Malcolm

6.0Mtr long 2.4Mtr Beam Draft 300mm 60hp Merc 4 stroke does about 25 knots flat out but cruises really nice around 15knots

6.0Mtr long 2.4Mtr Beam Draft 300mm 60hp Merc 4 stroke does about 25 knots flat out but cruises really nice around 15knots

has been a long time between posts I have not long finished my second boat build which took 12 monthsI will

Up in the bow is safety gear tackle ect and a fold out stretcher as Iv spent a few overnighters in the bay
 

has been a long time between posts I have not long finished my second boat build which took 12 monthsI will

Hi Legends!  
Last Friday afternoon Brett and I made a trip to the Gold Coast to fish Coombabah Creek.  The plan was to get there in time to pump yabbies, have a fish for some fat whiting, sleep on the boat the night (hoping the thunderstorm didn't eventuate!) and pick the kids up from the Coast in the morning and take them for a fish in the boat.
My fisho mate from Macleay had challenged me to a week-long whiting comp as he was staying in the Creek or the Coomera for the whole week.  Part of the reason for our trip.  We the previous Sunday from the bank and Tuesday afternoon/evening from the boat and it was almost dead – barely anything biting.  I think we might have caught one legal whiting combined both sessions.  With the view that the bite had to change sometime, we were hopeful it was going to be Friday night.  I phoned my mate on the way there, he asked if I was going past the bait shop.  He was supposed to be in the Coomera but had stayed because one of his mate's mates had bagged out on whiting that morning.  He asked me to pick him up some live blood worms – the story was that the blood worms were working and the yabbies weren’t.  I wasn't planning on spending money on bait but got worms for him and some for us.  We also pumped yabbies on arrival. 
We headed up to one of the more productive and well-known spots in the creek.  It wasn’t long before I had a fish on and landed a 33cm Spotted Grunter.  Released to the esky.  Brett got a legal Bream which I made him keep (sister likes Bream).  Over the next few hours Brett used yabbies and I used worms (while being accused of cheating on my beloved yabbies!).  It is hard to recall, but I think I got about 7 or 8 decent sized whiting, while Brett may have got 1.  It went quiet and we were both tired, so we headed down the creek to a spot where we got some nice fat whiting a couple of weeks ago.  This spot is rarely fished by other boats from my observations, it is out from the yabbie banks too far to cast from the land where I have fished numerous times but away from the channel.  We went to sleep pretty quickly. 
About 4am in the morning I was woken by another boat.  I sat up to see what was happening and they were going slowly down the channel looking for crab pots by the mangroves.  I strongly suspect that they were share farmers. I tried to get back to sleep for a while but eventually gave up about 5.15 am and put my line in the water – with one of the last worms– it should have been low tide well and truly, but it was still running out.  Brett started fishing shortly after me.  I hooked a decent whiting after about 15 minutes and was hopeful for more, but the bite was quite slow.  On this trip, for one of the first times, I was using the method that some of you legends had imparted to me – the rod in the holder facing straight down to the water or leaning on the back of the boat – with light drag – then when you see the rod bend – lift up gently etcetera.  That night I had to break the necks of almost all the whiting I had caught to retrieve my hook. 
Anyway – probably about 6am my line was being played with for quite a while, the rod tip bent a little, there was a short run and then nothing.  Eventually I thought I better check my bait and felt a little resistance, a few flaps and then gently lifted the rod out of the holder, I tightened the drag slightly and started winding in.  No resistance - thought I had missed the fish until the drag started peeling off and I could feel the weight, the fish did a few good runs with the drag even tighter – I called that it couldn’t be a whiting, too strong and heavy.  Brett said, while laughing, it is an elbow slapper. 
As I got the fish close to the boat I was both amazed and ecstatic – it was the biggest whiting I have ever laid eyes on.  I was scared I was going to lose it as I pulled it into the boat (didn’t even cross my mind to use the net as I was so excited).  I managed to get it safely into the boat and I still can’t believe how big it was  - measured 43cm on the brag mat (not 44 as in the photo).  Weighed 688 grams!
I am absolutely stoked – I could barely bring myself to fillet it and definitely didn’t break its neck at the time to retrieve my hook!
I went on to catch whiting all day but only a few at a time – 19 legal whiting in total – I think 15 were mine, 2 to Brett and 2 to Brett’s oldest.
Brett also switched to worms but could hardly land a fish all day.  I got quite a lot of very dirty looks.
I can only conclude the method works (Brett was generally holding his rod - fishing rod!).
A big thanks to everyone on AFO who has helped me achieve this – particularly @Daryl McPhee and @Neil Stratford for his PM last year on how to catch whiting.  If I have forgotten to mention anyone in particular please forgive me.
Can’t wait to try this again very very soon.
PICS:
 

Up in the bow is safety gear tackle ect and a fold out stretcher as Iv spent a few overnighters in the bay
 

Looks good, Mal.
What have you got in the cabin ?

Can see them now, looks good.
Lot of work in that.😀

has been a long time between posts I have not long finished my second boat build which took 12 monthsI will

Boat looks good! The pics attached download so you can see them when you download them.

Looks like you're trying to add them to the post as 'files'. Try dragging and dropping them.
Either that or the file format is not accepted/supported. *.heic etc

has been a long time between posts I have not long finished my second boat build which took 12 monthsI will

This is only speaking from personal opinion but I would like this forum to not head in the direction I have seen other forums go down the track of. For some people like my self who works long hours in a stressful job coming home and reading this forum is a release from the day to day grind, if you don't get a chance to get out fishing as often as some people are lucky enough to do.

You get on and read about other experiences that other members have had at the sport that we all love so much. You can relate to their excitement or disappointment as you share the same dreams. What causes the downwards spiral of these forums is negativity and a whole lot of keyboard cowboy syndrome. This has a negative affect on the entire site, at first some of these threads may seem funny but can turn nasty very quickly. This promotes people not wanting to report any more and even worse the potential loss of sponsorship which in turns pays for the site that we all enjoy. 98% of posts on this site are of a positive or fun making gesture but as usual in life a minority can wreck it for all.

The first thing people will reply to this post is that this is a free country, and it is an open forum and people can post what they want, but do some of these things really needed to go so far. If everyone just thought, would I say it to their face, maybe a whole lot of the crap would not even make it onto the forum. If a post gets heated put a time out on the member or something, I am pretty sure some of the men in blue will vouch that if you chuck someone into the courthouse for the night, with maybe an accidental spraying with the fire hose they are a whole lot calmer (and sober) in the morning.

This is not my forum, I do not run this forum or have any say in it, I do not believe that my opinion will be that of 100% or even 50% of people that read this but as the first arguement that will be written opposing my opinion will be is that it is an open forum. I just believe that if every one thought about why they joined the forum for originally (fishing) not whinging and bitching that maybe we might even make this forum even better than it already is.

If enough people stop reporting, not going to socials or comps, no new sponsorship there will be no forum. It might sound over the top or dramatic but it can happen and has. Once again this is only my opinion, someone who loves to read about other peoples fishing related adventure or reporting on my own.

Thankyou for reading

Andrew

I don't know what the age is but mate if want a job at BCF go for it.
You will learn heaps about retail and in a field you like.
If old blokes don't listen to you so what.

It doesn't matter where he picks his first job up at, the kid is looking and planning and is to be applauded for that alone.