A day in the Fitzroy

[Douglas]

Went down to the mouth of the Fitzroy yesterday morning.

Mate wrestled a barra to the side of the boat to have it free itself (on a squirrel).

I got blasted by a huge king on a 4inch drop bear squidgee fishing a rocky pressure point.

Apart from a big fingermark a couple of years ago, I don't recall ever being hit that hard by a fish. Geez they go and they don't want to stop.

A big king will out-muscle a big barra any day.

Water was absolutely filthy brown although its been a couple of months since the flood.

Beautiful sunrise with scattered cloud to the east lit up a golden colour. No wind down low and calm except for tidal eddies.

A interesting cloud formation drew my attention as the sun got a bit higher

Looked for all the world like the beginning of a "morning glory" such as happens in the Gulf from time to time.

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[Blackfish]

Very nice, I recon a bloke appreciates life more with a view like that .

[Douglas]

https://www.themorningbulletin.com.a...itzro/3226622/

Bit happening locally in the fresh water (above the barrage).

5.2 metres is a awful lot trouble if it gets stirred up.

[Douglas]

Estuarine crocs in Fitzroy freshwater.jpg


Map of Fitzroy upstream in freshwater.

These'll be different crocodiles.

[Douglas]

http://www.news.com.au/national/quee...8dd5410bd149d#

Couple of police photos of croc on a vehicle trailer.

Big one alright.

[Douglas]

Tragedy time.

Couple of pics of a new landing net after an encounter with a big barra the other night.

Mate got a big fish to the side of the boat and landing net ready to swim fish into. Did so successfully with fish stopping about 1/2 way on the frame.

Mate lifted net with fish half in/half out and jigged handle to tip fish into net.

Successfully did that with difficulty and fish overbalanced and went headfirst into net vertically.

Net mesh didn't stop it though (going down head first).

It went straight through the mesh and kept going with lure being pulled out by the mesh near the fish's mouth.

Hole it punched in mesh was 14 inches (356mm) in length which probably equates to body depth of fish at its deepest point as its weight kept busting meshes until it slipped through. A big barra.

Nothing wrong with the size or type of the frame but the net material is useless on big fish. Not the first time its been reported but the first that I've actually seen.

Depth of net also too small.

Folding net made by Kato. Good frame but I advise replacing the net itself if going after big fish especially outside.

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[Peter4]

Folding net made by Kato.

There's your problem...

[Douglas]

]Fair enough Pete.

Kato is a home brand of BCF as I understand things.

But the frame and handle are ok.

I also bought one at the same time he did only I didn't like the mesh so changed it to deeper one made of strong strig/cord mesh.

He also tried to lift the fish flat like a frying pan and that's a good way to destroy the handle frame connection point easily.

With big fish I like to put the frame/handle vertical to lift so fish is completely in net (or at least most of it). Weight is then distributed evenly over the entire frame edgewise and wont break/bend at the handle/frame join.

Sure is a learning curve though.

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[Douglas]

Threadfin

Now is the time for spawning season for threadfin at the Fitzroy mouth.

These fellas appear in their thousands at this time of year and take up positions in the Fitzroy from the mouth to the city.

Thousands of them in squadrons just sitting at the 6-8 metre depth .

Every hole in 6m + water irrespective how big it is has threadfin absolutely jammed into it.

They just sit there as the tide drops and the minute it changes, they're gone. Dispersed.

As tide turns off high to outgoing, they're back.

Don't know where they go. Maybe down to the spawning area and back.

You can catch the occasional one but when squadroned up they're not interested in anything.

I think their behaviour is associated with spawning but don't know what the connection is.

Soon they'll change and start to eat. Then its on for young and old.

Here's a sample screenshot that I got today. Just image 42km of this. You'd be tapping on the sounder to see if its malfunctioning.

Anybody got info on how threadies behave in lead up to, during or after that can throw some light on it?.

[Douglas]

Sorry

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