Just one of those trips

[dirvin21]

A few months back Amy won a random draw cash prize in a fishing comp after some discussion around the winnings it was decided we would go back up north and try and settle the score with some of the uncooperative fish, after a bit of discussion with our fishing guide it was a 2 day January Jack trip.

Getting off the plane it was hot and humid and also hot really hot apparently all the ingrediants for good jack fishing.

Day 1: after waing every hour to check the clock it was finally time to hit the water our first day was fishing the creeks around Cape Upstart, we started out working the mangrove edges with weedless soft plastic poppers (zman pop shadz) waiting for the tide to drop we could hear the jacks smashing stuff deep in the mangroves, we didn't manage to land any on surface but we had plenty of hits and misses right up to beside the boat certainly got the blood pumping, with the tide dropped our guide suggested a change to weedless plastic paddletails slow rolled out of the nasty structure, it didn't take long to get hammered

a 41cm satan to start the trip first fish and already bested a pb

a few metres along put a cast at some bream on an overhanging tree the bream took off and the rod loaded up in a serious way as soon as the red flash went past my knees nearly buckled managed to steer him out in  to the middle of the creek and a solid slab of satan came aboard

 

48cm and thick, I've wanted a Jack like this for a long time 

whilst I was beating my chest and doing some weird dance Amy got her first fish for the trip with a nice blac spot 

Happiness was high, we kept hitting the snags for some more cod, and Amy gets belted on a perfect cast 

 

Amy's first Jack

Finished with the first creek we moved onto another landing a few cod, a catfish and a couple of smaller jacks 

and working some really heavy timber got another nice Jack

 

After quite a few cod the novelty had worn off for Amy when hooked onto something different 

a nice 40cm GT another first for Amy 

not long after I was belted by a better quality cod 

he went mid 40's I'm never disappointed with a decent cod 

after a bit of a slow period with a few hits but no fish my lue gets chased by some small GT's and suddenly a bigger model charges in and nails it leaving a bruise in my ribcage from the rod butt, it was a scary fight on a tight drag in a small creek and what felt like forever a solid estuary GT came aboard

he measured up at 59cm gave me a heel of a scra on 20lb

With day drawing to an end thought it couldn't get much better despite woring hard in the heat we had caught some awesome fish 

Then Amy lets out a yell the fish immediately jumps and we realise it's a barra there were nervous moments but finally

the smile says it all although we weren't targeting Amy really wanted a barra, it is closed season so the barra was returned to the water really quickly  

with that day 1 was done 

Day 2: We fished the Burdekin river and some small creeks attached to it, the day started chasing queenies and GT's with stickbaits resulting a couple of missed hits and a dropped queenie and Amy jagging a stingray, we decided to head into a small creek, didn't take long for me to get smashed by a solid fish before the hooks pulled, the bait was everywhere and after a few more casts 

another solid jack to get the day going, 

Amy put some casts into the same snag and came out with a cracking sized pikey bream

we worked a few more trees for a flathead and plenty of small to medium sized cod, then I get hit all I could say was "BIG" the fish steamrolled out into the creek, luckily eventually the monster and came boatside 

an absolute beast of a cod, he went 53cm 

working the banks for multiple missed hits and Amy get destroyed by an XOS Jack, a barra comes from nowhere and eats my lure 

no monster but still my first barra 

and  casts later 

another for the tally 

heading out of the creek we saw some small GT's busting bait they wouldn't hit our lures so at the guides suggestion I sun it beneath and cameup tight on another fish when it jumped i realised it wasn't a GT

a blue salmon, another fish I really wanted to catch

with that we did some mud bank casting to fill in time waiting for the tide catching a few flathead and good quality size, when again I load up on a solid fish and to my surprise

another solid jack working a muddy edge

the arvo bite didn't happen most likey due to the ridiculously high water temps but Amy did managed a nice GT on surface but it self released before I could get a photo 

That finished the trip, we tallied up over 40 fish for the 2 days with plenty of variety it was the trip I've always dreamed of having 

anyone thinking of hitting FNQ in summer just be aware of the heat, it's brutal and shouldn't be underestimated 

cheers for reading 

Dave

 

 

 

[frankS]

A fantastic report on a great adventure, one of those trips we all dream about yet seldom achieve . Great photos and you both have some memories to last a while.

Thanks for sharing.

Frank

[rickmarlin62]

Some nice fish dave  hope you killed a couple of satans spawn and ate them     hahaha

[Blackfish]

Awesome report Dave, thanks for taking the time to do such a detailed one to.

Some nice fish there and some cracker Jacks, great work you two.

[Scratchie]

That’s a cracking trip you guys! I’m sure the heat didn’t bother you whilst you were hooked up! 😂😂

Great varieties to tick of the list there! Well done 👍 

cheers scratchie!!! 

[Rebel]

Great report and Super photos.