queensland Mud, Glass, and A Keeper!

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Hi all

I was lucky enough to be invited out to go for a fish with Greg ( @GregOug ) and Kat ( @Kat ) last Thursday, chasing Morton Bay Snapper and Estuary Cod, as well as other reefies. We met at Greg's house at 4:00AM (earliest I have ever woken up for fishing, Lol), and drove to the POB Boat Ramp, where we powered over to Greg's snapper spot at Mud Island. I positioned myself on the front of the boat, and Kat and Greg were fishing off the back.

Burley was dispersed, and lines were deployed. We all had small (ish) sinkers on, but were still reaching the bottom to begin with. After there had been many picker attacks, and a pinky landed, Greg switched to a very, very light sinker. He was floating his bait out in the berley trail, and after a few minutes when we heard a squealing run on his reel we realized it was working! Unfortunately Greg didn't hook up on this, but it did seem like a good fish. 

I got a few more nibbles, and switched my sinker to a far smaller size (as did Kat). Greg had another run, and then another, and then another. All of these seemed like good fish, and they were very fast too, but they kept managing to spit the hooks. Eventually, Greg did hook up, and after a quick fight a small squire appeared. He was quickly released, and soon after Kat got off the donut with a small squire as well. The bite began to slow a little, with Greg getting one more small sweetlip. He also got a couple more runs, but they too spat the hooks. 

The bite at this spot began to go more and more quiet, and we slightly relocated (but still on the same mark). There were more small squire/sweetlip landed, and then we heard the unmistakable sound of a reel screaming. Greg set the hooks into the fish, and it was clear it was slightly better than the others. After a brief fight, a very respectable 32CM grassy was on the deck of the Green Machine! Woohoo!

Great Grassy!

The conditions were great too!

After that, we decided to keep fishing at this spot. I was not getting much, but on the back of the boat (if I recall correctly) two smaller grassies were landed (both undersize by a few centimetres). We continued fishing at this spot and when it too had gone a little bit quiet, we decided to have a look around the area we were fishing. We found some solid arches on the sounder but decided to motor to Greg's cod spot, where he had been successful before. We dropped our lines down, and I decided to put on a heavier sinker. After a short while, a small tuskfish was brought up to the boat. It was undersize, but it was the first time I've ever seen one, so I found that interesting.

I eventually got reefed by something, and Greg kindly lent me a squid jig (which I flicked about to no avail). After the fish that reefed me got off, I tightened my drag and held my rod. I set the hooks into something small and skull dragged it out, and my first tuskfish surfaced. After this, the bite did go quiet at this spot, so we decided to go for a drift. We weren't getting anything, but then I got quite a good hit. I missed it, but then the fish came back, and I brought up a just undersize grassy. I was a bit disappointed but happy to have caught something. The conditions were also lovely, and it was pleasant and the water. 

Blue Sky and Blue Water (sorry for the small photo size)

We decided to go and have a look at some other marks the Greg had, and the first we went to look at was a shipwreck. We had difficulty finding this, and all we could see on the sounder were some assumed sharks. It was in quite deep water, and after a short while we decided to move onwards. We found some good looking arches at a new spot and began catching some fish. The best bait seemed to be squid, and we were all having a fair bit of fun pulling up squire after squire, some of which were an agonisingly close .5CM off the legal limit! We continued to fish here, and I also pulled up a barracuda (small) and a couple of small sweetlip were landed too. Eventually, I hooked something that felt a bit better. Unfortunately for me, because i had been complacent with replacing my leader, it was slightly frayed. This cost me what felt like a better fish, because it managed to snap me off. 

After this, I replaced my leader. I then got the chance with what felt like a good fish again. It was taking some speedy little runs and it seemed like it could be a bigger snapper. Everyone was disappointed when a foul hooked squire came up! Lol. We continued fishing at this spot and saw a few other boats come through. 

One of the squre landed

A small grassy

After that, it was about 2-sh, and the call was made to head back in. The bay was still lovely and calm, and we were all happy with the days fishing. It was fun motoring in on the way back to the ramp, and very fast too! We all eventually got back to Greg's and cleaned down the boat, and then headed off.

Thanks for having me out Greg and Kat, I hope you didn't mind!

Here are the stats of the trip - 

Trip Stats:

Tide: 2:20AM, .4M, Low, 8:00AM, 2.3M, High, 2:12PM, .7M, Low

Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous

Bait Caught: A couple of stripeys. Many bait balls seen throughout the day. 

Bait Used: Squid, pilchard, garfish, even a bit of stripey at one point. 

Fish Caught: Numerous squire, sweetlip, and small tuskies. One keeper grassy. 

Tackle Used: I fished with a 10LB outfit when using my soft plastics and 20 pound when bait fishing. I believe Kat and Greg had a heavier 30 pound for bait fishing. I was using a SHimano Stradic on A Shimano Raider combo. Greg was fishing with a baitrunner and Live Fibre combo and Kat was using a SHimano Vanford (but I'm not sure what rod).

Humidty: 60-87%

Air Pressure: 1010-1012

Weather: Sunny, little wind, a couple clouds

Wind: It stayed below ten knots the whole day, where we were

Overall Success Rate: 70% - a fun day on the water!

Thanks for reading, and sorry for the late report.

Cheers Hamish

[Cavvy]

Sounds a great day of fishing while I was falling asleep at the desk after the early early drive across town.  I should have taken the day off and joined you all!

[Old Scaley]

Looks like a nice day out, Hamish, even if the bigger fish didn’t com3 out to play. Most amazing thing about that report is @GregOug doing a 4am start. 

@Cavvy, you should definitely be in the running for Father of the Yeat.

[Angry51]

10 hours ago, Cavvy said:

  I should have taken the day off and joined you all!

No good getting older if you don't get smarter Cavvy.

[Kat]

Yes I agree @Cavvyshould be given an award - but for Father of the century - not just the year! Hamish has two amazing parents and is also a credit to them.

[Tuna are fish]

14 hours ago, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

4:00AM (earliest I have ever woken up for fishing, Lol)

Thats the earliest , 7 - 8  years ago when i lived in NZ dad and i would get up at 3:00am once even 2:30am.  i was only 5 - 7 years old at the time.

[kmcrosby78]

Great day out with plenty of action team, well done.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

On 18/12/2021 at 9:00 PM, Cavvy said:

Sounds a great day of fishing while I was falling asleep at the desk after the early early drive across town.  I should have taken the day off and joined you all!

Thanks! You definitively should have. 

On 19/12/2021 at 7:42 AM, Old Scaley said:

Looks like a nice day out, Hamish, even if the bigger fish didn’t com3 out to play. Most amazing thing about that report is @GregOug doing a 4am start. 

@Cavvy, you should definitely be in the running for Father of the Yeat.

Thanks Steve. It was sure a fun day. 

On 19/12/2021 at 7:53 AM, Kat said:

Yes I agree @Cavvyshould be given an award - but for Father of the century - not just the year! Hamish has two amazing parents and is also a credit to them.

Thanks Kat!

21 hours ago, Tuna are fish said:

Thats the earliest , 7 - 8  years ago when i lived in NZ dad and i would get up at 3:00am once even 2:30am.  i was only 5 - 7 years old at the time.

Well I woke up at 3:20AM and met up with everyone at four. So technically 3:20AM is the earliest I've woken up. 

12 hours ago, kmcrosby78 said:

Great day out with plenty of action team, well done.

Thanks KM.

Cheers Hamish 

[GregOug]

On 19/12/21 at 7:42 AM, Old Scaley said:

Looks like a nice day out, Hamish, even if the bigger fish didn’t com3 out to play. Most amazing thing about that report is @GregOug doing a 4am start. 

@Cavvy, you should definitely be in the running for Father of the Yeat.

The really amazing thing is that I was the one who nominated the start time!

[Kat]

6 minutes ago, GregOug said:

The really amazing thing is that I was the one who nominated the start time!

Agreed!

[ellicat]

Looks like a top day in the Bay, guys. I was away having a good time fishing landbased for a change. The weather was beaut on Thursday, glad you got into some action.

[ellicat]

PS   I'm not sure that is a grassy - it may be a spangled emperor.

Not referring to the legal grassie, but the later closeup pic.

[kmcrosby78]

14 hours ago, ellicat said:

PS   I'm not sure that is a grassy - it may be a spangled emperor.

Not referring to the legal grassie, but the later closeup pic.

Could just be the photo angle?

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

On 21/12/2021 at 7:41 PM, ellicat said:

Looks like a top day in the Bay, guys. I was away having a good time fishing landbased for a change. The weather was beaut on Thursday, glad you got into some action.

Thanks Brian. 

On 21/12/2021 at 7:42 PM, ellicat said:

PS   I'm not sure that is a grassy - it may be a spangled emperor.

Not referring to the legal grassie, but the later closeup pic.

Interesting. I didn’t even know Spangled Empereor were in Morton Bay, so I guess it’s possible.

On 22/12/2021 at 9:46 AM, kmcrosby78 said:

Could just be the photo angle?

Possibly.

Cheers Hamish

p.S sorry for the late reply. I’ve been at my grandparents place in Victoria and the wifi here is pretty patchy.

[benno573]

On 21/12/2021 at 6:42 PM, ellicat said:

PS   I'm not sure that is a grassy - it may be a spangled emperor.

Not referring to the legal grassie, but the later closeup pic.

Def a grassy, the fine blue line around the eye are the give away. Absent on spangles. As I explained at length to a fisheries officer one day who told me my 42cm grassy was a spangled and undersized as grassys don’t grow that big…

[ellicat]

It's a very pale specimen, devoid of the bands. Had me wondering.