Weipa Flats Fishing

[nickstock]

After moving to Weipa a few weeks ago, I finally had the chance to do a bit of fishing. The Barra have been a bit slow compared to the recent trips that I did before I moved here however they are still there if you persist.

The shallow flats of the Mission have been fishing ok and we landed 45 Barra, 6 Jacks, and a few nice Threadfin from 630mms to 890mms in one good session. The Barra have been small with most around the 550mm mark however some mid sized fish up to 780mm have been landed. We lost 4 fish that would have cracked 900mms which was dissapointing however they will be there next time.

I have been fishing one snag in less than 1 meter of water where I have lost a genuine 20lb Barra on the last three trips. I would love to land this fish and put a tag in it to see whether it is the same fish.

The first time I hooked a 90cm plus fish from this snag was on a Hollow Belly and it rubbed through the 50lb Penn 10X leader that I was using.

Round two a few days later, I fired in my brand new Yo-Zuri lure only to have the fish jump out of the water and nearly land in the boat and swam straight under the boat and jumped on the other side, nearly snapping my better half, Holly new G. Loomis on the gunwhale. The 'Heavy duty' split rings on the $22.50 lure pulled through like a whiting split ring and lost the fish again.

Round three, another few days later saw the fish hooked on a Richo Extractor 9 in Gold Mackeral only to find a single Mangrove root before heading out into the clean, open water running off the flats.

From this one snag the scores are as follows - Big Barra 3 , Nick 0

I am heading back over to settle the score in a few days time so stay posted!

One thing that will always keep me busy and often tied up in knots is the ever plentiful supply of meter plus Queenfish!

So how does Weipa fishing rate compared to Cooktown???????? Bloody awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! However I do miss chasing Red Emperor and Nannies.

Thanks for reading and enjoy a few pics.

Cheers,
Nick Stock


Holly with a 105cm Queenie



Me with a 107cm Queenie



Me with an average size Threadie


Jed with a 780mm Barra



Me with a Threadfin minus a few cms of tail


Another smaller Threadfin


Average rat Barra


A big Cod ate a Finngermark on the way up testing the snap - a - bility of the little Loomis.

[Genesis]

That is just awesome, both the report and photos. Thank you very much for sharing!

[nickstock]

This pic shows how hungry the Queenies are, trying to engulf the 150mm Popper

[Silent]

Awesome report from very far North!!!
Those queenie are tons of fun fight on light gear, I can image...
Keep up work

[nick-o83]

Outstanding as usual. You have some epic sessions. Always enjoy your reports. Cheers!

[geoff72]

Great read and bloody top photos,awesome looking fish mate well done

[GLXMAN]

Great Report Nick,
I must get back there, yes, I found the meter queenies on fly were a lot of fun,

Where did you catch the threadfin?
I could not find them last year

Regards,
Gary

[Fish_gutz]

thanks for posting your report, always great reading and pictures . Cheers Andrew

[nickstock]

That is just awesome, both the report and photos. Thank you very much for sharing!

No worries mate, glad you enjoyed reading it

Awesome report from very far North!!!
Those queenie are tons of fun fight on light gear, I can image...
Keep up work

They are good fun alright mate, I am waiting on the arrival of my first fly setup and look forward to chasing them on fly

Outstanding as usual. You have some epic sessions. Always enjoy your reports. Cheers!

Thanks mate

Great read and bloody top photos,awesome looking fish mate well done

Cheers,

Great Report Nick,
I must get back there, yes, I found the meter queenies on fly were a lot of fun,

Where did you catch the threadfin?
I could not find them last year

Regards,
Gary

I am unsure on what it is called, we call it the bay of salmon ha ha ha

thanks for posting your report, always great reading and pictures . Cheers Andrew

Cheers Andrew

[Moffy]

Hey Nick,

Awesome stuff mate - wait till the bait balls come on off Pera - you won't know yourself!

You'll find the reds soon enough......(we caught more nannygai than fingermark in my week long trip up there in November!!) - was a quiet trip for fingermark though....And if reds not your colour - the blueys go alright too.

Cheers,

Moffy

[nickstock]

Hey Nick,

Awesome stuff mate - wait till the bait balls come on off Pera - you won't know yourself!

You'll find the reds soon enough......(we caught more nannygai than fingermark in my week long trip up there in November!!) - was a quiet trip for fingermark though....And if reds not your colour - the blueys go alright too.

Cheers,

Moffy

I have aught a few just legal Nannies from the leads but nothing like the 10 kilo modles that I am used too off Cooktown. I have sold my reef boat and am back to a little 4.45 Hornet so I will have to wait for the weather to tone it down a bit as it has been blowing about 15-20 knots se / ne over the last few weeks.

Looking forward to heading down there though.

[Moffy]

Yeah - can't say i've seen any of the bigger model reds about like at home - but we have got nannys up to 4kg or so and the (very occasional - can think of one big one) red to 5-6kg - this was fishing out of a topender and not too far offshore - so doable in the hornet - just when the weather is right.... (hopefully you'll get a decent window around April/May - it rocks out at Pera then)

the bigger models are further offshore - though i haven't had the chance to get out there yet (have been 18nm out once but they weren't playing that day (only a few XOS fingermark...) - they should be there though if you get a chance to head out that far (usual tactics reading the chart plotter (contour lines etc) will see you onto some - that's if the trawlers haven't knocked them all off first............

Moffy

[nickstock]

Yeah - can't say i've seen any of the bigger model reds about like at home - but we have got nannys up to 4kg or so and the (very occasional - can think of one big one) red to 5-6kg - this was fishing out of a topender and not too far offshore - so doable in the hornet - just when the weather is right.... (hopefully you'll get a decent window around April/May - it rocks out at Pera then)

the bigger models are further offshore - though i haven't had the chance to get out there yet (have been 18nm out once but they weren't playing that day (only a few XOS fingermark...) - they should be there though if you get a chance to head out that far (usual tactics reading the chart plotter (contour lines etc) will see you onto some - that's if the trawlers haven't knocked them all off first............

Moffy

Thanks Moffy,

I have fished the Ribbon's off Cooktown in the Hornet so when we get some good weather I will go searching down around Pera!

I want to get a few nice Red fish over the side of the little Hornet

Cheers,
Nick Stock

[Shane Miller]

hi buff head you better keep them salmon a secert till i get u there , you fished bay of planty?.got any jew from fingermark city?. you should stop holding up all hollys fish in your photos, we all know she out fishes you

[nickstock]

hi buff head you better keep them salmon a secert till i get u there , you fished bay of planty?.got any jew from fingermark city?. you should stop holding up all hollys fish in your photos, we all know she out fishes you

I towled up Holly on the weekend, she did not get a hit!!!!!! Nice for me to 'win' for a change

Have not been fishing F.M.C, too busy catching all the Threadies from your spot ha ha ha