Ker’s yummy surprise
either species any harm and, if nything, ensured both tasty breadnd-butter species are more voracious an usual.
Well-known Condon angler Keith arveyson says he has been fielding ports of encouraging numbers of eam being found in most local tuary systems.
Harveyson recalled a yarn last week lling of 15 bream, the vast majority rger than 30cm, taken by three nglers fishing within Morrissey’s reek.
“They caught the bream on nothing ore than strips of mullet and also ught two large mudcrabs,” arveyson said.
Having fished most local estuary stems for the best part of 60 years, arveyson said the coldest winters ways yielded the best catches and ld of days when switched-on anglers ould fish harbour breakwalls and ape Cleveland shallows to snare normous hauls of bream.
“The coldest nights, just like some of ose we’ve experienced this winter, ould always give up the best catches bream and if I were a few years unger I’d be out there trying my ck,” said Harveyson, who is set to ow out 90 candles in November.
hasing mackerel
OWNSVILLE boaties will be atching today’s local marine forecasts th an eagle eye, many anticipating a op in wind and wave heights for the eekend, perhaps allowing them a ance to tangle with hungry spanish ackerel.
The tasty species is proving nsistent in numbers at popular eadland and island hotspots, Cape eveland and the Rattlesnake Island oup giving up bag limit catches of tter-than-school-size fish.
Young Jack Brown caught his very first mackerel when he fished near Salamander Reef last week. Dad Duncan Brown said the mackerel was way bigger than his previous best fish too, the approximately 13kg fish providing plenty of fillet for the holidaying anglers to take back to their Brisbane home.
Patience pays off
IAN Ponton thought he had hooked a spanish mackerel while fishing under the Cape Cleveland lighthouse early this week.
He had already slipped coral trout into the ice-box, released gold spot cod and a whopping hump-headed batfish, but, frustrated after having soft plastic Gulp lures bitten off by mackerel, Ponton pimped his rig with a short length of wire trace.
An avid flyfisher, Ponton oozed plenty of patience and was eventually rewarded with a spectacular strike on a light threadline rod and reel combo.
The fight was a good one, the fish taking plenty of line on its initial burst but soon settling into a to-and-fro affair where little was gained or lost during the ensuing 15 or so minutes.
Ponton was confident his wire trace tactic was going to pay dividends with a sizeable mackerel as it was carefully steered to the boat, however he was surprised to find a GT or giant trevally instead.
Ponton was happy to photograph and release the beautifully conditioned fish and while mackerel avoided his hooks throughout the remainder of the morning, he was stoked to spend time watching mother and calf humpback whales frolicking within shallow Cleveland Bay waters.
Sharks cause headache
MEANWHILE, Samuel Turner said he and mates used wolf herring baits to entice strikes from big spanish mackerel when they trolled the offerings around Rattlesnake and Herald islands last week.
A hat-trick of mackerel to 11kg were dragged over the gunwales of Turner’s ageing tinny while an equal number were destroyed by packs of sharks, mostly bull sharks but at least one tiger.
“We lost a few baits and rigs to the bulls (sharks) as well … they seemed to love eating the wolfies,” Turner said. “We would have hooked more mackerel but it was getting beyond stupid losing those fish and rigs to sharks.
“The rigs on their own are expensive. Add the bait, fuel and time and what you end up with is depressing.”
Turner said he and his mates might have been a bit lucky to land the first three fish they hooked.
“It was one-way traffic from then on. We didn’t really stand a chance and lately, I’m wondering why I even worry about fishing at all.”
And sharks continued to frustrate anglers when dropping a line near reefs wide of Townsville late last week.
Deep channel waters between reefs were lousy with sharks when anglers attempted to pull red emperor and large-mouth nannygai from their deepwater hideouts.
Anglers on social media platforms expressed their distaste for the apex predators while others offered advice on how to beat the sharks.
Some encouraged berleying or chumming the sharks to a particular spot away from the schools of fish while others suggested dispensing with rod and reel, instead using heavy handlines and brute strength to pull hooked fish past the hungry sharks.
Anglers fishing further away from popular inner reefs seemed to fare better, with many reporting fewer sharks for their longer travels.
Sharks also proved less of an issue when anglers fished closer to the reef proper with red throat emperor and trout filling ice-boxes and an occasional spanish mackerel caught on floating and drifting baits of gar and pilchard.
Something for dad
THE Australian Fishing Tackle Association’s annual trade show, under way late this week, might have been very strategically slotted into the calendar with Father’s Day celebrations just around the corner.
Fishing tackle retailers and fishing media will sift through any number of new fishing innovations at the Gold Coast expo, while the public get their chance to have a gander tomorrow.
Garry Dunkley said he was on duty this weekend at Townsville’s Fishing Warehouse while owners Dale Weldon and Pat Dass met with wholesalers and distributors to wheel and deal the best possible outcomes for Townsville anglers. “I have no doubt we’ll see some great new products from this year’s AFTA trade show and the boys, Dale and Pat, will broker some real good bargains just in time for Father’s Day,” Dunkley said.