Jan 24-27th - Wet lines in Noosa

[DICER]

Unfortunately this report will be my last for a year or two, as I'm now back under the cold grey skies of Germany and The Netherlands.

Last week I took my family to Noosa, where we braved the almost cyclonic conditions for some sun, surf, relaxation and fishing (Tues-Thurs). Ha, ha, I wanted to go surf fishing but that wasn't to be. I also wanted a last body surf. Heavy wind, bucketing rain and 4-5 metre seas saw nix of that. Nevertheless being land based, I had fun fishing and getting wet (lines) on the north shore river section amongst the mangroves. I took the cast net, two pots and some light tackle.

Most of the fishing was at night. Cast netting amongst the mangroves was productive for bananas and tigers. Frustractingly there were even bigger suckers mid-river jumping. Lots of poddy and large 25-30cm mullet too. On one cast, which I was sure was bananas, turned out to be 40-50 mullet in the 25-30 cm range - that took me so long to unload the net I ended up eating a few. They weren't bad at all. Sneaking up between trees and without lights, and being sure about the bottom, was a sure-fire hit.

Wednesday morning poddy mullet were used as a live bait on 12 lb line, while I fished with filleted poddies on 6 lb. Numerous bream and mose perch were taken on light tackle, although most were undersize. Close to high tide the livie on the heavier line was taken, and after a brief headshaking battle, it was snagged on oysters, just a tad outside of hands reach. Don't you just love the adrenalin of reaching down into turbid water, within fingers reach, right next to oysters to retrieve a large fish. Buggered fish - it was with another head shake, it shook the hook and was gone!

Next cast on the 6lb was a cranker. The bait had drifted behind the oyster bed again. So I thought well it will have to be a quick retrieve otherwise a snag. Not to be - ha, ha. With one wind, a hard tug turned nastily into 60 metres of 6 lb line being pulled off rather quickly. Off course it had to be on the oyster bed. A few more dancing runs through the oysters showed the colour - a nice 65 cm dusky lizard was ashore.

Thursday night was much quieter - but the muddies and moses perch didn't stop. However, something with a lot of weight kept on attacking my prawns, but continually dropping bait before full weight - not a muddie though. Got sick of trying to nail it and chucked my rod in the holder. No sooner than I had turned my back a minute, and the rod was bent hard down. Reel, reel, and I reeled dead weight in, with only a slight head shake here and there. Big fat and silver - huh wot? Like a kid resisting to be picked up, there was 2 to 2.5 metres of hairtail attached to my rod and dragging like a car tyre. Once a ashore it decided to take me for another spin and back to the water. Back on shore again, it snapped the line, and either it was a battle with the knife or let it slip back in. Not fancying stiches I let it go.

There were also plenty of muddies (20-30) but only three were keepers, the largest going 1.5 kilo and ~22 cm across the back (pics later). With the flathead frame - all it took was 10 mins in the water!

It's going to be hard to keep me here in Germany/The Netherlands. With temperatures very low , and having to use things like essential waders , it doesn't look the same. A salty forced to fish fresh >. German licences. Carp fishing. Oh boy, what fun Perhaps there is sturgeon in the Elbe or sole on the mud flats.

Tight lines....

DICER

[DICER]

dusky @ 65 cm

[DICER]

tail

[agnes_jack]

Way to go Dicer!
Sounds like a good session.
Are you sure it was a hairtail? not a pike eel?
It's just I have never heard of a hairtail around Noosa before.

Regards, Tony

[Zeeke]

G'day Tony, plenty of hairtail get taken around Noosa this time of year for some reason, they come in close around dark and can be taken on live baits.. sometimes lures.. but mostly bait

Tim

[DICER]

yep definetly a hairtail....I also initiately thought it was a pike eel when bringing it in, but the head was a dead give away. Would have been good to get it too the pan though!

DICER

BTW Zeeke nice snappas - must be fun on the fly