Figuring out Jungle Perch

[crazywalrus]

When my boys were up in January we tried our hands at Jungle Perch fishing.  To be honest, if we did not catch anything,the walk in the rainforest and wading the cool clear streams was enough in itself.  We managed a couple, on most of the trips. No size though.  

When Declan flew home I did another trip with Jacob and we seemed to have worked it out better, picking up a few small fish on every reach of the stream.  So Great you can pop around the corner and experience these things. “Paradise” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ellicat]

That looks so good !

Much of a walk ?

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Great job @crazywalrus. Looks like great fun. I'm guessing there's not many crocs in the freshwater up there?

[crazywalrus]

9 minutes ago, ellicat said:

That looks so good !

Much of a walk ?

Not to bad a few km’s in the creek 

[crazywalrus]

9 minutes ago, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

Great job @crazywalrus. Looks like great fun. I'm guessing there's not many crocs in the freshwater up there?

There are crocs. These couple of streams are good. I fished a stream up near  Port Douglas that a mate told was clear. I was careful and was getting over a log on the bank and nearly stood on a 2.5m croc. We watched it swim off. 

[Bretto77]

Your game if you are wading in the Mowbray...???

[Bretto77]

Also, you have to walk the banks and be very quiet if you want a shot at the bigger ones. 

[crazywalrus]

20 minutes ago, Bretto77 said:

Your game if you are wading in the Mowbray...???

Yeah that was the one I nearly stood on the one sunning itself on the bank.  I was told it was crocs free but given the viewing platform is not far away we did not wade the creek apart from some shallow crossing.  When we left and started walking back we encountered the council working and they mentioned a 4m croc sunning itself in the same area.  I did not believe the mate anymore.   The pics in the photos are well up Behana and Freshy 

[Bretto77]

14 minutes ago, crazywalrus said:

Yeah that was the one I nearly stood on the one sunning itself on the bank.  I was told it was crocs free but given the viewing platform is not far away we did not wade the creek apart from some shallow crossing.  When we left and started walking back we encountered the council working and they mentioned a 4m croc sunning itself in the same area.  I did not believe the mate anymore.   The pics in the photos are well up Behana and Freshy 

Don't wade in the Mowbray or the slow flowing clear water of any creek or river up there. Best JP's will come from further up the streams in the flowing water. It's also a little less water temperature which makes it less attractive to Crocs.

[Bretto77]

I looked at the video of the perch caught in the "not so clear water". Croc bait.

Please don't do that again.

[crazywalrus]

6 minutes ago, Bretto77 said:

Don't wade in the Mowbray or the slow flowing clear water of any creek or river up there. Best JP's will come from further up the streams in the flowing water. It's also a little less water temperature which makes it less attractive to Crocs.

Thanks. Yeah the pics where we are wading are from freshwater creek where people are swimming in it for a few kms.  It is funny we found we where picking them up in the rapids rather then the pools. So we started to focus there in the Freshy and did better. So different tl fishing for bass further south. 
 

Will stay out of the water from now on. 

[crazywalrus]

4 minutes ago, Bretto77 said:

I looked at the video of the perch caught in the "not so clear water". Croc bait.

Please don't do that again.

That was nearly up at crystal cascades.  But agree not worth it from now on.  Locals where swim in in the pools around us. 

[Bretto77]

Sorry not trying to preach really. I took my chances too in those areas. It was well over 20 years ago now. Crocs hadn't been protected for so long then (and I suspect that many locals didn't really care if they were protected...). It's a different story with their numbers and size now.

Rant over. Sorry.

[crazywalrus]

5 minutes ago, Bretto77 said:

Sorry not trying to preach really. I took my chances too in those areas. It was well over 20 years ago now. Crocs hadn't been protected for so long then (and I suspect that many locals didn't really care if they were protected...). It's a different story with their numbers and size now.

Rant over. Sorry.

No need to apologise. I am always taking advice from people. I grew up on the tablelands but never fished these waters.  I was really careful when I fished the Mowbray as I did not believe my mate. 
 

I think it is a good warning and discussion around this. You can not jump into a pristine looking stream and expect it to be free of crocs.  Freshwater creek has several swimming holes below crystal cascades which are heavily used and on the day we where fishing. 
 

at the end of the day better to be safe and it is not worth it to catch a fish.  Thanks for the advice and I will be way more careful

[Bretto77]

We used to swim at Ross n lock and goldsborugh too... Not now...

[Angry51]

Always remember,,, if it has water in it there is a possibility of a croc being around...

In the north anyway. I couldn't wade out in the surf to fish even in NSW as I'm

so tuned to expect crocs or even into a dam. The ( hopefully ) the only croc that

gets me will have to come through a shower rose.

Good advice Brett.

[Bretto77]

4 minutes ago, Angry51 said:

Always remember,,, if it has water in it there is a possibility of a croc being around...

In the north anyway. I couldn't wade out in the surf to fish even in NSW as I'm

so tuned to expect crocs or even into a dam. The ( hopefully ) the only croc that

gets me will have to come through a shower rose.

Good advice Brett.

I kind of had a bit of a rant. I didn't mean to. Maybe part of me got a bit jealous because that was my young stomping ground and now I am stuck in SEQ.... I miss NQ.

I stand by what I said though about me taking my chances and things being very different now.

[Angry51]

Yeah, we all did things in younger days and now are a bit wiser, the fact of getting away with

it and can now advise others is called "EXPERIENCE "

I see people doing things in /near water and it make me nervous.

We need to stop saying that's a dumb thing to do as it like a challenge to others to do it.

[Bretto77]

4 minutes ago, Angry51 said:

Yeah, we all did things in younger days and now are a bit wiser, the fact of getting away with

it and can now advise others is called "EXPERIENCE "

I see people doing things in /near water and it make me nervous.

We need to stop saying that's a dumb thing to do as it like a challenge to others to do it.

Being told didn't work on me when I was full of testosterone and ignorance... Sheer luck and circumstance that I am here to talk about it...

[Rebel]

Great report.

Top photos.