Keflapod Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Well I put the virtual ink to the virtual paper with some deep reflection on what could have been the final trip for me in the bay. The day started nicely with the weather behaving itself as I drove down the george's river, protected from the cold-biting wind in my hard-top cabin. The heavily overcast morning hardly had any colour as the sun rose. The sounder told be the water temp was a frigid 15 degrees but I know that temp would bottom out at 10 degrees before the winter was done. I wasn't confident in finding fish but I needed to get out there and look around. There is always a brain-dead idea I want to try to see if I can turn the tables on the winter doldrums. I tried a number of spots from the Caltex oil refinery, all along Silver beach to the mouth of Quibray bay. No dice. I couldn't turn a reel. the tide started to turn so I thought I would give the Caltex wharf another go, see if I can burley up a trevally or 20. The fish began biting shortly after the gear was deployed but all but one trevally was just undersized. I found a legal red and a couple of bream. I thought this was going to be a worthwhile trip..... Then as quickly as they started biting, they stopped....no idea what caused the shutdown.... I did see a lone dolphin loitering around the wharf a couple of hours earlier though... I decided to do some prospecting (as I usually do) and I found myself anchored in 3m close to the kurnell baths. A couple of whiting decided to donate themselves to a worthy cause (my dinner) but otherwise it was quiet again. I decided to move spots yet again so I pulled in the gear. One rod was cast forward towards the beach. The line retrieval was almost over the anchor rope so I had to retrieve the line in such a way as to not pickup the anchor line. I flicked the sinker and bait over the anchor rope, intending to catch the rig so it doesn't go swinging around my head. I noticed there was some weed fouling the hook so I was about to grab it in mid flight...... I'm glad I didn't, beacuse I noticed something "not-quite-right" about this 'weed'... Have a look for yourself . . . . . . . . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaktis Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 That could have been the ultimate catch... literally!! Well done on cheating death!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keflapod Posted May 30, 2011 Author Share Posted May 30, 2011 Well after I carefully put the occie on the guwale and tried to take some photos.... the cheeky bugger GOT OFF THE HOOK ! Then he started to come for ME ! He didn't try to get back in the water at all...... A quick flick of the knife had him back in the water, then I carefully cut the venom laced worm / hook off the line and threw it back in.... Then my mind starts to think of the "What-ifs"..... What if the occie fell off the hook in mid flight and landed on my face ? It could have happened..... I suddenly lost my appetite for fishing... I wanted my mummy.... That was my cue to go home. So the moral of the story, watch out what you pull up. It could be bad news.... Anyway, here is the meagre catch, but at least I'm here to tell you about it... Apology for the poor photos - not a single ray of sunshine to light up my life Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catchin Jack Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 That was top reading Tony, I dunno if I would've given that occy a second chance though. Very lucky not to have grabbed it mid flight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pongrass18ft Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Well after I carefully put the occie on the guwale and tried to take some photos.... the cheeky bugger GOT OFF THE HOOK ! Then he started to come for ME ! He didn't try to get back in the water at all...... A quick flick of the knife had him back in the water, then I carefully cut the venom laced worm / hook off the line and threw it back in.... Then my mind starts to think of the "What-ifs"..... What if the occie fell off the hook in mid flight and landed on my face ? It could have happened..... I suddenly lost my appetite for fishing... I wanted my mummy.... That was my cue to go home. So the moral of the story, watch out what you pull up. It could be bad news.... Anyway, here is the meagre catch, but at least I'm here to tell you about it... Apology for the poor photos - not a single ray of sunshine to light up my life Tony Very lucky not to be bitten . Hope i never see one while fishing but it just goes to show how easy an emergency can arise. Enjoy the feed GREAT CATCH. chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arpie Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 OMG! That was a close call!!! SO glad you didn't actually catch him by hand!! nice catch, too!! Well done all round Roberta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilovebulldogs Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Well I put the virtual ink to the virtual paper with some deep reflection on what could have been the final trip for me in the bay. The day started nicely with the weather behaving itself as I drove down the george's river, protected from the cold-biting wind in my hard-top cabin. The heavily overcast morning hardly had any colour as the sun rose. The sounder told be the water temp was a frigid 15 degrees but I know that temp would bottom out at 10 degrees before the winter was done. I wasn't confident in finding fish but I needed to get out there and look around. There is always a brain-dead idea I want to try to see if I can turn the tables on the winter doldrums. I tried a number of spots from the Caltex oil refinery, all along Silver beach to the mouth of Quibray bay. No dice. I couldn't turn a reel. the tide started to turn so I thought I would give the Caltex wharf another go, see if I can burley up a trevally or 20. The fish began biting shortly after the gear was deployed but all but one trevally was just undersized. I found a legal red and a couple of bream. I thought this was going to be a worthwhile trip..... Then as quickly as they started biting, they stopped....no idea what caused the shutdown.... I did see a lone dolphin loitering around the wharf a couple of hours earlier though... I decided to do some prospecting (as I usually do) and I found myself anchored in 3m close to the kurnell baths. A couple of whiting decided to donate themselves to a worthy cause (my dinner) but otherwise it was quiet again. I decided to move spots yet again so I pulled in the gear. One rod was cast forward towards the beach. The line retrieval was almost over the anchor rope so I had to retrieve the line in such a way as to not pickup the anchor line. I flicked the sinker and bait over the anchor rope, intending to catch the rig so it doesn't go swinging around my head. I noticed there was some weed fouling the hook so I was about to grab it in mid flight...... I'm glad I didn't, beacuse I noticed something "not-quite-right" about this 'weed'... Have a look for yourself . . . . . . . . . . Please enlighten me on what that is ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hodgey Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Please enlighten me on what that is ? A blue-ringed octopus That's the last thing you would want to see on your hook. I will definitely think about this post next time I grab for a weed-covered lure! Cheers Hodgey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shanemills Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 i cought one a few weeks ago at Hunters Hill. Ive also caught a few at swansea in the lake and the harbour. how good do the rings look when you stir them up they look normal till there distressed. It's only the beak that can hurt you but not worth taking any chances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martymonsta Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 I've read that one bite from these dangerous buggers has enough venom in it to kill 10 grown men. be carefull around these things people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luderick -angler Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 All I'm going to say is WTF your a lucky man go buy a ticket in the lottery mate and well nice catch by the way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnboy Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 You definately need to stay on the ball with these blue ring octopus as it,s not uncommon to catch them on your hook.I have seen about 3 caught over the years around Manly Wharf mostly amongst the ribbon weed beds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
armin Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 never caught one, but im glad im educated on the dangers of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishermandan123 Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 I was fishing off the end of the 3rd runway last year, wound up to check my bait and there was one blue ring attached to it. A few years ago i was prawning down at windang next to the bridge scooping the prawning net through the weed and ended up with one on the net with some prawns. Now i wear waders they are pretty common, when they get agro the blue rings will flash. Regards Dan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kadavu Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Their dangerous because the venom can kill you very quickly good job not touching it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Howdoweplaythis Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 A few years ago we went up to Long Reef for a biology excursion and our task was to catch something in the rock pools and write about it. One group found a blue ringed octopus in their pool and the demonstrator caught it for them with nothing more than his bare hands and a little plastic scoop. Brave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rush Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 You're a lucky man! that is a pretty nerve racking story. It sends a chill down my spine picturing the Occy landing on your face. Someone is definitely watching over you bro. I hope you're feeling better now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastwood1980 Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 nice catch there. I thought the blue-oocy was from the north when did they start coming to NSW? I caught one in Narrabeen lake before while catch prawns, their beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gremlin Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 A few years ago we went up to Long Reef for a biology excursion and our task was to catch something in the rock pools and write about it. One group found a blue ringed octopus in their pool and the demonstrator caught it for them with nothing more than his bare hands and a little plastic scoop. Brave. It's only their beak (aka its mouth) that can hurt you since it's venom is actually it's saliva, touching their skin etc is fine just don't go ANYWHERE near the mouth.. It's a lot like a snake in that regard, if it touches you or you touch it you're fine unless it bites you then you really need to worry! Though if it does bite you just pray you're close to hospital or someone who can give you mouth to mouth since its venom paralyzes your body and you stop breathing even though you're awake the entire time, its the same stuff you find in Puffer fish Tetrodotoxin. People survive the bites by being put on ventilators in hospital to keep the artificially breathing until the toxin wears off since it mostly kills via paralysis which leads to suffocation The real bad bit is they carry enough venom to kill about 25 healthy human adults, and the bites are tiny and often painless and you sometimes don't know you're bitten until the effects of the venom start to take hold! nice catch there. I thought the blue-oocy was from the north when did they start coming to NSW? I caught one in Narrabeen lake before while catch prawns, their beautiful. They've always been here mate The species you get around Sydney and the southern coast is the the Blue Lined Octopus (Hapalochlaena fasciata) which ranges from Southern Queensland to Southern NSW, from Victoria (and probably the far south coast of NSW) to Tasmania, South Australia and Southern WA you get the Southern Blue Ringed Octopus (Hapalochlaena maculosa) and they both range from about 0-50m in depth. They aren't just found in Australia either, the Greater Blue Ringed Octopus (Hapalochlaena lunulata) is found in tide pools and shallow reefs 0-20m deep from Northern Australia to Japan, The Soloman Islands, Papua New Guinna, Indonesia, Philippines and as far east as Sri Lanka Can you tell I like venomous animals? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafinx Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Wow im never touching another sea weed patch on my line untill im sure its not one of them. im scared there is going to be one hidden inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holly1 Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 as the saying goes " keep your eyes on the ball at all times" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keflapod Posted June 2, 2011 Author Share Posted June 2, 2011 It's only their beak (aka its mouth) that can hurt you since it's venom is actually it's saliva, touching their skin etc is fine just don't go ANYWHERE near the mouth.. It's a lot like a snake in that regard, if it touches you or you touch it you're fine unless it bites you then you really need to worry! Though if it does bite you just pray you're close to hospital or someone who can give you mouth to mouth since its venom paralyzes your body and you stop breathing even though you're awake the entire time, its the same stuff you find in Puffer fish Tetrodotoxin. People survive the bites by being put on ventilators in hospital to keep the artificially breathing until the toxin wears off since it mostly kills via paralysis which leads to suffocation The real bad bit is they carry enough venom to kill about 25 healthy human adults, and the bites are tiny and often painless and you sometimes don't know you're bitten until the effects of the venom start to take hold! They've always been here mate The species you get around Sydney and the southern coast is the the Blue Lined Octopus (Hapalochlaena fasciata) which ranges from Southern Queensland to Southern NSW, from Victoria (and probably the far south coast of NSW) to Tasmania, South Australia and Southern WA you get the Southern Blue Ringed Octopus (Hapalochlaena maculosa) and they both range from about 0-50m in depth. They aren't just found in Australia either, the Greater Blue Ringed Octopus (Hapalochlaena lunulata) is found in tide pools and shallow reefs 0-20m deep from Northern Australia to Japan, The Soloman Islands, Papua New Guinna, Indonesia, Philippines and as far east as Sri Lanka Can you tell I like venomous animals? Gremlin, That's a wealth of information there. You certainly know your venomous creatures. Thankyou very much for enlightening us all. Just as well I didn't also get a stonefish that had tangled a cone snail with an irikanji box jellyfish wrapped around the line... You would be flat out still writing your reply to this post ! Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil D Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 when I was 14 I seen a blue ringer at Bronte rock pool and went to pick it up and it glowed bright blue and thought hmmmmmmm this isnt right and left it alone :wacko: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gremlin Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 Gremlin, That's a wealth of information there. You certainly know your venomous creatures. Thankyou very much for enlightening us all. Just as well I didn't also get a stonefish that had tangled a cone snail with an irikanji box jellyfish wrapped around the line... You would be flat out still writing your reply to this post ! Tony Hahahah only took me a few minutes to write, I did it by memory and only checked a few things to make sure I was remembering it right I've always been fascinated by venomous animals, but I rather snakes most of all! I mean an animal with no arms or legs yet can bring down the biggest of animals? Amazing! Glad you're alright though mate, could have ended badly for ya and god knows I'll be double checking my weed clumps from now on too! It's a hazardous job fishing in Australia, everywhere you turn something either wants to poison you or bite and eat you hahaha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinta_bay_pirates Posted June 2, 2011 Share Posted June 2, 2011 nice catch there. I thought the blue-oocy was from the north when did they start coming to NSW? I caught one in Narrabeen lake before while catch prawns, their beautiful. They are from the south..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now