queensland Beginners trip, Luggage point, 4-5-10 and 2-5-10

[dannyism]

Well hi all,

After several attempts and landing a fish I've finally had some success!

Just got myself a cast net and some gulps to go with my k-mart rod/reel/tackle box combo.

I had tried the bridge at pinkenbah and a few other spots on boggy creek and even under the bridge near the boat ramp at port of brisbane. Then I remembered the 'ol poo shoot i had been taken to with a couple of friends back 5 or so years ago.

A few lads and myself headed out (2-5-10) and straight up I could see heaps of bait fish in the water. Learning to cast with the net was pretty tricky, especially with the **** instruction leaflet inclosed. But even when i threw the net terribly, in a crescent moon shape, I was still pulling up heaps of bait fish! Once I finally got the hang of it pulled up heaps and heaps of fish and a like 10-15cm mullet.

So.. I set up a carolina rig (bean sinker -> swivel _> ~30cm line - 2/0 suicide (i think)) started just putting the hook through the middle of the bait fish, but then tried threading the hook through twice, and even tried hooking it through the eye.

When I cast out I let the line settle, winded in 3 or 4 times, then waited, if nothing after a minute, a few more winds then wait again.

What I would usually get was tap... tap tap.... nothing very big, then it would stop and id wind in and my bait would be gone. I'd seen people pulling back on the rod to sink the hook so i decided to try that even though i didnt really know what i was doing.(would like some tips on this 'setting the hook' thing)

So after a few goes at that i finally hooked something! excitedly winding it... i'd jagged a ~20cm pike in the belly, not exactly textbook, but a fish none the less.

An hour or so later i hooked up (in the mouth) a small bream maybe 10 to 15 cm. A friend also caught a pike and bream.

The day ended pretty randomly when some vietnamese dude slipped over cutting his or arm pretty bad, shortly after we called him an ambulance we packed up and left.

Oh yeah, we fished from about noon til 4, encompasing the peak of high tide. Pretty good day really!

---2 days later---

We head back out keen for a repeat. we get out at about 4pm today, first thing i noticed was the tide was lower and there werent many bait fish about. Got a few (20 or so) bait fish after a few casts, but no mullet in the cast net today.

Used the same rigging method but tried a 4/0 hook for a little while. Well all in all there were less bites, and i could just tell it wasnt as 'on' as two days ago. I did manage to snag a big ray, which pulled like crazy and was alot of fun to real in, but had to cut the line, didnt want to get all steve irwin and ****. also got another small bream. Friends were unlucky and didnt get anything today. Should mention both days we tried the soft plastics and got nothing with them.

The bait fish had totally dissapaited by like just after dark ~6pm, I cast over and over and didnt get a thing, some of the people in boats around the poop chute were getting stuff, one guy called out to say he got a big prawn, and I saw another guy pull in a net full of little bait fish. Our luck had run out for the day and we went home about 7pm.

All in all i think i have learnt that live bait shits all over the frozen bait from the servo i had been using. And fishing through high tide seems to be better than fishing through low tide. Also those dudes in boats are pretty annoying, one guy ran over my line and snapped it, and a couple of times we all had to wind our lines in so they could throw out the cast net. (what is the ettiqute in that situation?) not a big deal though.

I think next time i would like to try some different rig set ups and just practise my cast net throwing some more.

Any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated.

See you out there,

Danny

[51MPL]

Castnet practice = in yuor backyard

To upload pictures signup to photobucket.com and upload ot there which will give you link to make pics work here

Nice report & welcome tot eh site

[qbkami]

Thanks for the read dude even though you didn't post up any pictures.

Just somethings I think might help you catch big fish; when you hook your live bait try to hook it in one place don't be jamming holes through cause it will effect the motion of the live bait in the water, try to hook it once just under the dorsal fin but try not to hit the spine. The live bait should be still kicking well, high chance that no pesty small fish will touch it if its still healthy.

"When I cast out I let the line settle, winded in 3 or 4 times, then waited, if nothing after a minute, a few more winds then wait again."

I usually just throw my line out and leave it there esp with live bait. There is no need to treat the live bait as a lure since it moves already, just be patient

and yeah I totally agree, live bait is much greater then servo bait :laugh:

It sounded like you had a blast with you friends great to hear and hope to hear form your future trips!

Cheers,

Qbkami

[jeff f]

mate the guys in the boats are allowed to be there

you are actually are not supposed to be up there

you would have climbed over no fishing and keep off signs to get up there

[nadders]

welcome to the site danny i heard about the ambulance incident off john

the shoot is a very regularly hit bait spot i guess the annoyance stretches both ways, if there are lines sitting in the wash the boaters cant throw for bait either (which isnt the end of the world as there are other castnetting spots but some people dont know/like to hit their 1 spot/etc

not being a regular baito i avoid this kind of dispute lol

[Terry H]

Whats the Etiquette? Well IMO if you're fishing in an area you're not suppose to - as highlighted by jeff, and well signed at the location, then you should give way to the boaties, or anyone else that is abiding by the law, rules & regulations.

[dannyism]

Ok thanks for the heads up on the etiquette, I will be a bit more 'discrete' when the boaties roll through next time. Though, as I said it wasn't a big deal and didn't really bother us. Also the boatie who ran into the line was genuinly apologetic. So again, no worries.

Any tips for different rigs, baits or techniques? Should I target one species of fish in particular? If so, whats my best bet?

[desmondfin]

Well the last time i checked the sign clearly stated "Fishing and swimming prohibited within 200m of this structure". So either you were casting 200m out when you were cut off or those guys in the boat werent supposed to be there either...

[rosstralia46]

never tried it myself but have heard of plenty of guys using pike strips as bait maybe try that next time and just read through some reports plentty of good spots are mentioned and with the castnet practice in your backyard i reckon ive thrown mine 6000 times 5900 have been in my backyard dont give up on it keep going and good luck