Drop Bear

I did this back in the day... came back to all my pots slashed open... I don't do it any more.

1 - Normally the rains make the crabs move around and it is better crabbing. In saying this the Bris river has been flooding and this probably has pushed all the crabs into the deeper water and towards the mouth. They can move a long way. FYI female crabs can spawn way out to sea. https://www.fishingworld.com.au/news/fish-facts-mud-crabs#:~:text=While most of the life,only for around 2 weeks. https://australian.museum/learn/animals/crustaceans/invertebrates-collection-mud-crabs-at-sea/ 2 - Yep they get stuck in the pot. They try and escape. If there is a hole they will find it. 3 - Yep If you have fine mesh crab pots the muddies will break through and escape. They can even do this to thicker mesh pots. My theory is that they get their bodies jammed up in a courner and push and pull till they snap the lines. I also think they might be able to squash the mesh and cut it a bit like side cutters. 4 - It all depends on how you are fishing. 1-2 hours is nice if you are in the area and can get to them but sometimes I do leave them for 24hours. Don't be too worried about where you are crabbing. They move around and not many people fish for them in the River. Stay safe, put them in where you are fishing. Trial and error will find you the most productive spots.

Are you targeting them for sport of food? For food, I spear them on the incoming tide. I have attached a spear gun type spear shaft to a long bush pole. I walk around the shallows about 1-3 hours after low tide and get them that way. If you do this, make sure you have a long pole and keep them away from you until you can deal with the barb as they don't appreciate the attention. Stingray barbs are very impressive bits of weaponry. IMHO they are an extremely underrated pan fish with sweet, soft white fillets (texture is a bit like Barra but tastes better). The rest of the world loves to eat skate but not so much up here in QLD. Not that I am complaining, leave more for me I say :). For sport I tie my line around the base of a tree and try and pull that in... in other words I try not to catch stingray on hook and line. In saying that I don't fish in Tasmania and you may have a great opportunity down there that I don't know about. Good luck and stay away from the barbs

Dont get used to it

I have one and there are a stack of pros and cons Pros: They keep all the hooks safely out of harms way. This is very good. I find that with a normal rod the sinker bounces off and makes a tangled mess. Even if you secure the sinker well the little hooks go everywhere and catch on other rods and their lines and the guides... I have been hooked up a few times with the little hooks. They don't cause much harm and are easily removed with some plyers but its not nice. These rods keep them safe and tidy. Cons: They suck to use. They are long stiff poles and have no flex which means there is a lot more leverage against you than a normal bendy rod. They feel awkward and yucky.... If you are fishing in deeper water and get a string full of slimys it can be really hard work. In balance if I am on a boat and thinking of using it a few times during the trip I wouldn't hesitate to use one. If I was going to one spot to catch the baits and could put the jigs away after this I would prefer to use a conventional rod.

So good mate well done. Do you sink pots at the pontoon? I reckon you could regularly get a feed of muddies if you can manage taking a couple along.

Good one mate. You will have a great time regardless. With your worms, pick really shallow gutters at low tide. They won't be in every one so you may need to walk up and down the beach but whiting love to hang out in these shallow gutters. You only need a 300mm of water sometimes less. Most people wade through these gutters and fish the big open gutters behind. I have caught dozens of whiting in just over ankle deep water on surf beaches. Why are you not going to get some beach worms? If you find a nice dry safe spot I would defs throw out live mullet if you can get one. Mulloway are there for sure. the pontoons on the rivers and creeks should hold some. If you cant get any slow roll some 5 inch plastics through the gutters. They are a bit lazy and will hold out in deeper holes that don't have much water movement. I'm not saying they wont be in other places but I would start there. If you are in the yak and can fish at night, try slow rolling the 5 inch plastics at the sand bags. Barra are regularly caught this way. slugs are def worth a shot. Some Tailor hang around all year. I have heard plenty of stories about them being caught this summer. 3 inch paddle tails can be deadly in the suds. Bream, Trevally, Dart, Flathead love them. if it is washy just chuck them out and let the waves move them around. If it is tricky to get out due to the waves, micro jigs are easy to cast and can account for a stack of fish too. Have a great trip mate.

What rhymes with habit and tastes delicious?

I ate stingray the other day. Delicious. I made a hand spear from a long stick and added an old spear from a spear gun. They are everywhere on the flats on the incoming tide.

Whoa! very satisfying. Well done mate that is a great effort.

They are on now. Get on it.

I have stopped buying lurs.......... I have.... honestly........ Where was that?

Well that is a cracking trip in my book. Delicious results and a nice day on the water. Well done and thanks for the report.

yep... some of us clowns target them haha.

such a beautiful spot. Enjoy

Ripper mate well done. Mrs Bear and I just moved a refurbished donga over to our house at Amity Point. They are a little rough and bumped about but we have 2 Bedrooms with aircon, fans lights for $27,500. Let me know if you would like the details.

12/15?

Gonna be a lot easier to choose... EXCEPT WHEN QLD TEAMS PLAY EACH OTHER!!!!

Looks like the qld teams are going to do amazingly well this year again. Either that or I will get the wooden spoon!

This is as much as I can do to enhance it. If you can get another photo without a flash and make sure it is in focus I could have another go?

Get the dog. An illegal fisher has been convicted in Wyong court yesterday receiving over $8,000 in fines and ordered to pay over $4000 in professional costs. https://bnbfishing.com.au/crab-poacher-fined-and-boat-seized/?fbclid=IwAR0qkvujY-1DB2OBl9eA9ON_51y46wfronDW_M27d83oTok3Z1ASmvI-nFA

If you have a whole Pilchard out with trebles you are a good chance for a Tailor or Flathead. Chop the Pilchard into chunks and a small hook and you should get some bream. Good luck. Such a beautiful part of the world. Share some pics if you can?

Changing the perception of flake to Queenslanders would do something.

Interesting lures thanks mate. I don't think I will ever have antique lures... no matter how old I get... always covered in rust from lure abuse... When I die I am sure that I will be perched at the top of the best fishing spot I have ever seen, fish jumping everywhere, and forced to rummage through boxes and boxes of rusty, once serviceable lures...