queensland Busted Up Cairns Style

[Bennno]

Noticed the tide was high this morning so quickly got ready as it had already started running out and got moving to a spot tiotony very generously showed me that I affectionately call the Mazdabator bridge (cos it's a bridge and it's near Mazda!).

As per last session there with tiotony, there were fish around and I wacked on a gulp shrimp that I couldn't help buying when in BigW the other day as I know how well they work up here. Cast up under the bridge in the culvert (I'm pretty sure that's what they are called), trying the different 'rectangle windows' opening as the tide runs out. The best method is to skip cast as far as you can get the plastic up the culvert and flick it back down not far off the bottom. Best done just before the drain starts flowing too hard as you can get more flicks in.

Had not been there long and got a big hit, this thing hit hard, started pulling what I thought was a locked up drag and after a few good pulls I managed to start to control it a little with a touch more drag set. This was until another good pull and I struggled to give it anymore room for fear of a bust up. Pulled the jighead open and it was all over

With a little (read: big) sigh and visions a small red demon laughing at me from beneath, I rigged a stronger, but smaller hidden weight jighead and tried a few different sections of the culvert. Nothing much was happening so I went back to the same spot and skipped way up under, letting the prawn mostly drift back with maybe two hops back, then, BAM. Another good solid hit and zip, zip, zzzzzzz, zzzzzzzzz, zzzzz, zzzzzzz, zzz, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz as this fish zig zags it's way back and forward with some good headshakes. Then I just couldn't stop it and POP! Devastated, I selected a few VERY CHOICE words and all I could do was explete them, rather loudly.

I'm using 12ld braid and the leader knots were holding up very well, jigheads either opening, or jighead knots breaking what was a frustrated angler to do? Knots were good. I only had 40lb as an alternative, so I thought may as well tough it out and see as 40lb might not be fair game and a big boring. (Note to self, get some leader knob). So I persisted and unwound the drag just a touch as I couldn't afford to give these fish any more rope.

Hooked another and this time after a lot of zz (this is a tight drag ZZZzzz), zzzzz, zz, head shake, zip, zzzz, fish tired pretty quick and I noticed the familiar GT shape. You beauty, finally subdued one.

Then same, same with the drag same setting, but this guy was a brute and I just held on as he zipped around. Took a good few minutes just to stop him running and up pops a very slightly bigger (bad pic) and more angry model.

The people that walk past this spot all look at you like, wtf is this wanker doing fishing here. One guy that watched as I got the last GT in, couldn't believe there were fish there. Lots of people say that as they walk past. Another guy on a bike even managed to ring his bell to get my attention to tell me that "Fishing is cruelty", but I all heard, was "Fishing, you beauty!!"

All fish went back of course.

So later today I thought I'd finally go and do a quick check out of a spot just up the road from me that has looked promising. So I walked up a slip of mangroves along what felt like VERY CROCY territory to a bend in the creek with rocks, other structure, bridges, a weir and mangroves nearby to see what's around where it narrows off a bit.

After rounding the bend I noticed these kids fishing with hand lines and I swear this kid was walking on water. WTFFFFFFFF, man am I getting this old already that I'm seeing stuff?? Well it turns out that these kids were standing on a very slightly submerged weir and fishing bait. Watched them pull in a few little fish and even a small jack. Which I think/hope they let go as it was undersized. Now these kids are either tough as nails or stupid (I fear the latter) standing anywhere near the water with the crocs up here, one kid said to me, "na I'm not worried they are all small in this creek". Like that matters, and you'd know, I thought to myself!

So I cast a plastic, then a lucky craft small bevy shad (with upgraded hooks) around while I watched and apart from a few good bumps on one cast, nothing, but a promising spot none the less. One the way back I stopped at another spot and noticed a few lumps of dirt sticking up out the middle of the creek. So I flicked a cast out and nailed it, landing the cast less than an inch off the exposed part, two turns of the crank and BAM, I was on. Now this fish did not F around, he pulled me downstream against the current for but a moment, before heading over to the mangroves in record time. I felt the leader tangle and I just wound and ripped him out of there as best I could, (not that I wasn't already doing that)! Managed to get him out straight away and get him over to where I was. Lifted him out and yep, a little jack. The strongest fish for it's size I've ever met. The leader was scuffed to bits and he really was not happy, wanted to eat my finger. Got a quick snap and back he went.

I was getting nailed my sand flys and had caught my first jack on a lure, so stoked as, I left for home. Defiantly a good spot to explore with tiotony someday soon!

One the way back ran into a local homeless guy that was pretty cool. He said he always leaves the lures he finds on this certain tree and that he swims all up the creek and is more scared of the big barra than crocs. Classic, some weird ones up here (hey Tony)!

[rosstralia46]

Awesome report mate so jealous of you guys haha

[max pwr]

Thanks for taking the time to write up such an entertaining report, really enjoyed reading it. I can only imagine people's reactions to seeing you pull good fish from a drain! Cool

[ChrisC]

doesnt count bein in cairns or anywhere up north they jump into the boat . kiddin mate nice work ben

[tiotony]

One of these days I want to actually see one of the things that continually bust us up in 'mazdabator' creek culvert. At least now we know after last night what it is on 'boof tree' on the mudflat on high tide, as expected its big barra! Sorry readers no report from last night near 'boof tree' as one jack, one grunter, and a string of bustups and vermin don't cut it

[PilbaraBrad]

even the baby geets go hard heaps of fun by the looks

[Carter]

Well done!

I remember seeing a 12ft croc in China man creek not far from where you were fishing and some indegineous fellas were in up to there arm pits throwing a cast net. I motored over to them and told them about the croc and they said "thats Charlie, hes alright" and continued casting.

A teen age girl was taken by a croc in that creek about 10 years ago.

[sunnydays]

Awesome fishing there! Great read too.

[Guest]

Nice work bro, enjoyed the report/pictures

Sounded like a good sesh

Cheers

Darren