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The
boys are back in town.
I
hadn’t been back from dropping the kids off in South Australia a couple
of days, when the two “Likely Lads” James Lamen and Ashley Dansie called
around. ”Whats the chances” James called out, if the weathers fine
Saturday you’re a chance says I.
Sure enough Saturday came and we were up on the plane to our favorite
spot the Missionary Bay. We stopped at a nice headland whilst we waited
for the tide to drop, it was a 3m + tide and I like to fish a bit
shallow for Barra and Jacks. We hadn’t been there long when James is
hooked up to a nice tarpon and as usual dropped it horsing around. This
seemed to attract some attention as we were soon joined by another boat,
who fished only meters away and then there was a least 6 more boats
fishing the bank, so we opted out and continued to the Bay.
We decided to work the flats near the mouths of the creeks as we could
see plenty of bait activity but this was only giving us false hopes, as
the fishing was very ordinary so far. I had boated a Barracuda and a
small Cod. I flicked the lure right into the Mangroves and was rewarded
by a nice Jack literally climbing over the roots to get to my lure but
as usual it missed. The water was quite clear and we saw plenty of fish
cruising in the shallow water at one stage 3 Jacks, all good size swam
past, not one even looked at a lure! Not good, definitely not good!
We were out of water now so we moved on up the creek, we found a good
bank of snags and decided to work them before moving further up the
creek. We really worked that bank and all we had to show for it was a
nice Barra that rolled at my lure. To there credit the boys kept at it,
just happy to be there I guess. Time to move, some times you just have
to keep looking till you find them on the chew. Up the creek we went,
coming down with the wind and tide, we could see the fish sitting in the
current, Barra, Jacks, Bream and plenty of small stuff, could we entice
them to take a lure, could we heck.
But gradually things started to brighten. I got smashed by a couple of
Jacks and even landed another cod. Ashley had flicked his lure over a
sunken log and was rewarded by having it grabbed by a nice Barra but
unfortunately Ash got a bit excited and pulled the lure out. Plenty of
stirring from James and myself and probably a bit envy to, at least he
saw a nice fish and had it on for a while.
In the mean time James has trod on Ashley’s reel and consigned it to the
repairer. Luckily I had spare, so fishing went on, you have to look out
for those rods when going in to get lures out of trees.
By this time I had just had about enough, it was slow but the boys
wanted to fish on, “another ten casts was the call”.
We were just about to the bottom of the tide and back in the main creek,
Ash has flicked his lure into a nice snag on a bend (always a good spot)
as he brought the lure out a cloud of small Bream and Archer fish
followed it out. As it came to the boat what looked like a big old Cod
made a grab for the lure and swallowed it to the gills! Ash is now in
some trouble, his rod has no back bone and this fish was steaming up the
creek towards a major snag. ”Give it some Ash” I called and Ash was
certainly doing that, it looked like he was winning the battle, when his
rod shattered, with a crack like a pistol shot.
As the line was going past me I grabbed and started to pull his fish in
and stuff me if it didn’t just swim gently to the boat and in the net.
In hind sight not a smart thing to do, with no gloves on my hands could
have been cut to ribbons by the braid. A nice fat juvenile Grouper was
in the net, easy a 1m+ and fat as, Ashley has a feeling for Groupers,
this was the second he's caught and by far the biggest and probably his
biggest fish.
Any thoughts I had of knocking of went out the window; ”better fish on
was the cry”! The action was fast and furious; it seemed every time you
hit the right spot, a Jack hammered the lure. James was soon into a nice
Jack and very pleased with him -self as it measured a good 45cm.
I don’t think it was the amount of fish we caught but the excitement of
being in a “Hot bite” was great. The fish were attacking the lures that
hard that they missed being hooked up, great fun to watch. Mean while I
was trying to fish and steer the boat in the current, bloody near
impossible to get a cast in as the boys were quick of the mark. I
usually tow the boat, steering from the back so I at least can get a
cast in. My next project is to teach them to work the electric, so I can
stand up the front and have pick of the snags! Sounds like a plan to me.
Ash meanwhile has grabbed my spare rod, with the B52 on and started back
in the action, now I use a Calcutta 251,which is left handed. He didn’t
miss a beat just started casting and winding as if it was his natural
hand, I’ve seen a lot of good fisher men have some strife with my gear.
Ash and I have both boated some nice Jacks, mine being destined for the
table, Ashley released his as it was a tad under 40cm.This went on for
about another 30 minutes and as the tide had been pushing in fairly
fast, the water was nearly up to the canopy. This made casting to the
snags hard, that and too much water had put an end to the bite.
We headed for home having for the majority a slow day but what an end;
it always pays to have those last ten casts!
Jim (Jimbo)
Lee - www.un-reel-sportsfishing-adventures.com.au
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