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My fishing destination for this one was the Port Douglas jetty where I had done so well on my previous outing.It was still dark as I left the apartment for the 5 minute walk down to the harbour. Not having a torch I tackled up by the light of a shop doorway.On reaching the jetty I chucked in some mashed up bread ,hoping that the mullet would make an appearance again.
On went a piece of flake onto a No6 hook with a small shot about 18" away and I simply lowered the bread straight down into the water.I held it about two feet under the surface and could just make it out in the gloom. I just had to wait seconds for the first bite of the day.After a spirited scrap out came this black bream.It was duly unhooked and gently returned.
In the next hour I got another 5 bream but there was still no sign of those mullet that I was hoping for but I did notice a couple of very large sting rays spashing about on the surface out in the main channel.I then decided to switch to squid.This I also just freelined down as there was very little current beneath me. Within seconds I was into a fish and this was another new species for me. a spotted batfish and very pretty it was too
On went more bait and it was down seconds when I had another fish on,it was a black spot sea perch this time
At last I seen a shoal of mullet out in the main channel and I slowly managed to pull them towards me with the use of my bait catapult.
Eventually I had them directly beneath me and some must have pushing close to double figures.I was fair shaking with exitement as I lowered the bread down.After a few refusals and a bit nosing/bumping one did eventually take the bait.The fish went absolutely mental,what a scrap on light gear.It must have taken about 10 mins to tire out on my light spinning rod.Next came the problem of landing it unaided.
With the fish still on I transferred the rod from left to right hand around two pylons till I got it to a position to "hand" out.It was then quickly back up the stairs for a photo(its not the best self taken shot!!!) and back she went. I had to agree with Ian Burrett,he did warn me that the warm water fish went really hard.
While I was playing the fish I still managed to drop in a few bits of bread to keep the mullet with me.Still shaking with exitement I lowered another piece of bread it and this time one of the larger mullet took it first time.Again a long frantic fight with me trying to keep it away from the jetty structure.This one actually tailwalked a couple of times.It was back up the stairs again for a quick picture and back she went.Check out that great paddle of a tail.
On went another bit of bread as I went for my mullet hat trick.An even larger mullet took it this time.I just had it on for about 10 seconds before it snapped me off.The same thing happened again twice more in the next ten minutes. I had not noticed the 15lb mono had become chaffed in the previous two scraps so I decided to call it a day and go back to the apartment to respool.
As I was tackling down this charter boat was just sailing by. I did not know it then but this was the skipper who was going to take me out the the reef for a terrific days fishing a bit later on.
After breakfast the wife said she fancied a few hours down the beach so I decided to take the fishing gear along with us - just in case.Well it was red hot and the girls decided to read in the shade of a palm tree. I tackled up and tried ledgered squid.I was well over knee deep in the water when a lifeguard passed me and advised that there were quite a few stingers about.I was out like a flash.
To the left of us was a group of rocks so I decided to try off those.I rigged up a sliding float using squid for bait
I must have been there about an hour with not a sniff when away zoomed the float.
It was a Moses perch this time. I could see the girls getting ready for a move so had one last cast and finished up getting a bonny indo-pacific sergeant.
Well it really had been a fantastic day for me. Now the wife does fish occasionally and she said she would like to fish the jetty with me next morning.Being a gent,and only having one set of gear I offered to ghillie for her next day. That will be my next report - and she certainly did not blank !!!!!!
A big thanks to Vagabond for helping me with the fish identification.
On went a piece of flake onto a No6 hook with a small shot about 18" away and I simply lowered the bread straight down into the water.I held it about two feet under the surface and could just make it out in the gloom. I just had to wait seconds for the first bite of the day.After a spirited scrap out came this black bream.It was duly unhooked and gently returned.
In the next hour I got another 5 bream but there was still no sign of those mullet that I was hoping for but I did notice a couple of very large sting rays spashing about on the surface out in the main channel.I then decided to switch to squid.This I also just freelined down as there was very little current beneath me. Within seconds I was into a fish and this was another new species for me. a spotted batfish and very pretty it was too
On went more bait and it was down seconds when I had another fish on,it was a black spot sea perch this time
At last I seen a shoal of mullet out in the main channel and I slowly managed to pull them towards me with the use of my bait catapult.
Eventually I had them directly beneath me and some must have pushing close to double figures.I was fair shaking with exitement as I lowered the bread down.After a few refusals and a bit nosing/bumping one did eventually take the bait.The fish went absolutely mental,what a scrap on light gear.It must have taken about 10 mins to tire out on my light spinning rod.Next came the problem of landing it unaided.
With the fish still on I transferred the rod from left to right hand around two pylons till I got it to a position to "hand" out.It was then quickly back up the stairs for a photo(its not the best self taken shot!!!) and back she went. I had to agree with Ian Burrett,he did warn me that the warm water fish went really hard.
While I was playing the fish I still managed to drop in a few bits of bread to keep the mullet with me.Still shaking with exitement I lowered another piece of bread it and this time one of the larger mullet took it first time.Again a long frantic fight with me trying to keep it away from the jetty structure.This one actually tailwalked a couple of times.It was back up the stairs again for a quick picture and back she went.Check out that great paddle of a tail.
On went another bit of bread as I went for my mullet hat trick.An even larger mullet took it this time.I just had it on for about 10 seconds before it snapped me off.The same thing happened again twice more in the next ten minutes. I had not noticed the 15lb mono had become chaffed in the previous two scraps so I decided to call it a day and go back to the apartment to respool.
As I was tackling down this charter boat was just sailing by. I did not know it then but this was the skipper who was going to take me out the the reef for a terrific days fishing a bit later on.
After breakfast the wife said she fancied a few hours down the beach so I decided to take the fishing gear along with us - just in case.Well it was red hot and the girls decided to read in the shade of a palm tree. I tackled up and tried ledgered squid.I was well over knee deep in the water when a lifeguard passed me and advised that there were quite a few stingers about.I was out like a flash.
To the left of us was a group of rocks so I decided to try off those.I rigged up a sliding float using squid for bait
I must have been there about an hour with not a sniff when away zoomed the float.
It was a Moses perch this time. I could see the girls getting ready for a move so had one last cast and finished up getting a bonny indo-pacific sergeant.
Well it really had been a fantastic day for me. Now the wife does fish occasionally and she said she would like to fish the jetty with me next morning.Being a gent,and only having one set of gear I offered to ghillie for her next day. That will be my next report - and she certainly did not blank !!!!!!
A big thanks to Vagabond for helping me with the fish identification.
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