Crocs and Fishing

[mylestom]

Another one on the Daly new outboard (9.9hp Mariner 1981) launched boat with son on board 10yrs old. Motor along running in outboard, "Look Dad that a big Croc on the bank", "Yes son quite a big one". Next thing the Croc is in the water, Son says "That croc is swimming towards us", a quick u turn in the boat. No run in of this motor, full throttle and croc was beside the boat at this stage (12' tinnie and about a 14' croc). Followed us down stream on top of water for about 500metres. The motor never got run in a finally sold after 25 years and sold for $700, only paid $800 for it brand new.

Really put the shits up me as we had been to the Darwin Museum only the week before and see "Sweetheart" a 16' Croc that had taken a liking to a few outboards on boats.

Trev

[rooboy98]

Had a few "encounters" while living over in the NT but the one that bothered me the most occurred back in Jan 2005 at "Yellow Waters" in Kakadu.

I had my wife and newly born son in the boat and we were out for a short look around/fish early in the morning. My wife had picked up a heap of weed on her line, so i killed the motor while we sorted it out. The boat slowly drifted over into the weeds.

Anyway, the young fella started to cry as little babies do and almost immediately a huge great black head rose up through the weeds just a metre or so behind the outboard. Anyone who has been to Yellow Waters knows how big the lizards are in there. Definetly not cool and it was quite frightening actually being that close to a big one!

A similiar thing happened later on while we were anchored up under a shady tree. My son cried a little bit and another head popped up. A lot smaller croc though and further away.

In October just the year before, a guy was camped on the beach at Bathurst Bay with his wife and young baby. During the night he was dragged out of the tent. I still wonder if the sounds of his young baby attracted that croc as well?

Cheers,
Roo.

[al49]

lived in darwin for 3 years and fished shady camp a lot ,went up one of the runoffs and had a ball on barra all day got close to leaving ,the runoff was around 4 mtrs wide,heading back down straight across the creek was a croc around 5 mtrs,it took up the hole width, we waited for 2 hrs for it to move it didnt ,nearly dark we decided to make a run for it wasnt staying out all night in a 12 ft tinny ,headed for the croc and just hang on over the top of it ,it dropped down in the water and we got out ,talk about having my sphinkta grab hold of the seat.

[Snodger]

Was up the Daly a few years ago. Had booked a trip with a local guide. Got up there and it turns out its a guy from Toowoomba in a ranger bass boat. Hmmm not real keen on this but went anyhow.
We pulled up in the mouth of a creek with the other guide boat (with very high sides). The guide says there is a very big croc lives here and sat me up front on the nose on a dicky seat. Feeling quite nervous by this stage but he said safe as houses .
About half an hour after we got there the front of the boat moved toward the creek and a scraping sound could be heard under the boat . I looked at the guide and he rolled his eyes and then winked. By this stage I was checking my pants for signs of a sudden release when the guys in the other boat started yelling out croc. I looked behind us to see a 4m model on the surface facing away from us about 2m away from me.
She will be right mate the guide said from the safety of his padded seat behind the wheel. Like hell. I offered the seat to a young fella that was on the boat with us, who coincidentaly came from Toowoomba. The silent response and blank stare was my answer. No one wanted to sit up front after that LOL.
Steve

[Blackfish]

A remote part of the Kimberley's and it's late in the day.
We were about 2 hours into the run up at the mouth of a small creek in Mud Bay
(most creeks and bays aren't named as yet so we make the names up. e.g. Mud Bay, Coke Can Creek. Dick Doc Creek, Fart Bay etc and they all have a story behind the names)
We had 3 Crocs around the boat, not coming to close but close enough, nothing to big, maybe up to 3mts, still big enough to give you a friendly nip.
Before we depart I decided to fillet the fish putting all frames in a old stacker box to dump on the way back to camp, certainly not where we were fishing as to encourage them any more is just plain silly and the buggers remember a easy meal.
We only counted 3 over the time we were anchored.
So before packing them away in the esky I thought I would give the cleaning board and fillets a rinse.
So I told the clients watch those 3 crocs and tell me if one disappears.
So I hop on the back step (water level) and quickly give them a wash.
Head down "still 3 crocs there boys"
"yeah" was the reply
A few moments latter I lift my head to have a quick glance around, about 5mts behind the boat is a Croc laying in station that just materialized out of nowhere.
"Gosh" I say jumping back into the boat. "thought you were watching the Crocs"
"We were and the 3 are still there"

There was 4.
Sneaky buggers.

Heres a little bugger from another spot that was curious, and thats the step I was standing on.


Got a few more stories. But thats another time and Coke Can Creek is named after a Croc.

[robersl]

Its not the ones you can see you have to worry about so much as the one's you can not see, my first trip to shady camp we could see the odd croc head above water coming back at low tide and not much water to get back to the ramp there were hundreds on the sand banks yet people wade out on the barrage there or fish off the bank with 6 foot grass all around you not smart some people

shane
shane

[Apollo]

Anyone watch 60Minutes last night?

Jeezus, he was a lucky bugger, lucky to still be alive!

Yeah Jeff, saw it. Was interesting to watch his face when he recalled the event. He won't forget that for a while. Loved his plan A to get the croc to drop off - throw his dog at the croc.

[gunna]

I was at Shady Camp another time with a guide. Nice safe boat - high sides. The guide was a loony though - he fished off the back step - like the one in the photo above. He said he had a sixth sense and just "knew" if there were crocs around - idiot.

Got back to the ramp to find a bloke and his missus sitting in knee deep water sucking on VB. Double idiots.