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Simon Thomas

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Oversize Crab Pot Bait in Shoalwater Bay - Dec 09
December 24, 2009, 12:18:56 PM

Travis Heaps

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Looking forward to seeing some photos Simon.  It's an awesome place up around there isn't it - great scenery.  Some pretty treachorous waters though as well - you find the barely submerged rocks on the western side of Strongtide? 

It's an interesting place for GT's - from what I can tell it very hot and cold as far as the popper action goes.  At times there's reports of just non stop big fish...yet at other times there's just nothing.  I think if you had a bit of time you could get it sussed out...

Graham Scott

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Hi Simon,

How did everything else go?

We had a couple of good trips up that way while you were there, but didn't see any big charter boats.
Keen to know how you went down the inside of Shoalwater. Needs a bit of sussing but the fishing is normally amazing.Did you fish the rock bar in Keiver? Great water around East Creek, heaps of good reds in Head creek from the mouth up to Cockatoo Island. plus plenty of 3kg crabs???

Last Edit: December 25, 2009, 12:25:42 PM by Luke Wyrsta

Ben Gudgeon

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Hey sorry Simon, I ll post some pictures in the next couple days.

Johnny Mitchell

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Since I have access to most photos, here is a cross section from the trip.
Johnny Mitch

Johnny Mitchell

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More photos from the trip.
Johnny Mitch
Last Edit: January 12, 2010, 05:52:04 PM by Johnny Mitchell

Travis Heaps

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That is awesome, looks like an amazing trip.

That Wrasse is a cracker - what's the story with that one?

Ben Gudgeon

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The Wrasse was caught on dead bait, pilchard or flesh.  One of three hooked within a short period from memory. Caught on hand lines in about 20 ft.  Made our morning session even better.

Geoff Volter

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Some stud fish in that lot, love the wrasse and the fingermark in particular :o

Jay Burgess

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Great pics, that big GT on barra gear must have been an epic fight? Love the wrasse, didn't know they were encountered so close to the mainland?

Travis Heaps

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Great pics, that big GT on barra gear must have been an epic fight? Love the wrasse, didn't know they were encountered so close to the mainland?

Ditto both of those comments - that GT from land is an awesome effort.  The Wrasse and that photo actually made me realise I have seen one when in the Kayak in the Causeway Lake at Yeppoon which is a saltwater dam of sorts that is only open to the ocean on large tides...saw this big blue thing working the edge, it didn't even flinch at my lures but I could never work out what it may have been...has to have been a small maori wrasse (5-6kg).  I thought they were a reef species like you Jay.  As for pulling in that bad boy on a handline...that would have taken some serious effort!

Johnny Mitchell

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The wrasse was a fluke. It took a straight run of about 70-80 metres of 70lb handline in one go. It obviously never found a cave so we were lucky this time. The reward was awesome; it made us smile like cats.
The GT on barra gear was just as special, lucky- the strike was the best I have heard from any fish. The last portion of the retrieve was fast, to ready the lure for the next cast, and 'CAPOW' at the boatside ( 2 metres away), the fastest most fierce sound I have heard from any fish. It left any barra for dead.
It raced upstream and many other directions like you could imagine, but we baffled it with more luck, using the bank and the shallows to advantage and ended up with some cool photos. We saw another Gt on the flats in 2 ft of water. A skimming popper was cast at it, pulled over it's nose. The strike was almost perfect, but the lure failed to get inhaled.
Travis,
I'd suggest you saw a black spot tusk fish in the Yeppoon district. Similar colour, etc.

Johnny

Andrew Colefax

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great stuff! good to see you prying yourself away from the sweetwater JM although with experiences/results like that it wouldn't be hard...

Johnny Mitchell

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Andrew,
The salt water is my home; the sweetwater is my back yard.
Johnny

Andrew Colefax

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well said Johnny..kinda the same for me. although my move back home to cairns hasn't gone entirely to plan fishing opportunity wise just yet i'm a massive step closer