Australia 2012 Report 7

[Snatcher]

The next stage of our holiday took us up to Queenslands Sunshine Coast for a week. On touching down at Maroochydore Airport we got off to a bad start after being informed that our prebooked hire car was not available - I was not a happy chappie !!!!

After a $78 taxi ride we arrived at our Bella Casa apartments in the resort of Noosa Heads. The apartments were only a 5 minute walk from the beach so I planned to fish a couple of hours the next morning. I arrived on the beach just before sunrise and there was just the odd surfer and swimmer in the water.



I had no bait so it was a case of trying different lures to see what worked. Well after about two hours nothing had worked so I gave it up as a bad job. I was fishing in my swimming shorts anyway so just decided to join the locals and go in for a plunge. Very warm and pleasant it was too swimming amongst all the bikini clad women LOL.

I had no "insider" knowledge about this place but knew I needed some bait and had to try a different shore mark. I eventually found a small supermarket that had a bait freezer so bought some frozen squid and whitebait ready for an early start the next morning. Also on studying a local map decided on trying the nearby river mouth.



On finding a good looking spot near the river entrance I set up a running ledger with squid for bait. I gave this about an hour with not one bite. After having no luck with the squid I then tried the whitebait with just the same result. I then decided to move further up river and was well impressed with the "line disposal bins" that the local council had installed at regular intervals. We could do with some back in the UK - but would anglers use them ????





I found a nice little backwater out of the main current and lobbed my squid bait in there.



Another angler joined me and it turned out he was from Southhampton and also fishing there for the first time. At last something had a go at my bait but it was not a fish. It was a turkey sticking its head into my fishing bag which was behind me.



I was just beginning to think about heading back for breakfast when my rod tip registered a good bite. I quickly struck and was into a fish at last. It proved to be a Moses Perch,it was not a new species for me but I was certainly glad to catch it - the blank was now off so I was happy.



I decided to have a last cast and this produced another fish. It was a butter bream. I had caught these up at Port Douglas during my 2008 tour but was still happy to get another fish.



I headed back along the beach to the apartment and by this time everyone in Noosa Heads appeared to be playing in the surf.



I had two more sessions at the same spot with similar results but at last got some local info and was told to try fishing by the 2nd road bridge as it was a hot spot for flathead,bream,mangrove jack,rays and shark.

My last Noosa report sees me fishing at this recommended spot.

John

Edited November 26, 2014 by Snatcher

[Bobj]

The next stage of our holiday took us up to Queenslands Sunshine Coast for a week. On touching down at Maroochydore Airport we got off to a bad start after being informed that our prebooked hire car was not available - I was not a happy chappie !!!!

 

After a $78 taxi ride we arrived at our Bella Casa apartments in the resort of Noosa Heads. The apartments were only a 5 minute walk from the beach so I planned to fish a couple of hours the next morning. I arrived on the beach just before sunrise and there was just the odd surfer and swimmer in the water.

 

 

I had no bait so it was a case of trying different lures to see what worked. Well after about two hours nothing had worked so I gave it up as a bad job. I was fishing in my swimming shorts anyway so just decided to join the locals and go in for a plunge. Very warm and pleasant it was too swimming amongst all the bikini clad women LOL.

 

I had no "insider" knowledge about this place but knew I needed some bait and had to try a different shore mark. I eventually found a small supermarket that had a bait freezer so bought some frozen squid and whitebait ready for an early start the next morning. Also on studying a local map decided on trying the nearby river mouth.

 

 

On finding a good looking spot near the river entrance I set up a running ledger with squid for bait. I gave this about an hour with not one bite. After having no luck with the squid I then tried the whitebait with just the same result. I then decided to move further up river and was well impressed with the "line disposal bins" that the local council had installed at regular intervals. We could do with some back in the UK - but would anglers use them ????

 

 

Another angler joined me and it turned out he was from Southhampton and also fishing there for the first time. At last something had a go at my bait but it was not a fish. It was a turkey sticking its head into my fishing bag which was behind me.

 

 

I was just beginning to think about heading back for breakfast when my rod tip registered a good bite. I quickly struck and was into a fish at last. It proved to be a Moses Perch,it was not a new species for me but I was certainly glad to catch it - the blank was now off so I was happy.

 

 

Not a 'moses perch' lutjanus russelli, Snatcher, but a blackspot snapper, lutjanus fulviflammus. Both are closely related with the 'stripey' clan, L. carponatus

[Snatcher]

Thanks for that clarification Bobj Think I may need your identification skills on my next report which I hope to write up later today.

 

John