WHY do Northerly winds wreck estaury fishing???

[Krazi-kev]

NE winds prevail and the fishing has been very sad even in the estaries......is there any reason for this???????

[shayned]

We fished yesterday, trialling a reasonably new theory, it has worked once so far. The result was only 2 flatheads of similar size between us (went with Brandon H and met up with Steve in his yellow 'tastic plastic boat while wading near the channel and Steve had only boated one by that stage). There didn't appear tobe as many flathead lies as expected either and certainly not the result expected. Wasn't aware of this northerly wind situation before so maybe the new theory will still hold water. Brandon if you read this the flattie went 1.49 kg no length sorry.

[BrandonH]

Thanks Shayne, but no length!! how are we gota tell whos was bigger now Lol was a good fish mate hopefully plenty more to come for both of us!!!


Cheers
Brandon...

PS: on northerly winds, My dad use to always say that its not worth fishing in a northerly wind.. I think he was talking about all fishing not just estury fishing. but there is always an exception and I am sure you will find fish biting somewhere in any conditions

[Creek_Vermin]

Jacks love northerlies

[Freeeedom]

The northerlies bring higher temps, the water in the estuaries (being shallow) warms up more readily than deeper water, warm water holds less oxygen than cold water, so the fish desert the estuaries for cooler, more oxygenated water) or are less active in the warmer, poorly oxygenated water - that's my theory anyway. There must be some explanation because I've proved it a thousand times - fish don't bite when northerlies blow. I proved it again today - spent about 7 hours drifting all over the Bribie Passage drowning live yabbies (in between checking my crab dillies) and the only legal fish I caught was one summer whiting. Caught a range of undersize bream, tarwhine, flathead, toads, winter whiting but not a decent fish anywhere.
Cheers Freeeedom

[keen_as_mustard]

as Creek Vermin - Jacks seem to be the only fish that bite well in a Northerly. We hit the Pin Sunday for a pre-fish for the Flattie Classic - would have been Jack fishing if not for the comp starting in less than 2 weeks! As expected very few Flathead played the game, and we gave it away early >

A mate pulled a 39cm Jack from the Coomera on Saturday - nice start to the season!

[sharkbaithoohaha]

I agree with most of you.Fishing the creeks for me when the northerly is on is generally harder to fish,however, over summer with an absolute scorcher and northerly,some big banana's can do it for the"Threadies".

I worked for 2 1/2 years on a charter boat out of Tweed and the Northerly itself didn't seem to put them off,but when you had "Poor Man's Tide" and a northerly the joggle made

[tt][/tt] it uncomfortable and the current would be running 3-6 knots or more the harder the wind blew.
When we had a really hot northerly that would get the mackerel going.

[Krazi-kev]

Well I tried again between 4 and 7pm yesterday..................Bugger-all

I might wait now for SE to kick in or go jack hunting

cheers

[Franco]

Guys before you get too indoctrinated with the "No fish in Northerlies" gospel, just remember that most of the flathead classsics are when northerlies (and bloody strong ones!!) prevail and the water looks shit. And plenty of stonker flatties are caught during those times as past flatty classics have proven.

You just have to use different techniques, find the better water, fish appropriate stages of the tide (eg incoming) and discover new places that work in a northerly.

And yes, the hot northerlies is when jacks chew their heads off and is a preferred time to fish.

It is true that northerlies stuff certain types of fishing in certain locations, but somewhere, sometime, somehow the fish WILL be feeding and caught. I used to snub my nose at comps but thats where you see fish still being caught in good numbers despite the adverse conditions, and we can learn from it!!

As I say ..... one last cast and never give up!!

[Mean_Green]

Franco makes an excellent point. You do catch fish in a Northerly but in some conditions, flathead will eat anything that is within striking range.

What happens in a northly is that the water gets dirty and warm which instantly puts the faltties off. Add to this the fact that it is not possable to have a high presure system dominating your fishing area while a northly is blowing. Northerlies are linked to low presure systems or the tail end of a high moving towards NZ which means a falling barometer.

Flatties, like most fish, hate a low or falling barometer. I was recently aboard a houseboat at Jumpinpin and we had northerlies in the morning and I landed four or five flatties. In the afternoon, the SE winds kicked in, i jumped back into my little Green Machine and landed around 30 faltties in two hours. Gotta love that SE change.

Wardy

[Krazi-kev]

The theories continue.............

Northerlies will never stop me from wetting a line.............just can't wait to get onto a better bite...........and the next time i do, I will take note of the wind direction.