queensland You Might Get Muddy They Said... A Disaster Story

[shaun1800]

This is my first fishing report here. I wish it could be a tale of glory. But sadly it’s not that kind of story. This is a messy tale of misadventure. A cautionary tale that may make you feel a little better about your own fishing failures. 

So, after reading some promising forum stories about fishing the mud flats at Lota creek at low tide for whiting and flatties, I thought I’d give it a crack. 

“You might get a bit muddy” they said. Bahhh, a little mud never hurt anyone, I thought to myself. How foolish I was. 

I got to Lota creek and gazed out over the patch of mud, just a short stroll across the flats and I’d be in the perfect spot. So with hope in my heart and the dream of some nice whiting fillets in my stomach I set off. Things started badly, within 10 metres I was in ankle deep and had lost both shoes (thankfully an old pair). I’m not going to let some lost shoes stop me getting to the promised land I thought. I’ll be alright. 

I wasn’t alright… By half way mark I was up to my knees and starting to struggle. Suddenly that small patch of mud was looking more like several football fields. I can’t go back now I thought, so I lurched forward, each step requiring herculean effort to wrench my foot out of the mud, only for it to squelch down into another deep hole, making a hissing noise that sounded disturbingly like a disgruntled demon being exorcised. 

After taking several mini breaks I was finally close enough to the water to throw in a line. There was just one problem….I was completely and utterly knackered. 

So I collapsed onto my tackle bag, and sat there hyperventilating, contemplating all my poor life choices, slowly sinking and pondering better times. Like when I was sitting comfortably on @ellicat's boat, sipping a coffee and not caked from head to toe in mud that smelt of cow ****. 

After about 15 minutes I mustered the strength to have a cast. I managed to catch a 3 inch whiting. “Well ****, that makes it all worth it”. I thought to myself gloomily. After a short while the tide started to come in, and I was done, so I began the long, long walk back. 

Upon reaching the ramp I kind of understood how captain cook must have felt when he stepped foot on our shores for the first time. Relief is an understatement. I gave myself a bath under a park tap. A few people slowed down as they drove by to view the swamp monster freak show. 

So… all in all, not a very successful fishing adventure. In fact, a pretty ****ing **** one. On the plus side, I got a hell of leg workout and now have an excuse to take several long showers. I'll be keeping my feet planted firmly on land from now on.

[Gad]

hmmm. the only thing missing from this tale of woe... is ellicat`s participation and exploits   

 

[shaun1800]

4 minutes ago, Gad said:

hmmm. the only thing missing from this tale of woe... is ellicat`s participation and exploits   

 

Haha oh man I'm glad he wasn't there to witness this embarassment. Now I look at that photo of the mud flat again it seems a lot bigger. What was I thinking? Ah well, you live and learn. 

[Gad]

my number 1 rule is;  when land based, and chasing sand whiting... walk across the sand 

[ellicat]

Hahaha. Well done. I can't believe you didn't get a photo of your catch !

Not so long ago I jumped in at Jacob's Well and went up to just over my knees. Fortunately I didn't have far to walk.

Did you walk in your original holes on the way back or make new ones ?

[Drop Bear]

Cracking story mate. Well written haha. 

I will post a map of where you are supposed to go for a fish at Lota. 

[Drop Bear]

Do this. Take worms or a yabby pump. 

Catch fish. 

[shaun1800]

35 minutes ago, Drop Bear said:

Do this. Take worms or a yabby pump. 

Catch fish. 

Oh bloody hell I was in completely the wrong spot! That might go some ways toward explaining this whole messy situation. Thanks for that, I'll definetly give that spot a go. 

 

51 minutes ago, ellicat said:

Hahaha. Well done. I can't believe you didn't get a photo of your catch !

Not so long ago I jumped in at Jacob's Well and went up to just over my knees. Fortunately I didn't have far to walk

Ha! My hands were that caked in mud I wasn't game to even try. I'd probably have dopped my phone and just added to my misery anyway. 

Good to know even seasoned experts like your good self make mistakes ocassionaly too. Makes me feel a tad better  

 

 

[Angry51]

You should have good looking legs now.

They reckon mud's good for the skin.

[Another Wazza]

Hey there shaun1800, I’ve done quite a bit of fishing on those flats, I cut through a small park just down the road from the shop, it has a tap there to wash the mud off yourself too, there’s 2 entrance/exit points in between the mangroves that head out to the bend where the green channel marker is.

I took a mate there not too long ago for a flick, he’s around 100kg and was struggling to stay on top of the mud, he reckoned I was like one of those birds that walk on water lilly’s barely sinking down at all, an advantage of being 30kg lighter perhaps?.

Anyway, I was blown away with how much weed there was out there towards the mouth, it made it difficult with plastics and could only manage an undersized flathead, the bend was the only place that wasn’t clogged full of weed.

Back in the day I’d load up like a Himalayan sherpa and make the pilgrimage across the flats with my bucket, yabbie pump, pvc rod holder, and little tackle box, to get to the yabby tundra, they’re plentiful out there, these days I’m a bit lazier and just go with a lightly loaded backpack and throw the plastics around, there’s still good lizards to be had out there, hopefully your next expedition  go’s a little bit better for you.

[benno573]

2 hours ago, ellicat said:

Not so long ago I jumped in at Jacob's Well and went up to just over my knees. Fortunately I didn't have far to walk.

I recall arriving back at POB ramp one freezing July night. High tide, pre-pontoon days. I decided to nose in gently at the ramp and my faithful decky Ellicat should be able to step off the front into knee deep at most water, catch the boat and all good. 

“Just wait until I say ok mate”

”yep, no worries”

about 4-5m from when I would have said go - Ellicat disappears and I hear a splash and a squeal. D1ck head jumped off into chest deep water.  With a bag of tobacco in his top pocket.

 

Car said it was 7 degrees. Heater got a work out on the way home.

[GregOug]

2 minutes ago, benno573 said:

I recall arriving back at POB ramp one freezing July night. High tide, pre-pontoon days. I decided to nose in gently at the ramp and my faithful decky Ellicat should be able to step off the front into knee deep at most water, catch the boat and all good. 

“Just wait until I say ok mate”

”yep, no worries”

about 4-5m from when I would have said go - Ellicat disappears and I hear a splash and a squeal. D1ck head jumped off into chest deep water.  With a bag of tobacco in his top pocket.

 

Car said it was 7 degrees. Heater got a work out on the way home.

Don’t worry about the deckie. Can always get another. Did you catch any fish?

[GregOug]

3 hours ago, shaun1800 said:

Haha oh man I'm glad he wasn't there to witness this embarassment. Now I look at that photo of the mud flat again it seems a lot bigger. What was I thinking? Ah well, you live and learn. 

Mate if you want to feel a bit better about your fishing trip read my North West Island account sometime. Then a bit of mud won’t seem quite so bad.

And your story is very well written. Great work! Give up fishing and become an author.

[Old Scaley]

47 minutes ago, benno573 said:

I recall arriving back at POB ramp one freezing July night. High tide, pre-pontoon days. I decided to nose in gently at the ramp and my faithful decky Ellicat should be able to step off the front into knee deep at most water, catch the boat and all good. 

“Just wait until I say ok mate”

”yep, no worries”

about 4-5m from when I would have said go - Ellicat disappears and I hear a splash and a squeal. D1ck head jumped off into chest deep water.  With a bag of tobacco in his top pocket.

 

Car said it was 7 degrees. Heater got a work out on the way home.

Seem to recall a similar incident with the same miscreant when approaching a yabbie bank. Phone, keys, wallet and smokes in the pockets. Guess which item he was most worried about?  

[Drop Bear]

We were doing a thing at Kangaroo Point where footy players were attempting to kick a goal on a pontoon out in the river. The tide went out and the mud was thick and retrieving the balls became very tricky. 

There is a lot of junk in the water there. Not where the sand is but more upstream near the Jazz Club end. 

I was really worried that I would cut myself on some old steel hidden in the muck. We just used a big pole and a net and washed all the balls but it took a lot longer. 

Now  I am always cautious walking in deep mud as I wonder if there junk in there that will cut me up... 

[shaun1800]

16 hours ago, Another Wazza said:

I took a mate there not too long ago for a flick, he’s around 100kg and was struggling to stay on top of the mud, he reckoned I was like one of those birds that walk on water lilly’s barely sinking down at all, an advantage of being 30kg lighter perhaps?.

I'm close to 100 so maybe that's part of the problem, I've stacked on a bit too much iso weight  Look if the mud is anything like it is where I went I might play it safe and give it a miss. 

14 hours ago, benno573 said:

I recall arriving back at POB ramp one freezing July night. High tide, pre-pontoon days. I decided to nose in gently at the ramp and my faithful decky Ellicat should be able to step off the front into knee deep at most water, catch the boat and all good. 

 

Lol. You know my dad did a similar thing, except he jumped off into some reef and scatched the **** out of his legs. Maybe fishing blunders are a genetic condition? 

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

15 hours ago, Old Scaley said:

Guess which item he was most worried about?  

The durries, of course!

Hey shaun1800

That is what I'd call an exploratory trip. That's what you call a trip where you catch squat all and learn to do something... NEVER AGAIN!  

Bit of a pity about your gear but.

Cheers Hamish