tlkeizer
To answer a few questions.
I live in Far Nth Qld Aust.
The summer heat has lost it’s edge and we are now in Autumn. 28-30 C with humidity.
The Great Barrier Reef is only 30 km’s away out from Mourilyan harbour. I have a beat up ancient home built ex net/pro dory centre console about 18’
Been murdering fish for many years up and down the coast before I got it. It is shallow and heavey, rides like a brick ,built like a tank (no plates are without dings).
It maybe slow; But a least it’s wet.
The redeeming features if any are it’s not worth stealing and good to fish out of. Ha
I cleaned it once and couldn’t catch any fish for ages.
I’m more a hand line and pilchard fisherman when it comes to reef fishing.
I do catch some hard bait (fresh fish for whole or slab bait as well.)
A 55 -80 lb Schneider line ,9/0 hook and a sinker. Throw in swivel and a couple of finger stalls and a wooden reel to wind it on and I’m happy as a new born under a woollen blanket.
I do keep a rod with a floating pilchard out for Spanish mackeral or tea leaf trevally for the relations.
The coral trout are my favourite fish as you get a good recovery off them.They are generally willing biters and fight off over fish for your bait. They are excellent on the tooth. I target them from about 42-45 cm
There a family tree of them but the common trout will be from green to red.
they are related to cod and think they are the boss of the bommie and are also curios.
They aren’t dumb thou and the thriving live coral trout market has pros working it hard. Plucking everything.
There was two passion fruit trout in the box as well.They have spots all over them.
there was a couple of greenies in there but the red esky reflected off them.
They fight hard and will brick you in a flash. (Take you into the coral reef and holes)
But once you get them up a few metres or so they usually come up lots easier.
They don’t try and pull your ring out all the way up like some of the other bigger reef species like red emporer do ,so it is easier on ageing worn out bugga like me. Ha.
People troll /cast lures and do slow jigging with irons and all sorts of plastic rubbery things.Bottom bouncing on the reef with a rod can be not for the faint of heart. By the time you take all the spring out of the rod and line even using braid they can have you bricked before you have even set the hook.
One must be vigilant and crank with tip down and rip it into them if you want to be successful.I am superstitious and once you loose one , they will go off the bite and you may as well move to the next bommie.
I prefer the one on one battle with a hand line. But sometimes resort to a rod every now and again for a different pace on things.
I brain spike my fish and cut their neck ; straight into a salty brine which will stiffen them up quite well by the time you get back home.
I like crushed ice and sea water. If you throw a handful or so of salt in as well you can bring the temp of the brine to - 20C? It burning cold and will freeze the fish whole but also burns though the ice.
I’m lazy and just fillet of a side and cryovac that skin and all. Skin and de-pin bone when I cook it.
They bring $50 kg / fillet in the shops.
I can tell what fish it is and not some white bag of something non descript mystery bag..keeps better too.
I don’t have to do battle with bears but the tax man or the man in the grey suit (sharks) are prevelent for some and more for others.
I have had crocs take my fish on the odd occasion but not out on the reef thou.
Hope it helps fill in some time for you while you are frozen.Dreaming of warmer weather.
Yes I do enjoy my fishing.. I used to fly fish for Barramundi in the gulf when I lived there long before it was more known and people thought I was a bit daft or loopy.
ha
Bruce.
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Out getting some vitamin D and exercise.
