Sensational Flathead Sunday Session

[micksta]

Headed off from Paradise Point to revive the soul with an arvy on the water. While the weather didn't look that good my time was limited I tried to keep my eyes off the storm clouds and left. First spot looked great but the snot weed gave me the shots so we left. The next few spots produced nothing so with the wind picking up the call was made to head up to Russell Island and fish out of the breeze. What a lucky call, the next 90 minutes produced dozen or so flathead, three bust offs and many missed. the biggest going 69. However, the highlight of the trip was the trip back at dusk. Not another boat on the water for the nearly 40 minutes back to the ramp, more importantly no ducken jet skis. Glassed out with an awesome sunset, mother nature put on a show for the ride home.

[chris69]

Nice hall, and no jet skis doing annoying things while trying to fish and Im surprised you had things to your self in that part of the world.

[Dignity]

Always great to be the only boat on the water. I once thought "I'm over 70, what if something happens? ", then I had realised, what a way to go.

[micksta]

Thanks mate it was certainly a pleasant surprise. Will take it anyday

[micksta]

Always great to be the only boat on the water. I once thought "I'm over 70, what if something happens? ", then I had realised, what a way to go.

Absolutely

[Dignity]

Absolutely

Heading out tomorrow for a flick. Hope to mentally destress first then if fortunate hook a few and maybe bring some home for the ladies I look after.

[alleycat]

Heading out tomorrow for a flick. Hope to mentally destress first then if fortunate hook a few and maybe bring some home for the ladies I look after.

How did you go Dignity?, and is there much snot weed where you go, it was really starting to get going tuesday, i went out for a few hours today in the Pine river, its a very ordinary river but i managed 8 by 9am, best was 60cm on one of my favourite plastics, the Atomic prong in green and white, i am going to start tagging next year, i keep a log of what i catch and todays haul brought me to 230 for this year and would love to hear back on growth and movements ect..

[Dignity]

How did you go Dignity?, and is there much snot weed where you go, it was really starting to get going tuesday, i went out for a few hours today in the Pine river, its a very ordinary river but i managed 8 by 9am, best was 60cm on one of my favourite plastics, the Atomic prong in green and white, i am going to start tagging next year, i keep a log of what i catch and todays haul brought me to 230 for this year and would love to hear back on growth and movements ect..

Didn't get going till 7am as had a big night last night. Water was dead calm, no breeze, not another boat in sight.
Plenty of movement of bait fish on top of the water but couldn't raise a touch. Of course went to use the ecogear and realised it's still on the bench at home.
Around 9am got hit by a brick it only swam away 30cm before spitting the lure. Half an hour later found a drop off that wasn't previously there and filcked a SP along side it and had a hit but no hook up. Flicked out again only to forget that I'd hit spot lock, the boat had turned sideways and I'd caught the other line.
Tried sorting it out but struggled so open my little box (one of the kids old school lunch boxes) where I keep my key, glasses and other odds and ends only to find the specs are missing. Bit of a bummer but soldiered on. Reckon it was at least 10 mins before I'd sorted it all out but figured the fish were lazy and he'd still be there. Flicked the SP out and immediate hook up, played him to the boat and a nice fat 54cm specimen.

That's dinner sorted.
Over the next 10 mins caught a couple more around the 40cm mark but they went back. Then it went quiet again as the breeze kicked in, a NW.
The keeper had already a mullet around 150mm or so in it's gut and other couple also had full bellies so not sure why they hit the SP'S.

No snot weed up our way which is surprising. The lures I'd used were a 4" Atomic Prong in Rainbow Bass, green on bottom and pink on top and a 4" midnight oil in the ZMan Streakz Curlz - probably got the name wrong.

I was all cleaned up and home by midday as had things to sort out this afternoon.

Anyway I've still got a leak to find in the tinnie so will spend tomorrow searching for those pesky pinholes.

Oh, glad to see the bloke on YouTube fumbles as much as I do.

[alleycat]

Didn't get going till 7am as had a big night last night. Water was dead calm, no breeze, not another boat in sight.
Plenty of movement of bait fish on top of the water but couldn't raise a touch. Of course went to use the ecogear and realised it's still on the bench at home.
Around 9am got hit by a brick it only swam away 30cm before spitting the lure. Half an hour later found a drop off that wasn't previously there and filcked a SP along side it and had a hit but no hook up. Flicked out again only to forget that I'd hit spot lock, the boat had turned sideways and I'd caught the other line.
Tried sorting it out but struggled so open my little box (one of the kids old school lunch boxes) where I keep my key, glasses and other odds and ends only to find the specs are missing. Bit of a bummer but soldiered on. Reckon it was at least 10 mins before I'd sorted it all out but figured the gish were lazy and he'd still be there. Flicked the SP out and immediate hook up, played him to the boat and a nice fat 54cm specimen.

That's dinner sorted.
Over the next 10 mins caught a couple more around the 40cm mark but they went back. Then it went quiet again as the breeze kicked in, a NW.
The keeper had already a mullet around 150mm or so in it's gut and other couple also had full bellies so not sure why they hit the SP'S.

No snot weed up our way which is surprising. The lures I'd used were a 4" Atomic Prong in Rainbow Bass, green on bottom and pink on top snd a 4" midnight oil in the ZMan Streakz Curlz - probably got the name wrong.

I was all cleaned up and home by midday as had things to sort out this afternoon.


Anyway I've still got a leak to find in the tinnie so will spend tomorrow searching for those pesky pinholes.

Good luck, 20 years ago i bought an ex hire boat from Jacobs Well, when i got it home i picked up 42 sinkers off the floor, when a leak come i bought Selleys nead it and just whacked that on the hole, i called the boat Apache.....

[Dignity]

Good luck, 20 years ago i bought an ex hire boat from Jacobs Well, when i got it home i picked up 42 sinkers off the floor, when a leak come i bought Selleys nead it and just whacked that on the hole, i called the boat Apache.....

I found 12 of them but I need to really get underneath properly and sort it out. I have an aluminium patching tube which seems to work well. Once I get them all I'm going to give the hull a good clean inside and paint it with 2pac primer followed by a 2pac finish. Hopefully that'll fix it.

[alleycat]

Just a quick report seeing that reports are so rare these days, went out in the passage for a tagging trip monday, got very wet and caught 29 flathead with nothing over 50cm, went out yesterday and caught 33 flathead with the biggest at 52 cm, lots of smaller fish in the mid 30s.

[Dignity]

Just a quick report seeing that reports are so rare these days, went out in the passage for a tagging trip monday, got very wet and caught 29 flathead with nothing over 50cm, went out yesterday and caught 33 flathead with the biggest at 52 cm, lots of smaller fish in the mid 30s.

Looks like I might have to wander down to your end of the Passage as up the northern end they've become scarce. I've done my back in and have only been out once in a mates boat on Tuesday with just a couple of snaps and a schoolie to show for it.

[alleycat]

Just another head up on the Southern passage, went out from Toorbul Saturday, not many boats around on a glorious day, i see far more boats in my spots on Fridays, anyway the snot weed has started again, lots of Tailor around, i caught 4 on plastics, the flathead this year have been very small, i took 22 Saturday and only 6 were legal, biggest was just 50cm , this month my average for the 90 odd i have caught and tagged is just 38cm, maybe the legal size needs to be increased to 45cm and the bag limit lowered to 3 or 4 fish per person, i know myself i dont take a fish to eat unless its between 49 and 53 cm, a 40 cm fish is just not worth killing IMHO.

[Dignity]

I went out today, Monday and it was perfect day except for the small flatties. The biggest was 41cm which went back. The surprise catch was a large mullet. The new bar has changed many areas here and it's a challenge to find them as usually July/August was our best months.

[Dignity]

Alleycat, I hadn't really taken much notice previously but this time around I had a good look at the last one I put back and realised it was a bartailed flattie, I will keep a better eye out next time as they do look very similar to the dusky especially if caught on muddy bottoms are smaller generally and of course the bars on the tail.