The calm b4 the Storm!!

[Brandon]

Hi guys and gals!! This is my first report on Active angler, I hope you all like it

Anyways Wednesday I thought to myself stuff it, I have time up my sleeve I want to go for a fish b4 this storm hits!! Organized the time from work and was on my local river by about 3pm (North Brisbane).

I start with flicking a bloodup prawnstar around, the second snag I get a little bump (well I was using my barra outfit) anyways after a very short tussle I Bream of about 28cms comes into the boat for a quick pic b4 swimming away. Kept drifting down this bank flicking in every spot that looked good but didn't get another hit for 30mins or so when I get a better wack than the Bream!! but Alas after another very short tussle (I felt way over gunned with 50lb but I didn't want mr Jack to have a chance) Anyways a cod just under comes in for a quick shot b4 heading back into the rubble he came from. I kept flicking this lure down this bank for another 20mins or so until I got to the end of the interesting stretch of bank. decided to trawl back and didn't want to take my prawnstar off the barra rod so hooked the husky jerk onto my big flick stick and flicked it out. Decided to have the one cast b4 trawling back witch was an excellent idea cause I got a sweet hit on the way back!!! After quite a few short runs into the net comes a 42cm Mangrove jack! (Beating my PB by 2cms). I took a couple of pics of him b4 I noticed he had destroyed my lure the back treble had been ripped from the lure!! After releasing him I sit down and look over my pile of lures thinking what am I going to use now I didn't have another one of these husky jerk's in the same colour so decided on a good old gold bomber trawl back to start my drift without a hit so bring in the bomber and start flicking the prawnstar around again. I was flicking it around in a spot I had noticed bait holding from a ledge for 10mins or so for not even a tap so thought Stuff it I want to give the bomber a go over this area. Not 5mins latter the bomber gets slammed and I have 20lb line peeling off the spool towards many Rocks and concrete pieces Why didn't I hook this up to my barra rod I was thinking to myself as I turned the lecky on and pointed it towards the middle of the creek, Still fighting this monster fish feeling the odd rock every now and then as he ripped towards the rocks! After about 2mins of pumping this fish with as much drag as I dared and with a number of screaming runs back into the rocks I finally get this fish clear and heading for the net. I tell ya I don't usually shake but while I was trying to glide this fish into the net I was shaking so bad!! lol.. So into the boat comes yet another MJ but this one was much bigger measuring 54cms
I then proceeded to take some pics and find a spot I could rest the camera so I could get a pic of me holding him witch I found as you can see below
I really really need a brag mat in the pic of the big one it looks like he is 53cms long on my doggy fold out ruler, I just couldn't get him to sit right on it without me holding him on it!! trust me he did go 54cms

I had a couple more casts b4 heading back to the ramp as the bad weather didn't look far away. I managed to get the boat out of the water and head to my mates place (5mins from the ramp) just b4 the storm hit HARD!! I checked the boat in his driveway not long after it started and I had water pouring over the back of the boat!!!! I also noticed water was only coming out of one bung hole, I had forgotten to take the other one out lol.

Here are the pics!











cheers
Brandon...

[Talina]

Hey thanks for the report Brandon, it was a great read!! & boy that Jack is an absolute ripper!

We managed to get a couple of jacks last weekend & I have heard several reports from around the place of decent captures, so I dare say they are loving this rising heat/humidity! Don't you just love that initial WHACK when they first strike!! & all you can do is just hold on to the rod & hope they don't brick you!

Thanks again & I look forward to many more reports

P.S I'm sure if you get in touch with Mick at http://www.truthmat.com/ he'll be able to help you out with getting one of those Truth Mats

[Beevor]

Greta report Brandon.....

That MJ is a ripper. Sounds like they go pretty hard!!

[themissus]

Great read Brandon!! I'm yet to land my first jack. The first one is really light in colour not the typical red devil colour I dare say you will be back there soon??
Cheers Kim.

[adidaspeteman]

Nice way to intro onto AA mate, that Jack is a beauty. I have wanted to catch a Jack for a long time but rarely fish far enough North.

[Brandon]

Thanks for the comments all!!

Talina those Truth mats look much better than the brag mats!! Will look into getting one after next pay day

Beevor, if you haven't caught one mate you have no idea!!! A jack at 25cms would pull a 30cm Bream inside out And the worse thing is they hit the lure/bait on the way back into their cave!!

The Missus, Yep I thought he was very light in colour, They often change darker once they have been netted, or after a long fight on light gear. This one was that colour until release though??? I am hitting the spot again in the morning

adidaspeteman, How far would you need to go north in WA to catch one? I know this isn't the norm but my dad actually caught one in Sydney harbor many many years ago..

cheers
Brandon...

[adidaspeteman]

adidaspeteman, How far would you need to go north in WA to catch one? I know this isn't the norm but my dad actually caught one in Sydney harbor many many years ago..

Hey mate, the first place to get some Jacks heading north in WA is Kalbarri. A few have been caught further south but it is a rear thing.

Global warming is slowly bring them more south

[Shortlite]

Quality fish and a good start here on AA Brandon. That jack is a ripper of a fish. 30's and 40's are manageable, with bit of screaming reels and well bent rods, but once they get to 45+, it's a whole different story.

I see it got that Bomber pretty deep down, catch n release or fillet n release? Quality feed of fish!

[Brandon]

I hear ya peter!! Global warming does have one benefit

Shortlite, cheers mate!! the 42cm jack when back but the big one came home with me.. he might have been ok released but as you mentioned the bomber was right down his throat and the bottom treble had teared he up a bit. tasted great the following night can't get much fresher then that!!
I usually try and keep only one per summer (depending on damage to the fish) down this way, if I catch a few further up the coast its a bit different.

oh 2.05kg cleaned was his weight!!!

Cheers
Brandon..

[c carney]

Half your luck Brandon i wish i had the chance to go fishing between work and weather i am not winning. Well done mate glad someone is having some luck.