queensland Brisbane River Session #69, #70, and #71 (The Buggies Mayden Voyage)

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Hi all

Well a couple days ago now I went down to the local park for my routine fish. I was hoping for some bull sharks, but my hopes were not very high as the recent rain we've had would've been no good for the river. It's because it puts so much freshwater and debris around - makes it a lot harder to fish in my opinion.

I baited the lines up, just with some herring. It wasn't the biggest fish but I hoped it would be big enough for me to be able to catch a couple on it. I only put the other two rods out, both with herring. I really need to do a session catching bait with dad at Colmslie soon, otherwise I might be going back to servo bait for a while as a substitute for the good stuff! 

The first hour or so was absolutely fishless, no nibbles - no nothing. The herring were untouched (apart from the one on the cod line which was just getting pickered). Then, I heard my little Sienna screaming. This was the first time it'd had anything since it's service, so I was quite excited. Unfortunately, after a boring fight, a dirty old catfish came up. I flicked him away and got the line back in.

Vermin

After that, it gave me a bit more hope that I might get something, so I decided to stay a bit longer. (I was planning on leaving as it'd been over an hour with no bites, no bait, hot sun, tide wrong, etc). I kept checking the lines, and rebaiting when required. Then, I saw the salmon line buckled over. I ran down, and there was line moving off it quickly. After a few small runs, I reliased I just had another catfish on the end so I dealt with that and chucked him away.

After those two fish, I got nothing more except for a half decent hit on the cod line. I left and packed up shortly after. I know it was a rather brief session, but the fish were just not on the bite at all. I didn't give up though, and I went again the next day. Here are the stats of that dismal trip - 

Stats of Trip -

Tide: 12:05PM, 2.5M, High, 6.55PM, .3M, Low

Moon Phase: Waxing Crescent - not that much run

Weather: Mildly windy and cloudy, sunny, hot, humid

Time Fished: About 2:45PM-5:00PM

Bait Caught: - 

Bait used: Herring

Tackle Used: 10lb, 20lb, 30lb braid mainlines, 20lb and 80lb fluorocarbon/mono leaders and traces, size 2 and 5 ball sinkers, large barrel swivel, size 4/o and 6/o suicide and circle hooks, Rogue Firepoint Boat Rod, Angler Advantage Rod, Size 650 Penn Reel, Size 65 Barra King (Abu Garcia), Shimano Sienna 1000, Ugly Stik 6"6'. 

Overall Success Rate: 30%

The next session was the day after - a morning session. I woke up a bit before six, got all the gear ready, and then set off to the local park. My dad was there with me, and he got to work with some cast netting. It didn't take him long to get a Bony Bream (live baited immedialietly), a few prawns, and some glassies. They were all put into the bucket ready to use for the best value.

As well as that, my dad also got something interesting. A baby flatehad! I was especially surprised as it was after all this rain. I guess it means it might've gotten washed up/down there or just been a weird fish! I got him out of the net with no worries and he kicked off straight away easily. Lucky him! (Please become a metre long flathead so I can catch you!).

 

Flatty!

My friend arrived soon after, and while he was on the top of the jetty one of the lines got a run. He picked it up, but didn't really know what to do and by the time I had gotten up there the fish had dropped it. "Oh well", I thought, "He knows for next time"... I re casted the line and got it back out, but there were no more hits on this.

My dad was about to leave now, so he did one cast off the front of the jetty. He felt some tugging, and to our surprise a 25-30cm Bony Bream came up. I chucked him in the esky, and decided I might use him for bait later. I got no more fish on the prawns, which just kept getting pickered. I knocked off a couple fillets off the Bony Bream, and then I had two great strip baits. One I chopped up into bits, and put it on teh cod line, and the other I lobbed out on the salmon line.

It didn't take long for something to go for a run on the cod line. This happened about three more times, each time the hook did not set. It was getting really hot now as well, and for about another half hour there was no hit. I figured it was time to pack up, so I washed the jetty off and set away.

That was another decent session, but still no fish. Here are the stats of that report - 

Stats of trip - 

Tide: 6:50AM, .3M, Low, 1:30PM, 2.4M, High

Moon Phase: Waxing Crescent

Weather: Cloudy, windy, sunny, hot

Time Fished: About 6:00AM-9:00AM

Fish caught: Baby Dusky Flathead x 1

Bait caught: Prawns, herring, bony bream

Bait used: Prawns, herring, bony bream

Tackle used: 10lb, 20lb, 30lb braid mainlines, 20lb and 80lb fluorocarbon/mono leaders and traces, size 2 and 5 ball sinkers, large barrel swivel, size 4/o and 6/o suicide and circle hooks, Rogue Firepoint Boat Rod, Angler Advantage Rod, Size 650 Penn Reel, Size 65 Barra King (Abu Garcia), Shimano Sienna 1000, Ugly Stik 6"6'. 

Overall Success Rate: 45%

Alright - the next and final session of this report was much more exciting. In this, we took the bike buggy out to some new spots, peeved off some people, and had a good time. After waking up at ten to four (yes, you heard me, 3:50AM), we got the bike buggy out of the house and started riding to a new spot. It's at the mouth of a creek, and may or may not be at a Scout Den too.

Prepared

On the way

I got there at about 4:45AM, and deployed the lines. One rod had a plastic on it, and the others had rigs for live bait. On the second cast with the plastic, I saw a boil next to the bank. I casted along towards this, and immediately got a hit. The fish did not connect though, leaving me to wonder what it was. Flatty?

My dad was catching a fair bit in the cast net too, with Bony Bream, Herring, Frog-Mouth Pilchards, Prawns, and some toadfish as well. The lines were baited up and casted out, which allowed us to get fishing. I had a big Frogmouth Pillie on the heavy line, and on the lighter one I just had a couple prawns. I kept flicking the soft plastic while my dad was throwing the cast net.

After about an hour of no bites, and many bait checks and flicks of the plastic, we gave the jetty a good wash. It was lucky we did as a few rude kayakers came down and told us to get lost, because there was a "No Fishing" sign up. We told them we don't leave it filthy like some grubs do, and they seemed pretty satisfied with that (apart from a couple who kept saying we were leaving and doing stuff on their jetty .). One of them was pretty kind though, and he told us about the spot we were going to, and how he's seen people catch bream and mulloway off it.

We gave it about twenty more minutes after they left, but decided as the tide was going out, and it was only going to get shallower, we might leave. There was another spot downstream which I thought may be a bit better, as it was out in the main river where it might be a bit deeper. We got there at a little past six, deployed the lines with a big silver biddy, prawns, and herring, and got to work. I gave the soft plastics a fish first, to no avail.

Getting Deployed

Ready

The lines were really soaking now, so I knew we had a good chance if anything in the area was interested in a silver biddy. My dad gave the net a few throws and was getting bucket loads of prawns, but most were too small for bait. I think this is great - it means in a few weeks/months, there will be heaps of gooduns in the river.  As well as some frog mouth pilchards, there were a glassies and scat dad got. They are very bloody annoying to clean out of the net, but seeing as though we hardly got any it didn't matter. Eventually, when we had plenty of livies, my dad put away the net and we sat down fishing.

@Breaming with bro, guess who I'm texting  

The sun was out now, and I decided to practise my skim cast fishing under the jetty ramp. I was flicking it under, giving the 2.5 inch motor oil plastic a 'hop hop' retrieve, then pausing, then again. I like these retrieves a lot more to a 'slow roll' as it allows the plastic to get a good action diving and sinking. The rods remained untouched, but we did reel in the overhead to find no bait.

Foam + Scum

While my dad was on a work call, and I got a good hit on the plastic. I felt it, and then I felt the line go slack. "BLAST! Bloody stupid -" I yelled, then realised dad was still on the phone . It was a good hit though, and it gave me some motivation to keep fishing for some more time. I kept skimming my SP right under the jetty - same retrieve and same spot. Fortunately, just like that, I heard the BEAUTIFUL sound of a reel screaming, turned around, and saw the salmon line was going off.

I whipped myself into shape - yelled to dad, got the lines in, hopped over the little thing I was sitting on, and got to the rod. I picked it up - line was still flying off with the loose drag. Then it stopped... And started again! This time, I figured the fish had long enough to eat the bait so I slowly tightened the drag being careful not to pull the hooks. I slowly wound in, making sure I was on. I felt weight... And then nothing. I left the line out for about another thirty seconds before realised I'd lost it. I reeled my line in and saw something that made me angry as!

(That's what I've got to say to whichever fish took my bait!)

After that take, the adrenaline was pumping. I chucked out an even bigger silver biddy in hope for a bigger fish. I now ask the question; what do you think that was? I have my eyes on a big salmon, but I suppose it could've been a shark too... If it was though, it wasn't a normal 80cm one. They never run that hard or fast on a loose drag. Maybe a 1.5M one...

Any ideas?

Dad wanted to go home soon after this, and the sun was getting up. We gave another long soaking, with more casts of the lure rod, my dad dropping a live Silver Biddy next to all the pylons in hope of a cod/bream, and both of us keeping an eye on the salmon line. More cast netting was done for not many results, and soon it was 9:00AM, which we decided to pack up at. The rod were loaded back in, but shockinlgy, as I bent the line down to one of the guides to hold the hook in, the tip of my Angler Advantage rod snapped! Lucky it was only about 2 inches! Easy fix  (I'll just have a 2 inch shorter rod which I don't mind to be honest... The worrying thing was the rod snapped so easily!) I got in the salmon line with a VERY lively bony bream, which I can't understand how it didn't get one. Here is some footage.

Bitta whistling in there from yours truly

We set back home, but on the way I was riding up the hill to get back on the footpath, some fella came whizzing by around a corner (on an E-Bike), Clearly he doesn't understand that it's a footpath! So you shouldn't be going 30 Kilometres an hour around a corner which you can't see. And according to him it was my fault for blocking his way! What a jerk!

I got back on the road though, and checked out a new spot on the way home. It has some rocks that give water access, so this may be another possible spot the next time I go for a fish. 

The tree on the right side may provide fish for tangles and bust offs  

Well, thanks for reading those reports. I hoped you enjoyed them. Sorry there were no proper fish for me to show off, too. Here are the stats of the trip for anyone interested - 

Stats of Trip - 

Tide: 1:52AM, High, 1.6M, 7:35AM, .4M, Low

Moon Phase: Waxing Crescent - not much run

Humidity: 71%

Air Pressure: 1012.2

Weather: 32^oC High, Cloudy

Rain recently (week):

Tackle Used: 12lb, 20lb, 30lb braid mainlines, 20lb and 80lb fluorocarbon/mono leaders and traces, size 2 and 5 ball sinkers, large barrel swivel, size 4/o and 6/o suicide and circle hooks, Squidgies, prawn imitations, 2.5inch Motor Oil placcies, Rogue Firepoint Boat Rod, Angler Advantage Rod, Size 650 Penn Reel, Size 65 Barra King (Abu Garcia), Diawa Shinboi 2500, Abu Garcia Veritas. 

Bait used: Live prawns, herring, silver biddy, bony bream, and frogmouth pillies

Bait caught: Prawns, shrimp, scat, glassies, toadfish, silver biddy, bony bream, herring, frogmouth pilchards, river shrimp - surprisingly no mullet at all

Fish caught: Squat

Overall Success Rate: 75% - maiden voyage!

Cheers Hamish  

P.S. Can anyone figure out why I changed my profile picture today?

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

P.S.S. If you figure out what the last picture is you have superpowers. Lol.

[Guest]

Don't take attitude of those kayakers Hamish use your thong mate 

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

2 minutes ago, Sneaky1 said:

Don't take attitude of those kayakers Hamish use your thong mate 

I was going to tell them what I thought of them but my dad said that might not end well... Next time I'll just act and hopefully they have paddled away far enough they can't do anything  

Cheers Hamish

[Angry51]

Pic looks like you're looking over a railing at a creek.

[Angry51]

Maiden

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

6 minutes ago, Angry51 said:

Maiden

Oops! Thanks for the correction.  I hope Mr GregOug doesn't see this! He will give me a hard time no doubt ! 

[Dinodadog]

Wont be long now and you can get your own set of wheels, watch out fish population then.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

2 minutes ago, Dinodadog said:

Wont be long now and you can get your own set of wheels, watch out fish population then.

Haha, thanks Dino - I'm turning 13 next May, then it's only 3 years I think.

(Wow now that I think about it that is scary! I could have a car in three years!)

Cheers Hamish

[Angry51]

Enjoy your pushy while you can Hamish, some of the best times

of your life is on a pushy with your mates fishing / hunting.

You'll look back later in life and realise what I'm saying.

No hassles go where you like, dont have to worry about parking, etc.

Enjoy it mate, looks like you are anyway.

 Be good.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

6 minutes ago, Angry51 said:

Enjoy your pushy while you can Hamish, some of the best times

of your life is on a pushy with your mates fishing / hunting.

You'll look back later in life and realise what I'm saying.

No hassles go where you like, dont have to worry about parking, etc.

Enjoy it mate, looks like you are anyway.

 Be good.

Thanks Angry, I sure hope I do remember these and get to do more fishing with it! 
So true! 
Cheers Hamish