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Mixed
bag from Missionary Bay.
The
early morning big tides had made luring a bit difficult and it was to
bloody hot in the “arvo” to wait for the change of tide. So it was with
some enthusiasm that my good fishing mate Chris Jones and I set out to
fish our favorite creek, with an early morning run in with the weather
promising late afternoon storms.
Our plan of attack was to fish the exposed drains on the mud banks and
follow the tide up the creek, fishing snags and feeder drains. As we
approached the creek the estuary mouth was glassed out and all sorts of
bait was jumping in the drains. It looked very promising; we like to use
deep divers for the drains as we get a better hook up by making the lure
dive in the mouth of the drain. This brings it down to the drop off
where the Barra should be, I said should be as you have to cast at a lot
of drains to get a hook-up.
Having said that Chris has managed to hook up on about his second cast,
being a guide I always have one eye on the other lures in the water and
it was great to see that bronze flash as the fish came up and smashed
the Predek ”spoonbill”. Not a big fish but in prime condition and put up
a good stoush, soon released after a pic. It didn’t take me long to hook
up either, I’d flicked the Leads Lure (made in Cairns and my preferred
deep diver) in to a wash out next to a drain, I gave it a pull to dive
it then let it float back, it was whacked as it hit the top by a
juvenile Barra, he was soon released with a flick of the pliers. Unless
the fish is going to be photographed or eaten I like to keep them in the
water to release them, less stress on the fish.
The tide was pushing in hard and we had switched banks to the deeper
side as the drains were all but covered. We were working over any snag
that was in the current and the Mangrove roots that were next to the
drains. Chris had given a single stick a couple of half-hearted runs
with no success, I thought I’d give it one more cast, some times they
need a couple to wake them up! I worked the lure deep to the end of the
stick, then stopped and let it float to the surface; it was monstered
long before it made the top. A nice Jack, and it was working hard to get
back in the timber, no such luck this time, I boated it as I’m partial
to a slab of Jack in batter! It measured 38cm a bit small so it was
released; I like to keep them at around 40+cm after all they are all
juveniles in the estuary.
The fishing was hot-ing up we were getting plenty follows, near miss’s
and half hearted hook up, lots of fun and all visual. Chris had worked
his lure deep passed a sunken mangrove and was soon into a good fish, a
nice Jack by the way it was working back towards the snag, sure enough
it was a 45cm Jack. A couple of pics then into the “esky” this one was
to grace Chris and Sonya’s table.
Chris likes to bake his fish and suggested I put in a recipe, so here’s
one I use for Jack size fish.
Put some crushed garlic and olive oil in a baking dish, slice onion, red
and green capsicum and put in the bottom of the dish, lay fish on top.
Cover with more of the same plus black olives and sliced tomato, and a
cup of wine plus some more olive oil, cook at 180 for 45 min’s to 1 hr,
basting occasionally with the juices. Simple and tastes delicious.
Back to the fishing, I had plenty of follows and near misses but was due
to hook one soon, I was working a sandy bend where the current was
sweeping past and felt a bit of a nudge. So back I went and this time a
decent hit and I was on, not a big fish but putting up plenty of fight,
a nice Fingermark not big enough for the table but a beautiful fish,
full of color. Chris had hooked and released another Jack and as the
water was getting to deep (to much water between them and us) and the
weather stinking hot we decided to head for home.
Whenever we are heading home from the bay, we have a ritual stop out in
the middle, where we always chuck a few lures. Chasing Trevally but have
been know to catch, Queenies and even Mackerel plus the odd decent Barra
can be found. Chris switched to a popper and I worked a “Prawnstar”
deep. What happen next was just amazing.
Chris has hooked a small Trevally and was bringing it in for the de-hook
when his rod doubled over and started to peel off line. Then it stopped,
Chris brought back the GT only to see a couple of big Fingermark attack
the poor fish. I mean these fish were big, about 6-8kg,I dropped the
prawn in close to one, only to see it swallowed and then proceed to bend
my rod over, tear line off and finally break me off. We had a couple
more goes but they were only keen on live Trevally. Makes for an
interesting day when things like that happen. So a mixed bag from the
Bay, 3 or 4 Jacks, couple of Barra, some Cod, a Fingermark and a few
small Trevally.
Jim (Jimbo)
Lee - www.un-reel-sportsfishing-adventures.com.au
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