Pine River Wednesday.

[bidkev]

Had fun speeding through the bloody big clumps of Water Hyacinth

The place was chocka from the highway bridge down, with South Pine being non navigable in places. Went out to the mouth to find a bit of salt but only the odd toadie. Couple of small bream at the rocks but nothing keepable........not even a catty!

Couldn't chuck a net either, the place was that filthy.

Rang the harbourmaster as the green bouy at the wreck is missing. Someone will come to grief there without that marker. I reckon it may just have heaps of crap on it's chain which has dragged it under, otherwise it would surely be floating around somewhere.?

Nevertheless had a good day, with just me and the deckie feeling like adventurers in the Amazon Amazed that there is still so much water hyacinth around considering that I had read recently of the success of the department in combating noxious weeds?

kev

[freddyfish]

G'day Kingtin

Sounds like a fun day anyway Kev. Just a question for you .. If I wanted to take the young fella up to try to catch an eel or catfish on his light gear for a bit of fun , how far up would I have to go and what sort of tackle/bait would I need?

We are in the Pine quite a bit but haven't ventured much past the highway bridge. Usually only get small stuff but good fun anyway.

If I see you there one day I'm going to follow you so if you see a small underpowered tinny following you slow down will ya.

Cheers
Brad.

[bidkev]

Hi Brad. You can catch 'em most anywhere mate but especially so, away from traffic. Pike eels seem to inhabit the upper reaches past castle hill. Try the sunken barge or the concrete slabs round the next corner. The big catties are there too, but they can be just as conspicuous by their absence as they are on other days when you can't catch anything else. Where they got to is anyone's guess? Around canterbury park is also ok for catties as is the south pine , being quieter.

December/Jan is peak time and I've had bags upwards of 20, averaging 3 kilos from Sandgate pier whilst other folk don't get one...........they are fishing for bream........I am fishing for shark. I surmise from this that the only real secret is big baits and big hooks. If you see the size of a 2kilo catty's mouth you will appreciate that a size 10/0 isn't all that ridiculous. That said, when I fish the pine I only use a 2 gang 6/0. Bait is either a large fresh herring or a large squid but cut mullet will do the trick also. Herring are practically everywhere in the pine but if you don't want to be bothered with a cast net, Morgan's quite often knocks out mullet at 1.99 kilo or try here: http://www.##########.com.au/store/index.php Mullet fillet also produces it's own burley as does squid ink.

By Feb they have thinned out and are replaced by tons of fingerlins, although some of the big ones remain.

Watch the spines on the catties, the teeth on the eels, and be prepared for the odd whaler too. I get some funny looks when some folk see 12kilo gear in the boat, but mate, those big catties go off, and if I get into a whaler, I wanna be sure I can at least have a fighting chance.

See you down there and it's great to hear of someone trying to give their kids a good time..........although some would consider catties as giving 'em a bad time They taste ok too mate...trust me

cheers and good luck

kev

[bidkev]

Brad, forgot to say that I fish "running paternoster" style. That is, I have the sinker on a 12" rotten bottom with swivel attached. I run the main line through the swivel which is then tied off to another swivel which then has the hook on a 12" approx leader. Hope you understand that

It lifts the bait up off the muddy bottom and allows it free movement in the current. Catties will grub around anyway but I still find that this outfishes bait that is presented hard on the bottom.

cheers

kev

[MidgieFood]

Maybe thats what all the trawlers are doing in bramble bay.
Cleaning up the Hyacinth for us.

Kingtin, lucky you didnt get got by an Anaconda by the sounds of it.
Thanks for ringing the harbour master. Right responsible of you.

[freddyfish]

Thanks a lot Kev. Maybe see you up there one day. Those eels look bloody savage.

Cheers
Brad.

[Lone_Wolf]

Brad, forgot to say that I fish "running paternoster" style. That is, I have the sinker on a 12" rotten bottom with swivel attached. I run the main line through the swivel which is then tied off to another swivel which then has the hook on a 12" approx leader. Hope you understand that

Kev,

You are always a great read. Can you explain the term "12" rotten bottom" Any chance of posting a diagram?

[bidkev]

Brad, forgot to say that I fish "running paternoster" style. That is, I have the sinker on a 12" rotten bottom with swivel attached. I run the main line through the swivel which is then tied off to another swivel which then has the hook on a 12" approx leader. Hope you understand that

Kev,

You are always a great read. Can you explain the term "12" rotten bottom" Any chance of posting a diagram?

That's 'cause I talk too much

I'm no artist and this is the best I can do.

The rotten bottom consists of line considerably weaker than the main line. It is fished over snags, heavy weed or soft mud and is long enough to keep the hook high enough to be in view to the fish and to enable the bait to"waft" freely in moving water and thereby be presented in a lifelike manner.

The hook length is tied directly to the main line via a swivel and bead so that the bite from the fish is directed straight to the main line/rod tip and recieves minimal resistence from the sinker. The stopper bead can be dispensed with if the swivel does not interfere with the smooth running of the line through the first swivel.

The further one casts from the boat, the more the rotten bottom length should be increased, or the hook length decreased, as the angle of the line would bring the hook closer to the bottom. It is primarily a rig for fishing straight under the boat but can be utilised by doing the above.

Hope this helps

cheers

kev

[bidkev]

Maybe thats what all the trawlers are doing in bramble bay.
Cleaning up the Hyacinth for us.

Kingtin, lucky you didnt get got by an Anaconda by the sounds of it.
Thanks for ringing the harbour master. Right responsible of you.

Cheers mate. Yeah, I first rang Maritime Safety who said it wasn't a safety issue so I asked 'em to pass it on to whoever needed to know. They said that *I* would have to do that and then put me on hold for 5 minutes whilst they got the harbour master's Tel: for me.

Love the name by the way .........MidgieFood I think all fishos get to feel like that at some time or another

cheers

kev

[Lone_Wolf]

Thanks very much Kev for sharing your experience with the no so knowledgable. Can't wait to get out and try it.
On a lighter note, Iwas just a bit concerned cos the last bloke i fished with in a boat where the words "rotten bottom" were mentioned has been banned from the boat due to his unsociable habits. [smiley=laugh.gif]

[bidkev]

Thanks very much Kev for sharing your experience with the no so knowledgable. Can't wait to get out and try it.
On a lighter note, Iwas just a bit concerned cos the last bloke i fished with in a boat where the words "rotten bottom" were mentioned has been banned from the boat due to his unsociable habits. [smiley=laugh.gif]

I get your drift And the deckie gets mine She won't come with me if I insist on a Vindaloo the night before The kids think it's funny though

kev

[bidkev]

Thanks a lot Kev. Maybe see you up there one day. Those eels look bloody savage.

Cheers
Brad.

A double hook up is good fun, once they're in the boat Make sure you're wearing steel toe caps, and cock fighting has nothing on these buggers

kev

[Black_Rat]

Did you drop any pots kev ? There'd have to be few Muddies [smiley=chef.gif] on the move
Damo

[bidkev]

Nah! If I'm gonna stay in one place, then I sit on my pots so no bugger nicks 'em. If I intend to move about a bit, I don't bother with the pots as they'll only get nicked.

I saw quite a few branches with little splotches of blue marker on them........bet a grappling hook would've produced a few for me

kev

[cuzzamundi]

great report kev. i was thinking the pine'd be rampant with debris right now. i meant to ask you, do they get bullies in cabbage tree ck? was gonna try when i get back up - maybe go upstream a little, just beyond the co-op section. never tried for bullies in there so was wondering if there'd be a chance?

thanks heaps for the advice mate!

cuzza