bit average off cairns

[Jordan Hack]

Went up to Cairns over the weekend to go for a test run in my mates new boat. A1 conditions, plenty of bait but a severe lack off action. Having not fished the location, i am not sure if the lack of activity was due to neap tides, over-fishing or poor performance on our behalf. However i did end up with my first red bass (pretty happy) and a couple of small gts. All strikes/hookups occured within half an hour of each other.

[Jon Li]

However i did end up with my first red bass (pretty happy) and a couple of small gts. All strikes/hookups occured within half an hour of each other.

Hi Jordan ,

If Red Bass grows to the size of it's Atlantic Ocean cousin Cubera Snapper , the fight would be equal or better than GT .

Jon .

[Brandon Khoo]

I reckon you would be hard pressed to find anything that goes much harder for its size than a Chinaman (fish, that is  )

[Jordan Hack]

Couldn't agree more Brandon. This is the one and only chinaman that i have caught (on bait) and pound for pound pulled harder for longer than any GT I have caught. It would be good if they hit poppers... or do they?

[Graham Scott]

Did someone say Chinaman fish

[Brandon Khoo]

They go like bloody trains and they keep going. They take poppers very readily. Che Carson caught a big one at Bugatti last year. We thought it was a decent GT until it was landed. I wish they grew to 50kgs!

Couldn't agree more Brandon. This is the one and only chinaman that i have caught (on bait) and pound for pound pulled harder for longer than any GT I have caught. It would be good if they hit poppers... or do they?

[Travis Heaps]

The worst part about Chinaman is that they go so hard you think its a good size fish - then you see first colour and its that red you always hope for....then up comes a chinaman grrr

[Brandon Khoo]

I can imagine that if you're a fisherman looking for reefies like coral trout that you must grow to hate Chinamen and GTs 

The worst part about Chinaman is that they go so hard you think its a good size fish - then you see first colour and its that red you always hope for....then up comes a chinaman grrr

[Stephen Polzin]

That's not a Chinaman, this is a Chinaman.  I caught this one about ten years ago off the top of Fraser.  Wish I got a full length shot, I'm 6ft and it's tail was almost touching the ground.


Back to the topic, Jordan, I've been out a few times lately and the GT's have been hard to come by, even though the moon has been less than ideal.  Can't help thinking that the increased popularity of popping has educated a lot of the local fish.  They learn pretty quick. 

Having said that though, I've snorkled through some bait schools in frustration lately after getting no strikes, and there have been no GT's to be found.  One of my mates snorkled through the same area mid last year and reckons he was virtually shouldering them out of the way. 

On a brighter note, I've been focusing on Spaniards and tuna lately.  Plagues of spaniards around at the moment.  Mostly under 10kg but some monsters mixed in. 

[Nathan Cefai]

well done mate,some big trout there

[Ewan Macleod]

Can't help thinking that the increased popularity of popping has educated a lot of the local fish.  They learn pretty quick. 

Its a very interesting thought. I noticed it when a large school of young GT settled in on a local reef - first four or so fishes they hammered anything we threw at them. Then quite noticeably they began to follow poppers but not hit them. Resorted to sinking metal baits at high speed which they hit for a few days and then they started to get tentative about eating those. Who knows so many variables in fishing...