queensland Two / Nil

[ellicat]

Decided to do a solo mission to Mud today so I could play some tunes and sing loudly without offending anyone. Haha

Kicked off about 8 from Port ramp where I met up with @Old Scaley and @AUS-BNE-FISHO who will no doubt do a report of their own in due course. The conditions were great in the river where I was able to motor along at a respectable 28.x knots.

Got to spot X and soaked a line while I made a coffee. Bream to start then a tuskie, both 25cm and sent back for another go at life. A few pickers around stealing my prawns and squid. Annoying as usual, but not a bad way to pass time waiting for a 'real' fish.

Sent my mackerel floater out with a pillie on the off chance a hungry one would happen by. Stopped feeding the pickers for awhile while I had a well earned rest and sang a few songs. The mackerel line had a hit but didn't hook up. Bum. Re-baited and sent it back out. Then a sshhh noise got my attention. A big school of bait was getting harassed by something. Quickly deployed a half pillie where they were for no luck. They kept busting up all around me not even 20 metres away from the boat. I kept throwing my pillie amongst them for no joy - just some pickers.

The tide turned and there were still showers of baitfish every now and then. I got a few snags and decided to go unwaited as there was no current. At 11am someone turned the fish switch to on.

Immediately the bites were decent and my need to boat a keeper snapper seemed likely. I got a good hit on a head end and hooked up. The fight was decent but not fantastic and I thought I might have a legal one at last, but this 45cmish cod showed up and was released to the esky.

I kept throwing upcurrent and letting the slow current bring my baits down to the spot where the bites were. Then I hooked up to something good that I determined to be a snapper of longish proportions. It went on a big run, then I got him close but he took off again towards the pointy end of Ellicatch. Yep, you probably guessed correctly that he did me on the anchor rope. Disappointed I redeployed and got pickered again by bream this time.

Then once again on a pillie head end I got a great hit and hooked up to a real speedster. This thing was tougher than my 15lb gear with drag tight enough I couldn't pull line off without cutting myself (which I did). It went on a blistering run and just wouldn't stop. Seeing my backing on the 2500 Revros I had to tighten the drag further. Ping. Lost him. Again. I took advantage of being solo and opened up with a few expletives to the world. Bugger.

The mackerel line, which was now out the other side, got a hit but it snipped me. Bugger again.

The bite was hot, but I wasn't it seemed, as I went through all my bait without another legal. Prawns, Squid and pillies all gone.

Except 1. The pillie on the mack line. I pulled it in, cut it in half and sent the head out first. I wasn't good enough to turn the bite into a keeper, so deployed the last bit of bait - the pillie tail. Well the fishing gods were feeling sorry for me and delivered a nice grassie to finish the day.

 

Cleaned up, packed up, pulled the anchor all by myself (after a rest and answering a few messages) and set off for home at 27 knots. (Must have been the extra net weight of the fish added against the bait lost).

Top day for me. Quite a rush from the two suspected snapper. Now I just need to find another day with an incoming tide to head to Spot X again with heavier gear.

 

[Old Scaley]

So think you are going to need a longer measuring stick, Brian. .  Nice work on the cod and grassie, mate. Perseverance  and time on the water has paid dividends. Did you think about chucking a slug at the bait boil? 

[ellicat]

Just now, Old Scaley said:

Did you think about chucking a slug at the bait boil?

Briefly thought about it but wanted to keep my pillie in the mix so didn't bother. Was ruing the decision to leave the bait jig at home.

[GregOug]

Great day @ellicat. And great report. Well done.

[Another Wazza]

Excellent work Brian, couple of good fish, and plenty more action to keep you entertained out there by the sounds of it, a brilliant day on the bay, could you get an ID on the bust ups?, when line peels off like you’ve hooked onto an underwater drag car my first thought is long tail, vroom vroom!!

[ellicat]

I thought they may have been hardie heads, but not certain. They were decent size flashy/white/silver things about 3 inches long.

Longtail hey....Hadn't considered that. Something was harassing the baitfish, so maybe you're right.

[benno573]

You would have been exhausted just thinking about trying to land one...

[ellicat]

1 minute ago, benno573 said:

You would have been exhausted just thinking about trying to land one...

Thank god for drags and breaking strain. haha

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

What an awesome day, Brian! A couple of good fish.

Shame about the unstoppables. If it was a Longie that would be awesome!

Cheers Hamish

[kmcrosby78]

Nice day out there @ellicat with a couple of very tasty captures in the esky - very lucky on that last bait!!!  I've seen longtails herding bait pretty close in on the north-west side of Mud before so could quite well have been them (or mack tuna of course). You'll be keen to get back out there - always fun when you get plenty of action .

[ellicat]

The only thing against being a pelagic would be that I had bites first. Having never caught a tuna before, I'm not sure if they do that ??

[Drop Bear]

Nice one mate. 

You will be eating well this week. 

YUM.

Its great that you are dialing it in now. 

[kmcrosby78]

7 hours ago, ellicat said:

The only thing against being a pelagic would be that I had bites first. Having never caught a tuna before, I'm not sure if they do that ??

Could have been a number of things in reality - cobia, jewie, snapper, in shallow-ish water they'd all go on long runs. Alternatively, could have been a pelagic that finished the meal after something else was picking at it first. The beauty of fishing - you never know what might turn up .

[ellicat]

Too true, @kmcrosby78.

@benno573 and I hit up a spot today that a member here gave me and swore me to secrecy. Started a bit ordinary with some anchoring issues and a slow bite, but it came good in the end. We brought home 7 schoolies, 3 or 4 bonito and 4 nice grassies.

It was a bit rolly polly to start with but calmed as the morning progressed. The 50lb livey  setup had two enquiries for the day without a hookup on live pike. A few bustups around us today and Benno cast a slug a few times at some longies that were no more than 20 metres from the boat. No hit though.

No piccies today.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Wow! Excellent day out Brian! Sounds like great fun!!!

There would be some good tasting fish in that lot.

Cheers Hamish

[ellicat]

I was up at 2 for a 3 o'clock departure. It wouldn't have wanted to be a donut !!

I've never eaten a schoolie or a bonito so I'm going to try them this time to decide if they're table fair or bait.

[Old Scaley]

Try the schoolie tonight. If you don’t like it I will be over tomorrow to swap it for a bag of pillies.  Easy way to cook it is to fry off some onions, garlic and ginger, add a can of tomatoes and some extra water. Cook the sauce down until it thickens a bit and the add chunks of fish. The fish will cook in about 10 to 15 minutes. Add any herbs you have around (basil is good) or serve it as is. Pretty simple and tasty. I have only ever tried bonito smoked so you can keep that.

[benno573]

Had some bonito this arvo as sashimi and it is excellent.

 

did some schoolie and bonito in a bath of Malaysian yellow curry and the whole family - little miss included - absolutely loved it.

 

will do the remaining bonito as Thai fish cakes I think.

 

thank you to the unspecified member for providing brian with the super secret spot, look forward to fishing it with you one day soon too.

[kmcrosby78]

Great session fellas - nothing wrong with schoolies and bonito. I like bonito fried with tomato, olives and red onion. Squeeze plenty of lemon and abit of olive oil and eat with some cous cous. Yummy Mediterranean style dish .

[Junky]

19 hours ago, kmcrosby78 said:

Could have been a number of things in reality - cobia, jewie, snapper, in shallow-ish water they'd all go on long runs. Alternatively, could have been a pelagic that finished the meal after something else was picking at it first. The beauty of fishing - you never know what might turn up .

 

My gran'daddy  alwaays say'd....

Fishinngg is liike a bowx o'chowclates.