Yakabout - Burrum Heads river mouth and beyond #2

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Burrum Heads river mouth and beyond #2

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Saturday, 22 September 2007

Long distance covered for poor results

How's the serenity? Too bloody serene!

Launch:	- 6:30 AM
Landed:	- 11.00 AM
Tide:	- 10:30 AM, Low
Weather:	- Warm, 26 °C, Calm as a hindu cow
Caught:	- Nadda
Method:	- Flicking and trolling soft plastic & hard body lures

Today's conditions would be considered by anyone to be just about perfect, which I suppose is one of the reasons there were so many boats on the water. In some ways, however, I suspect that conditions were perhaps just a little too perfect, with crystal clear calm waters making the fish way too finicky. I tried just about everything in an attempt to catch something worthwhile, but it just wasn't to be. I covered quite a bit of distance in pursuit of them to and even now I'm very surprised that I didn't produce the goods.

Where's Wally?

I started by drifting with the current out through the heads, flicking a Squidgie Pro blood worm in hope of a Bream or Flathead and didn't get a touch. Once out into the open water I engaged the Miragedrive and trolled two rods, one towing a Squidgie Flick bait pilchard (the very same lure that got struck by a big fish the day before) and the other with a Trollcraft hard body lure (the typical white and red variety), both of which were coated with Ultrabite gel. This time I was prepared with my larger Texalium trolling rod and with stronger line on my 4-8kg outfit. Leaders were joined with double uni knots this time - I wasn't going to make the albright mistake again.

As prepared as I felt, it was all for naught because there was just no fish biting whatsoever. I'm relieved that I wasn't alone - others commented that they hadn't raised a fish as well, save for another kayak fisherman (in a Viking tandem) who'd pulled out - and returned - a couple of Whiting no bigger than his hands. I did see the obligatory sea turtles of course, as well as a plethora of Sting rays, one of which was large enough to scare most croc hunter fans.

At least I got a couple of nice photos!

As I type this out the conditions are still pretty calm, so I'll be heading out for another try over the high tide this afternoon unless matters change dramatically.