LURELOVERS™ Australian Fishing Lure Community Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home > Fishing > Fishing Reports
  New Posts New Posts
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Luring Cooktown

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <1 3435363738 50>
Author
Message
 Rating: Topic Rating: 2 Votes, Average 5.00  Topic Search Topic Search  Topic Options Topic Options
HARTE View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 18 Oct 2016
Location: Toowoomba Qld
Status: Offline
Points: 698
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HARTE Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Aug 2022 at 6:38pm
Very nice first Jack, enjoy the Birthday dinner!Beer
Back to Top
horrorhead View Drop Down
LureLovers.com Fanatic
LureLovers.com Fanatic
Avatar
LureLover of the Year 2020

Joined: 14 Jun 2011
Location: Cooktown qld
Status: Offline
Points: 14008
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Aug 2022 at 11:45am

Two trips in one with this post – goes to show you how good the fishing wasn’t.

I took Scotch&Dry to Lakefield National Park on Sundayto my favourite fishing spot in there. Within 5 minutes Ed had caught a little 25 cm barra on a First Strike lure. Ed is very impressed with these lures  but as he lost this one a little bit later, I think he is out of them now. Atherton tackle store would certainly get a visitation from him the next time he is down there.

The hits were very few and far between and I only managed a little tarpon on a HJK minnow. I had a follow from a barra that I estimated to been about 50 cm long but that was all.

Back at the car and a change of a tyre – puncture. I get very few puctures so I was pretty annoyed, this is my 3rd in a year from a new set I bought.

I went back to Lakefield with Gregory from the previous post. Now I took him to my second favourite spot. Once again the fish were very shy. Gregory ended up with a 47 cm barra, a big sized archer (rifle) fish and a freshwater long tom that tried to eat Gregory’s long tom. Just as well the fish missed and latched onto his pants instead.

I had two barra jump and throw my lures just in from of me and follows from two other barra and that was my action for the day. And to top it off, I had another puncture on the way home. I won’t be buying that brand again as I previously was running Falken Wildpeaks for 5 years without any punctures at all.

This morning at the wharf, the schools of herring are slowly building up again and a couple of small queenfish came up on poppers. There was a 65 cm barra and a just legal spanish mackerel and some small GTs caught on bait. Time for the early stars gain with the poppers chasing GTs.

Well it was just after a full moon. I have worked out before that the week leading up to a full or new moon is best for barra but the week afterwards is generally pretty slow. These last few trips just adds to that line of thinking.

Ed's little barra on the First Strike and my tarpon on the HJK.




Greg with his fish, using a clear Bomber



And Greg got the long tom on a C.R.A.F.T. lure


Martin-

you don't havta be pretty to fish
Back to Top
Seaweed View Drop Down
LureLovers.com Fanatic
LureLovers.com Fanatic
Avatar
née Capt.Seaweed

Joined: 23 Jan 2011
Location: Darwin N.T.
Status: Offline
Points: 3124
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Seaweed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Aug 2022 at 2:35pm
Marty, that Archerfish is big enough to eat. On subject of your flat tyres, as you are driving on bush tracks, be aware of any recent bushfire through the tracks. We used to have trouble in Arnhemland when fire burnt the low scrub, left behind very sharp carbonized points, which easily pierce tyres. Always keep your wheels on the well worn two-wheel tracks, even if sandy, just a tip.
"Always Merry and Bright"
Back to Top
horrorhead View Drop Down
LureLovers.com Fanatic
LureLovers.com Fanatic
Avatar
LureLover of the Year 2020

Joined: 14 Jun 2011
Location: Cooktown qld
Status: Offline
Points: 14008
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Aug 2022 at 1:40pm
I stayed on the dirt roads the whole time. Bush fires often makes spikes so I don’t venture off the track too much. The first puncture was ona bitumen road, the last three were when I was on dirt roads and tracks and I hadn’t been off them at all.
Martin-

you don't havta be pretty to fish
Back to Top
horrorhead View Drop Down
LureLovers.com Fanatic
LureLovers.com Fanatic
Avatar
LureLover of the Year 2020

Joined: 14 Jun 2011
Location: Cooktown qld
Status: Offline
Points: 14008
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Aug 2022 at 3:08pm
The bait schools are slowly building up. When a school comes through then you cast around it. This morning I landed this 59 cm giant trevally and dropped another right beside the rocks. The GTs were only interested in stickbaits, divers and poppers were ignored. The lure used was a HJK model. As the weather arms up, the fishing along with the bait schools will only get better.

I'm off to Oyala Thumotang National Park next week. If you read this month's Fishing Monthly publication, all of Justin Coventry's photos in his Cooktown report came from this park.


Martin-

you don't havta be pretty to fish
Back to Top
Chep Buxley View Drop Down
LureLovers.com Fanatic
LureLovers.com Fanatic
Avatar

Joined: 19 May 2010
Location: Lake Dyer
Status: Offline
Points: 1202
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Chep Buxley Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Aug 2022 at 9:22pm
Good thing you had the right lure for the job!
Back to Top
rodsncods View Drop Down
LureLovers.com Fanatic
LureLovers.com Fanatic
Avatar

Joined: 27 Nov 2011
Location: somewhere
Status: Offline
Points: 4206
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rodsncods Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Aug 2022 at 5:19am
Originally posted by horrorhead horrorhead wrote:

The bait schools are slowly building up. When a school comes through then you cast around it. This morning I landed this 59 cm giant trevally and dropped another right beside the rocks. The GTs were only interested in stickbaits, divers and poppers were ignored. The lure used was a HJK model. As the weather arms up, the fishing along with the bait schools will only get better.

I'm off to Oyala Thumotang National Park next week. If you read this month's Fishing Monthly publication, all of Justin Coventry's photos in his Cooktown report came from this park.


the wandering fishing gypsy. . .mick
BEER IS PROOF THAT GOD LOVES US AND WANTS US TO BE HAPPY!!!
Back to Top
horrorhead View Drop Down
LureLovers.com Fanatic
LureLovers.com Fanatic
Avatar
LureLover of the Year 2020

Joined: 14 Jun 2011
Location: Cooktown qld
Status: Offline
Points: 14008
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Aug 2022 at 11:38am

Raining and blowing a gale in Cooktown, and apparently it’s been like it all week. Bill and I left Oyala Thumotang National Park yesterday morning after a 5 night stay. We left warm days, no wind and only one light shower early one morning and a river with willing barra, sooty grunter and saratoga looking at smacking your lures. As I am writing this hidden in my little cave, it’s raining outside with 44 kph winds with gusts up to 59 kph. Any guesses where I would rather be?

I met Bill at the Lakeland truck stop last Monday and we loaded his gear into my car. We had a 3 hour drive to Coen over what is now more bitumen then dirt road. What dirt road there is, was relatively smooth and not a bad drive as long as you don’t drive like a maniac. We found the turn off into the park and what a beautiful wide smooth dirt road it was, easily capable of doing 100 kph then …… holy snapping duck poop – a big rocky dip in the road. Luckily for those watching the road you have plenty of time to skid to  5 kph to safely navigate this unsign posted dry creek crossing.

And so it was for about 80 kilometres, every now and again you had to slow to a crawl to make one of the 12 or 13 creek crossings, usually dry but some with enough water in to get the tyres wet. Then the road started branching off to various camp sites, with each branching of the road the road got narrower and narrower until it became a track. And then the track becamw rougher and rougher, at one stage the track followed a dry creek bed.

Cattle roam freely in the park and so you have to watch out for those things. One big black bull turned around and started chasing the car. I planted the foot on the accelerator as I didn’t want to try to explain to an insurance assessor how my car was gored by a bull. When the dirt tracks are boggy, the cattle tend to use them more as it’s easier for them to travel. This leaves the track surface extremely pitted. When the tracks dry out the result is like a very heavily corrugated road. The less traffic over these “cattle corrugations” the rougher they are. We were booked in at the furtherest camp site so the car and it’s occupants were well and truly shaken like a James Bond martini.

After 46 kilometres driving at an average speed of 23 kilometres per hour we made it to ur camp site of 3 nights. As we pulled up to the lagoon, right in front of us a little 2.5 metre saltwater crocodile swam a few metres then submerged. We never saw this croc again. We set up camp away from the water’s edge as I never liked camping too close anyway. Camp was in the open on hard sun baked clay with very little tree cover as all of the big lush trees are beside the river.

It was late afternoon as we set up camp, I threw into the air my pop up tent and while it was landing I reached for my pillows and my …. Oh no, I left my mattress at home. All I had to use where my thin e.v.a. squares that I normally use unde my tent in case of any moisture in the ground. I piled the squares up double thickness and I was relatively comfortable except for that rock that stabbed me in the side every time I rolled  over onto my left side.

As soon as the basic camp was set up I went back to the lagoon (we were on the Archer River) and cast a lure to this nice little snag. Immediately upon splashdown the lure was swiped. Consequent cast were met with something similar. Even though I couldn’t make out what was trying to eat my lure I suspected archer fish.A nd then on one cast the line came up very tight and as I applied the pressure it took off with a lot of power only to have the hooks pull. Over the course of the next few days I now suspect that that was a huge catfish.

The next morning Bill and I walked the bank down stream from our camp. The only fish caught as a catfish of about a metre long by Bill. Hestarted wearing the crown of “catfish king” from then on. Bill was using for a while a big hard plastic surface lure with a big molded plastic propeller tail on it. It was smashed in the middle of the lagoon and I suspected a catfish but Bill said he saw silver so it must have been a barra. Whatever it was, by the water displacement, it was in the mega proportions.

After a mid day rest we explored the next camp site and the lagoon it was on. This camp site was set amongst the lush trees with soft sand under a thick carpet of nice, soft, fluffy leaves. Now that would have made for great sleepng. After 5 minutes of using one of Per’s banana lures I pulled up a nice little saratogo, then a little catfish. Going downstream the water disappeared under a long and wide sand bank and reappeared in shallow holes. We then went back to the car and after a rest explored upstream. Bill was entertained for a while with a bunch of little saratoga before he managed to hook one long enough to land it. So all in all at this point, we had walked 12 kilometres through, at times, dense bush, soft sand, green ants by the millions, getting caught up in vines and wait a while bushes and dodging low branches and climbing over huge logs all for 2 small saratoga – we were having a good time. Back at camp I went down to “that little snag”and soon scored another little saratoga.

Day two and we decided to cross the river at a dry spot, then walk down stream again fishing the other bank. Soon in this trek I had a huge saratoga about 80 cm long come out from under the cut away bank I was standing on and follow my lure. Unfortunately it saw me and didn’t come back. About 90 minutes passed for nothing much. We caught a few archer fish and small catfish here and there all throughout our 5 day stay so we could have caught some of these during that time.

We eventually found ourselves on top of a 6 metre high clay cliff overlooking the end of the lagoon. The water was only about a metre deep but I soon lost a little saratoga. Two casts later and I was unhooking a little “toga”when Bill Bill gets hit and winches one up the cliff.

A little further on and Bill had lost a lure and was tying on another leader and lure. I tried a snag on a high steep bank near him, got nothing and moved on. A few minutes later I heard Bill yell “barra barra” and I ran through all of the entanglements of vines, logs, small tightly spaced trees to find him with a 62 cm barra from the snag I had previously fished. Photos and a tag in the fish and 2 minutes later as Bill was about to lift his lure out of the water it was smashed. So I turned around and ran back to him. He had a barra easily 90 cm long, possibly a metre as green as anything thrashing half in and half out of the water. Bill could let him have any line was  this fish was between 2 logs and was full full of fight. As I was trying to negotiate my way down a hard dirt slope of about 75 degrees with nothing to hold onto, the fish gave an energetic shake of his head and threw the lure. I still don’t know how I could have reached that fish without slipping in apart from taking my time and dig out some foot holds.

After another half an hour of no action we headed back to camp for another rest and some refreshments. Although worn out by the morning’s activities we set off for a look upstream from our camp. This proved to be uneventful fishing wise as the holes were very shallow and the bashing through the bush was very tough going. With how close together these small trees grow, and the vines that grow between them, it can take 20 minutes to go 5 metres though out this. I always groan loudly whenever I come across this and there is no way of avoiding it. The high lights of this trip was Bill – 2 spangles perch and 1 spangled to me, pluse there was this little saltwater croc of less then a metre long that came up for a look a couple of times.

Back at camp and Bill says Ï have been told that steak is a good bait for toga”. So off we went bait fishing with steak on the side of the lagoon in the later stages of the day. Bill’s first fish was a 59 cm toga, mine was a small catfish that swallowed the hook. After that it was mainly sooty grunter that were caught with my biggest at 43 cm. Bill caught a stonker of a toga at 72 cm long. As we were cannibalising that night’s dinner to use as bait, we called it quits before we had no dinner left. Plus it was also getting dark and I don’t like sitting too close to the water when I can’t see into it.

The next morning and using raw chicken as bait I got a few more sooties. I didn’t fish for long as we wanted to go back down stream on the camp side of the river again. We scored a few fish, mainly archer and catfish and I formally bestowed Bill as the “catfish king” which he tried to reject. I informed him that I took a survey and 100% of the respondants voted him as wearing that titled. The only reason why I didn’t survey him was that he was the subject and would not have been ethical. A couple of toga and sooties later and we were back at camp. Just as we decided to pack up to go to our next booked site, the new lot of campers turned up. We have a simple camp so, between taling to these people, we were packed up in less then half an hour.

 

Our new camp site of 2 nights was much better. A big flat area close to the lush riparian foliage that provided a lot of shade and a nice easy walk to the river for water for washing. I tried the chicken bait again and got a little sooty grunter and an archer fish. Now if you check out the upturn mouth of an archer fish and the saratoga, it doesn’t look like that they can feed off the bottom, but we were using sinkers that I would use in the surf. Drop one on your foot and you have a broken toe. I found this very surprising.

Next morning, our only day fishing here, we went upstream. Things were slow but consistent. I ended up with 3 undersized barra, some sooties and toga. Bill scored some sooties and toga but lost a small barra at his feet. Bill also cemented (heavily contested by him) his place as catfish king but there were plenty of casting opportunities. Many of these places to fish from meant a cautious climb down the steep slope and a grappling climb back up. At one location, I had just managed to reach the top of the steep slippery slope (lovely piece of alliteration there) and went head first into a thicket of wait a while. It took me 20 minutes to extract myself from these sharp claws growing on a vine. A few of the thorns broke off under my skin and only this morning I was able to dig them out.

After our break back at camp we had a little look downstream. It was pretty late in the day so we didn’t venture too far. A little toga wanted a bright yellow fish tag so I gave him one, the catfish I got went back without such a prize. The pools shallowed out a far bit downstream but we could see where the water got deeper. We didn’t go tnhat far down as it was getting too late.

A light dinner out of cans of sardines, oysters, mussels, with cheese and crackers (for Bill, I got to stay away from flours and grains – doesn’t agree with me) as all of our chicken was used as bait. The next morning (yesterday)was an early pack up. All in all it was a good trip, we went to a new place and caught a few fish and had a few laughs. We drove nearly 1,100 kilometres and walked (from memory) 32 kilometres over 3 days of fishing. All of the lure caught fish were caught on shallow to medium diving lures with nothing on the surface or the real deep diving lures. My most productive lure (before I cast it into a tree) was a DYL that was given to me at the Lure Expo. Bill’s most productive lures were deep (medium) diving HJK lures, but most of these found snags either in the water or the trees. Both cast great and this can be a problem when you are used to punching a lure out then you put on one that rockets out, you tend to over shoot the cast. I would have caught more on my Gilhop lure but I overshot that lure as well pretty early in the trip.

Oyala Thumotang National Park? Yes I want to go back, but the first camp you really do need a small tinny that you can carry down to the water.

Photos next post - bad weather = bad connectivity here.

Martin-

you don't havta be pretty to fish
Back to Top
horrorhead View Drop Down
LureLovers.com Fanatic
LureLovers.com Fanatic
Avatar
LureLover of the Year 2020

Joined: 14 Jun 2011
Location: Cooktown qld
Status: Offline
Points: 14008
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Aug 2022 at 11:52am
DYL lures - is this Doc Yarrum Lures? It was a busy time at the Expo and I forgot the maker's name, is this Kezza's son?

Barramundi



Sooty grunter




Catfish



Saratoga


Satatoga



Archer (rifle) fish


Martin-

you don't havta be pretty to fish
Back to Top
horrorhead View Drop Down
LureLovers.com Fanatic
LureLovers.com Fanatic
Avatar
LureLover of the Year 2020

Joined: 14 Jun 2011
Location: Cooktown qld
Status: Offline
Points: 14008
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Aug 2022 at 12:07pm
HJK lures

Sooty grunter



Spangled perch



62 cm barramundi


Saratoga




Catfish (Bill tried to hide most of these captures from me)




Sooty grunter


Martin-

you don't havta be pretty to fish
Back to Top
horrorhead View Drop Down
LureLovers.com Fanatic
LureLovers.com Fanatic
Avatar
LureLover of the Year 2020

Joined: 14 Jun 2011
Location: Cooktown qld
Status: Offline
Points: 14008
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Aug 2022 at 12:11pm
Gilhop lures


Archer fish

Saratoga

Martin-

you don't havta be pretty to fish
Back to Top
horrorhead View Drop Down
LureLovers.com Fanatic
LureLovers.com Fanatic
Avatar
LureLover of the Year 2020

Joined: 14 Jun 2011
Location: Cooktown qld
Status: Offline
Points: 14008
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Aug 2022 at 12:17pm
Mad Dog lures

Sooty grunter


catfish



Martin-

you don't havta be pretty to fish
Back to Top
horrorhead View Drop Down
LureLovers.com Fanatic
LureLovers.com Fanatic
Avatar
LureLover of the Year 2020

Joined: 14 Jun 2011
Location: Cooktown qld
Status: Offline
Points: 14008
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Aug 2022 at 12:21pm
The saratoga caught on  Per's  banana lure





Martin-

you don't havta be pretty to fish
Back to Top
horrorhead View Drop Down
LureLovers.com Fanatic
LureLovers.com Fanatic
Avatar
LureLover of the Year 2020

Joined: 14 Jun 2011
Location: Cooktown qld
Status: Offline
Points: 14008
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Aug 2022 at 12:25pm
Old Dog lure

sooty grunter


A barra on a Zoomy lure - menace, I would have liked to have used this lure more but I overshot a cast with it and caught a tree. I lost my other one to a tree in Lakefield


Martin-

you don't havta be pretty to fish
Back to Top
horrorhead View Drop Down
LureLovers.com Fanatic
LureLovers.com Fanatic
Avatar
LureLover of the Year 2020

Joined: 14 Jun 2011
Location: Cooktown qld
Status: Offline
Points: 14008
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Aug 2022 at 12:31pm
Bill tried a spinnerbait and got this catfish


A big catfish on that twirly thing that got the big barra hit



Soft plastics

Sooty grunter


saratoga
Martin-

you don't havta be pretty to fish
Back to Top
horrorhead View Drop Down
LureLovers.com Fanatic
LureLovers.com Fanatic
Avatar
LureLover of the Year 2020

Joined: 14 Jun 2011
Location: Cooktown qld
Status: Offline
Points: 14008
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Aug 2022 at 12:37pm
Fish on bait, the first one is the 72 cm saratoga







Martin-

you don't havta be pretty to fish
Back to Top
horrorhead View Drop Down
LureLovers.com Fanatic
LureLovers.com Fanatic
Avatar
LureLover of the Year 2020

Joined: 14 Jun 2011
Location: Cooktown qld
Status: Offline
Points: 14008
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Aug 2022 at 12:38pm
Sorry, used the same saratoga twice in that last post on fish on bait.
Martin-

you don't havta be pretty to fish
Back to Top
sudanraghu2210 View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 27 Nov 2014
Location: Dubai UAE
Status: Offline
Points: 413
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sudanraghu2210 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Aug 2022 at 3:19pm
Hi !!

Martin, good morning ! Very nice narration of your and bill trip while going through it one feel to be part of it.😊

Thanks for sharing the pics of your catch, seems both of you had good time.

Regards, Raghubir
Its takes years of hard work, commitment and passion to give a life to a piece of raw timber !!
Back to Top
horrorhead View Drop Down
LureLovers.com Fanatic
LureLovers.com Fanatic
Avatar
LureLover of the Year 2020

Joined: 14 Jun 2011
Location: Cooktown qld
Status: Offline
Points: 14008
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Aug 2022 at 5:16pm
We had a great time thanks Raghubir. Back home now and we have had 100 mm of rain in 24 hours with winds up to 60 kilometres per hour. I was hoping on fishing the rocks for trevally but not in this weather. Bill is also rained in 300 kilometres south of me.

I wonder if I call him if he would go back up again. Apparently it’s going to be like the his all week 
Martin-

you don't havta be pretty to fish
Back to Top
p.j. View Drop Down
Stall Holder
Stall Holder
Avatar
P.J's Lures

Joined: 06 Jan 2011
Location: Denmark
Status: Offline
Points: 2936
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote p.j. Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Aug 2022 at 7:13pm
What a party you both had there Martin Clap Many beautiful fish Thanks for getting Saratoga caught on the Banana Lure at the bukket list Thumbs Up

Knaek & Break
Per
P.J. LURES
SO SMOKING HOT
EVEN CUSTOM DOGS LIKE THEM
Back to Top
DocYarrum View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 22 Jul 2015
Location: Oakey
Status: Online
Points: 221
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote DocYarrum Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Aug 2022 at 9:39pm
Hey Martin
Was great to meet you and this is the exact reason I gifted you the lures at the Expo as a thankyou for your tireless efforts to share your experiences in this forum.
This latest instalment has the reader feel like their riding shotgun, flicking casts right beside you as Raghubir mentioned.

Regarding Kezza, I’m his nephew and he has had a massive influence on my lure making.

Keep it up and stay safe mate. Thumbs Up
Cheers,

Troy
Back to Top
horrorhead View Drop Down
LureLovers.com Fanatic
LureLovers.com Fanatic
Avatar
LureLover of the Year 2020

Joined: 14 Jun 2011
Location: Cooktown qld
Status: Offline
Points: 14008
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 Aug 2022 at 10:11pm
You make a great lure, I’ll try the other one when it’s appropriate. It dives too deep for the areas I barra fish but should go well on the reef- it too has a great action 
Martin-

you don't havta be pretty to fish
Back to Top
horrorhead View Drop Down
LureLovers.com Fanatic
LureLovers.com Fanatic
Avatar
LureLover of the Year 2020

Joined: 14 Jun 2011
Location: Cooktown qld
Status: Offline
Points: 14008
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Sep 2022 at 2:24pm

Fishing with lures has been slow here in Cooktown of late. Live bait fishing has seen the odd barra and mangrove jack but usually little giant trevally and medium sized queenfish although a 115 cm queenfish was caught this morning.

Since I got back from camping near Coen I had only caught one fish on a lure. A 55 cm giant trevally smashed my Ganesy Lures stick bait. I’m not the only one who preferences lures over bait fishing but the only other person I know who has lure caught a fish was Roly. I’ve spoken about Roly a couple of times before and by his bragging photo he sent me, it looks like a 70 cm barra that he caught on his single tail white grub soft plastic.

Yesterday Scotch and Dry and I went to Lakefield National Park. Conditions were perfect, a full moon, temperatures in the mid 30’s, a northerly wind, we should have smashed the fish. Well the only fish landed was an archer fish by Ed using a First Strike lure. One time using a Zoomy “menace” diver, I watched the snout of a barra, with it’s mouth closed, come up and nudge the lure without braking the stride of the lure. That fish did not make a re-appearance. That Zoomy then decided that it wanted to nest in a tree across the river.

Now this is my favourite spot in the park to fish and it was completely dead. Here we usually encounter a lot of undersized fish with at least a few legal fish. I can only think that with the unusual weather we have had this year that the barra have already started moving to the salt water to breed. It is twice now that this spot has failed and I usually call it a fail safe area.

At another spot Ed had a strike casting to a snag in the middle of the river, I think he was using the First Strike lure again. I was using a “big lip”popper made by Joe (Hurtle) Flint. I popped this lure under some overhanging trees and a surface smash had me nearly soiling my pantaloons. Here there was a couple trolling in the lagoon and they said that they had caught two barra, one which must have been legal (looked to be around 65 cm) that they had tethered to the back of their tinny.

I’m watching the weather for next Friday and Saturday. Yesterday the long range forecast was for 10 kph and 5 kilometres per hour predicted. This morning the prediction is now 17 kph and 13 kph. I’m hoping this window is not closing. Lately the winds are over 30 kph but often over 45 kph with gusts up to 60 kph.

One a brighter note for me, a friend found a Zoomy Menace that I lost a couple of weeks ago.

The GT on Ganesy's stickbait




Ed's Archer fish - a pretty big one


Martin-

you don't havta be pretty to fish
Back to Top
p.j. View Drop Down
Stall Holder
Stall Holder
Avatar
P.J's Lures

Joined: 06 Jan 2011
Location: Denmark
Status: Offline
Points: 2936
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote p.j. Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Sep 2022 at 7:45am
Tough times Unhappy Martin
Hope it turns, so we get some Good Fish to see 

    Knaek & Break
            Per
P.J. LURES
SO SMOKING HOT
EVEN CUSTOM DOGS LIKE THEM
Back to Top
horrorhead View Drop Down
LureLovers.com Fanatic
LureLovers.com Fanatic
Avatar
LureLover of the Year 2020

Joined: 14 Jun 2011
Location: Cooktown qld
Status: Offline
Points: 14008
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Sep 2022 at 3:14am
Boat was already for the first day on the reef in months- and my knee gives way sending me to the ground. In hospital now and see what happens.
Martin-

you don't havta be pretty to fish
Back to Top
p.j. View Drop Down
Stall Holder
Stall Holder
Avatar
P.J's Lures

Joined: 06 Jan 2011
Location: Denmark
Status: Offline
Points: 2936
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote p.j. Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Sep 2022 at 8:20am
Dont sound good Martin. Hope its not to bad, and you recover quick 

    Knaek & Break 
             Per
P.J. LURES
SO SMOKING HOT
EVEN CUSTOM DOGS LIKE THEM
Back to Top
Rivoli View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 27 Apr 2020
Location: MCLAREN FLAT
Status: Offline
Points: 152
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rivoli Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Sep 2022 at 9:41am
Hope it comes good for you Martin and you’re back out there soon, best wishes. 
Back to Top
Chep Buxley View Drop Down
LureLovers.com Fanatic
LureLovers.com Fanatic
Avatar

Joined: 19 May 2010
Location: Lake Dyer
Status: Offline
Points: 1202
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Chep Buxley Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Sep 2022 at 4:17pm
Best wishes for a speedy recovery
Back to Top
horrorhead View Drop Down
LureLovers.com Fanatic
LureLovers.com Fanatic
Avatar
LureLover of the Year 2020

Joined: 14 Jun 2011
Location: Cooktown qld
Status: Offline
Points: 14008
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Sep 2022 at 6:09pm
Thanks everyone. On some pretty heavy pain meds which I don’t like taking, always been adverse to taking even a headache tablet.

I have to book in for an MRI scan to confirm a torn miniscus ligament and to determine surgery or weeks of sitting on my bum. Unfortunately I have a manual car and can’t drive it, well I shouldn’t drive if I’ve taken one of these drugs anyway 
Martin-

you don't havta be pretty to fish
Back to Top
rodsncods View Drop Down
LureLovers.com Fanatic
LureLovers.com Fanatic
Avatar

Joined: 27 Nov 2011
Location: somewhere
Status: Offline
Points: 4206
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rodsncods Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Sep 2022 at 6:14pm
hope all goes well martin, take it easy or you'll do more damage, sit on your arse for as long as it takes. got news about my knee, should, fingers crossed, be done within 8 weeks. . .mick
BEER IS PROOF THAT GOD LOVES US AND WANTS US TO BE HAPPY!!!
Back to Top
sudanraghu2210 View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 27 Nov 2014
Location: Dubai UAE
Status: Offline
Points: 413
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sudanraghu2210 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Sep 2022 at 9:54pm
Hi !! Martin, 

just saw the post, hope you are doing good. Those medicines should not be stronger than you, look at the amount of difficult and adventerious fishing trips you make. 

I pray for your speedy recovery, God Bless !!

Regards, Raghubir
Its takes years of hard work, commitment and passion to give a life to a piece of raw timber !!
Back to Top
horrorhead View Drop Down
LureLovers.com Fanatic
LureLovers.com Fanatic
Avatar
LureLover of the Year 2020

Joined: 14 Jun 2011
Location: Cooktown qld
Status: Offline
Points: 14008
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Sep 2022 at 4:12pm
Thanks Raghubir and Mick. So far I have resisted taking the “ real strong stuff” , not really wanting to get into that but I might have to just to get a good night’s sleep.

I said in my post the miniscus ligament…. I meant miniscus cartilage.
Martin-

you don't havta be pretty to fish
Back to Top
horrorhead View Drop Down
LureLovers.com Fanatic
LureLovers.com Fanatic
Avatar
LureLover of the Year 2020

Joined: 14 Jun 2011
Location: Cooktown qld
Status: Offline
Points: 14008
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote horrorhead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Sep 2022 at 10:14am

Things are slowly getting into gear here in Cooktown. The winds have been down enough for the bigger boats to get out to the reef. Normally I can head out in that sort of weather but with the state of my knee, I am reluctant to do so. I would get bashed around a bit normally but having a bad knee out there would hamper me significantly.

A few barra and mangrove jacks have been caught around the wharf lately but from what I can gather it’s all been on mainly live herring with a couple of jacks on dead herring. The queenfish and giant trevally are ramping up on baits and lures. This is all while waiting for the schools of bait come in. There has been some good schools of herring come in but they are not consistent.

This morning I hit the wharf early with bait fishing in mind. I also took a lure rod in case the trevally showed up.Sitting in a chair waiting for a bait to go off is a lazy way to fish but it didn’t put a strain on me. I saw a couple of big barra come out from underneath the pontoon to smash a couple of stray herring then dart back underneath the pontoon. I picked up my lure rod, then thought about how bad of an idea that was and put it back down again.

After an hour without loosing any of my dead baits, I threw out one of the Richard Lee poppers that Gavin Marshall – OCD Lures, repainted. Second cast and a nice 445 mm GT. Next cast and one of those big barra from under the pontoon smashes the popper and headed straight for the pontoon releiving me of the burden of owning the popper.  With a locked up drag, 20 kilo braid and a Pflueger Trion 15 kilo spinning rod and all the pressure I good put on this fish, I had no hope. Those resident barra know their territory well and have a ton of power to drag your line into it.

Next lure was another OCD / Richard Lee hybrid popper. Second cast and a 480 mm giant trevally hits the deck after I pulled it from the mouth of one of the 3 groper hanging around. These 3 groper range from a small one at about 1.8 metres to a couple of medium ones around 2.4 metres and thet taxed a few fish off people on the wharf this morning. One also nearly taxed me of this popper as well as it chased after it on the surface with it’s mouth wide open. (If it didn’t have the drag of the opened mouth it might have caught it. ) A few casts later and a little barracuda of about 650 mm comes up, once again narrowly missed becoming a meal for one of the gropers.

That was the end of my morning session as the drugs started waning and it became increasingly sore to stand. By his time the sun was well and truly up and the GTs had gone deeper. A couple of tourists were catching the GTs on small white single tailed soft plastics worked closer to the bottom.






Martin-

you don't havta be pretty to fish
Back to Top
hooknose View Drop Down
LureLovers.com Fanatic
LureLovers.com Fanatic
Avatar

Joined: 16 Jul 2013
Location: emu park
Status: Offline
Points: 1408
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hooknose Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Sep 2022 at 1:53pm
Nice Marty !!
MAN I LOVE FISHING ! ! !
Back to Top
Chep Buxley View Drop Down
LureLovers.com Fanatic
LureLovers.com Fanatic
Avatar

Joined: 19 May 2010
Location: Lake Dyer
Status: Offline
Points: 1202
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Chep Buxley Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Sep 2022 at 8:52pm
Good story, love hearing about your adventures
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <1 3435363738 50>
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.03
Copyright ©2001-2019 Web Wiz Ltd.