Mud Island Wednesday Night

[charleville]

Maybe Paul Burt is right. #

You may know of Paul Burt as the fishing reporter on regional TV but also because of the promotional DVDs that he has done for Alvey and others.

Watching his Alvey DVD is a scream. # #He has his young son helping him - poor kid. # #It is in the guise of taking the kid fishing but the DVD is full of “quick mate – bring that over here. #C’mon, quick, quick, quick!” #The poor kid is obviously enjoying the fishing/filming outing and can probably fish extremely well but receives orders all through the piece and he is treated like an absolute beginner out on his first outing and primed with obviously set scripting to say. # #Of course, the other scream is just how at every occasion that they cast out the Alvey, they catch a fish to die for. Perfectly natural. Hahaha! #

But what always takes my attention is how fast Paul Burt winds in his line when he hooks something. # He winds like a man possessed. #It is like he is desperate for a leak but has to get this fish in before he can. #

By comparison, I tend to wind in the line in a fairly orderly way, reasoning that I don’t want to pull the hook out of the fish’s mouth with too energetic a pull and what the heck, what is the hurry anyway? #I wanna be fishin’ not harvesting. #

But Paul is obviously a much more experienced and skilful fisherman than I shall ever be so perhaps I should emulate his style more.

For instance, as it is currently leading up to a full moon in May, I thought that it might be time to break out the bream gear and with some choice mullet gut and prawns, plus some left-over pillies and squid, I set off at 5pm to fish through the 8pm high tide in the shallows at Mud Island last night. #

And it was a corker of a night; lots of big bites in the early part of the evening; but every one took me into snags where I was eventually broken off. #

When I eventually decided to apply the Paul Burt style of winding, the action had subsided but I did manage to get in a few, most of which were fat but undersized squire taking the mullet gut baits. #

So I have now learnt that when the fish strikes around snags, I need to lift and wind like buggery. #

Surprisingly though, I caught negligible bream last night. # #Just one barely over the legal limit and hardly worth bringing home. # #Lots of small squire, plus the odd catfish and eel, and oh yes some tailor as seen below, caught on my unattended el cheapo Chinese made bait-runner with a pillie on unweighted ganged hooks hanging out the back of the boat. #

The smallest tailor in the picture is just legal and usually I let these little ones go but he was foul hooked in the belly and I did not rate his chances of survival as much so he will become breakfast. There are a few tailor around the Bay at the moment. The squire was 37cm.

So once again, a modest catch but a feed all the same. #

The bay last night was stunning. # Absolutely flat seas until 10.15pm when a 10 knot southerly started to create some gentle wave action. #Quite a few boats around Mud last night. #A handful on the Grazier but not many stayed past the high tide. #I gave it away when the southerly started as I had enjoyed the best of the night by then. #

The biggest bites on the night though were from the mossies. #Millions of them! # > #

[Az]

not a bad feed mate, there are a fair few tailor around the bay and the river at the moment, good to see

[BrandonH]

Not a bad catch there mate!! you did a lot better than i did lat night I was off scotts pt from 5-9:30 last night for 2 Bream 1 flathead 1 grinner 2 undersized Squire and 2 sharks. one of witch gave me a bit of fun and had me thinking because it was giving me huge head shakes.. turned out to be a Gummy shark nearing on 4 foot!! anyways i packed it in after that. was using Plastics till just after duck, blue pillies half pillies and bits of grinner I might have to get my south side mate to take his boat out one arvo and give Mud or Green a go. definatlly looks like they are all in the southern bay atm!!

Good luck in the future!!

Cheers
Brandon...

PS: your tequnic change should work well amongst the snags, I grew up fishing for Bream in very snaggy areas and we always gave them heaps first up. only thing that might undo ya is a BIG fish not giving and busting you up on his first head shake!!

[chief]

Lifes great isn't it , getting out there,taking it all in and catching a few fish.Doesn't get any better.

[White_Steenbras]

No about those mozzies, blood suckers they are.

[charleville]

Lifes great isn't it , getting out there,taking it all in and catching a few fish.Doesn't get any better.

Abso-bloody-lutely, Chief! # #

Sometimes when I am out there on a stunning night, I say to myself, "I absolutely refuse to ever die on a night like this!" #Mind you, I have made it my own rule to wear a light life jacket when I travel at night so that I improve my chances. #

I have had similar awesome night experiences at the 'Pin as well, when the moon is reflecting off the mirror water surface. #

[Cheech]

Charlie,

If you are in the snags in Mud Shallows, I would agree with giving them a bit after hookup. Need to get them out of the rocks before they dust you up. Yes you may pull the hooks on a few, but you will loose a lot of you take it too easy. We tend to high rod tip to help get them out and keep them out.

Not a bad catch by the way. There are a lot of people that go out there and return empty handed and would be very happy to leave that Island with a feed.

Bring on winter,,,, I love chasing a bream or 10 out there in winter in close.

Cheech

[T1]

Charlie

I have to agree with CHEECH! While the concept is difficult at 1st because you feel like you're ripping its tonsils out, it's the only way to keep them out of the snags... I've lost a few over the years by being too easy on strike but i've found you lose more that way than the other way!

Funny isn't it, no matter how long you've been fishing for or how old you are, you never stop learning... such an amazing hobby/pastime!!

Take Care T