queensland March On The North Pine River

[Fishyreb]

Hi fishos hope everyone is still getting a line in considering these social restrictions and such.  

So I've spent two or three nights a week over the last five weeks targeting sharks in the north pine river. I haven't had any success with the sharks, though I've caught some other fish. I've been busted off above the leader, had my trace bitten through, had large live baits bitten in half and smaller ones mangled. I guess I could say I've had a run of bad luck on the sharks. 

Mostly fishing around dohles rocks and at deepwater bend a couple times and under the bridge on the north side couple times. Fishing with my heavy duty shark rod 30lb line, my 8ft gen purpose 10lb line, and my 6ft spin 8lb. I also have an extra reel with 30lb I sometimes bang on the 8ft if I want 2 shark lines in.  Using mullet and catfish for bait mostly. 

This last 2 weeks at dohles rocks (I mostly fish both sides of low tide usually after dark)  I've caught some decent bream 35cm+ (and a couple smaller ones), a javelin fish about 35cm, two or three cats about 30cm and two large pike eels last night. I kept one of the eels for shark bait as I was running low on bait.  I was disappointed when I saw the first eel because he put up a good fight I thought he might have been a little shark. 

(continues after pics) 

I've done a little fishing in Sweeney reserve at petrie. I was getting baits picked off really quick so I put a little whiting hook and tiny bait on and I was catching catfish one after another but they were like only 12cm long. Couple of bream about the same size. Does anyone know if this section of the river is worth fishing? I've put in a few nights there and caught nothing bigger than about 7 inches. Done a bit of lure throwing there too and only caught sticks and snags. 

I've heard that tarpon sometimes get into this section of the river can anyone confirm this or give me some info on the time of year I'm likely to catch them?  I caught a good one in a gold coast canal last November (after hooking up and getting my lure thrown about 5 times)  I really loved targeting them I'd love to get onto some more. 

Thanks for reading! 

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Hi Fishyreb

Those are some nice fish and sessions, good job on the bream, pike, and grunter!  

I can't confirm the question about tarpon as I've never fished there/heard of it either, sorry. Keep putting the work in for sharks as well, you clearly have the right rigs. Hopefully you'll get one soon because it might cool of to much for them soon. 

Good luck,

Cheers Hamish  

 

 

[ellicat]

Hey mate, you're a brave man to wrestle with those pike eels and their vicious mouths !
Did you keep the javelin ? They're supposed to be good on the chew.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

18 minutes ago, ellicat said:

Hey mate, you're a brave man to wrestle with those pike eels and their vicious mouths !

Yes, brave indeed. I can't even hold the small ones  

Cheers Hamish

[Fishyreb]

21 hours ago, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

Hi Fishyreb

Those are some nice fish and sessions, good job on the bream, pike, and grunter!  

I can't confirm the question about tarpon as I've never fished there/heard of it either, sorry. Keep putting the work in for sharks as well, you clearly have the right rigs. Hopefully you'll get one soon because it might cool of to much for them soon. 

Good luck,

Cheers Hamish  

 

 

Thanks yeah I'm gonna give the sharking a rest and start targeting something else for a while. Not sure what yet 

[Fishyreb]

5 hours ago, ellicat said:

Hey mate, you're a brave man to wrestle with those pike eels and their vicious mouths !
Did you keep the javelin ? They're supposed to be good on the chew.

The javelin went back I wasn't sure of the minimum size for them and I couldn't be bothered. 

Yeah the eels gave me a hard time the first one swallowed the hook right down and was bleeding like crazy so I bashed his head and kept him for bait. The second one was a nightmare to unhook one hook was in his chin and the other was in the back of his head. I got one hook out easily but then he started thrashing and there was teeth and hooks and slime going everywhere it was a bit dangerous but he swam free after a minute of me dancing around him with the pliers in the dark haha

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Hi Fishyreb

Alright, hopefully you can get one next time you target them. Bream season is coming up too, I have found out they are most active in Winter. I have had the exact same struggle with a pike too, once when I was on my uncle's boat we pulled up a big one and I had to pick it up, LOL. 

Cheers Hamish  

[ellicat]

They're aggressive buggers and don't just bite randomly - they actually try to attack you. Any hook save is a bonus.

[GregOug]

I’d just cut the buggers off. Hooks are cheap. Resewing fingers on isn’t! Lol

[Drop Bear]

Nice one mate. Keep at it. The sharks should be heading up there about now.