A mixed bag from the Logan River

[mortyb]

Went for a usual arvo/evening run to the Logan on the weekend with a mate. Had the pots in by 4 pm with chook frame, catfish and mullet frame as bait. Went for some live bait to fish to the low at 9 pm. Plenty of mullet and good sized banana prawns around. Managed these 3 good tigers (I think tigers) at the mouth of a gutter feeding into the river.

After setting the pots we anchored up at the usual spot. Tide running hard and only managed a couple of catfish and a heaps of undersized crabs. Went for the first run of the pots about 6 pm and the night looked like it might go pear shape. The anchor was stuck hard on something. Tried for about 15 minutes to release it and was about to cut the rope. Did a reverse at full pelt from where we set the anchor. There was a slight bump and it was off . First run of the pots had 11 legals in the boat (3 out of one pot) but threw 2 out of the 11 back as they were empty. Happy with that run. On the way back my mate was setting up my night lights (suction type) and I heard a splash, and yep, the lights were sinking down in 5 metres of water. I will have to look at having a more permanent system.

Anchored up again at the usual spot and fished to the low at 9 pm with live prawns and live mullet. Between us we managed 3 good runs on live mullet around the turn of the tide. Hooks not set on 2 and the 3rd my mates line broke. I say he had the drag set to tight. The prawns managed a few bream around 30 cm - no pics as my mate kept them.

Pulled anchor (easy this time) at about 10 pm to collect pots and chase some more prawns with the run in tide. Managed another 13 legals but threw 3 back as they were empty. One had a real blue tinge to it. The rain started so went home instead of chasing prawns.

Most of the muddies were chockers. A couple were not as full. The tiger prawns were butterfly-ed and BBQ-ed.

[Sheik]

nice work, good chewing, what do you think the runs were.. shark?

[kingcray]

thats a lot of mudcrabs mate. Mnny jennies amongst them?
What do you keep them in while in the boat?

[mortyb]

Sheik, don't think they were sharks. Usually you get a hook up with them and my mates line broke at the sinker. I picked up a threaddy in the same spot a month ago so could be one of them as they have soft mouths. But who knows. Kingcray, not many Jennies, but the few I did find in the pots were big. I usually tie the keepers when anchored up and pack them in an esky with a wet cloth over them. It gets a bit tricky when putting new crabs into the esky when it is quite full and bringing in the pots in my tinnie - not much room and have had them crawl out of the esky and nearly overboard.

I did forget to say that one of the muddies kept was already tied with blue line. It was just over 15 cm across the back so must have escaped from someone. I have caught other muddies (up north) already tied but were undersized, I assume they were thrown overboard when fisheries inspectors were seen.