No matter how hard we tried, we just could not get amongst the fish. We tossed lures at the mangroves, at the snags, up the tidal creeks, to the prickles and even up the river on the grass beds. And all I had to show for it was a nice little 55cm barra.
Conditions weren't that bad, a slow run out to a .35m low at midday!
We did have a late start however and the run had almost finished by the time we got there!
I'll leave it there for now.
What a difference a week makes!
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| What a beautiful start - Innisfail Marina |
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| Jubilee Bridge - Innisfail |
Fast forward to the following Sunday, the 25th August, and its a totally different ball game.
Drifting slowly downstream on the ebbing tide I cast to overhanging mangroves....Bang! I was onto a feisty little barra who put up a spirited fight; but he was no match for my "new" Quantum baitcaster. (Check with Keith Graham about that) Barra number one was carefully un-hooked and released to grow a bit bigger.
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| First fish of the day...a nice juvenile bara |
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| Flathead.....can you fillet it pleasae Debbie? |
So after carefully avoiding those nasty spikes near her gill plates, I popped her into the live bait tank. At least I had something to show for my efforts and a gift for Deb.
I drifted along the mangrove gutter and continued my casting to the drop off. The making tide was ideal, about a 1m run in and a gentle push helped me work the area. On my third cast I was hooked to another good flattie......and guess what, she was given the same caring treatment and popped into the tank for my lady. Man I'd be popular tonight...fresh fish!
I had just settled down to continue my slow drift when my thoughts were interrupted again by a sudden jolt to my rod.....the water was crystal clear now and looking into the depths, there she was. Another beautiful flathead. This one was about 75cm and really tested my skill. Alas, she darted sideways and was free....I watch her swim slowly down the slope and disappear into the muddy bottom.
Another couple of casts and the exact same thing happened again...a hook up to a lovely flatty, a spirited fight and a self release. Who cares, I was having a ball and I'd already had fish for dinner.
I was following the making tide along the mangroves, skoping for likely looking barra holding structure. You know, a back eddy here, a mangrove overhang there, a sunken log or even those mangrove "prickles"....barra love these bait holding areas and as we approach summer and rising water temps., its a good plan to target these areas.
Right on cue I hooked up to another juvenile barra........a quick fight, a pic, a measure....darn, only 55cm and he was back in the drink. Time to head upstream.
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| Yeah!...another little barra! |
Readers will know of my love of the ever reliable SR5 shad by Rapala. I had been reading in various trade magazines of a brand new lure by the same manufacturer. A new shad type lure called a Scatter Rap! These lures have a distinctive curved bib.....when worked slowly and allowing the bib to do its work, the lure dances erratically from side to side. Mimicking an injured bait fish to perfection! I clipped on my favorite colour...a gold / orange model.
It took a bit to get used to, to slow down my usual "jerking" motion and let the lure do its thing. But when I did the hits improved markedly.
I was way upstream in the fresh by now. That "high" low tide and push-in had backed up the fresh and I was able to safely traverse a fair stretch of waterway. I cut the motor, dropped anchor and had a coffee and bite to eat. My thoughts wandered over the mornings effort and I was pleased. Time to get back into it!
It is still winter I mused, don't get your hopes up too high Les, or the fishing will bite you fair on the bum....but it had been a great morning and when you compare it to the previous week; well its like chalk and cheese (whatever that's suppose to mean!).
So off I went, drifting downstream now on the ebbing tide, or was it just the natural river flow pushing me steadily along. Whatever, a steady stream of sooties and jacks kept my interest up. These new lures were OK!
Around the bend and along the grassy bank sits a fallen tree in a deep hole. I have fished here many times, it can hold good barra during the summer months. I cast my little offering and did not even give it a thought that there might be a fish here at this time of year. And there it was, a barra of about 80cm appeared from the depths and was trying to eat my little golden Scatter Rap. I missed it!
I cast again, still not convinced that the structure held fish, my mind was not on the job....a silver flash, a screaming drag and it was all over. The hooks pulled. My little Daiwa 2500 spinning reel and 4kg braid was a bit light for what had attacked my lure, but I was field testing and what the hell. There's no way another fish would possibly find my lure attractive now after all that commotion. WRONG!
My next cast went straight to the far bank, perfect I thought, as the track back to the boat would take my lure right over the densest part of the snag. But the wind was blowing up the river and blew my flimsy line right on top of a protruding branch. You know, the ones with a few little splits in the timber and the line just settles into the groove. BANG! I was on again to a quality barra and this time I thought I was going to land her for sure. But the harder I pulled the harder the barra did likewise. The braid embedded even further into that blxxxy slot in the tree and try as hard as I could, I could not flick it off. Keeping the tension on and still feeling the lunging barra, I motored slowly on the electric to the offending structure and tried to clear the line.
Blast, just as I thought I could free the line the barra made one last lunge for freedom and was gone.
My emotions were racing by now...from passively drifting down the river...to being a bit
lacksy daisy about catching a barra...to getting all excited by hookups....and being totally dejected at loosing another quality fish.
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| At last....a feisty little 55cm barra |
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| The Rapala Scatter Rap Crank! |
I actually lost another barra before I finally hooked, fought and landed a nice little 55cm juvenile. Oh what could have been......I had actually raised 5 barra from this one snag and dropped all but the 5th one! How cool was that. Just wait till next time I muttered.
Back to my drift....I was stoked to see that my new best friend, akka Scatter Rap, was doing the job beautifully. It had raised some quality fish in trying conditions and lets face it, if I was using my bait caster outfit, I may have landed a couple more barra....may not have either!
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| A nice bull sooty! |
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| Check out that lure! |
As I continued my journey downstream a steady catch rate on sooties, jacks and even a few more little barra kept my interest up and at approx. 3:30pm I'd decided to pull the pin and head home.
I had had a great day, landed;
5 barra (dropped another five...grrrr!)
5 flathead (dropped another two)
2 jacks and 6 sooties
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| Jacks loved the new lure too! |
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| Keep your eye on the prize! |
Not bad eh!........now go back and read the start about last weeks effort.
Read the part about the "late start".
Read the part about the river heights / low tide and run in etc.
Its up to you to work it out.
Bring it on....summer that is!
Catch you on the water.
Regards, Les
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