Bretto77

Well, I could not find any live bait so had to rely on cuttlefish to do the trick. Managed 4 grassies 32 to 40cm. Due to some snags, I was down two rods/rigs after I got sick of retying leaders. I went to my flathead outfit with 10lb braid on a 2500 reel.
Deployed that a few times with a lazy 2 ball sinker on top of a 5/0 circle, before I got the surprise. When it hit it ran and ran. I was down to my backing and it was fast approaching terminal status when it slowed and was able to get some line back. A big "Phew" when braid started winding around the spool. Tense moments.
I was confident it was a good snap from the start, and had confirmation as it got close with the bait way up the line. Then I saw the shine in the water and a couple of minutes later it was on the surface. Managed to net him without any trouble, which was what I was fearing.
Proud to have knocked the master @Allnighter out of first place in the comp. haha Like you said @Bretto77, I expect to be knocked out of that position soon enough.
 
 

It would make sense even to let an approved company remove the silt for free.
Growing up on the farm we used to get fellas out that would remove all the sheep s#!+ out from under the shearing shed, they did the work and got to keep the crap.
Much better deal then crawling around under the shed with a shovel, filling up bags and dragging it out.
Especially when it was next to impossible to sell like that.
I think the same should apply to carp, you should be allowed to catch and sell them for fertiliser ect without any licensing, just for the environmental benefits.
If companies bought them like bottles and cans, then we would have the carp population soon under control.

It will still flood as always, but at a more controlled rate due to Wivenhoe.
Without Wivenhoe and Somerset I think the Brisbane River would have far less siltation and deep mud areas.
We need the fresh water supply though and the dams do control the flooding speeds and heights by slowing and prolonging the flood water rather than a full torrent that is shorter lived.
I don't understand why in drought years SEQ Water does not permit siltation removal from the dams to increase storage capacity. It is a saleable commodity that some businesses would exploit if given the chance.

I always found that live bait tends to sift out some smaller stuff. All the others that have made points have made valid points. The only other things that I could add is go fishing whenever you can and/or feel like it. Keep a record of things. @AUS-BNE-FISHO has been diligent with this with better tools than I had when I was his age.

Well done on the snapper Brian. Cracker fish👍 Something in my tummy is telling me however that your photo is like a virtual live bait for  an @Allnighter 😜

I always found that live bait tends to sift out some smaller stuff. All the others that have made points have made valid points. The only other things that I could add is go fishing whenever you can and/or feel like it. Keep a record of things. @AUS-BNE-FISHO has been diligent with this with better tools than I had when I was his age.

The fire issue (although generally statistically low) concerns me with lithium batteries. I don't think I would like to be sitting on top of one in an enclosed space if something went wrong. I would keep any batteries under bonnet or somehow external.
That said I drove a 95 model sierra for years when I was young. Bought it brand new and it never let me down. Wow, the places that you can get one of those things. Suzuki will have improved on that now because they don't do crap. I trust you will be impressed with the reliability and the places that you can get to in the jimny👍

@AUS-BNE-FISHO @mangajack @Junky @Rebel @Bob9863
Thanks for the help Guys I have used your tips and it has been paying off the other afternoon I caught a 35cm Whiting and a 25cm Bream. Ill give you guys a bit of incite on the gear I've been using so you are able to see if it is ok and to provide more tips if needed. 
Rod: Daiwa 20 AIRD-X 702LXS
Reel: Daiwa 23 Aird LT Spinning Reel 2000
Main Line: Daiwa J-Braid Expedition 8lb
Leader:  Daiwa J-Thread Fluorocarbon 12lb
 
Bait: Ill use school prawns chopped in half for and pilchard cubes 
 
Rigs: I actually usually fish un-weighted ever since i was little, Size 0/1 Octopus hook with 30cm of leader onto a ball swivel connected to braided main line.
If there is current Ill use a paternoster rig onto a 3-way swivel with the same hook depending if im trying to catch
 
I don't fish that much with lures only on sad flats chasing flatties. i use a 65mm Bloodworm Squidgy curl tail prawn with a light weight jig 16th OZ size 0/1 hook with s-factor
Location & time: I'm not good a picking locations as im land locked and there isn't much structure ill post my river system on google maps so u guys can see. Now the times i try to go on peak High time just because it looks nice and I can see the fish hahaha. I don't have polo sonnies.
Also I heard the moon and clouds affect fish size is this true? I use Bite times to see if its good or not.
I really do appreciate all your guys help means a lot to me as no one has really taught me how to fish ahaha I have always just loved getting outside by my self and spending time near the water hoping to catch a feed for my self.
Thanks again guys



Camden Haven Area.jfif

I would suggest changing things up, try live baits, lighter weighted baits around structure, lighter line, bigger baits, or soft plastic lures.

Scent at any time can not hurt.
If you have a whiting patch sand bar that dries in your area, bury some fish frames or prawn and crab shells  within casting distance and fish a a metre or so down current of the scent....
This has worked for me several times in the past where the fish are scattered.
It does concentrate the smalls too unfortunately    but the bigger ones are there too.

splashing around in the mud this afternoon landed this little fella. 30cm flatty. sent back to grow. that mud stanks bad, one of the kids also got a monster 18cm whiting but i cant post it for some reason. 
surprisingly the rain stayed away, all day.

So long as the bend’s the right way, no problem. Lol.

Well done @Allnighter. Although……….. You’re a Southsider aren’t you? If so, I’d just like to point out that the required signal for this month’s comp is a Thumbs Up. Your thumb looks distinctly sideways, not up in the photo so I don’t think it qualifies. If, however,  you are actually a Northsider forget I said anything. Great fish! 🤪

Hahaaaa yea i know Greg, my thumbs aren't the only thing that's bent 🙄

Thanks Brian, yer we got lucky with only a brief shower or two and a slight southerly so the southern bay was relatively flat 🙂
We caught 5 all up, kept some smaller ones for a feed but released the one in the pic.
Yakka's are in abundance atm, but thankfully the sharks were not today 👍

69cm snapper for Team South

The fire issue (although generally statistically low) concerns me with lithium batteries. I don't think I would like to be sitting on top of one in an enclosed space if something went wrong. I would keep any batteries under bonnet or somehow external.
That said I drove a 95 model sierra for years when I was young. Bought it brand new and it never let me down. Wow, the places that you can get one of those things. Suzuki will have improved on that now because they don't do crap. I trust you will be impressed with the reliability and the places that you can get to in the jimny👍

A few more for team south .
Spanish Mac 1100 and 945mm
Spotty Mac 800mm
Grassy Sweetlip 480 and 420mm
Spangled Emperor 440mm
Cattle dog cod 370 and 380mm
Wire netting cod 340mm

Tailor 36cm (George)
Tailor 40cm (me)
Bullshark 80cm (George) 

It sounds like you are on the start of the learning curve for your area.
Here are a couple of basics that work well here in SEQ.
Whiting like the early stages of a run in tide....they move onto a sand flat as the water covers it....20cm of water is plenty for them to be ravenously feeding there. Use the local bait for them....worms, yabbies, crabs or small live prawns.
Bream like structure with a bit of depth and plenty of current, again they are ravenous at the start of the run in usually. Bream will eat anything but offer them something they can easily swallow rather than something they have to bite chunks off. 5c to $1 size baits are good for them....pilly or mullet cubes, prawns and squid are all good options.
Flathead are ambush hunters primarily, they lay and wait for food to swim by them....that being said though they will follow a scent to a bait ok too. For me flathead are the easiest to catch in the bottom half of a run out tide. Live baits rule, lures and plastics second and dead baits 3rd. Look for drains of flats or creeks entering rivers, they will be within a five metres of those spots.
If you only catch smalls you are generally either fishing the wrong area or you are fishing the area at the wrong stage of the tide.
You can throw all of the above out the window if you are fishing a flood zone.....everything will be feasting on the last 90 minutes of the rising tide and vanish as soon as the tide turns. Flood zones up here are mangroves that only go under at about 3/4 tide...often behind the mangroves there is a clear area of sand or mud several metres wide....when that gets 25cm of water over it the place is full of big feeding fish and very easy to catch if you do not spook them. 65mm squidgy wrigglers in bloodworm colour unweighted are the gun plastic.....sit or crouch down and wait for the fish to approach you...they move quickly and absolutely smash anything resembling food. Very exciting fishing.
Good luck.

I dontcknow the river but my 1st thoughts are if your only land based then you could be fishing spots that get hammered by other land locked anglers.
But without knowing your rigs and your baits, times you fish and areas that you target it's had to be sure.
I've found if your catching lots of small fish then your usual fishing where the juvenile fish like to school up. The bigger fish usual stay away from the schools, on the edges or they hold better locations or cruise around chasing a feed.
Thats two possibilities.

Well we were in a co op and guy said grab the crayfish you want so I reached in with my bare hands and caught the feisty live cray before it could crawl to the other side of the tank.

Caught this live lobby with my bare hands

@mangajack Getting there slowly.
Not allowed to do anything till the end of April.

How are you fairing Rebel?