FISHING WITH EDDIE RIDDLE
IT has been largely a good year for local anglers with catches of most species – estuary, bluewater and reef – as prolific as they might have been in recent years.
Many would argue, though, that losses to sharks, in particular bull sharks, have presented as quite a problem.
Local soldier Neville Brannan and visiting copper mate Steve Greenwood watched at close quarters as their catch of Salamander Reef queenfish was chased down and devoured by big bull sharks when they cast their lures at the popular hotspot on Monday morning.
Boating conditions were far from perfect according to Brannan, who admits to occasional bouts of seasickness, but that affliction was the last thing on his mind as his hooked fish cleared the water just a couple of metres from the boat, a large shark underneath and waiting for the fish to re-enter the wet stuff.
The result was predictable and Brannan had lost his second popper or surface lure in as many casts.
The long-time mates had already boated a handful of fish, Greenwood the largest by a whisker at just under a metre long, and rather than continuing to feed the sharks with hooked fish, Brannan and Greenwood decided to call their trip short.
Besides, the pair agreed that they had already caught enough fish for the Christmas break and both were happy to beat the afternoon sea breeze back to the ramp.
Fingermark on the chew
FINGERMARK also remain hungry at recognised inshore hot spots and given decent boating conditions, are certain to climb all over both live baits and wellpresented soft-plastic style lures during the last days of the decade.
Salamander Reef, Bray Islet and waters flanking the shipping channel (Platypus Channel) remain first choice spots to tangle with fingermark, while Halifax Bay waters also offer plenty of locations that might be lousy with the species.
Of these, Burdekin Rock is always well-fished but continues to give up some incredible catches of the tasty bronze battler – particularly during the evening hours when live baits are allowed to settle close to the structure.
And land-based fishing has been regarded as far from shabby throughout the early part of the festive break.
Regional beaches are giving up solid catches of recognised bread-and-butter species, the Burdekin’s Alva Beach well worth consideration with flathead, grunter or javelin fish and whiting on the bite while oddball encounters with jumping or tripletail cod remain a possibility.
Live yabby baits or peeled prawn offerings are working a treat for the whiting and anglers could hardly be surprised should bream, grunter and flathead take a liking to the same morsels.
Shad-style lures – both bibbed hard bodies and soft plastics – might pin the larger flathead as well as an occasional barramundi, the latter a necessary and mandatory release with the species’ seasonal closure in full swing.
Both the flood and ebb tides have proven successful for experienced anglers, however those looking for best results should be prepared to stroll a distance, all the while probing the most obvious features including gutters and drains.
Surprise catches could include tripletail, GTS, big queenfish and salmon.
Lucy lands a beauty
LITTLE Lucy Harvey-sutton was certainly surprised when she and family fished near Forrest Beach, the five-year
old managing to catch her very first barramundi and delighted as the near 50cm fish swam away after being released Great effort Lucy!
Wade in with caution
AND while considering land-based fishing options, many will realise considerably better catches when they use live bait offerings— mullet, garfish and prawns often secured with either a cait net or drag net.
Anglers using such apparatus from North Queensland foreshore will do well to keep in mind the possibility of encounters with not only crocodiles and sharks while wading shallow waters, but also stingers — in particular the deadly Irukandji jellyfish.
It must be remembered that stingers are always a potential hazard throughout the summer period and unless stinger suits or full-body-length clothing is worn, it is advisable not to wade in tropical waters.
A lathering of full-strength vinegar might go some way towards suppressing the excruciating pain often associated with stinger encounters.
Well worth the walk
MOUNTAIN streams and the sometimes arduous walks necessary to conquer such terrain remain worth the effort— especially within those sweet waters to the north of Townsville.
A lack of significant rain has concentrated all freshwater species in the largest pools of most seasonal creeks and mountain streams. Jungle perch are easy targets when stealthy anglers cast their miniature lures and flies at easily spotted fish cruising the shallows of these same pools during first and last light periods.
And should the perch ignore the first offerings, there's a large chance that a mangrove jack, snakehead gudgeon or out-of-season barramundi will pounce on the artificial bait.
Small minnow-style lures and softplastic variations work well, however the most spectacular and visually appealing strikes might come with the use of the smallest poppers or surface lures.
Meanwhile, larger creek and river systems will give up numbers of hungry sooty grunter during the next couple of months and barras might still be caught at any of Townsville’s Ross River weirs.
Live baits of banded grunter, bony bream and mouth almighty suspended below a cork will do the trick for a Ross River weir barra, otherwise cast and slowly retrieve the largest of lures – six old-fashioned inches long or better – for best results.
Visitors leave impressed
GREY mackerel, trevally, queenfish and tuna provided exhilarating sportfishing action for visiting mates Samuel Watson, Tyson Reading and James Nicholas when they fished with my Fish City Charters operation last week.
Casting poppers or surface lures near Cape Cleveland and beyond, the trio enjoyed double and triple hook-ups on fish mostly a metre long or better.
The mates yodelled with abandon as high-flying queenfish crossed lines midair before re-entering the windswept waters, the pelagic species showing blistering pace to swim off in opposing directions and leaving the mates spellbound and with little idea whose fish was whose!
And the pace of the fish was even hotter when Watson and Reading simultaneously hooked a couple of big longtail or northern bluefin tuna.
The tuna devoured the poppers in spectacular fashion and extracted plenty of patience from both anglers before being tailed, photographed and released.
The anglers marvelled at the quality of fishing that exists virtually on Townsville’s doorstep.
Nicholas lost a beast of a spanish mackerel to bull sharks while fingermark and javelin fish both proved difficult to steer past the apex predators.
The fish of the trip, though, might have been a modest-sized GT or giant trevally, the fish hanging off a shallow reef ledge and falling to a well-cast Samaki brand soft-plastic vibe-style lure. The lure had only travelled mere centimetres before it disappeared in a mess of foam and spray.
Watson impressed with his rod work steering the fish from structure into open waters, where the battle became a seesawing affair. Tremendous effort and patience defeated the GT, which was landed on light 12-pound class braid line, photographed and released.
Crabbing bonanza
CHRISTMAS crabbing efforts were also well-rewarded when anglers set their traps within most estuaries and known foreshore haunts.
Reports of bag limit catches – seven crabs individually or a maximum of 14 each boat (two or more anglers) – and encouragingly, many anglers have learnt to throw back the light or empty crustaceans.
Cocoa Creek and the Barrattas Creek systems crabbed very well while the Ross River gave up some worthwhile muddies during the evening tides.
It is expected the mudcrab bonanza will continue well into the new year and become more predictable with the onset of seasonal rains, should they indeed occur.
Old timers will recite the verse: “Best crabbing months are those which contain the letter ‘R’ within their spelling while those that don’t are best left alone.” Believing that, crabbing should be reasonable to good in the months to come.
Here’s hoping for an outstanding new year, 2020.