# Qld Mon 10Feb14... Nice Scarby Grunter…



## Beekeeper (Aug 20, 2011)

Beginning at 0600, I had a lovely morning on the water&#8230; just enough breeze for a good drift, and not too much to stop you having a pee when needed.

What more do you want?

Fish? Dammit!

Gary (Sweed) ranged up alongside, had just told me he'd broken his donut with a small bream&#8230; and I was in the midst of telling him that I had a big hit earlier on, then had to grab my rod, but too late again!

Both of these hits were savage&#8230; pulled the over-head outfit over with line zinging out&#8230; the first one lasted perhaps three seconds, and the last one about half that&#8230; both times&#8230; nothing! Both times the Z-man flat-tail seemed untouched!

Gary told me that he'd had that on one of his last trips, and the same as me&#8230; soft-plastic seemingly untouched&#8230; that is, until he stretched it&#8230; that's when the teeth-marks showed up&#8230; so, he surmised that it was a mackerel of some sort that hit and missed!

On that note, I also checked, and sure enough, plenty of teeth-marks showed when stretched. OK&#8230; looks like I've had a couple of brushes with the bitey fellers!

I had to wait until around half-past nine before I had a solid hook-up! However&#8230; this one seemed well and truly hooked&#8230; gave me quite a torrid time zipping here, there and wherever it wanted&#8230; and finally showed the slender silver outline that usually signals jewie, but&#8230; there were added vertical bars to this guy!

Grunter Bream!

If you've ever caught one of these fish, you'll know that although you've sighted the fish, it's not necessarily yours as yet!

Apparently not liking the masked countenance of the rod-holder&#8230; or perhaps the yellow/green colour of the Acadia&#8230; this fellow bolted for the depths again&#8230; seemingly as strongly as, if not stronger than he showed before!

But the little Shimano Corvalus 200 over-head regained all lost line and soon this lovely fish was finning away beside me&#8230;

Now, I didn't really need fish at home, and although my wife and I regard this species as really top tucker, I reckoned on releasing this guy&#8230; but first comes piccies and measurement.

I hauled the beastie up onto the spray-skirt, applied the lip-grips, took the appropriate camera-shots, measured, then undid the lip-grips, and slid the fish back into the briny.

However&#8230; sometimes this doesn't work, and this was one of those times&#8230; no matter how I tried, (grabbing the tail and swishing back and forth till OK) each time I released it, it turned turtle and lay on the surface.

Finally, I grabbed it again, wet a towel kept for this purpose, and wrapped the grunter within, then stowed it inside the Acadia.

Length? 73cm! When I read that length, it brought back memories of the first grunter I caught&#8230; yep! This one equalled my previous best caught about seven years back.

















A bit pissed with myself, I fished on for a while, catching only a snapper that fought way-way above its piddley length of 24 cm, some while later as I made for home.

When I weighed said grunter at home, it came in at 4kg, or 8lb 13oz&#8230; apparently not quite as big as my previous best at 4.29kg or 9lb 7oz.

I guess that the shrinkage factor must be added here&#8230; when measured at home, it only came up at 69cm&#8230; shrank from 73 to 69cm!

Perhaps the first one was measured at home, not fresh from the water! That would make it a larger fish.

We battered some of it for tea that night, and man! It was superb!

Cheers all&#8230; Jimbo


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## carnster (May 27, 2008)

That is one stonker of a grunter Jim.


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## krustayshen (Oct 14, 2013)

That's a good size Grunter Jimbo.

You have a knack for catching them.

Just thought I might add something I thought was funny. When I stopped and chatted to you on the water on Monday,I was surprised at the amount of turtle activity around you.
One turtle so close it almost jumped in the back of your kayak. When I said to you did you see that. You came back quick as a flash, ' I didn't see a thing'.

I paddled off thinking that silly old bugger must be feeding those turtles. :lol: :lol:

Cheers Greg


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## BIGKEV (Aug 18, 2007)

krustayshen said:


> That's a good size Grunter Jimbo.
> 
> You have a knack for catching them.
> 
> ...


Hey Greg,

Quick tip for you mate. Turtles are never far from reef ;-)


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## krustayshen (Oct 14, 2013)

BIGKEV said:


> Hey Greg,
> 
> Quick tip for you mate. Turtles are never far from reef ;-)


Thanks Kev, I would be lost without you. ;-)


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## sweed (Oct 1, 2011)

Hey Jimbo thats a big Grunter,you've got a knack of catching them things!
The fish came on the bite late that morning,talking to Scott{fella on ocean kayak} back at beach
and he showed me a snapper he caught on the way in well over 700mm.


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## Beekeeper (Aug 20, 2011)

carnster said:


> That is one stonker of a grunter Jim.


I do my best, Carnster... ;-)



krustayshen said:


> Just thought I might add something I thought was funny. When I stopped and chatted to you on the water on Monday,I was surprised at the amount of turtle activity around you.
> One turtle so close it almost jumped in the back of your kayak. When I said to you did you see that. You came back quick as a flash, ' I didn't see a thing'.
> 
> I paddled off thinking that silly old bugger must be feeding those turtles. :lol: :lol: Cheers Greg


Greg... It was so close, it startled me... it was actually behind me, but not very far at all... so how could I see it?

Most of the kayaking fraternity around here know that I feed them the odd soft-plastic... inadvertently of course... plus the occasional hard-body... buggerit!



BIGKEV said:


> Hey Greg,
> 
> Quick tip for you mate. Turtles are never far from reef ;-)


Quick tip back to you, Kev... they hang around me like a bad smell... I used to be happy to see them, but nowadays I want to pull in all my lines and bugger off!



sweed said:


> The fish came on the bite late that morning,talking to Scott{fella on ocean kayak} back at beach
> and he showed me a snapper he caught on the way in well over 700mm.


Yep Gaz... Scott showed me just after he caught it, and I reckon both our fish hit at pretty close to the same time... It was a bloody nice snapper.

Cheers all... Jimbo


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## Beekeeper (Aug 20, 2011)

Note the colour change before I got to dress this fish... went from silver to gold!









Cheers, Jimbo


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## Wrassemagnet (Oct 17, 2007)

Solid fish Jimbo! Well done mate.


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## killer (Dec 22, 2010)

At it again Jimbo, nice.

Cheers 
Killer.


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## krustayshen (Oct 14, 2013)

Beekeeper said:


> Greg... It was so close, it startled me...


Your one cool dude Jim,you did not flinch.


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

krustayshen said:


> Beekeeper said:
> 
> 
> > Greg... It was so close, it startled me...
> ...


He did when he hooked two at once a year or so ago. He went into a maniacal, swearing, sweating and cursing fit of anguish. They don't call him TC (turtle catcher) for no reason.

Meanwhile, I died laughing. :lol:


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## Beekeeper (Aug 20, 2011)

kayakone said:


> krustayshen said:
> 
> 
> > Beekeeper said:
> ...


Trev... you bugger off! I much prefer Greg's description... cool dude! 8)

:lol:

Jimbo


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## actionsurf (Jul 8, 2010)

They are my favourite eating fish Jim had they are starting to enjoy Moreton Bay these days. I like smaller models though. They're not the smartest fish and will bite anything that moves. I sight cast to them at Wathumba. They boil in 2' of water. 
That one's a bit big to be sweet on the tooth I think. How did it taste?


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## Beekeeper (Aug 20, 2011)

actionsurf said:


> They are my favourite eating fish Jim had they are starting to enjoy Moreton Bay these days. I like smaller models though. They're not the smartest fish and will bite anything that moves. I sight cast to them at Wathumba. They boil in 2' of water.
> That one's a bit big to be sweet on the tooth I think. How did it taste?


Had a couple of pieces of it that night, and thought it was lovely, actionsurf. To me, size is of no consequence! 



rodpac said:


> King of the grunters Jimbo!


Sounds a bit piggish, Rod... but I'll take anything that'll destroy the turtle-catcher tag! 



nezevic said:


> Nice one jimbo. We had the last of mine this week. I doubt I'll ever let a legal one go.


I also find them hard to release, Jon... but I only attempted to release it 'cos I still have a whole 94cm jew on ice to get through... not that I'm complaining... love eating jew as well.

Cheers all... Jimbo


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## Beekeeper (Aug 20, 2011)

indiedog said:


> 73cm grunter? Are you serious?
> 
> Good catch Turtle Grunter. ;-)


Thanks a heap, Indie! 



Lazybugger said:


> Beekeeper said:
> 
> 
> > Sounds a bit piggish, Rod... but I'll take anything that'll destroy the turtle-catcher tag!
> ...


For some years, I thought it was me v every bloody turtle in Moreton Bay! Especially that huge one with the big yellow head like a football (rugby league). Several times he/she has tried to tow me over to Moreton... does the local rounds first, then gets pissed off with me and head East at a great rate of knots. Besides... I haven't hooked one in months! Again, not that I'm complaining. ;-)

Indie and Lazybugger... after suggestions like that, I've been thinkin'... with friends like you two, who needs enemies? :lol:

Jimbo


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## paulsod (Dec 28, 2008)

Nice one Jim.
If I could catch more then just Squire/Snapper I would fish locally more often.
Cheers
Paul


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