Adventuring the flats.

[charlie.hans.fishing]

Hi all. 

 

Here's a quick report for Wednesday the 21st's trip out to the flats (Redcliffe region). 

A few nights beforehand, @AUS-BNE-FISHO,  another mate Jarvis, and myself planned to chuck around some lures during the outgoing tide on the flats around Hays Inlet. 

Our target species was flatties, however anything else was welcome if the fishing was quiet, primarily due to the fact that our lures of choice were good all rounders. 

At around 10:30 we set off on the train to Kippa Ring, and caught a bus out to the hornibrook pier end of the Hornibrook/Ted smout memorial bridge.

Note it was around 12:15 when we arrived at our spot. 

We fished the pier for a short time; Hamish knew someone who's good at cleaning up the flatties there however we had no luck. However, this time was somewhat beneficial as it gave us some time to kill while we waited for the outgoing tide to make the flats walk-able.

It was a nice day. 

We began to fish in the cleaner water up near the bridge, walking out and wading so we could cast into the deeper channels.  

To start, Hamish used a 3.5 or 4 inch baitjunkie grub in the 'voltage' colour which is a similar colour to like nuclear chicken, if you're not familiar. 

I used a 3.2 inch baitjunkie minnow in watermelon pearl colour, which was a nice natural pale and sandy green with little red flecks. 

Jarvis was using some sort of powerbait plastic which I believe was a nemesis minnow. 

While walking we came across some nice flatty lies, ranging from 40-50cm, so this was promising.

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Within around 25 minutes of fishing I was onto the first fish; a micro flatty which I didn't bother measuring, but I'd say was about 25cm or so haha. 

We continued to fish as a group and moved a little further up the system every few casts.

Soon after my first fish I was onto another flathead at around 30cm this time. 

 

Hamish and Jarvis were still yet to get off the donut. 

We continued fishing for a little while and by this point we had reached the less clean water, closer to a distinguishable pipeline which came from out the mangroves. 

Jarvis called out to Hamish and I and told us he was onto a fish. It seemed to be putting up a decent fight from what we could see from afar, so we suspected it was a good flatty. 

Keep in mind Jarvis is only just getting into light tackle lure fishing so he was quite excited. 

To our surprise, he pulled in a 40cm or so catty , of all species, especially those that would actually eat a plastic most of the time. 

Although he'd caught many of these fishing the brissy river, he was still a happy man, as he had caught his first fish on a lure!

Hamish and I were happy for him.

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By now the tide was pushing back in again so we figured we had better start walking back to get our bags of the mangroves before they got washed away  and before we had to wade all the way back. 

For some last chance hookups though, we all punched out some hopeful casts on the way back. 

On my last cast before I called it quits, I actually thought, "as if this will catch anything", as i had casted perhaps 8 metres out into 40cm deep water from the bank. Haha. 

To my surprise, my polarised sunnies presented me with a nice view of a flatty jump up from his lie, swim over in a split second, and munch my lure as SOON as it splashed into the water. 

I was able to bring this one onto the sand, so I claimed a picture. Even though small, I had still gotten 3 fish here at my second time trying out the spot, so i was satisfied. 

Small

On the home stretch jarvis came across some line tangled within a little drain into the mangroves where there was some crab pots. 

On the end, there was a nice atomic hardbody of some sort connected to a rotten carcass of another catty. Seems like they were more common around here than initially expected. 

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This was pretty much where we ended our session but we did have some fun on the train ride back gambling our tackle with each other flipping a coin. 

We all ended up 'winning' some new lures and hamish got that Atomic which I'm sure he will enjoy throwing for some jacks off the kayak during an upcoming trip we're going on.

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Cheers, Charlie.
Hope you have had a nice christmas day today. 

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Tides: 12:20 PM, 1M (arrival). 2:17PM, 0.6m, LOW. 

Moon: About 95% moon, increasing.

Tackle:

Charlie: 1-3kg Abu salty stage, 2500 diawa exceler. 10lb braid, 14lb fluoro. 

3.2'  baitjunkie minnow, Prolure Clone Prawn 92mm. (all fish caught on baitjunkie minnow). 

 

Hamish: Abu veritas, 2500 diawa tierra, 10lb braid, 10lb fluoro. 

4 inch baitjunkie grub; voltage. 3.2 inch baitjunkie minnow; gudgeon or motoroil colour. 

(correct me if I'm wrong)

Jarvis: Unknown shimano 6'6 rod w/ abu blackmax reel or something, 8lb mono straight-through. 

Powerbait nemesis minnow, savage gear 3d minnow. 

 

A fairly successful day for some. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ellicat]

Sounds like a good day, Charlie and Hamish. Charlie wins and Jarvis is on minus 1 for the cattie. haha (Maybe give him a point for the unlikeliness of it.)

Good luck on your next mission.

[Kat]

Sounds like a great day out.  Good job.

P.s.  how old do you have to be to gamble? Lol

[charlie.hans.fishing]

6 minutes ago, Kat said:

Sounds like a great day out.  Good job.

P.s.  how old do you have to be to gamble? Lol

Thanks Kat.

Last time i checked it was 15 

[charlie.hans.fishing]

23 minutes ago, ellicat said:

Sounds like a good day, Charlie and Hamish. Charlie wins and Jarvis is on minus 1 for the cattie. haha (Maybe give him a point for the unlikeliness of it.)

Good luck on your next mission.

Haha! Thanks you too Brian. 

 

[Bretto77]

Good to see you guys got out had a crack and had some fun. I once caught a catfish in the freshwater on a popper in 4m of water. That surprised me.

[FishingCrazy]

Awesome trip report. 

It's good fun walking the flats throwing plastics. Even better when you see the flatty swim over and hit your lure like you did.

Some of the biggest flathead I have caught have been in less than knee deep water, the big girls like getting right up into the shallows.

[charlie.hans.fishing]

On 26/12/2022 at 1:40 PM, FishingCrazy said:

Awesome trip report. 

It's good fun walking the flats throwing plastics. Even better when you see the flatty swim over and hit your lure like you did.

Some of the biggest flathead I have caught have been in less than knee deep water, the big girls like getting right up into the shallows.

Thank you. It seems as though the flatties don’t mind shallow water at all so long as they’re not disturbed!!

[FishingCrazy]

14 hours ago, TheCharliefisho said:

Thank you. It seems as though the flatties don’t mind shallow water at all so long as they’re not disturbed!!

Yes, agreed. I try and throw plenty of casts a head of where I'm going to be walking, nothing more frustrating than wading across a bank and seeing an 80cm+ flatty take off a few meters in front of you.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Good report Charlie, it was a fun day fishing.