Hi again folks, it’s your Vice President and Location Coordinator here - Ryan “Jemo” Jamieson. With a combination of an increase in the water temperature, the opening of the sugar loading wharf, great tides and perfect weather, the Hinchinbrook Channel has really fired over the last couple of months. While the lure fishermen have been enjoying some red hot sessions on barramundi, mangrove jack and other line burners such as threadfin salmon and queenfish, the bait fishermen have been reaping the rewards for their hard work with some great catches of grunter showing up throughout the channel.
A few weeks ago I had some super keen fishermen Matt Manley, Leon Mittelhuser and James “Wallaby’’ Hanson join me for a few days of fishing on the channel. With a southerly change coming through and some not so perfect building tides, I knew we were going to be up for a tough time but I assured the boys I would deliver the goods. After a early start and a quick drive up the Bruce highway we set off from Fishers Creek boat ramp which is situated about 20km south of Cardwell. After a 20 minute boat ride we arrived at our first destination, as it was low tide I thought there might be a few barra lurking on the fringes of the exposed bait drains running off the mud flats. After an hour or so and a few nice size flathead later, we decided to head to our next destination as the humble lizard was not what we were here for. I decided to try a little creek I hadn’t fished for a while that holds good numbers of large mangrove jack and barramundi .The Jack weren’t playing the game as we only boated three small specimens but the barra were definitely on the chew. Matty and Leon boated consecutive quality Barra straight up, followed by a few other smaller barra. Jamie and I put some quality fish in the boat including a nice barra, just under 800mm and hooking an even bigger one that was dropped right next to the boat. After tangling with a few smaller barra and jacks we decided to head back to the ramp and head back home to plan the tactics for our next assault.
Unfortunately Jamie had to head home for work but his seat in the boat was quickly filled by my brother-in-law Aaron Moore. It was decided due to an overnight drop in the wind that we would head out to the famous sugar loading facility, off Lucinda. The jetty to the sugar loader is around six kilometres long and heads straight out to sea and this provides structure for many predatory species such as massive giant travelly, queenfish even the odd sea going barra .Our technique for the day was dropping seven inch Berkley Jerk shads to the bottom and jigging them around the base of the pylons. On arriving, Matty and Leon were straight into them, boating a solid coral trout followed by a quality blue salmon. At first things were quite for Azzy and I but action wasn’t far away with Azz hooking up to a solid fish but getting busted off on the barnacle encrusted pylons. I then hooked onto something solid off the bottom and while I was fighting this fish a crowd of jetty workers had gathered and were yelling there guess as to what this fish was, while I was fighting it, but nobody expected a beautiful silver plated barramundi to break the water .
After a few more bust offs the decision was made to head to another mark about eight kilometres off the eastern side of Hinchinbrook Island. On arrival the structure was found and the jerk shads were dropped down. It didn’t take long for Matty to hook onto a sizeable fish. After a hard struggle, a good size spangled emperor hit the deck of the boat. After a few good smokings, I hooked up to a fair size barracuda which was amazingly eaten by a big tiger shark right next to the boat. I then hooked up to a golden travelly witch put up a great fight and at 90 cm was released and managed to beat the shark and swim out of sight alive and well .
As we headed home, we stopped to throw some poppers over a bommey off the face of Hinchinbrook Island and on his second cast Leon was smoked by a GT that I estimate at around a meter long (sorry big fella - can’t win ‘em all).
After looking back over the last few days with the boys, they seemed quite content with the fishing that the Hinchinbrook channel has to offer, little do they know they have only experienced a small portion of what this region has to offer. Unfortunately there is just not enough time in the day and I can’t wait to show you boys a little of my own paradise.
Cheers ...tight lines....bent rods and screaming drags...
TEAM LONG ROD…WE ARE THE REEL DEAL!!!!
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