Fishing With Steve At Tuncurry

[arpie]

Hi all

Steve/Hawk and his family are over from Scone for the school hols, staying at Forster Beach Caravan Park & we hit the water at Tuncurry about lunch time Thurs to fish the last of the high tide & the change. Our target species was flatties.

They were on the chew immediately! By the time I'd crossed to the shallows, Steve was still getting into his yak & I had my first flattie on!!! It was just a little one, so back he went. 2 casts later, I'm on again ..... another small one, put back! By now, Steve had joined me but was fishing into he channel, whilst I was casting towards the edges of a small island, getting hits almost every cast.

I now cast towards some of the oyster floats that had been tied together to form a series of floats & once again, I am on!! This time, the flattie followed the lure to the surface, without hitting it, so I just dropped it down again & I could see the flattie come over & eyeball it, tho still not hitting it!! I lifted the lure from the bottom & just like the Flattie Cam on Youtube, it followed every direction I moved the lure, until finally, it couldn't help itself & inhaled it!!

What a great experience - I was giving Steve a blow by blow description as this was all going on (not altogether sure that he believed that there was a flattie there to start off with tho ... ) Funnily enough, my first 10 flatties were caught on a clapped out gulp grub!! With no tail!!

Pretty soon, Steve was onto a nice one too! He was very pleased about too, as he has four guests arriving tomorrow & any fish caught today was going to be used tomorrow for dinner!!

Onwards & upwards, we were both catching plenty of flatties, some undersized & others a good 'table size' of about 40+cm, so I had 3 in the bag, after letting some 'just legals' go. A couple of nice ones 'dropped' at the yak & we both had lots of hits & misses. I headed over to another area, but the wind had picked up & I only had a couple of hits anyway, so returned to the quiet water! I heard some bream kissing, so had a go with smaller hooks & gulps & even tried topwater, but had no takers. WOn't be long now & they'll be going OFF, I reckon!

One of my casts managed to catch a cormorant ...... which flew thru my line, with the lure riding up the line as the bird tried to take off, catching him under his wing!! He kept trying to fly off & came crashing down again! Gradually I drew him closer & as he came to the yak, was biting anything that came near him, so I had to cover his head with my towel so that I could get the lure from its flesh!! It was NOT impressed!! Unfortunately, as I tried to disengage the hook, my rod & reel fell into the drink! It is now sitting in bits on the table as I attempt to clean it out! I managed to get the hook out & returned fishing, but the flattie bite had stopped & I only managed a few small throwbacks agagin!

It was a top day on the water & fun fishing with Steve! With my 3 fish & his 4, and his guests arriving on Fri, Steve now has a good enough bag of flatties to feed the whole tribe! We were both putting back fish that were under 40cm, & reckon we'd have put back about 20 flatties. The fish we kept were averaging in the low 40cms - none of the biggies arrived today!

When Steve jumped out of the yak, young Tom jumped in!! That's a mighty big yak for a little fella, eh?

All packed up & ready to head back to the caravan park!! Hope you remembered to tie it on, Steve!!

Cheerio & thanks for a fun day on the water, Steve

Roberta

[Hodgey]

I don't know who gets more nervous when you hit the water, Roberta ... the fish or the birdlife! The water (and the fishing) is indeed starting to heat up, and all indications are that we should be in for a bumper Summer. Terrific to see you out on the water and getting into some very productive fishing. The 4" Swimming Mullet has been my 'go-to' plastic all through Winter, but it won't be long before they are filed away for a few months and the 5" jerkshads, xraps, pencils and blades will be tossed around!

Cheers

Ian

[arpie]

Thanks Ian - ....I don't know who gets more nervous when you hit the water,..... You left out 'fishing rods'!!! :074:

I hadn't seen the 4" grubs until last week ...... & should have bought a bag!!! THey are, good, eh, even if they keep catching after losing their tail! I did it deliberately, as I wasn't fishing for a feed for myself & figured anything I caught & kept was a bonus for Steve, & was pleasantly surprised when it caught so many flatties!

Can't wait for the water temps to lift a little more! Fishing should really take off!!

Cheers

Roberta

Off to Port tomorrow for Keith's final chemo session on Tues! Hope to hit some bass water whilst up there!

[tide'n'knots]

nice little session roberta, got a small 55cm jew last night so they should be on the chew by the time your in sydney!

see you soon

pete.

[paul.kenny]

Another great session roberta and I cannot wait for your reports of some top water action.......I just hope the birdlife stays clear .

[Day's Fishin]

Another good report Roberta. Can always depend on you to show visitors how and where to fish. You not only catch the flatties but you tease them before you nail them.

Regards Jeff

[james7]

Great report Roberta! Plenty of fish for a great feed!

You and Steve certainly had a top day on the water!

Excellent photos too!

Cheers

Peter

Best wishes for Keith's final chemo session.

[Ray R]

Hi Roberta, what a top day for you and your friends, some top pics too.

Love your old plastic, funny how the old ugly ones seem to work sometimes.

Congrats on a top session and great report...

[taloyoak]

Hey B,

Great report and even better pics.

you are really the Queen of kayaks ( it is actually an Inuit word an spelt qyaaq),

Thanks for a good report, and even the thoughtful photos to take so other Raiders get to see the whole picture.

Big Love,

M