New years day 2023

[Bretto77]

Another launch from Jabiru Island occurred on new years day afternoon. We were a little late arriving, (mostly due to mild fatigue and and preparational procrastination), and @Kat was getting anxious. The obligatory 6 knots up to the yabby banks prompted much fidgeting and chomping at the bit. After all, the yabbies wait for no humble man, woman or child.
With a modest low tide beginning to flood, two pumps and one child were employed to collect enough for the evening session, and a morning session a day later elsewhere. Off to our first spot. 

As per normal, @Kat flaunted with superstitious realisations by voicing a thought about "Stingrays". Seconds later the affliction began with a telltale screaming of my drag. Five or so minutes later, valuable fishing time and another hook had been wasted. Then it was Kat's turn for much of the same. We may have managed a keeper bream before moving further up the creek.

In the second spot mother nature assaulted us with pony fish and we moved again into a much shallower spot. This started well with me landing a decent whiting, but again we fell victim to stingrays and pony fish. The stubborn slime of the pony fish did nothing for their charisma in my mind.
Amber took quite an interest in the downward extending jaw of the pony fish and incessantly fired questions about it. She also decided that due to their general broad flat profile, that they should be called "Matt". 
We pulled anchor and drifted the shallows for a short while. Amber landed a reasonable bream with the prompt exclamation of "oh... It's Brian!".
There were a few more relocations for little satisfaction. Kat kept a legal Moses perch and I got another reasonable whiting. We persevered until after midnight keeping a couple more legal bream and I think a tarwhine also. Not another single legal whiting graced the boat. It was time to go, as I still had to come up with an arrangement for keeping the remaining yabbies alive when we got home.
We left feeling a little defeated by the whiting but had some fish and some quality time together. As always, plenty of laughter.

[ellicat]

I didn't know where Jabiru Island was so looked it up. There's some nice looking whiting grounds all around. Surprised they have been so hard to get ! Have you tried drifting around to find schools ? Might pickup a flattie or two doing that.

I got a pony fish last week and afterwards couldn't grip a yabbie to feed onto the hook. Slimy things.

[Bretto77]

56 minutes ago, ellicat said:

I didn't know where Jabiru Island was so looked it up. There's some nice looking whiting grounds all around. Surprised they have been so hard to get ! Have you tried drifting around to find schools ? Might pickup a flattie or two doing that.

I got a pony fish last week and afterwards couldn't grip a yabbie to feed onto the hook. Slimy things.

It all looks great. So many options in that creek. I have been fishing it for well over ten years now. In the last couple of months things have been unusually unproductive. Not sure why. Maybe the whiting have been hammered and just the stingrays are left in good numbers? Or perhaps there is some repercussion of the last few seasons playing out? Something is going on anyway because even pickers in the old faithful spots are far more scarce than they used to be.

Having said that though, yesterday far far away from that creek we struggled on the whiting front too.

That report is yet to come.

[Angry51]

Looks like a fun session.

Good report, if you keep going like this it won't be long

before you're writing for Fishing World.

[Kat]

Got some of the little suckers slime on my fishing singlet and it didn't even wash out in the machine!

As for the whiting, I am no @Daryl McPheeor @Neil Stratford. But all the usual places I have consistently caught whiting at this time of the year, albeit sometimes only undersized, have been almost completely devoid recently. 

We have used Yabbies, Bloodworms and Beachworms.

Mainly I fish the SMBI's and the Creek - are they all hanging out elsewhere?

I am sure @Daryl McPheeor others may be able to give some insight as to why or prove me wrong .

 

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Nice work guys, at least you had a few fish! 

[Bretto77]

16 minutes ago, Angry51 said:

Looks like a fun session.

Good report, if you keep going like this it won't be long

before you're writing for Fishing World.

People who write for those sorts of commercial entities generally have some success to report

[Angry51]

3 hours ago, Bretto77 said:

People who write for those sorts of commercial entities generally have some success to report

Not always Brett, they just don't tell about the donuts. not

honest like most of us.

Edited January 4, 2023 by Angry51
Add to text.

[Bretto77]

1 hour ago, Angry51 said:

Not always Brett, they just don't tell about the donuts. not

honest like most of us.

Honesty is one thing, success is perceived. I am happy with truth and reality along the way

[Daryl McPhee]

18 hours ago, ellicat said:

I didn't know where Jabiru Island was so looked it up. There's some nice looking whiting grounds all around. Surprised they have been so hard to get ! Have you tried drifting around to find schools ? Might pickup a flattie or two doing that.

I got a pony fish last week and afterwards couldn't grip a yabbie to feed onto the hook. Slimy things.

Ponyfish are a mucous gland with fins. 

[Daryl McPhee]

18 hours ago, Kat said:

Got some of the little suckers slime on my fishing singlet and it didn't even wash out in the machine!

As for the whiting, I am no @Daryl McPheeor @Neil Stratford. But all the usual places I have consistently caught whiting at this time of the year, albeit sometimes only undersized, have been almost completely devoid recently. 

We have used Yabbies, Bloodworms and Beachworms.

Mainly I fish the SMBI's and the Creek - are they all hanging out elsewhere?

I am sure @Daryl McPheeor others may be able to give some insight as to why or prove me wrong .

 

I haven't seen any difference in the number of whiting or where they have been this year. The Xmas/New Year period can be quiet due to the amount of activity on the water. We did chase a feed land based around dusk at Runaway Bay just after Xmas and got a couple of nice fish for not much time invested. 

 

[Bretto77]

40 minutes ago, Daryl McPhee said:

I haven't seen any difference in the number of whiting or where they have been this year. The Xmas/New Year period can be quiet due to the amount of activity on the water. We did chase a feed land based around dusk at Runaway Bay just after Xmas and got a couple of nice fish for not much time invested. 

 

There's some nice fish there . I am sure that @Kat will be stoked when she sees your reply . We have not been getting consistent results of late anyhow. We must be doing something wrong .

[kmcrosby78]

Very, very well written report and good to see a few desirable fish caught in amongst the rays and pony fish. Looking forward to the next report .

[Kat]

Thanks @Daryl McPhee! Not sure if your response makes me feel better or worse .

Will try again today.

[Daryl McPhee]

3 minutes ago, Kat said:

Thanks @Daryl McPhee! Not sure if your response makes me feel better or worse .

Will try again today.

Keep trying. I'll head up the Nerang this afternoon to target grunter. 

[Kat]

28 minutes ago, Daryl McPhee said:

Keep trying. I'll head up the Nerang this afternoon to target grunter. 

Are you land based as usual or going in a boat today?  We often catch Grunter in the Coombabah Creek too.

Good luck.

[Daryl McPhee]

We'll be land based. 

[Kat]

On 05/01/2023 at 11:25 AM, Daryl McPhee said:

We'll be land based. 

How did you go Daryl?

[Daryl McPhee]

23 hours ago, Kat said:

How did you go Daryl?

A mixed bag but only a couple of just legal grunter. None of the big grunter that I look for this time of the year. 

[Kat]

Couple of legal Grunter better than none .  You have just confirmed my suspicions that it is Grunter season here.  We have been catching a few smaller ones in various places - some very very small.  

Usually catch them in the creek at night but can't get through the darn pony fish at the moment.