queensland Sharking On The Logan With Don

[Kat]

Friday night @deegee12g contacted me to arrange our weekly fishing outing (weather permitting).  To this point the outings have been on the GC Broadwater and offshore from the GC Seaway at the 12 fathoms.  The weather being not that great this week Don suggested sharking on the Logan on Thursday.  A plan to meet at Carbrook Boat Ramp at 6am to fish for sharks was agreed (and very eagerly anticipated by myself).  Discussing this with my prawning mate on Macleay Island he mentioned prawns being caught on the Logan by his mates a few days past.  As it happened Don had a prawn net and brought it along.  According to my prawning mate the tides and moon were near perfect and he suggested ditching the rods altogether.  Let's just say I am very glad we didn't listen to him.  We visited every spot x described to me in detail.  At the sole place we saw anything resembling prawns on the sounder Don cast a few times and brought up tiny blobs of jelly.  We met his mate on the river who was a keener prawner and he too was having no luck.  After cruising the Logan and up the Albert with Captain @Kat at the helm we decided to ditch the prawn net and pick up our rods.  Don the legend supplied the freshwater eel, pre-made shark rigs and we decided on a spot to anchor up.  The tide was very low at this point and we expected the run in to start shortly.  

Don's mate appeared again, still casting for prawns.  We called out and he held up his catch.  I put my glasses on and still couldn't see his catch.  Back to the rods.  After about 1/2 hour I felt some interest on the end of my line.  Then a rather large bite, a small run and then nothing.  I reeled in to check the state of the bait and sure enough the large chunk of eel had a visible bite in the very middle.  This looked promising.  Casting our to the same spot we waited.  About 15 minutes later there was another bite and then a run and I was hooked.  I was using my Daiwa Bull 4500 with the sturdy Abu Garcia solid tip rod - think it is a 5 - 8kg 6" boat road (donated by Don a number of weeks ago).  Anyway with that gear it felt like I was fighting a 24cm Bream.  In a matter of what seemed like mere moments it was at the boat and Don fearful of the gaff dislodging it from the hook brought it in by the line.  I had landed my first Bull Shark and definitely my PB fish so far.  In all the excitement of the day I completely forgot to measure or weigh.  So photographic evidence is all that exists.

We released him to Don's Wilson fish holding bag and I rebaited.  Not long after casting my second bait Don was on - the lines had crossed and in the rush to bring in my line Don handed me his rod - and being an overhead (I think-) and completely unfamiliar to me I couldn't find the drag and lost the fish.  

Don had another bite and when we reeled the bait in it seemed untouched but the plastic coating on the wire trace had been stripped.  Weird.

Once we had both our rods re baited and back in the water we sat there chatting away, waiting for further action.  We needed one more - preferably a bigger specimen to reach our bag limit for the day.  Unfortunately things had gone off the bite.  After probably at least 1/2 hour I had further interest in my bait - this time it felt like something had taken the bait in it's mouth and was gently shaking it from side to side - there was a small run and another gentle shake - like a baby shaking a rattle.  Another small run then nothing.  I reeled in the bait and it was almost severed in half.  I cast it back out wondering what had bitten it.  Definitely something with a large mouth and sharp teeth.  There was no further action for a while and then I was back on.  This time it was hooked and put up more of a fight than the first.  We landed my second Bull shark of the day.

Having succeeded in our mission, and Don's tutilage complete, we headed back to the ramp.  Don took a fillet off the largest bull and lent me his fish bag to take the rest home for the family.  My makeshift polystyrene Esky was a little undersized (I was pretty tired when I packed the car - what was I thinking). Anyway, Don had shown me how to fillet the shark and it looked pretty simple, effortless almost.

On arriving home I organised myself to finish the filleting.  Don and @DropBear,s warnings about sharks being hard on your knife ringing I. My ears.  Well about an hour and a half later and at least 6 knife sharpening sessions I was finished. 

The smell of uric acid in my nostrils and the early 3am alarm was too much for me.  I went to bed with a bowl of cereal at about 7pm while my family enjoyed panko shark for dinner.  There. Are two fillets in the freezer and the plan is to batter them (tempura or soda water batter).  I think I will treat myself to some fries and tomato sauce as well.

A big thanks to Don for everything - I really enjoyed driving the boat - even if I did make a fool of myself in front of your mate

I am also thinking of entering the shark competition set up by Carbrook Boat Ramp - proceeds to cancer, cool prizes and only $10 entry - starts 1 December to 20 January.

https://www.facebook.com/CarbrookBoatRamp/photos/pcb.196611248572959/196611168572967/?type=3&source=4

Now I have to find out how to catch freshwater eels.  I already know where some are about 2 min walk from my place.  Any advice would be appreciated.

Cheers Kat

 

 

 

[Junky]

Well done. 

Targeting a species and pulling it off is a momentous occasion. 

Congrats. 

 

Don, you're still a bloody legend.

[Kat]

7 minutes ago, Junky said:

Well done. 

Targeting a species and pulling it off is a momentous occasion. 

Congrats. 

 

Don, you're still a bloody legend.

Yes he is!

[Kat]

Never mind about the eel advice - remembered the search function and found heaps of advice already posted.  Cheers

[Brodie_S]

32 minutes ago, Kat said:

Never mind about the eel advice - remembered the search function and found heaps of advice already posted.  Cheers

I know you props done you’re research but I find if you go fishing after sunset with fatty or juicy meat flesh dead fish sausage really anything with meat you will catch eels even caught a massive pike eel using eel was fishing for sharks. the problem when I go shark fishing is I either get strange by catch like massive pufferfish and that pike eel or I get a big shark that busts me off . And one time caught a decent sized shark after fighting for awhile I got it close to the boat and the hook bent out I now only use mustad hooks for shark fishing I use mustad hooks for most of my fishing lmao 

[Kat]

1 minute ago, Breaming with bro said:

I know you props done you’re research but I find if you go fishing after sunset with fatty or juicy meat flesh dead fish sausage really anything with meat you will catch eels even caught a massive pike eel using eel was fishing for sharks. the problem when I go shark fishing is I either get strange by catch like massive pufferfish and that pike eel or I get a big shark that busts me off

I hope to get a bigger one next time.  Pretty sure the reel and rod will hold up.  Maybe just need to worry about the line and my knots! You usually fish pretty light so you have to expect that

[ellicat]

Two nice size bullies. Well done to you and @deegee12g.

How deep were they ?

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Hi Kat and Don

Excellent work - that’s a great session Kat.

Bullies are supposed to be very tasty if cleaned and iced correctly (which they clearly were!).

I will read up on the shark comp, it looks like it’d be quite fun.

Cheers Hamish 

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

9 hours ago, Kat said:

Now I have to find out how to catch freshwater eels.  I already know where some are about 2 min walk from my place.  Any advice would be appreciated.

Best way is to get a handline, a bit of chicken, sinker that will reach the bottom, strong sharp hook, and a plastic bag.

Chuck the line out and wait until it goes taught then reel it in. You're done!

Cheers Hamish

[Angry51]

Lucky you're not in my English class.

Taut.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

3 minutes ago, Angry51 said:

Lucky you're not in my English class.

Taut.

Oops. Lucky I already did my English assignment and DID NOT use the word taut once, Lol.

By the way, what would be the punishment?

[Angry51]

Punishment .. You would have to go fishing everyday, banned from school, and

catch enough fish for my tea everynight.

That is until you've learnt how to write proper.

[deegee12g]

11 hours ago, ellicat said:

How deep were they ?

Kat's memory may be more accurate than mine, but I think we were anchored in about 5/6 meters, around 30-40 meters up-current from a steep drop-off into about 10-12m deep. The sounder showed quite a lot of small shows, and a few larger ones in the deep water.

However, we got most of our bites fairly close to the boat. This was while the tidal run was slow and not taking our baits back very far towards the deeper water.  They were probably still on the high side of the drop-off.  When the tide run picked up a bit the action was noticeably slower. If we had not already filled our quota I might have re-anchored closer to the edge, so our baits were at the bottom of the slope.  Maybe worth remembering for future reference.

[kmcrosby78]

Great work @Kat and @deegee12g - successful mission there. Will be interesting to see when the prawns fire up.

[Kat]

13 minutes ago, kmcrosby78 said:

Great work @Kat and @deegee12g - successful mission there. Will be interesting to see when the prawns fire up.

My prawning mate is heading out tomorrow.  I will give him a call Monday to see how he went.  If he can't catch any no-one can!