# 30Sep13… Scarby Qld… No witnesses? Good!



## Beekeeper (Aug 20, 2011)

I had a mixed day today&#8230; oh, lots of fish&#8230; no worries in that department, but&#8230; my old friends were about in abundance as usual, coming up for air and checking out TC and coming in close enough to intimidate.

On the water in time to see the sun peep over the horizon&#8230; a light Easterly breeze wafting across from Moreton, making 30cm waves&#8230; I picked one glorious morning to go fishing.

I was a bit dismayed to spot a couple of crabbers roaring about, banging their pots to shake crabs down&#8230; there were crab-pots everywhere.

When the crabbers are active as they were today, I feel that places to fish productively are quite limited, so I try to fish places where they (and their noises) won't bother me greatly.

An undersized dusky was the first victim for the day, and zipped away to the depths when released following the cursory photo and measure.









After some trolling around for snapper and jew, I found some place where the crabbers didn't frequent, and settled in for a drift or two with the Easterly pushing me along quite nicely ie neither too fast nor too slowly.

The first snapper came in reasonably quickly and I was pleased to see it was clearly legal. 









Not too long later, the over-head outfit took off and line zipped off sweetly against fair drag, telling me that it was a substantial fish. I still had the other outfit in the water, but this fish played fairly, and I managed to keep the two lines apart.

As the fish came into view, I noticed that the hook was actually outside the mouth, and hooked in what I'd term the lower cheek. It still had some fight, and some minutes elapsed before I could slip the lip-grips in and slid it onto my deck (read skirt).

Photos and measure (65cm), then the back into the water go he (or she).









If you follow my threads/posts, you might recall that the Zman 3inch flat-tail in electric chicken colour often has time-out, or doesn't catch a thing for some time, then for some reason unbeknown to me, it's on for young and old.

Today was that day!

It wasn't long before that rod took a dive again&#8230; this fish felt decidedly better, but when the cursory measure came, it only beat the last one by two miserable centimetres. 








A short time later and it dived again, but only for another 38cm snapper.








This lure was having a field day! Bring it on!!!

Off again! But&#8230; I suspect not this time to a pinkie&#8230; just prior to the rod diving to the briny, a very large turtle came up for a breather, dived, and was facing straight in the direction of my line. At this time, I hoped against hope that a snapper had beaten the turtle to the lure&#8230; but&#8230; hopes are one thing&#8230; reality's another&#8230; and after ten minutes of towing me around in circles, it finally came up for another breath of air, and that's when I got a really good look at the size of this SOB.

Out with the knife, manoeuvre the kayak into position, then zip! And turtle's gone, and it's re-rigging time for me.

Sorry, no piccies of the turtle&#8230; just too busy handling the big sod.

Brief time later, new leader, new Z-man flat-tail in elechick flavour, and back in business again.

Around then, the lilelechick (the one that usually kills 'em) picked up a 33cm pinkie.








By this time, the breeze had switched to North Easter, and as the crabbers had quietened down for some time, I let the wind carry me over another nice spot, and Whack! Into it again!

Not to be out-done by previous lures, this new one got back in business right smartly&#8230; line tearing off on pretty stiff drag&#8230; this one's bigger again than the last one/two&#8230; for sure! After quite a tussle, quick sight and yes, another nice snapper. Even tho' seen, still not coming in to that green/yellow kayak, mate&#8230; you've got to earn this feed!

But, fighting 30lb braid and leader, well hooked and away from rocks, it really had no show of escaping, and soon it also was photo'd and measured&#8230; this time right on 70cm.








It too disappeared back into the salty depths, and you can't keep the grin from my dial. Snapper do that to you&#8230; especially when you've bagged out plus!

Another one came over the side before I called it quits, but this only went 31cm but fought like a legal one&#8230; feisty lil' feller. 








Except for my bout with TC's nightmare, I'd had a wonderful day on the briny.

Cheers all&#8230; Jimbo


----------



## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

"Sorry, no piccies of the turtle&#8230; just too busy handling the big sod."

We want piccies TC! We want piccies! :lol: :lol:

We have been a quite worried about you lately Jimbo. 

Firstly, no turtles for months, and a string of donuts long enough to stuff the latte sippers. Finally both fears are dashed...what a day! I only wish I'd been there to record the happy moment, _and_ piss myself laughing.


----------



## captaincoochin (Nov 11, 2012)

That's great jimbo.. any others out getting amongst it?


----------



## bruus (Aug 27, 2010)

Nice one Jim but can't you show us something different? How about the mythical Cobe you keep telling tales of?


----------



## grinner (May 15, 2008)

jim,
you really are in the elite level of fishermen.
interesting about the electric chicken. i got a half dozen sole on that one day (god knows why?)

i notice the first pinkie has the pink and white plastic as well.

thoughts on that colour? good for flathead , or maybe in clearer water ?


----------



## Beekeeper (Aug 20, 2011)

cjbfisher said:


> Bastard.


and lovin' it! ;-)



salticrak said:


> Catch any snapper?


You been on the piss again, Kinky Crak? :twisted:

Who's torturing who Lazy? :?



kayakone said:


> "Sorry, no piccies of the turtle&#8230; just too busy handling the big sod."
> We want piccies TC! We want piccies! :lol: :lol:
> Usually the demand for piccies is to prove that the catch was really made... but you know that this catch was fair-dinkum, and want piccies just to laugh at!
> 
> ...


Piss yourself all you want you young ingrate... just keep away from me while you're doing it. :lol:



captaincoochin said:


> That's great jimbo.. any others out getting amongst it?


NoCC, that's probably why I scored well... no competition (couple of stinkies, that's all... and I didn't see any fish caught by them.[

quote="grinner"]jim, you really are in the elite level of fishermen. Who am I to argue with you, Pete? Doctors are always right! :lol: 
interesting about the electric chicken. i got a half dozen sole on that one day (god knows why?) I sometimes catch them as well, Pete. When I catch them, all I realise then is that I must really be fishing close to the bottom, eh?

i notice the first pinkie has the pink and white plastic as well. Had your eyesight checked lately, Pete? lilelechicks are pink and green. :lol:

thoughts on that colour? good for flathead , or maybe in clearer water ?[/quote]) Flatties do like them, Pete. I seem to catch them in patches, but haven't hooked a decent one out the front for some time.

Cheers all, Jimbo


----------



## sweed (Oct 1, 2011)

Hells bells Jimbo ya been braining em.I was a bit worried haven't read any your reports for some time,thought ya must've
taken up lawn bowls :lol: Even your pet turtles are glad to see ya back in action!
Catch ya on the briny.


----------



## paulsod (Dec 28, 2008)

Some quality Snapper there Jim.
Good to see your mojo is back.
The past 3 outings I have been using the electric chicken and no donuts.
So thanks for that.
Cheers
Paul


----------



## Stealthfisha (Jul 21, 2009)

Bastard :lol:


----------



## Beekeeper (Aug 20, 2011)

sweed said:


> Hells bells Jimbo ya been braining em.I was a bit worried haven't read any your reports for some time,thought ya must've taken up lawn bowls :lol: Even your pet turtles are glad to see ya back in action!
> Catch ya on the briny.


Yeah Gaz... had a good day... the lawn bowls was buggerin' up my drinkin' arm... so had to give it up. 

I'm even parking over near where you park... hope I haven't pinched your spot... a lot further to carry the yak, but it works for me.

I'll be minding grand-kids for the next week so you won't hear of any beekeeper exploits for at least a week. So after that, we could meet on the briny. See you then.



paulsod said:


> Some quality Snapper there Jim. Yes Paul... they felt good to get at last.
> Good to see your mojo is back. Hopefully the turtle mojo was just a one-off!
> The past 3 outings I have been using the electric chicken and no donuts.
> So thanks for that.
> Cheers Paul


No troubles, Paul... she's a great lure, eh?



Stealthfisha said:


> Bastard :lol:


You're too young to have known my parents, but as they say... you can always know who your mother was, but there could be doubts as to who was the father. 

Cheers all... Jimbo


----------



## kevinnugent (Aug 14, 2012)

Nice report, Jimbo. A question for the brains trust though: The snapper with the humps, are they the males or females or doesn't it matter? Or is it an age thing?


----------



## Beekeeper (Aug 20, 2011)

kevinnugent said:


> Nice report, Jimbo. A question for the brains trust though: The snapper with the humps, are they the males or females or doesn't it matter? Or is it an age thing?


There are lots of thoughts on snapper, Kevin... a snapper that was small enough to fit in a little bottle had humps like an old man snapper... that exploded all the myths that age had something to do with it.

The old idea on this went as thus: young stage, Cockney Bream... middle stage, Squire... older stage, Snapper.

Fisheries (Qld) want all of them called snapper, mostly due to the fact that if fishos understand that they are all the one fish, no excuses can be had for keeping the undersized fish ie it's only a squire/cockney bream, not a snapper.

Both male and females can have humps, and old man and old woman snapper can be distinguished by those with a good eye.

However... Moreton Bay snapper usually have no bumps (or nothing like those caught outside the Bay), pretty much like the Kiwi breed. One theory is that the MB and Kiwi snapper don't have to forage amongst coral/rocky surrounds to catch their prey, as supposedly do those caught outside.

Take a look at the two specimens I've caught around Scarborough in the past... neither have huge snapper humps, but one has a little one.

















No really big humps there, and these were both Scarby caught.

I'll leave you with all that to chew over, Kev...

Cheers, Jimbo


----------



## wayneedden (May 19, 2012)

Thanks for that jim. Great sesh, and good to know scarby snaps might be on the chew again..or will they??
Well done mate
Wayno


----------



## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

wayneedden said:


> Thanks for that jim. Great sesh, and good to know scarby snaps might be on the chew again..or will they??
> Well done mate
> Wayno


Nup. As Geoff said, Jim got them all, in one session. They will never bite an SP again!


----------



## grinner (May 15, 2008)

haha jimbo, youre too smart for me!!

do you ever use the pink and white one.


----------



## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

Show us your knobby Jimbo. :lol:

You know, the one a year or so ago. The other theory is that if they breed/live in shallow water (Scarby/Redcliffe is less than 7 metres), they are unlikely to have big knobs.


----------



## Wrassemagnet (Oct 17, 2007)

Great session! I wonder if the crab boats did you a favour by scaring them all into the quieter areas where you brained them?


----------



## kevinnugent (Aug 14, 2012)

kayakone said:


> Show us your knobby Jimbo. :lol:
> 
> You know, the one a year or so ago. The other theory is that if they breed/live in shallow water (Scarby/Redcliffe is less than 7 metres), they are unlikely to have big knobs.


I live at sea level and buck this trend, Trev. :lol:


----------



## Beekeeper (Aug 20, 2011)

liam8227 said:


> Jim that is an amazing session. I had the gear all read for monday but woosed out due to a very stiff easterly blowing at the time. Thought tuesday would be more manageable. It was, but there were no bloody fish around!


Hi Liam... It might have been a stiff Easterly where you were, but on the water, it really was a great day... not lumpy at all, that is until I hit the beach, then it got up a bit. Sorry to hear you missed out after travelling all that distance.



BigGee said:


> liam8227 said:
> 
> 
> > It was, but there were no bloody fish around!
> ...


Hi Gee... Sometimes almost everything goes right (remember the turtle) and this was just one of those times.



wayneedden said:


> Thanks for that jim. Great sesh, and good to know scarby snaps might be on the chew again..or will they??
> Well done mate Wayno


Up till then, Wayne, I'd been getting donuts and ones/twos, and mostly just legal. If they are on the chew again, I'll miss out as I'm attending to the grand-kids fishing for about a week and a half.



kayakone said:


> wayneedden said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks for that jim. Great sesh, and good to know scarby snaps might be on the chew again..or will they??
> ...


Wrong again, Trev... these pinkies are all mates of mine, and love what I serve up to them, knowing that they'll be slipped back into the briny again. They don't like you 'cos they're never seen again below the surface! :lol:



grinner said:


> haha jimbo, youre too smart for me!! do you ever use the pink and white one.


Not really, Pete... the lilelechick stays constant, but occasionally I'll use a black Zman on the overhead outfit, or perhaps the black one, but most of my catches on the overhead come on the electric chicken colour.

I guess my reasoning on the matter is: if it aint broke, don't fix it!



kayakone said:


> Show us your knobby Jimbo. :lol:
> 
> You know, the one a year or so ago. The other theory is that if they breed/live in shallow water (Scarby/Redcliffe is less than 7 metres), they are unlikely to have big knobs.


Trev... I wonder if we'll ever really know the exact reason for the lack of knobs... aanndd... I think you're rude, but I likes ya'!



Wrassemagnet said:


> Great session! I wonder if the crab boats did you a favour by scaring them all into the quieter areas where you brained them?


You could well be on the money, Jim... the other related reason could be that there were not many other fishos in those "quieter areas." On busy days, it gets rather crowded there.



kevinnugent said:


> kayakone said:
> 
> 
> > Show us your knobby Jimbo. :lol:
> ...


Got an idea there's a bit of braggin' creeping into this thread... keep yer mind above the navel, Kev! 

Cheers all... Jimbo


----------



## antsrealm (Nov 22, 2011)

Nice one!! Hopefully our next visit to Scarby is even half the day you've just had


----------

