Just spent a few enjoyable days with good friends checking out some estuarine systems, from both boat and shore. There was to be alot of floundering in sticky mud as we worked hard to find a few fish. With a vessel, though, it was to be more accessible but not neccessarily more fun. Boys still like to get down and dirty!
The ever changing conditions presented individual challenges when tackling different areas, toss in the constant tidal changes and it was a tough code to crack. Anyhow, the prospecting did turn up some surprises to counter the disappointments. But that's fishing eh?
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| Hitting the water early like only an angler can. The smell of the water, the anticipation in the air, the tactics playing in the head all contribute to the buzz... |
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| Fishermen can't seem to leave their tackle alone. Yummy aftermarket handles and knobs by Bassart and Office ZPI for the reels. Rods represented by the three big names from the Tackle Source stable - Megabass Destroyer Evoluzion, Evergreen Kaleido and Majorcraft Volkey in spin and baitcast guises... |
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| After a dull stretch of river we got into business. A feisty little Mangrove Jack attacked this Zipbaits Khamsin with gusto... |
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| With the receeding tide, it was key to sort out the ambush points where predators like this Mangrove Jack would station themselves for an easy feed. As the water level was still high, sinking or deep lures like this IMA Ligid 70 were neccessary to get down into their lairs... |
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| Mangrove Jacks are the thugs of the estuarine system. They hit hard and fast and can bury you in a flash. The only way is to button down the drags and pray it is enough! They are an addictive fish to chase... |
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| Typically, Jacks react readily to high speed lures but the twitched DUO Deep Feat seemed to work here... |
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| Twitched lures were mainly targeted at the prized Barramundi. This one worked like clockwork as they turned on at a specific feeding time... |
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| DUO Deep Feat was on a roll... |
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| The fish at this particular snag were queueing for a meal, and it was literally a fish a cast. Here's another hungry Mangrove Jack... |
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| When in feeding mode they certainly weren't shy. This baby Jack went for the DUO Deep Feat with alot of bravery... |
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| Another juvenile Barramundi from the snag, this time on a crankbait - the Megabass Deep-X worked with a Megabass Orochi X-4 rod... |
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| And on consecutive casts the Deep-X in bright Matt Tiger colour was nailed by another Jack... |
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| Tarpons are another species found in most estuarine systems. They like DUO Spearhead Ryukis! |
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| This nicely marked Archerfish was next in line for the small Ryuki 50. It was worked with a light Majorcraft Basspara spin rod... |
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| If you find a rockbar in the river, most times the Estuary Cods aren't far. This Evergreen Combat Crank did the trick... |
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| On light rods like this Majorcraft Volkey spin, even young Barras provide much fun... |
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| The DUO Spearhead Ryuki 70 is the perfect size for these fish... |
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| A very mature Archerfish on the Ryuki 70... |
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| Another mother of an Archer, this guy went for a big IMA PCE-100 twitched fast... |
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| Next cast on the PCE-100 and yet another big Archer... |
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| Just for the sake of adding to the variety this Fingermark Bream decided to attack the deep cranking OSP Blitz... |
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| When night falls the bigger boys come out to play, and so did we. A deep diving Evergreen Combat Crank lure worked along some snags found this big guy at home... |
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| With these fish you need pretty stout gear. The ol'faithful Evergreen Kaleido 'Spin Cobra Q7' was up to the task as always, even with big cranks like this Combat Crank... |
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| Another day and another Combat Crank victim. Barramundi are classic ambush artists and this deep crank laid next to some submerged rocks did the trick. Was no contest for the Megabass Orochi X-4 rod though... |
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| Evergreen Combat Crank in special Bone edition, not your average Barramundi lure but it sure does score... |
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| This little cod got abit greedy with the Megabass Deep-X... |
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| And this little Estuary Cod sure wasn't shy about introducing the Imakatsu Crank to its gob... |
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| When you get Puffers it usually means its time to switch spots... |
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| This nice Estuary Cod fell for a Jackall Bros i-Shad Tail soft plastic dropped at its doorstep... |
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| The Estuary Cods were a common catch, although bigger ones were hard to come by. Nevertheless we were kept busy with the smaller ones like this one that fell for a Jackall Bros Squirrel lure... |
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| No day would be complete without a nice Jack. After frustratingly busting off three good fish in tight confines we were lucky to land this one off an oyster bar. The Majorcraft Volkey rod was pushed to its limits... |
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| After losing an OSP Blitz, a Zipbaits B-Switcher and a Jackall Bros Mascle to angry fish this Megabass Deep-X did well to secure a consolation, the Kahara Quick Lock Snap held up well too. Note the light colouration of this Mangrove Jack from salty surrounds, very different from the darker mangrove dwellers... |
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| At nightfall it was back to the hunt for the brooders. They weren't in huge numbers but a fish a night was decent pickings as the size really made up for it. This big guy had no qualms downing the very mullet-like shallow runner... |
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| At fourteen pounds or so this Barramundi was a welcome trophy. While the day produced variety and numbers the after-dark sessions were really special indeed. As always, out came the Kaleido 'Spin Cobra Q7' by Evergreen... |
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| The capture was indeed a close-call. Note the frayed leader as the fish took the lure whole in one gulp. Strong hooks are also essential but with fish like these they do get pretty out of shape too, also when targeting trophies the lure snaps are ditched for a stronger connection via a super strong Sasame swivel and IMA Split Ring direct to the tow ring. The shallow running Evergreen True Round 115F lure is a gem, with its tight swimming and rolling action, it did the trick with a fine fish... |
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| Estuarine fishing is very tide-dependant. This river would be empty at the bottom of a king-tide but with tidal flow comes the fish. Again finding snags were key to success and this Estuary Cod couldn't resist a DUO Deep Feat twitched in front of its honey hole... |
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| A fantastic lure whether twitched or rolled. The DUO Deep Feat secures a place in our boxes indefinitely... |
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| Another method of getting tight in on the snags is the use of soft plastic baits. This weedless rigged Jackall Bros Cover Craw picked up this nice juvenile Barramundi lazily waiting for a passing feed. Orochi X-4 rod by Megabass is a perfect tool made for heavy cover fishing... |
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| With more open terrain exposed hook points fair well. This Jackall Bros Knuckle lure sunk and hopped on the bed drew a strike from this curious little Mangrove Jack... |
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Some days you get real lucky.
As the tide swelled and the impending storm shifted in from the horizon the last few prospective casts were placed. It came tight on one and what was originally thought to be a Grouper turned out to be the surprise of the day. This massive Barramundi slugged it out like a bulldozer, big fish like this seldom leap acrobatically so it was carefully fought without the added risk of thrown hooks. After a patient couple of minutes it was beached with much jubilation. At twenty plus pounds it truly was a fish of jurassic proportions... |
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| It was a magnificent sight as the fish laid in the shallows after the obligatory photos, Evergreen Combat Crank set perfectly in the side of the jaw. We savoured its presence as it was gently and patiently revived until it was ready to swim off on its own. It did with a big healthy kick of the tail which drenched us thoroughly, a baptism of sorts. All Barramundi are born males and go through a sex change as they mature. As such, most if not all fish above 4-5kgs are females ready to spawn the next generation. We can't stress the importance of releasing these brooding ladies to ensure their next generation, like ours, will be given a chance of an encounter like we had on this special day... |
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| We learnt in a short time what a weapon the Evergreen Combat Crank is for saltwater work. In its various depth guises it had produced some pretty exciting results as shown. Not to mention its infamy as the go-to lure for freshwater impoundments. Alongside the great array of spectacular big-name rods we have the priviledge to use, this one punches way above its weight like most Majorcraft rods do. The Volkey range represents the mid tier in terms of pricing but for the money certainly gives you more. Its light physical weight is right up there with the most expensive rods, and it has an ultra sensitive high-carbon blank that is a joy to use. Not to mention being equiped with the latest Fuji reelseats and K-series guides, as this certainly is the way of the future and we can't help but get excited about it. Special mention also goes to the thin, soft and durable fluorocarbon leader by leading Japanese manufacturer Sunline - the FC-100 series lives up to its billing as the best, and so are the braided super-lines like the PE Jigger HG loaded up on this reel. |
It was great to get dirty, burnt and exhausted and have results to show for it. This is the fishing we love and nothing comes close for sheer satisfaction. Definitely can't wait for the next session!
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