Confirmed Crocodile sighting in the Pine....well a PB 74.5cm flatty actually :)

[Chas & Clarry]

Sometimes plans go astray, but it works out for the best anyway

We had business to attend to in Caloundra today so we planned to fish the passage at dawn (and maybe hook up with Funchy in the process) before we did the boring stuff. HOWEVER because of the horrendous weather yesterday (and overnight) we decided to just fish the Pine instead, then drive up to Caloundra later in the day.

We arrived at Deepwater Bend ramp just after 5.30am and found Shawn 66 rigging up. Shawn took a photo of our boats together (a test drive in Shawn's Viper a few months ago convinced us to buy our Bullshark, which is the same boat under different badging). I would have taken a photo too but had forgotten the camera .

Shawn headed off to get bait while Trace and I headed down towards the Hornibrook to flick the plastics.

We started a long drift not far from Bald Hills Creek. Trace was straight onto a 47 cm flatty...nice, into the live well. We kept drifting and got a few hits but nothing more hooked until wham, huge hit and weight... lots of weight, on my line. A bit of zzzzzzzzzzz, a bit of pump and wind....a bit more zzzzzzzzz and a lot of "GET THE NET, THIS IS BIG!!!" then up out of the 2m silty water came the shape of a lovely light coloured big flatty. As she saw the boat a bit more zzzzzzzzzzzz a missed swipe with the net ...a bit of "OH GODDDDD don't break me off, don't break me off" then into the net she came .

Onto the brag mat and she was 74.5cm. OH GOD, I don't have the camera !!

I have a very "dumb" phone and don't have a program to get photos off it. I took a photo with it just in case but had a better plan...phone Shawn! "Mate, any chance you are heading our way soon? Yes? Great, would you mind taking a photo of a flatty for us? Excellent see you soon!" Flatty popped into the live well, made Trace's 43cm one look a bit small , kept fishing waiting for Shawn.

So Shawn arrived took a couple of snaps (another HUGE thank you to Shawn), I'll post them as soon as I get them and then the big girl went back into the Pine, wow that was a great feeling to see her swim off very healthily.

We fished on, Trace got another 43cm and a 25cm, then again wham, I was onto another big one, unbelievable! She put up a nice fight, but wasn't as big as the other one...63cm this time; nice!!!

What a great day! Home by about 9.20am. It was beautiful on the water (overcast, very light breeze, nice big tide) fantastic to have the help, advice (a few more tips about the boat) and company of Shawn and of course a great day out with Trace and one of those very rare days when I won the Chas and Clarry fishing competition...of course Trace hasn't heard the end of that quite yet ....

Photos of the "little ones" below, the "big girl" photo will come once Shawn sends it through in the next day or so.

[womp]

Great haul guys,

i was out on caboolture river on Tuesday and missed my first ever flattie, I've been trying to learn the art of plastics by myself, caught it on a 2" shrimp in the banana prawn color.

Might have to try the pine river at some point.

Cheers David.

[kingcray]

Nothin better than hookin up to a nice flatty. Well done guys. I am hopin to have a flick and a throw of the net down there tomorow arv if the weather lets me.

[Funchy]

EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!!! What a nice bag of fish and great to hear you got a pb. You made the right decision not fishing up here. Not pleasant

[Shawn 66]

Sometimes plans go astray, but it works out for the best anyway

We had business to attend to in Caloundra today so we planned to fish the passage at dawn (and maybe hook up with Funchy in the process) before we did the boring stuff. HOWEVER because of the horrendous weather yesterday (and overnight) we decided to just fish the Pine instead, then drive up to Caloundra later in the day.

We arrived at Deepwater Bend ramp just after 5.30am and found Shawn 66 rigging up. Shawn took a photo of our boats together (a test drive in Shawn's Viper a few months ago convinced us to buy our Bullshark, which is the same boat under different badging). I would have taken a photo too but had forgotten the camera .

Shawn headed off to get bait while Trace and I headed down towards the Hornibrook to flick the plastics.

We started a long drift not far from Bald Hills Creek. Trace was straight onto a 47 cm flatty...nice, into the live well. We kept drifting and got a few hits but nothing more hooked until wham, huge hit and weight... lots of weight, on my line. A bit of zzzzzzzzzzz, a bit of pump and wind....a bit more zzzzzzzzz and a lot of "GET THE NET, THIS IS BIG!!!" then up out of the 2m silty water came the shape of a lovely light coloured big flatty. As she saw the boat a bit more zzzzzzzzzzzz a missed swipe with the net ...a bit of "OH GODDDDD don't break me off, don't break me off" then into the net she came .

Onto the brag mat and she was 74.5cm. OH GOD, I don't have the camera !!

I have a very "dumb" phone and don't have a program to get photos off it. I took a photo with it just in case but had a better plan...phone Shawn! "Mate, any chance you are heading our way soon? Yes? Great, would you mind taking a photo of a flatty for us? Excellent see you soon!" Flatty popped into the live well, made Trace's 43cm one look a bit small , kept fishing waiting for Shawn.

So Shawn arrived took a couple of snaps (another HUGE thank you to Shawn), I'll post them as soon as I get them and then the big girl went back into the Pine, wow that was a great feeling to see her swim off very healthily.

We fished on, Trace got another 43cm and a 25cm, then again wham, I was onto another big one, unbelievable! She put up a nice fight, but wasn't as big as the other one...63cm this time; nice!!!

What a great day! Home by about 9.20am. It was beautiful on the water (overcast, very light breeze, nice big tide) fantastic to have the help, advice (a few more tips about the boat) and company of Shawn and of course a great day out with Trace and one of those very rare days when I won the Chas and Clarry fishing competition...of course Trace hasn't heard the end of that quite yet ....

Photos of the "little ones" below, the "big girl" photo will come once Shawn sends it through in the next day or so.

Good finally hooking up with you two yesterday . Was a magic day on the water with very few boats around . You two absolutely creamed me in the fishing stakes . Could not tempt a flattie yesterday . Had to be content with a mixed bag of Bream and Whiting . Well done again on the big girl , will get the photo's to you today . Thanks again for allowing me to push in on your drift .
Say hello to Trace for me .
Shawn
PS Another well done for letting the Big Girl go even though she was legal.

[Chas & Clarry]

Great haul guys,

i was out on caboolture river on Tuesday and missed my first ever flattie, I've been trying to learn the art of plastics by myself, caught it on a 2" shrimp in the banana prawn color.

Might have to try the pine river at some point.

Cheers David.

Thanks David, we've never fished the Caboulture River, will have to get there one day given that it is only 20 mins down the road! Good luck getting that first flatty.

kingcray

Nothin better than hookin up to a nice flatty. Well done guys. I am hopin to have a flick and a throw of the net down there tomorow arv if the weather lets me.

Looking forward to a report then!

Funchy

EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!!! What a nice bag of fish and great to hear you got a pb. You made the right decision not fishing up here. Not pleasant

Thanks FUnchy...yes we saw how unpleasant your weather was first hand when we got up there late Sunday afternoon...heavy rain and howling wind!! Not attractive.

Shawn 66
Good finally hooking up with you two yesterday . Was a magic day on the water with very few boats around . You two absolutely creamed me in the fishing stakes . Could not tempt a flattie yesterday . Had to be content with a mixed bag of Bream and Whiting . Well done again on the big girl , will get the photo's to you today . Thanks again for allowing me to push in on your drift .
Say hello to Trace for me .
Shawn
PS Another well done for letting the Big Girl go even though she was legal

Letting that fish go was one of the easiest decision in my life...it felt great watching her swim off. Now I am looking forward to watching an 80 or a 90 swim off one day

Thanks again for coming to the rescue with the camera Shawn. Glad you got some fish too. Next time we will have to hang around and meet your woofa, your stories took us back to very enjoyable fishing days with our old dog when she was around.

[Funchy]

Hey Tim,
did you lighten up on jighead as we talked abiut or fished as usual? Just wondering. : D

[Chas & Clarry]

Hey Tim,
did you lighten up on jighead as we talked abiut or fished as usual? Just wondering. : D

Yes I did; Trace was using her ever successful technique of knocking them unconscious with 1/4 ton jigheads....I was using a 1/8oz, don't think that was as light as you were talking but there was a fair run in the water after all the rain the night before. I was using my middle weight rig, 6lb braid and 8lb floro leader (the 4lb rig had a popper on it but wasn't used because we didn't fish shallow enough yesterday)

I've never seen been on the Pine with so much run. After the fishing we zoomed down to the Ted Smout Bridge and I have never expereinced the current so strong there, didn't try to fish, we were just poking around but had to really blast the revs at times once we got off the plane to stay between the pilons.

[Richo1]

Congrats on the PB Flattie, always great when you have to let them go because they are too big!

Bet your glad to have braved the weather.

[Funchy]

Yeah I use 1/8th oz the most. Lighten up and enjoy the spoils

[kingcray]

Thats an awesome effort to land that big girl on such light leader. I was using 8lb leader all last week and lost 2 or 3 about that size from head thrashing. Top effort

[Agrav8_and_Lulu]

Thanks for the report guys, and well done on the flatties.

[womp]

Thanks David, we've never fished the Caboulture River, will have to get there one day given that it is only 20 mins down the road! Good luck getting that first flatty.

It would be better to wait until the fresh stops and we get a prawn run through caboolture river. I can point you to a few places i have been told about, bearing in mind ive not tried them personally yet... also can point you to where i hooked up on mine. (Two places are near to each other but i have been told that they can be in numbers, and measure 70cm plus at times.)

Really hoping i can get out again soon,

problem i have is i dont have a boat ,Yet.

My neighbor takes me out every now and then (about as often as his wife lets him go fishing).

Looking forward to hooking up to a big one and hearing my light gear scream. 6lb braid with 12lb mono leader on a 2500 shimano

Cheers David

[Chas & Clarry]

Shawn sent through the photos of the big one (thanks again Shawn) so here she is :

It is interesting to see how much wider she is than the 63 cm one also caught (photo of that one in our original post above)

[Funchy]

Most excellent Tim. Gonna hit my spot x (dont know why I call it that, everyone knows where it is ) at 3 am if wind is gonna play the game. Fingers crossed