queensland Nice Box !

[ellicat]

Well with Benno being a diligent worker we couldn't get out for the beaut forecast yesterday. So we made plans to get up early and beat the ramp-rage by departing from Bongaree ramp at 4.15am.

We had a plan to fish some ground (new to Ellicatch) on the bottom around the tide change and then go trolling some of the northern beacons inside Moreton. I think first cast we had a legal grassie in the box. Then it's all a bit of a blur with plenty of action. At one stage Benno threw a slug at a tuna bust-up for two hookups that let go.

I got a GoPro for Christmas and this was its maiden voyage. I need to get better as I forgot to do any recording when I had a fish on... first things first I guess. I did manage to hit the record button on @benno573 as he brought in a Maori cod, quite excitedly as it meant the Northside team would have an entry in the cod category at least.

One for the Northside Team.

Like @GregOug, we landed 3 juvenile red emps that fight hard enough to think you've got something legal, so a bit disappointing but they're a good looking fish all the same.

Plenty of unders as well as whiptails (which proved to be prime chunked bait). Notable captures go to Benno, with a 50cm Grassie and a nice 35cm Tuskfish from Venus who must have crash landed recently. We kept a few grassies around the 40 mark as well as a few just over legal. Then the Lancers moved in which were initially used for strip baits but in the end were just annoying as they were eating their dead brothers, so we called it and headed for the beacons. On the way we trolled up two schoolies on the 2nd last 6 inch Yamashita trolling board. No more fish were boated and the weather had turned so we kicked on for home satisfied with a nice box.

 

 

 

 

 

[Angry51]

That looks like a cracker day out Brian/Benno.

Got more than a decent feed or two.

[ellicat]

Indeed @Angry51. Very tasty - the wife loves a grassie, so I'm in the good books.

 

Thanks for the day out Benno. Great when a hatched plan is successful.

[Old Scaley]

Nice bag of tasties, boys. I love Maori Cod, oh and tuskie, and grassies. Did I mention mackerel? Great day out. Congrats.

[benno573]

Thanks @ellicat for the day out, a rare day where everything we planned out to happen basically worked. Couple more macks would have made it perfect but still very happy with the overall result. Only low light was me managing to lose one of the last remaining yamashita paravanes in the world - not sure whether something hit the braid or it just failed but never good to lose something irreplaceable.

 

3.8kg of top quality fillets from my share.  

[ellicat]

4 minutes ago, benno573 said:

me managing to lose one of the last remaining yamashita paravanes in the world

No drama - that's fishing.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Hi Brian and Benno

Awesome work! I’m glad you guys got onto some quality fish. 

Enjoy the feeds!

Cheers Hamish

[ellicat]

6 minutes ago, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

Hi Brian and Benno

Awesome work! I’m glad you guys got onto some quality fish. 

Enjoy the feeds!

Cheers Hamish

You'd definitely need your seasick medication to go where we were today, Hamish.

[GregOug]

That looks like the same species of cod we caught yesterday but I’ve always called them Wirrah. I looked up both Wirrah and Māori Cod on Google and none of the images for either look like the ones we caught. Bit confused.

[ellicat]

Ok. Well that's definitely a Maori Rock Cod. What was different about yours ?

[GregOug]

6 minutes ago, ellicat said:

Ok. Well that's definitely a Maori Rock Cod. What was different about yours ?

Nothing. But the images of Māori Rock Cod  online don’t look like that.

[ellicat]

Have a look at the Qld Fishing app.

[GregOug]

1 minute ago, GregOug said:

Nothing. But the images of Māori Rock Cod  online don’t look like that.

Okay. Just searched again. A few of the photos are similar but it looks like there’s great variation in their markings and colouring.

[ellicat]

They've always looked the same to me. Maybe a bit of variance on how dark they are.

I'll have to have a Google.

[kmcrosby78]

I just did some Googling and Brian's is definitely a Maori Cod - giveaways are the yellow on the fins, the white-ish vertical band about two-thirds of the way towards the tail, and that it has stripes along the body, whereas Wirra seem to have dots instead.

Great haul there @ellicat and @benno573 - well worth the trip. Enjoy those fillets . Brian - when you say chunk baiting the whiptails, do you mean just chopping to fish across the body into long chunks, or did you fillet and strip bait them? I catch them around Green so might start trying them .

[ellicat]

Cheers Kelvin.

I mean chopping the body vertically like a pilly cube.

[benno573]

@kmcrosby78 - I’m not sure how it would go in that area, definitely worth using as a flesh bait though. Works well in the area we were fishing as there are often a lot of pickers and the chunks hold on very well/aren’t as appealing to the pickers. Grassys seem to love them - yakka or pike chunks definitely work best but whiptails are easily obtained on site so they suffice nicely. Just pin once through on a circle hook and send it!

[GregOug]

1 hour ago, kmcrosby78 said:

I just did some Googling and Brian's is definitely a Maori Cod - giveaways are the yellow on the fins, the white-ish vertical band about two-thirds of the way towards the tail, and that it has stripes along the body, whereas Wirra seem to have dots instead.

Great haul there @ellicat and @benno573 - well worth the trip. Enjoy those fillets . Brian - when you say chunk baiting the whiptails, do you mean just chopping to fish across the body into long chunks, or did you fillet and strip bait them? I catch them around Green so might start trying them .

I agree that what we both caught were Māori Cod. I’ve just been giving them the wrong name all these years. Lol.

[Drop Bear]

Just saw this one mate. Well done. Quality fish! 

[ellicat]

Thanks, Robbie. Can't wait to replicate a day like that.