queensland NPD 05 June 08

[Rocket75]

NPD 5 June 08

After all the great fish Dino and others have been getting at NPD, I was primed to break my 5 trip dry spell at this location.

Having read that TerryH was keen to fish there today, I thought I might head over and have a fish with him.

At the very gentlemanly hour of 9.30 I arrived at Bullocky’s only to find the car park closed for maintenance, so I continued on to the next car park where I found Terry’s beast and another familiar car.

Not knowing which direction of the compass the others had headed, I started fishing the bank as I moved around in search of the boys. No fish came to play so I moved on, and just around the bend I came across Terry and Jimmybob.

They had been quite successful already with Jimmy having been there for a couple of hours and landing half a dozen fish on Tassie Devils and spinnerbaits.

Terry had also got in on the act! In fact he tells me he got one first cast of the day!

A change in location then did the trick for Terry who got a small Bass on a spinnerbait, then hooking and landing a Yellowbelly close into the bank. Not quite a PB but exciting none the less.

Jimmybob needed some sleep after working all night and left not long after I arrived.

Good to catch up again Jimmy, congrats on the fish today.

After Jimmybob left, we decided to brave the long grass and uncertain terrain to work our way around the bay and towards the back of the dam.

What followed was approx 40 minutes of heavy duty bush bashing. Skirting the waterline, we barged, pushed, slipped and stumbled our way through.

Wearing boots and long pants, I slogged my way through clearing a way for Terry in his shorts and slides.

Knowing that the snakes should be asleep for the winter, but not wanting to surprise one out of its slumber, we were making lots of noise to give them plenty of notice of our pending arrival.

At least one snake was staying up late this year, and I almost stepped right on it.

About to put my foot down, I saw the back half of a large black snake as it slowly disappeared into the long grass…in Terry’s direction.

Leaving it go its own way, we went the other and continued our trek.

When we finally reached our intended destination, we proceeded to spray casts left right and centre, wanting a result to justify our hard work.

Terry had already donated some Jackals to the deep, so we both were using spinnerbaits as they tend to snag up less.

It seemed that my zero would remain unchanged, but Terry was confidant that I would crack a fish soon, and he was spot on.

Cast after cast came back untouched until I got slammed approx 10m from the bank.

The fish had weight, and headed straight down into the submerged grass. After lifting his head, a short but spirited fight ended with a PB Yella (my first on a lure).:woohoo:

Terry waded out to help land him so we could get some pics and sent it back.

Relaxed to have finally broken my duck, I watched on as Terry proceeded to hook, fight and drop three fish in a row, at least one was a decent fish and possible PB.

He was not happy!

A small foul hooked Bass finally stayed attached and Terry was back in business.

Working along the length of the bank we tried a number of locations, with Terry adventuring through thigh deep water in search of better fishing spots.

My patience was rewarded with a really solid hit and some drag screaming runs.

Terry was hooked up at the same time (but dropped his), so I managed to get mine in solo through the long grass.

Once it hit the bank I was thinking PB and I was right.

On the mat he went 53cm to the tip and was just as thick as my Wivenhoe fish (previous PB). Photos taken, we sent him back to grow some more.

Things slowed after this and only one more fish came to play. Terry caught a 40cm+ Bass just as we were preparing to head home.

Not keen on retracing our difficult steps, we headed to higher ground until we found the walking track. We followed it back to the main road and we got to the cars in at least half the time of our initial Burke and Wills effort.

Thanks to Terry for the company. Without your positive attitude there is no doubt that I would not have made the effort and got the results.

If you have read this and not just skipped to the pictures, thanks!

Photos to follow.

Rocket

[kevinchen19870316]

what? the water's that high now?

congrats on the fish guys.

[fishyman]

congrats fellas

nice fish

[Dec]

Congrads on your first NPD bass and yellowbelly well done on the 53cm fish.

[brisfisher]

lol sounds like the mission was worth it in the end;)congrats on the pb's mate n a great read.well done:)

[bretto]

Nice work guys and congrats on the PB Rocket.

[Aaron H]

Well done guys perserverance paid off, and buy the photos it looks like one of my old favourite spots that I have not been game to trek down to, looks like u nearly run into an old friend of mine that scared the s**t out of me last time I was at that spot in November

[STU]

Great one rod nice fish and good onya terry for helping him out

[Dinodadog]

Well done Rocket and Terry and congrats on the pb, like the rig too

[EMP]

Sounds like a perfect outing, guys.

Rocket, your writing never fails to capture the innermost imagination- making me want to head out that way the soonest possible time.

EMP

[pcsolutionman]

Great stuff lads awesome little session, good to see a couple of yellas to, got me all amped for borumba on mondau now thansk for sharing boys

Lee

[rayke1938]

Some good fish there. It certainly makes the effort worth while. The snakes will hang around while we have this warm spell.

I went to McGavins for an hour or so late yesterday arvo and scored a donut. I parked outside the bitumen car park and just walked down to the waters edge at the end of the cleared track and flogged the water there with a spinnerbait. Maybe i should have tried a popper as there was a little surface action when the light went.

Think I will give up that location as that is where I previously lost my car keys and this time I lost one of my hearing aids somewhere on the way.

May have to get Dan to backtrack from NPD and Redland Bay to see if he can find the hearing aid for me.:laugh:

It poured rain for around 10 minutes when I got there around 5pm but fined up to a clear sky.

Security still hadnt came and locked the Gates by the time I left.Wont say when as it may incriminate me.

Cheers

Ray:laugh:

[MichaelJ]

great fish there congrats on the pb rocket

p.s. good photo of the pb bass

[Plastic Man]

good report rocket well done on the pb mate real nice fish you did well to keep it out of the grass well done guys

[ellicat]

Good read Rocket. Congrats on the pb's and narrowly avoiding joe blake. It's hard to see them when you're tall and handsome:P :laugh: :laugh:

[Rocket75]

ellicat wrote:

Good read Rocket. Congrats on the pb's and narrowly avoiding joe blake. It's hard to see them when you're tall and handsome:P :laugh: :laugh:

You know how it is Eli.

[Dan23]

Great fish rocket! I got a few spinnerbaits/chatterbaits/buzzbaits given to me the other day so will have to give it a shot there soon.

Oh and Ray, when I do I'll keep my eyes peeled

[Rocket75]

Might be better to keep your ear to the ground:silly:

[ellicat]

ear to the ground certainly sounds less painful :pinch:

[Terry H]

man I dropped 3 fish that were, I think, easily PBs.

Story of rockets fish: (well my version)

Flick out.. BAM slammed by agood fish... I have a fight with it, pull him from around some grass yadda yadda, oo theres more grass. navigate that, its tuggin HARD, damn nice fish..

Get some colour :woohoo: its a horse... but BAM! bzzzt I hear rockets rig screaming yeah that's a good fish!!

But then my hooks pull

So I flick out the spinner again in the same spot, retrieve and BAM holy crap on again, same weight but this fish has less gusto.. perhaps same more tired out fish??

And .. .that fish is a master of throwing hooks, because out she comes!

And rocket's still fighting his.. holy crap :laugh:

I flick out a few more times in an attempt to hook up, but cant:(

Anyway, a bit later in the same area holy smokes I got drilled again by a GOOD bass. This one felt a big stronger than the first one I lost too!! but yeah, hooks pulled:( haha

Far out... the one i saw, big horse 55cm I reckon. Rocket was about 15-20 metres away and commented on the sheer amount of water this thing was displacing... Biggun, lost:(

My yella was about 1/2 a cm smaller than my PB Saw him slam my spinner at my feet (they're holding right up in the grass) and nto hoko up, Rocket would have heard me get excited at this stage, I then flicked out a real short cast and retrieved it in just below the surface, I saw he was holding up in th egrass and bam saw him fly out and nail it again, this time hooking up.

I got 1 yella, and 5? or 6 bass, can't remember :blush:

good day

lost another jackall (mask vibe) and ausspin spinner, although this time it was my own fault, tied bimini twists too long and kept doubles too long when tying the leader knots, so lost it when the double opened and hooked a guide. made sure I fixed that after I lost those 2:( real short doubles after that

[Terry H]

2nd shot of yella

Rocket in the grass

[Terry H]

Aaron H wrote:

Well done guys perserverance paid off, and buy the photos it looks like one of my old favourite spots that I have not been game to trek down to, looks like u nearly run into an old friend of mine that scared the s**t out of me last time I was at that spot in November

November lokos like the last time anyone was down there... we saw the odd remnents of what might have been a track :laugh:

mostly bush bashing and making our own track though.

[Aaron H]

Used to be a nice little track that would take u over that hill to the pipeline but that was gone in November so highly unlikely its there anymore