Category Archives: Fishing

Cape Conran for 2019

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Saturday 2nd

Well… I spent a lot of time vomiting! Unfortunately it was around 10-15 knots. The direction meant that we were able to launch the boat okay. However, this did not sit well with me. We didn’t get any gummies, although I did bring up an old maid. We went after flathead next and I got around 7 and the boat got about 12. Was a reasonable day of fishing, but with no photo-fish and 6 hours of spewing I have to admit it wasn’t my best trip.

Sunday 3rd

A nice calm day was very appreciated. We went out after Kingfish first but didn’t get a bite. Then we tried in vain for gummies. I did manage to lock up with the biggest thing I’ve ever hooked. However, I just could not budge it, and since we were 99% sure it was a ray, it wasn’t worth the 30 minutes it would have taken me to get the thing topside for a looks. Perhaps a shame – as we didn’t get any flathead next! Just a whole lot of octopus.

Thanks to the in-laws for minding my little baby. She told me when I got back that she wants to go fishing! awww….

 

Darwin Tides

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DARWIN TIDES SPRING SPRING NEAP NEAP
HIGH LOW HIGH LOW
ADELAIDE
Mouth +40m +1h 10m +40m +1h 10m
Bridge +5h +5h 20m +5h 20 m +5h 30m
ALLIGATOR
South Alligator +2h 40m +2h 30m +2h 40m +2h 40m
East Alligator +2h 50m +2h 20m +2h 50m +3
Cahill’s Crossing +5h +5h +5h 30m +5h 30m
Murganella +2h +2h +2h 20m +2h 20m
Wildman River +1h 20m +1h 20m +1h 20m +1h 20m
DALY RIVER
Mouth +20m +14m +30m +2h
DUNDEE
Point Jenny -30m -30m -30m -30m
Dundee Wide -20m -20m -40m -40m
MARY
Shady Camp +4h +5h Variations inconsistent
MELVILLE ISLAND
South Hancox None None None none
East +1h 20m +1h 20m +1h 20m +1h 20m
PERRON ISLANDS
North Perron -20m -20m -40m -40m
VERNON ISLANDS
North and South +55m +55m +55m +55m

 

All are just estimations don’t run onto a sandbank and blame me. Actually these are Lambo’s estimations, super great guy and great Real Estate Agent so if you ever need anything google Andrew Lamberton

Jungle Perch

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Was in Innisfail for a long weekend visiting friend’s of Claire’s. I got a chance to go fishing, unfortunately I had crippled my back and the idea of jumping into a boat and hunting for some massive barra was out the window. However we did some shore fishing and the target was jungle perch.

I had never really heard of jungle perch before, but apparently it’s quite a popular sportfish. It’s small and very hard to find. So we hit the light gear and went for a bit of a bushwalk. The first cast of the day netted my my first jungle perch.

Got three sooty grunter to back it up too. Aaron (from ACM Custom Rods) also got one, and three sooty grunter to back it up.

Was a bit of a shame to miss out on the planned session, but I got a few fish, remained uninjured and ready to fish another day.

Return to the Whitsundays

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Day One – 13th of September
Up early (Andy, Judda and me) and out on the boat. Was destined for a good day for wind, but a lot of movement would make fishing difficult. We didn’t have any trouble bringing in some Indonesian Snapper between 30 and 35 cm. Nothing great but at least we were getting a feed. We also saw an adult whale fully jump out of water – never seen that in person before, it was great. Got a good feed but didn’t get that photo fish I was after.

Day two – 14th of September
Up early (Brigitte, Judda and me) again but had limited time. Once again just getting smaller fish, until suddenly I was on! The line was screaming and I thought I had a whopper. Hopefully something great and not a shark… Judda was sure it was a shark. It was neither though, a 60cm Trevelly. Good fun!

Not too long after Brigitte was on! I thought it was a Trevelly, Judda once again thought a shark. Both were wrong and she nailed an impressive 101cm Jewfish! A short sharp 3 hours on the water and a decent feed.

Day three and four – 15/16th of September
Did some land based fishing. Got one hit and no other action. I have previously done alright on flathead in that area. Nevertheless since I get flatties in Victoria I decided to hard on barra. Probably silly given I didn’t know what it was doing. But Airlie is very pretty so it was good fun nonetheless.

I loved it in Airlie. It has changed quite a bit, definitely busier. Still, I would jump at the chance to live there again. Then again, there are a lot of places around Australia that I could say that about!

Cape Conran – Boo the BOM

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One of those trips.

Was supposed to be Wednesday Thursday. Next thing you know its Sunday and the weather says the only good days will be Monday Tuesday. I pack the car up and just before I leave the weather has changed again. Now Tuesday/Wednesday. So on Monday I drive 5 hours to cape conran… BOM update is issued 5pm Monday to say that there will be no fishing on Tuesday.

But come Tuesday, the weather is actually pretty good. Nevertheless the boat ramp is really prone to westerly wind and we aren’t going out. Instead we target bream and fail in the river. Quite annoying as we easily could have got a sunrise to 4pm fish in, when the wind hits. Or even midday you know?

The next day is 50/50 according to the BOM, but when we wake up there is zero chance of getting out. So I go back. My wife and future deckie are away so this is the only chance I’ve had in a while.

Ah well, nothing you can do about weather.

Caught:
Skipper: Nothing
Dad: Nothing
Me: One mullet


Got off the boat and tried the channel thinking some flatties might be about

 

One good story of the trip was seeing a seal pop his head up from about 1 metre of where a guy was hitching his jetski back up to his trailer. The seal watched him intently. When the guy realised there was a seal right next to him he got a big fright.