Hi Fellow Ausfishers!
Well, after 2 long months of having to hitch a ride with TINN, and the humiliation of not landing a legal fish since nailing THAT Salmon (other than some just legal choppers and bream - but they don't count), i finally got my boat back on the weekend and was champing at the bit to get out there!! So, with resident Ausfisher IBBO keen as mustard and not perturbed by the curse like TINN, we headed off from Whyte IS at 5.45am for Mud.
What super conditions, perhaps too good! We motored over to the eastern side and found a nice stretch of bottom to drift across. Numerous drifts and finally the 1st fish for the morning falling to IBBO - a little pretty looking Cod - IBBO's 1st saltwater Cod. I say saltwater coz IBBO is a bit of a gun in freshwater with a PB of a 46lb Murray Cod!! And that was it folks! There was the odd touch here and there but nothing more in the boat. We bumped into a fellow fisher who was covering the same ground as us and he stated that it was very quiet for that area as it was usually productive! Maybe i cursed the area too??
Anyway, we moved around to the northern side and found some nice drops for plenty of Grinners. So, off to the NW side for drifting across some rough ground, but again the odd touch but nothing landed! 10.30am and we headed back to the front walls at the mouth only to find that it was so clear that we could pinpoint every skerritt sitting on the bottom in 3-4 metres. By this stage, i think poor old IBBO was probably thinking TINN was right, T is cursed, and so is his boat, and his bait, and his plastics...
Back up the river and tried a new spot not far from where THAT Salmon was landed. Drift, cast, drift, cast, until finally, tap tap bang! A nice 40cm Squire and the curse busted! Now you might say big woop, a 40cm squire but after 2 months of effort and frustration, and not to mention the humiliation of TINN's semi-sincere condolences, a 40cm squire is a nice pan sized keeper!! Well, i was so excited that there was high fives all round as the weight had lifted - fishing really is a confidence thing!! Just as i placed my fish in the esky, IBBO is on to one at 37cm. So, with a bit of action imminent, we anchored up and started flicking SP's. 5 mins later and IBBO is onto another at 40cm. Another few hits and the old Port Security Patrol makes a beeline for us!
'Mate, you're going to have to move to 30 metres away!' 'But there's no sign here saying that' i respond! 'It's a restricted area and you're going to have to move!' Damn i'm thinking - i wanted to ask him if i looked like a terrorist to him but then thought my Arab looks might not be conducive to a negative response - tounge kept in mouth! Bugger, the only spot that fired for us all morning and we had to move! Oh well, a few drifts up the river and called it quits for the morning!
While we didn't catch a great deal, i was still ecstatic with the mornings effort - great company (thanks IBBO), a gorgeous day on the water, the boat ran like a dream (touch wood), and i finally nailed a fish!! Gee, life is good!!!
Take Care T
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