queensland Brisbane River Session #21

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Hi all

I'm a bit (very) exhausted at the time of writing this but I'm going to do it anyway. This arvo I decided to finish up school (which I did, I have a weekend free of work because I finished it, hooray!). I asked my mate if he wanted to come down for a fish and by three fifteen I was out of the house with the loaded up cart. I walked down with four rods and was fishing with all lines in at about three thirty. 

The first ten minutes was more setting everything up, but then I had a couple throws with the net. Except for a couple of tiny biddies and bloomin scat, I had nothing. I did a bait check on the smaller lines and they were all pickered. Then I remembered since it was rising tide, a line right in the channel made between the jetty and shore is good for perch and catties. In about 2 minutes of having this line in, it got pickered. The same thing happened a couple more times and then I realised we were running really low on prawns. 

Action was required and I got throwing off the jetty. The first cast resulted in some good prawns, so I gave my mate a yell to come down with the bucket. Down he came, and I tested the new Pryml aerator.  It worked excellently, and it kept the prawns live. I decided to reel in the heavy line after that to get a live prawns on pronto, but as I did I felt weight. It took about 2 seconds to realise I was on, and I gave my friend a yell to come with the net. The first fish of the day came up shortly, a decent catfish of 38cm - 

I tried to deal with him, but the circle hook had pinned him twice through the mouth. It just happened that when I was struggling de hooking him, my Dad came down with my brother and Mum. He eventually got the hook out, and I gave the catfish a good swim. He wasn't going straight down, but he was swimming the right way up along the surface. I think he just needed some water through his gills, because I think he swam back down up the river. 

After that, I deployed a live prawn and bait checked the other lines. They had been picked, so I re baited with a bit of mullet and another bit of prawn. It wasn't long before I was back cast netting, and I got one or two more prawns. Just then, the big rod went off again. I thought it was just a pick, so I told my friend so and he was aware. Then, just as I was pulling up the net, it buckles over and line goes out. I yank up the net (which had a couple prawns in it) and I tighten the drag and strike. I am on! The fish first took a good run down deeper and I just had in the back of my mind what it might be. After about two minutes of screaming runs and me pulling it in, I began to get it closer in. It tried to go under the jetty and pylons, but I made sure to keep it out. It was just about then when I saw the trace and what came after it. Another Threadfin Salmon! 

Simultaneously, my mate and I yell out in joy, and then we try to land the thing. It was hooked very well, so I knew we weren't losing it but I also knew it wasn't worth getting the hook back because it will just rust out soon, as opposed to giving the fish surgery. He ran back up to grab the scissors, and then we proceeded to properly christen the new landing net. It took about 4 goes because the fish kept jumping out, but eventually I got him in then it and brought him up on the jetty. The thready initially tried to hop back into the water, but I picked it up quickly, hastily measured it, and then got some ripper photos (or to be specific, the group of boys who went to primary school with me did ). 

Here is the thready, sorry the photos aren't entirely the best but they are still visible - 

After he/she was safely released, which was a bit of an affair as it required quite a few good swims, I just enjoyed the moment for about 5 minutes, and then everyone else there wouldn't shut up and just kept yelling, "Yeah Hamish, big fish!!!!" LOL. It was actually quite fun, and then eventually I checked the other lines, which had no bait. By this point, I simply just cut up a live prawn, chucked them out and waited. I then re tied my hook on the trace and cast the other out with a live prawn. 

By now it was about 5:00PM, so it was starting to get dark. My mate said he would be going when I left, and I told him we'd be about another half hour. The lantern in the cart came out now, just so we could see a bit better, and I kept throwing the cast net off the jetty. This resulted in a couple more big prawns, and time flew by. Before we knew it, I made the call to start packing up and it was good I did. By the time everything was away, it was getting dark. I made the trek home, and the funniest thing was when I saw my Dad in the driveway I said one word. "Salmon". He bluntly replies "Yeah right, show the pics mate!". I very promptly showed him and the look on his face was great!  

I then unloaded the contents of the esky of unpacked the prawns that were leftover, and some were of great size. Here is a quick happy snap of them. I also find with about 15 minutes on an ice brick, they go to sleep so I think for anyone keeping them that is the best way to get them killed. Here they are - 

Here are the stats of the trip - 

Stats of Trip - 

Tide - Low 12:20PM, .6M, High, 6:00PM, 1.6M 

Moon Phase - Waning Crescent, which is the phase that occurs roughly after three weeks of the full moon. This means there isn't much run.

Air Pressure - 1021.8

Weather - 24c, 8Km/h winds (I think there were higher winds because there were white caps), 61% humidity, slightly cloudy. 

Fish caught - Catfish x 1, Threadfin Salmon x 1

Bait caught - Prawns, biddies, scat. 

Bait used - Live and dead prawns, mullet. 

Tackle used - 8", 6"6' Ugly Stik and Rogue Firepoint Rods (plus a graphite rod that I don't quite know the name of, which also starts in Session #4). Size 1000 Shimano Sienna, Size 2500 Shimano Nasci and Diawa Shinobi, Size 650 Penn reel, 30lb braid mainline, 14lb mainlines, 15lb Pryml fluorocarbon leader, 30lb fluorocarbon leader, 80lb mono leader, large barrel swivel, size six ball sinker, size 2 ball/bean sinker. 

Overall success rate - 100% - Target specie caught

OK, so I hope you all enjoyed the report, I certainly had fun catching the contents of it . I hope everyone can stay safe with COVID-19, because while the restrictions are eased it is still around. I also am super happy with the thready, my thready curve of once a year might become once every three weeks. 

Cheers Hamish  

[Angry51]

Very good report Hamish.

That was a good thready.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

5 minutes ago, Angry51 said:

Very good report Hamish.

That was a good thready.

Hi Angry51

Thanks a lot for that, it was a good fish indeed. I was very happy about it. 

Cheers Hamish  

[ellicat]

Well done on another thready.

Good to have some mates to share the capture with and also to get some pics.

I knew you must have been fishing this arvo as you weren't online. haha

[GregOug]

Well done Hamish! 

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

11 hours ago, ellicat said:

Well done on another thready.

Good to have some mates to share the capture with and also to get some pics.

I knew you must have been fishing this arvo as you weren't online. haha

Hey ellicat

Thanks for that, it was good with a group of friends too. They could help and take pics which was nice, and then at the end I caught a shrimp in the net and then showed the the difference between a river shrimp and prawn. Also, I guess I must be online so much that everyone can notice when I'm gone . 

9 hours ago, GregOug said:

Well done Hamish! 

Hi GregOug

Thanks for that  

Cheers Hamish

[Old Scaley]

Good for you @AUS-BNE-FISHO. Hamish, you are showing some of us older blokes how it is done. You get an A+ for perseverance and dedication. Nice work. And you are keeping good records so it could be a science project for school. Not to mention how your English expression is getting a workout. We have seen a lot of young fellas come on and off this site over the years. I thought they were all super keen, but I think you have them whipped. 

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Hey Old Scaley

Thanks for that, I always figured if I kept trying I'd start to catch them a bit more. Hopefully that is now!  

It is actually funny because in Scouts, I am having fishing for the Science Badge and Individual Sportsmanship badge. In the Science Badge, I needed to do native animals (and guess what, ninety nine percent of things were fish) and in the Individual Sportsmanship badge, I am tracking improvement. I think this could very well be a Science project, and I like writing them so much I try to put what I've learnt in English class ino them, LOL. I have barely been here for six months as well but I do like it a lot on the forum, so I don't plan to be leaving anytime soon.  I am going out again this afternoon again with my friend, so if I go OK I guess it will be time for the next report. I just hope the weather isn't to bad, it seems pretty gusty and cloudy over the park... 

Cheers Hamish  

[Junky]

4 hours ago, Old Scaley said:

Good for you @AUS-BNE-FISHO. Hamish, you are showing some of us older blokes how it is done. You get an A+ for perseverance and dedication. Nice work. And you are keeping good records so it could be a science project for school. Not to mention how your English expression is getting a workout. We have seen a lot of young fellas come on and off this site over the years. I thought they were all super keen, but I think you have them whipped. 

For sure. 

I have to admit. I look forward to reading his reports. That one with the wallaby swimming across the river was a crack up. 

 

 

 

Good on you Hamish. Nice fish buddy.

Love your work.  

[Cavvy]

Well done Hamish, I'm surprised I didn't hear you yelling given I just missed the hookup by five minutes or so!  Time interval between threadfin salmon catches is certainly dropping!  Down to see how you are going now......... 

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Hey Junky

Thanks for that, yes, the wallaby report was quite funny and exciting. If I recall correctly I got a good variety of species in that one too, kangaroo, cod, catfish, perch, and bream.  

Hi Cavvy

Thanks for that, I am also quite surprised. When I landed him there was a huge uproar on the jetty, LOL. Hopefully the time interval between them is dropping as well. 

Also, for anyone wondering how I went this arvo, it was pretty average. About 3 hours put in, little bait and no fish. The biggest surprise was a good whiting in the net though. I will post up a report with a session I'll do tomorrow morning/afternoon as well.  

Cheers Hamish

[kmcrosby78]

Congrats on the threadie Hamish, you're certainly on a roll with them  Nice fat fella too!  Interesting to catch a whiting - shows the lack of rain we've had.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

15 minutes ago, kmcrosby78 said:

Congrats on the threadie Hamish, you're certainly on a roll with them  Nice fat fella too!  Interesting to catch a whiting - shows the lack of rain we've had.

Hey kmcrosby78

Thanks for that, I hope my roll doesn't stop (but judging by today I think my luck might've run out ). 

I think it is very interesting to get the whiting as well, I wonder if it was the lack of rain we've had or that they live up there (I think the first). 

Cheers Hamish  

[ellicat]

I remember before the drought broke in 2011, members were catching whiting at Colleges Crossing. (and flathead too)

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

2 minutes ago, ellicat said:

I remember before the drought broke in 2011, members were catching whiting at Colleges Crossing.

Hey ellicat

That is quite remarkable, I wonder how much longer before someone catches a Cobia under Indooroopilly Bridge . (Not sure but I read that in an old thread LOL). 

I suppose it must be the salty water then, once a couple guys came down shark fishing (serious gear and all, big livies) and told me one of their mates gets threadies up at Goodna so I guess it is very possible. 

Since I can't really remember it, the 2011 floods must've shaken up the river quite a bit and everything decent must've gotten washed down.  I am going to wake up early tomorrow for an early morning session though, so hopefully that brings better fish  

Cheers Hamish 

[jon]

12 minutes ago, ellicat said:

I remember before the drought broke in 2011, members were catching whiting at Colleges Crossing. (and flathead too)

And bulk mud crabs  too until the pros came down and flogged that stretch of river.

[ellicat]

@wesfish got a 180 odd centimetre fish at Kookaburra Park using a couple/few live prawns stacked on his hook. He also caught a lot more good size ones around there also.

[jon]

Well done on another nice thready. Gotta love that feeling when you see the gold flanks appear through the brown water.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

15 hours ago, jon said:

And bulk mud crabs  too until the pros came down and flogged that stretch of river.

Hey jon

That is a pity, at my local park the muddies got flogged out but not by the pros. I remember when I was young, the bastard would come down with his pots, tied to a brick in the water and take them all. Before he came, I could catch up to ten muddies on the line, some big bucks too. I have only caught one or two since he was here though, but hopefully the eventually repopulate. 

15 hours ago, ellicat said:

@wesfish got a 180 odd centimetre fish at Kookaburra Park using a couple/few live prawns stacked on his hook. He also caught a lot more good size ones around there also.

Hey ellicat

Geez! That's a monster. I wonder how big threadies grow to. I have read some of his reports and they make me want to try out Kookaburra Park in the kayak. 

15 hours ago, jon said:

Well done on another nice thready. Gotta love that feeling when you see the gold flanks appear through the brown water.

Thanks for that jon, I absolutely love seeing there gold flanks appear magically through the water. My next favourite thing to that is when you get a cast net full of livies, and you see the silver arise from the drink. 

Cheers Hamish  

[tugger]

Well done again Hamish tick off another good threadfin you will become our forum guru on these fish 

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

3 minutes ago, tugger said:

Well done again Hamish tick off another good threadfin you will become our forum guru on these fish 

Hey tugger

Thanks for that, I hope I can and will become so. I lost something really good this morning, probably a big salmon, it decided to run into the pylons . Hopefully I get enough knowledge on them to help out other anglers who need a hand. 

Cheers Hamish