A bit of fun off Redcliffe

[Freeeedom]

Haven’t fished the front of Redcliffe since the winter run of squire disappeared around July, but the forecast was good, so I thought I’d have a look around to see what was happening. Launched at Clontarf just before 5.00 a.m., dropped the pots off Margate beach and anchored up on one of the shallow reefs. Started a berley trail and put out a couple of prawn baits. I also had a few frozen herring, from a previous live-baiting session in the Pine, so I put one of them out as well, and settled down to wait. Nothing much happened for about 40 minutes, as I waited for the berley to attract some interest. I had expected the berley to draw a crowd of hardiheads and gar, with some bream underneath them, but there was no sign of a bream anywhere. Eventually something bumped the herring, and after waiting for a minute or two to see if it would come back, I wound in to find just the head left. I put another one out, and not long after something grabbed it and I was in to a decent fish. As I fought it I couldn’t quite pick what it was – maybe a solid bream, definitely not a squire. When it came to the boat I was pleased to see a nice grass sweetlip of about 37cm.
Over the next half hour I caught another 3 grassies, 2 legal and one little one on a prawn. Just as I lifted the little one into the boat, the herring took off big time. I dropped the grassie and grabbed the rod, but there was little I could do on the light string except hold the rod and watch the line disappear. I tightened the drag a bit and finally managed to stop the fish. As I worked it back towards the boat I couldn’t pick what it was either. There were no head shakes, just a solid slug it out kind of fight – maybe a cod? When I finally got colour it was a nice snapper (65cm) – very welcome in the cooler.

After that things went quiet. I threw the cast net over the berley trail and got 2 garfish, so I chopped one in half and put them out in place of the herring to see if a fresh bait would make any difference. Nothing happened for about an hour, and I was just starting to pack up for a move when something grabbed the gar and took off. This was a better run than the snapper and it took me a while to stop the fish and start to regain any line. Again, I didn’t know what I had hooked, but as I started to work it back towards the boat I could see that the fish was coming to the surface out wide, and that meant only one thing _ CATFISH!!! Sure enough, when I got it in close it was a big catty of about 7 kg. I broke it off rather than slime up the landing net and the boat.

I moved over into the Pine to try for a bream, but only caught about half a dozen undersize ones, so I pulled the pin about 10.00 a.m. Five hours in the water produced one undersize buck sand crab – I don’t know where the sandies are at the moment. Still, I was happy with some quality fish and good conditions for a pleasant morning on the water.
Cheers Freeeedom

[BR65]

Nice one mate, good feed there

[kingcray]

nice effort mate, good to see the snaps turn up already.
The sandies have been very poor here this season compared to last 2 years.
That shallow reef you fished will by alive with snapper in march when the prawns return

[Snodger]

some good chewin there. good report mate and welcome to the site.

[Funchy]

G'day Freeedom, good to see you on the boards and great first write up. (and no one pays to read it)

Nice snapper, reports of Scarby snapper have been few and far between. Old mate Snodger will be a man after your own heart with catfish reports
Cheers mate

[Didley]

Thanks for the great report Freeeedom, hope you enjoy the site.

[tackle_buster]

Welcome aboard Freeeedom. Top report and pic. Great site and a good bunch of fisho's on here. Enjoy.

[Bazil Brush]

Good report & a top morning on the water,well done.

Baz