Junky

No better way to test a new reel than on some kingies 
I do realise you didn't hook up to the king, but you could have. 
 

I drove past there last night and @Old Scaley is already lined up at the gate waiting.
 
 
Awesome catches BTW. 
Nearly as good as a day on the water. 

No better way to test a new reel than on some kingies 
I do realise you didn't hook up to the king, but you could have. 
 

I drove past there last night and @Old Scaley is already lined up at the gate waiting.
 
 
Awesome catches BTW. 
Nearly as good as a day on the water. 

@Jono4500 @mangajack @GregOug @Angry51 @fatboy @Alex2505 @crazywalrus @benno573 @Ross.warwick
 @ellicat @AUS-BNE-FISHO @Kat @Old Scaley @Huxstang @Neil Stratford @Bretto77 @Allnighter @Junky @charlie.hans.fishing @Bob9863
 @kmcrosby78 @Thorbjorn Hale @tugger @rayke1938 @Peter K
 
Please read the update. The comp is now monthly.

* U P D A T E *
The comp is being extended to being a monthly competition with a winner for each month. Most months won takes away a grand prize at the end of the year. Also, I have introduced a "Trophy Fish of any Species not covered above" category. This will be for something like a pb Barra or Mangrove Jack that is somewhat remarkable.

I use Gosen on my 20 and 30lb. 
Diawa Saltiga 12 on my heavy rods. 
 
Both are trouble free for me. 

Last trip to Moreton was quite interesting. Went to a spot I normally have good luck at. Been fishing the river lately so was really nice to go fish ocean for once. Water was very dirty which was expected, never seen the water that dirty around that area before so it was quite a change. 
Got to the spot early morning and was glassed out which is normally, conditions looking amazing and the hopes of something decent was high. Was planning to go for tuna and mackeral but I normally get tuna in winter, mackeral and maybe cobia was still an option though.
We managed to get some live herring which died pretty quickly so we put it out as dead bait and managed to get a few out live. Sadly only bream were out and something else that kept taking our bait, never know what it was but I doubt it was very big. By then we were fishing for about 3 hours and it was now 11am, decided to get some bream just to have some fun. My small rod was rigged up for lures as I was throwing lures so I decided to use my 7-15kg rod for bream in structure, maybe not the lightest rod but it definitely feels like a 4-8kg rod. I put small cut pieces of herring on a small hook and a small sinker and kept the bait between the shade and sun and managed a couple bream all between 25-32cm. 
I put out the rod with herring again and leader got clean bitten off which lifted by hopes up, mackeral were around. After no luck on the stickbait in the morning i decided to put on a 30g metal in a shiny green colour. After a bit of casting a decided to go for bream again. My mate went to practice his casting with the rod later that day around 1pm, 2nd cast mackeral. Wasnt big by any means maybe 35-40cm but still better than nothing. Put a 30g metal on his rod in a bright pink colour and started casting. Got a couple more after that but they were very scattered, not as many bust ups as usual as well.
 
Anyways that was my trip to Moretan last weekend
 
Tight lines

Headed out with Darren (@Allnighter) today, and @Leosonfire tagged along in his new boat too. Got to my mark around 7am in time for the start of the run in. Things were looking crook when the first half a dozen fish were grinners. We were bottom fishing while waiting for the pillie under a float to entice a schoolie or two.
Soon enough the mack rod screamed off. I was playing it in when Darren's rod went off. He brought his in close enough to see it was vermin in the shape of a fairly hefty Leopard shark. Pretty fish, but it was in the macks way, so Darren tucked it out of the way and slid the net under the schoolie. 64cm. A good start to the esky deposits.
A few more grinners, then a decent grassie, then it went a bit quiet, so we shifted 50 metres or so. I was getting bites here, but not Darren. Then another schoolie came in. We shifted a little again and, down 3/Nil, Darren was onto something heavy. Up popped a 45cm Blackspot Tuskfish. Very well received and straight on ice.
Not long after he was on again. This one took him to the reef. After a patient 2 minutes or so it came back out and I slid the net under another bluey about the same size as the first. Then he caught another Leopard shark about 7 - 8 foot long!
I got another mackerel and another grassie for the esky before the toads chased us away. A quick stop back at my first mark and my line screamed off. It was no toad. Ended up being a 4-5 foot shovellie. A bit disappointing but it had me puffing for a bit. @Old Scaley dropped in and said g'day then anchored not far away. We left soon after.
Back to the ramp at 2, happy with a top day on the water. It's always beautiful at the Rous on a sunny day.
 
A couple of old fools - one on a mack, one on a Leopard shark -
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNZg3pijBjwQGyGZCu5K5t_C9VillVOhVsjALmyOfIHF9KCGXZ-LCN_adCwq4BjJw/photo/AF1QipOucbZUE7yfTHu5R-cDPoy2PY21HznliEY3i99h?key=Mm1JY0RtVXZ5Z0JCc1MySV9ZTDR4Y0hjQThJaFpR
 
Darren's first bluey -
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNZg3pijBjwQGyGZCu5K5t_C9VillVOhVsjALmyOfIHF9KCGXZ-LCN_adCwq4BjJw/photo/AF1QipOSTUYR1n3hDszSx2GIJA5FZVoUNCxJ8PJKwQvo?key=Mm1JY0RtVXZ5Z0JCc1MySV9ZTDR4Y0hjQThJaFpR
 
Leo in his shiny new boat -
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipNZg3pijBjwQGyGZCu5K5t_C9VillVOhVsjALmyOfIHF9KCGXZ-LCN_adCwq4BjJw/photo/AF1QipMWhfZU8C3ahFWqDUx9b6kG_DRmgBZZ5-fXH3aL?key=Mm1JY0RtVXZ5Z0JCc1MySV9ZTDR4Y0hjQThJaFpR

Hi All. 
Last day of the holidays for these Teenagers. Decided to go some where different. God's country.
Arrived around sunrise. just before low tide.
Bonito on the bite straight away. A few tailor ( released )
I started with a drummer. That woke me up, spilt my coffee. After A good fight I let him go.
The boys caught some nice bream. Around 33cm.
I  changed to bait. First snapper 47cm.
We ended up with two snapper. Three bonito. Three bream.
Good time. Lots of laughs.
Bait was squid & various lures.
Newport Arms for breakfast. Where else.
Cheers.

Clearly a very clever company ...... Hmmm, we have a colour that always sells out, ummmm, let's discontinue it ........ Clowns!!

I've never had much luck with either brand and I fished them hard. 
Put on a gulp, powerbait, squidgy a or slider grub... Bang, fish on. 
 
Also, plastic manufacturers do not listen to anglers sometimes. 
I had an unbeatable color, from a well known brand that still exists to this day and has a massive selection available, that absolutely brained the big snapper. 
Lo and behold, that color was discontinued. 
Why? 
They were always sold out. 
 
Probably worked to well. 
I've tried all other colours in the exact brand and style that I fancied and basically halved the catch rate, and the overall size of the fish. 
Very frustrating imo. 
 
The color will never return I'm told. 
 

I've never had much luck with either brand and I fished them hard. 
Put on a gulp, powerbait, squidgy a or slider grub... Bang, fish on. 
 
Also, plastic manufacturers do not listen to anglers sometimes. 
I had an unbeatable color, from a well known brand that still exists to this day and has a massive selection available, that absolutely brained the big snapper. 
Lo and behold, that color was discontinued. 
Why? 
They were always sold out. 
 
Probably worked to well. 
I've tried all other colours in the exact brand and style that I fancied and basically halved the catch rate, and the overall size of the fish. 
Very frustrating imo. 
 
The color will never return I'm told. 
 

I've never had much luck with either brand and I fished them hard. 
Put on a gulp, powerbait, squidgy a or slider grub... Bang, fish on. 
 
Also, plastic manufacturers do not listen to anglers sometimes. 
I had an unbeatable color, from a well known brand that still exists to this day and has a massive selection available, that absolutely brained the big snapper. 
Lo and behold, that color was discontinued. 
Why? 
They were always sold out. 
 
Probably worked to well. 
I've tried all other colours in the exact brand and style that I fancied and basically halved the catch rate, and the overall size of the fish. 
Very frustrating imo. 
 
The color will never return I'm told. 
 

I've never had much luck with either brand and I fished them hard. 
Put on a gulp, powerbait, squidgy a or slider grub... Bang, fish on. 
 
Also, plastic manufacturers do not listen to anglers sometimes. 
I had an unbeatable color, from a well known brand that still exists to this day and has a massive selection available, that absolutely brained the big snapper. 
Lo and behold, that color was discontinued. 
Why? 
They were always sold out. 
 
Probably worked to well. 
I've tried all other colours in the exact brand and style that I fancied and basically halved the catch rate, and the overall size of the fish. 
Very frustrating imo. 
 
The color will never return I'm told. 
 

I've never had much luck with either brand and I fished them hard. 
Put on a gulp, powerbait, squidgy a or slider grub... Bang, fish on. 
 
Also, plastic manufacturers do not listen to anglers sometimes. 
I had an unbeatable color, from a well known brand that still exists to this day and has a massive selection available, that absolutely brained the big snapper. 
Lo and behold, that color was discontinued. 
Why? 
They were always sold out. 
 
Probably worked to well. 
I've tried all other colours in the exact brand and style that I fancied and basically halved the catch rate, and the overall size of the fish. 
Very frustrating imo. 
 
The color will never return I'm told. 
 

January 2024 scoreboard.
 
Bream
1st @benno573 36.5cm NORTH
2nd @Peter K 32cm SOUTH
3rd @Neil Stratford Bream 31cm SOUTH
Australian Bass/Estuary Perch
1st
2nd
3rd
Mangrove Jack
1st
2nd
3rd
Whiting
1st @Neil Stratford 39cm SOUTH
2nd @Neil Stratford 36.5cm SOUTH
3rd @Neil Stratford 36cm SOUTH
Flathead
1st @ellicat 73.5cm SOUTH
2nd @Neil Stratford Flathead 62cm SOUTH
3rd
Snapper
1st @Neil Stratford 74.5cm SOUTH
2nd @Allnighter 69cm SOUTH
3rd @Allnighter 63.5cm SOUTH
Jewfish - Silver, Black or Teraglin
1st @Neil Stratford 43cm Mulloway SOUTH
2nd
3rd
Threadfin Salmon
1st
2nd
3rd
Golden Perch
1st
2nd
3rd
Tailor
1st
2nd
3rd
Tuna
1st
2nd
3rd
Mackerel
1st @Neil Stratford Spanish 110cm SOUTH
2nd @Neil Stratford Spanish 110cm SOUTH
3rd @Neil Stratford School 72cm SOUTH
Cod (any type freshwater or salt)
1st @Neil Stratford Cod 32cm
2nd
3rd
Trevally (any type)
1st @AUS-BNE-FISHO Giant Trevally 60cm SOUTH
2nd @AUS-BNE-FISHO Giant Trevally 51cm SOUTH
3rd @ellicat GT 26.5cm SOUTH
Shark (including shovel nose)
1st @AUS-BNE-FISHO 130cm Shovel nose shark SOUTH
2nd@AUS-BNE-FISHO 78cm Bull shark SOUTH
3rd
Emperor and Tuskfish
1st  @Neil StratfordSpangled Emp 55cm  SOUTH
2nd @Huxstang Grass Emp 40.5cm SOUTH
3rd @Neil Stratford and @Huxstang Grass Emp 39cm SOUTH
 
Total Team North                                    3 points/9 contestants = 0.3
 
Total Team South                                  50 points 16 contestants = 3.1
 
 
Winner = Team South!!!!!
 
 
 
 

Tom pipers savoury mince.
Add cheese and tobasco, salt and pepper. 

Got out with my partner and daughter on Friday, just caught the top of the run in and spent some time exploring some of the drains . As the tide turned we started to fish.
I was focused on drifting around with lures, running motor oil coloured grubs , paddle tails and shrimp. Laser ayu double clutch when I though a flatty might be sitting in the shallows. 

I missed a couple of hits throughout the day (amateur hour) and spite our efforts neither of us landed any fish.
 
The next day we took out a frozen mullet I netted a while ago to target the same drains, this time fishing the top 2 hours of the run in. We both caught at least 8 legal bream , at least another 12 undersized. the largest just on 30cm, all released to fight another day.
all bream caught on a 1/0 circle on strips of mullet. 10lb leader.
 
It was my partners first time on the boat since April last year so there was no complaints until it was time to load the boat….
When approaching the ramp my partner threw the rope around the cleat but not secured and stupidly I jumped off onto the jetty , pushing the boat off and away to the abyss. My partner panicked as it had been some time since she operated the tiller . I was struggling not to laugh which later cost me some snarls and awkward words. 
 
I obviously take full responsibility as I should have secured the boat to the ramp myself or at least checked what she had done … a valuable lesson … 
🤪
Take-offs from the day:
-it’s a juggling act having a toddler on a boat , definitely need to find more ways to entertain her and also keep her cool, keeping her under an umbrella did okay but she was definitely too hot. 
-need to spend some more time training my partner in boat operations in case of an emergency. 
-need to train myself more to try and avoid said emergency.

Yes mate, doing more. 
I'm addicted.
Will do the same way. Turned out bloody awesome for a bloke who had no idea what I was doing, so can only get better at it now. Have plenty of ingredients left over as well. 
Im also going to try one with the brains, instead of egg. See how that goes. 
 
They were lovely on the feet but the kids have confiscated those 2 skins, so I shall do some more. I'm chuffed they like them actually. Gone from no interest to maybe helping me with the next ones. 

Tom pipers savoury mince.
Add cheese and tobasco, salt and pepper. 

Tom pipers savoury mince.
Add cheese and tobasco, salt and pepper. 

Tom pipers savoury mince.
Add cheese and tobasco, salt and pepper. 

Tom pipers savoury mince.
Add cheese and tobasco, salt and pepper. 

Hi all, 
I headed up to Yeppoon a couple weeks ago to visit some family and go fishing. I flew up and arrived on Sunday arvo, so wasted no time and went for a quick session at the harbour. The first two casts of my net came up empty but on my third cast I got a few herring, so kept them live and moved spots. I dropped a couple livies down behind the boat and floated a small cube down as well. 
First cast I was on a small mackerel, which I released (undersize). Then, I think I found the fishing very quiet, and was struggling to connect to anything. A small grunter gave me some more hope and after a few bait changes my big rod eventually screamed off. I set the hook and a fun fight around some pylons started, where I eventually landed a solid 50-55cm cod. I probably should have kept this but decided to let it go to catch next time. 
The next day I got the bus to the Causeway to fish the run through tide. It was already busy when I got there but the first cast of my net I got a nice sized silver biddy. I floated this out into the run through unweighted, and although things were looking quiet plenty of trevally had already been caught so I was hopeful I would get one. 
Sure enough, my bait got smashed and a fun fight with a 51cm GT started. I landed it successfully and gave it away to someone else fishing. After that, I didn't get any more bites and headed off when the tide stopped running through.
At low tide that day, I went out to Double Heads spinning, but only picked up a few grinners despite the calm conditions. Then, I went to the harbour again in the arvo, but the only fish getting around were a couple of flat salmon. 
When I got home that night I rerigged my gear in preparation for fishing the next day. When I arrived at the Causeway a nice jack had already been caught, and I watched someone pull one in just as I casted out my first live biddy of the day. Things were a bit quiet for me for the first two casts, but with my bait still kicking I redeployed it and hooked up to a nice fish. After a few runs, I landed another nice 60cm GT, which I was pretty happy with. I gave it away to another fella who hadn't caught any fish that day, fished for a bit longer, and then headed home when it stopped running through. I put in 60 casts at Double Heads that arvo and I think I gave the harbour a miss, as I only caught more grinners and a wolf herring at Double Heads. 
The next morning I walked five k's to the Causeway and arrived at 4:45AM, and to my surprise the mozzies were very bad. Luckily, another fisho who arrived shortly after gave me some bug spray. He caught a small jack on plastics, and then when the run through started I couldn't catch much bait. I think I ended up getting off the donut with a small cod to end the session but it was definitely a quiet day. I went to Double Heads for a third time and only got more grinners, so I decided to give it a miss for the rest of the trip. I did go to Ross Creek for a quick flick as well but no luck. 
The next day I was back at the Causeway in the morning, hoping for a jack or trevally. Things were slow to start with (one small cod) but I did eventually hook up to another solid trev, which I pulled hooks on. Bugger. I kept fishing until the run through finished, very disappointed about the lost fish as it felt pretty big. That arvo, I had a flick down at Statue Bay at low tide with some shallow diving hardbodies and surface on sunset, but this brought no joy. I did find a big dead blue salmon in the rock wall which was unusual. 
I got the bus to the Causeway for my final session on Friday, hopeful today would be the day I caught a jack or barra. Unfortunately, I struggled to catch any bait but was eventually given some livies so sent them out. To my surprise, as the run through increased, two nice size barra (one maybe 60cm and one maybe 1m) were caught by some people fishing the edge of the run through, so I will definitely give this a try next time. Someone also caught a 60cm or so model on lures. I finished up when the run through stopped with a big fat donut, so hopefully next time I catch a good fish. I flew home that night, feeling pretty sad I didn't catch one of those barra! 🤣
Photos:
Yeppoon Trip 7/01-12/01 - Lensdump
Anyway, thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed the report.
Cheers Hamish