’! Well didn’t that kickstart 15 mins of lively (& enlightening) conversation – after all, there was no-one else around anyway! La-dee-da-la-la, and we are both now very aware that this light is required at ALL times, EVERYWHERE! (the relaying of this conversation to Pete brought a ‘told you so laugh’ by the way). When old mate (2) pulled out his pad, given he’d only minutes earlier mentioned that 75% of the fines issued was for that light issue, I thought uh oh, Adrian’s about to make a 2 hunjee donation to the More Pay for Police Fund! But alas, Bad Boys became Goodfella’s and merely recorded our names and DOB’s, probably for the purpose of sending us Birthday Cards I guess (NOT)! Still it was great to hear how it is straight from the Horses mouth!
Part 3
With Pete back from a family holiday in NZ and which appeared to attract some remission, and not having had a remission session for over a month, both of us were champing at the bit to catch up, and what better way to do it than for a fish! With both MV’s grounded awaiting the delivery (& subsequent installation) of a compliant all round whitey, our options were limited to a land based session. We had been having some (emphasis on some) success with Breambo’s from a usual haunt however we decided we’d try something different and try some new spots not very far from where we normally venture – it was time to test some different grounds for greater future options. So with the fine details nutted out and our usual variety of tasty morsel baits, we met at our rendezvous point last night. After a bit of stuffing around and exploring along the foreshore, we decided to settle in at a spot we’d earmarked a few days earlier, as it appeared as good as any, and a warm fuzzy feel to it!
1st cast, and within minutes, Pete brings in a 30cm+ fish. That’s a great start, should be a decent evening! PML, couldn’t catch a cold for the next hour or so, and 3 different offerings in the water. Mentor B2 (The Blonksta - WHITINGKILLER to AF'ers) jumps on the horn and says ‘what the <bad word> are you useless <bad word> <bad word> doing?' Well, if there was ever a motivational speech required, B2 is your man, obviously! Not too long after that and a status check from T2 (TIMOR2), while immersed in conversation about Pete and co being attacked by a crazy short man with a screwdriver in NZ, one of my rods gets some serious bend in it and whammo, the Alvey is in reverse and humming… get the net and the torch mate, going to need it I think! And need it we did, the stonker went 39.5cm, but not before one of Pete’s comical netting efforts – poor bugger, I thought he was going to end up in the drink while the Breambo had beached itself on a rock in fright – eventually with a net jammed hard up against it! Thinking he had a snag after my fish swam across his line, he went to reset his rod and ‘ummm T, can you get the net and torch – your turn!’ No such drama’s for me and in the mesh lands a nice 35cm fish! Well B2’s motivational speech worked…
Over the next few hours, we managed a dozen fish in total (kept) with the smallest 26.5cm, and 9 over 30cm with the 39.5cm topping the charts. Still chewing when we called it a night, but the craving had been satisfied for another week – contently! Sorry about the group pic quality, camera phone…
Take Care T
PS: Ironically, I’ve found the time to type up this report because I’m ‘suppressed’ at home with 3 kids, Pete is ‘suppressed’ at his house with 3 kids, and our wives are out together committing ‘grievous bodily harm’ to our Credit Cards…. Some things will never change!!
PSS: Area fished was Cleveland. Best and most popular bait (9 fish) was chicken by a country mile, however the 39.5 and a 35 caught simultaneously were on Mullet strip. The other fell to worm, but couldn't sell another worm all night. Coincidentally, the 39'er had the bottom end bone of a chicken drumstick in its guts! Rigs didn't matter as Pete was catching on a SP set-up with bait ie sticking a cube of chicken on a jighead... PML! They weren't fussy, but the lighter rods when loaded with the right bait, we were far more productive, as the bite seemed similiar to Nerang Tings.
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Exactly that! 
