# Coomera River Thur. 22nd Nov.



## Guest (Nov 22, 2007)

Launched the Yak at 5am. First thing I did of course was to switch the sounder on and check it out. Some weird looking structure under those Coomera River bridges.
Trolled a couple of HB lures half way up to the railway bridge, then started flicking a soft plastic at the bank (Isn't it funny...............I was just thinking before I bought a Kayak I used to stand on a bank somewhere and cast out into a river, now I sit in a Kayak in a river and cast towards a bank :lol: )

No sooner had I started casting I had a hookup. Got a flathead to the side of the Kayak and it spat the lure. Moved on a bit and had a few casts. Hooked up again, whatever it was jumped out of the water and the spat the lure (too fast to see what it was) Cast into the exact same spot and hooked up on a flathead. Got it to the side of the yak and it spat the lure. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Moved on a bit and after a few more casts, hooked onto another flathead. Got it to the side of the Yak and it spat the hook again!

Swapped back to 2 hard bodied lures and trolled on further. Got to a likely looking spot way up further and decided to flick SPs again. Hooked up on a Flathead again and got it to the side of the Yak and.....................spat the hook again. What the...............! I even tried setting the hook a little firmer but still no go.

I decided to swap for a HB lure and try the same tactic. First cast at the bank and Whack!!!!!!! This time a hookup and a capture. Contemplated keeping it but I felt sorry for it for some reason. Am I turning soft or something?.What's going on?
I have to admit, I mainly fish for the sport unless I catch a fish that I have never caught before or one I haven't caught for awhile.

Let me mention, yesterday I bought some Nitlon Fluoro Carbon leader. The bloke in the tackle shop reckoned I shouldn't be running braid straight to the SP Jighead otherwise the hooks will pull.
I'll be telling this bloke that every hookup I had was pulled when using the Nitlon Fluro Carbon.
Anyway, after releasing the HB lure caught flathead I swapped back to SPs again. After a few casts I got a tangle so I had to bank the Kayak. I had to cut the line and start again but this time I didn't put the Nitlon Fluoro Carbon leader back on. Just braid straight to the jigead.
Launched the Kayak again and cast my other reel to troll a lure..............overspooled the overhead reel this time and ended up with another tangle on my second reel. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Back to the bank I go.
Finally got back to some fishing. After several casts I hooked up onto another flathead, got it to the side of the Yak and lifted it aboard. No Nitlon Fluoro Carbon leader, No problemo.


















A quick measure and then released it.

Decided to start heading back as the wind was coming up and it was giving me the $hits as I'd be only getting 2 casts at the most before it was blowing me where I didn't want to go.
Trolled a couple of HB lures again (I am yet to catch a fish trolling lures!) 
Headed back a different way around an island and decided to have a few cast and retrieves of the HB lure again (too lazy to swap over again)
First cast................Whack..............Whoahhhhhhh, that's no Flathead. Instead it was my first ever Estuary Cod. It fought pretty hard.

It went 40cm. I know that's not huge But I have never had one before. Legal limit is 35cm if I am correct.










After this I trolled all the way back (with still no luck trolling)

I lost count of exactly how many Flathead I hooked. It was at least 8. Today I tried all my different SPs and hooked a fish on each type except for 1.
I am confident that I can catch fish on nearly all the different SPs I own now.


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## RawDog (Oct 20, 2007)

next time you go to the coomera ill be keen as to go with you

Mick


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## Guest (Nov 22, 2007)

No Problem Rawdog. It has taken me a few trips to work out how and where to catch fish in the Coomera.
Next time I might launch around Paradise Point somewhere and fish some new grounds

I did 11+ kms today. It was a big trip.


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## stonecold (Nov 5, 2006)

:lol: and its suppose to be relaxing past time....it can be frustratng at times cant it!


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## Shoey (Aug 30, 2005)

Very nice Cod there Zone. Sounds like you're getting the hang of the soft plastics too (even if the hookup rate is down).

We've got a night trip on the Coomera coming up if you're interested, i'll post details tomorrow of when and where.


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## Guest (Nov 22, 2007)

Yeah I think I'll be giving the Nitlon Fluoro Carbon leader a miss for awhile. If I would have seen it was made in Japan I wouldn't have purchased it.


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## Geoff (May 29, 2007)

Nice cod. Chasing flathead without a good leader could see you getting hookups and then bitten off. I'd be more incline to make sure that the jigheads and hooks are sharp and of good quality. When using plastics i always loose a few flattys some days more that others. Perhaps it was one of those days.


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## Guest (Nov 22, 2007)

Whenever I have used braid straight to a jighead I have never lost a flathead (The jigheads I have just started using are brand new and very sharp(Nitro)) I lost every single flathead with this leader. As soon as I removed the leader I boated every single fish after that. Go Figure!


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## Peril (Sep 5, 2005)

Zone said:


> Whenever I have used braid straight to a jighead I have never lost a flathead (The jigheads I have just started using are brand new and very sharp(Nitro)) I lost every single flathead with this leader. As soon as I removed the leader I boated every single fish after that. Go Figure!


Can't see any link between use or not of leader and the hook sticking. Fluoro doesn't have much stretch. I'd be more inclined to think the problem is with the jig/hook. You'll have trouble catching fish like bream and whiting without using leader


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## Guest (Nov 23, 2007)

Bream and Whiting don't have the same sort of head shake to throw a hook like a Flathead. I'll think I'll give the leader a miss on Flathead for awhile. One day I'll do a test by using both methods with and without and see what results I get again.


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## RawDog (Oct 20, 2007)

Zone

you gooing the rong way you need to head from the boatramp at the m1 bridge to the weir at the end there is better fishing that way or you can try right near riviera boats thats were i fish the most and catch the good stuff like jacks and queenies

mick


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## Guest (Nov 24, 2007)

What do you mean I was going the wrong way?! I didn't mention where I went did I!? 

I have fished up towards the weir several times and never had a touch. This time I decided to head further down river and had a great time fishing. I'm not giving up on fishing more towards the weir but I wanted to know for sure I would get something this time.

I'm pretty sure I did fish around Riveria boats. Heap of boats moored under cover. Is that the place?


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## Phoenix (Jan 12, 2006)

Well done Paul.


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## coomeraguy (Aug 11, 2007)

Shoey said:


> Very nice Cod there Zone. Sounds like you're getting the hang of the soft plastics too (even if the hookup rate is down).
> 
> We've got a night trip on the Coomera coming up if you're interested, i'll post details tomorrow of when and where.


hey mate,any ideas on when you will be going night fishing at coomera,very keen if the fun police lets me,hehehe
cheers
geoff.
Also some nice fish caught mate well done


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## DrJed (Sep 13, 2007)

Some nice fish Zone, well done.
That kind of day sounds familier.

I love to flick SP's at lizards and I always use fluroC leader with no probs - might just be the day.
I did notice in your photo you have a large snap swivel to the lure. I have found I get better feel with a loop knot or even a half blood knot to the lure. I do on occasion use a clip but try to keep it as small as possible.

One mistake I used to make with the flatties was getting them to the yak with the rod tip high, have found if I keep it low and lift accross the yak rather than up they don't panic as much and give those big head shakes.

Good luck bud

Cheers
Steve


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## Guest (Nov 24, 2007)

> One mistake I used to make with the flatties was getting them to the yak with the rod tip high, have found if I keep it low and lift accross the yak rather than up they don't panic as much and give those big head shakes.


Hey DrJed, That's what I might have been doing wrong. I'll keep that tecnique in mind next time. I like the snap on swivels so I can change lures quickly.

One day I'll do another serious session with and without the same Fluoro Carbon leader again and see what results I get.


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## DrJed (Sep 13, 2007)

Hey zone. I think I need to refine my skills a bit, practise new techniques ect.......yeah thats the next excuse to go fishing.

See how you go with the rod tip low - just watch it coming accross the yak when the fish is close - have lost a few to a leader rubbing on the yak.

Good luck - now go and knock a few off.

Steve


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