Sunday PM
First stop was the tackle shop in Rockhampton, to find an emergency replacement for my broken light spin rod. The G.Loomis GL2 range has moved on since I bought mine. I found all the available G.Loomis ‘fast’ action rods a little too stiff for my liking. I think this is because the new, higher quality graphite has less give. I decided to look at something cheaper with a little more give. I settled on a 6’6″ Berkley Dropshot, rated 2-4 kg, two piece. It would do, until I could look into a more refined replacement.
With the Barramundi closed season fast approaching I felt I should try another session, land-based fishing in the Fitzroy River, at dusk. The boats were thick and there where plenty of land-based anglers wandering the banks. Everyone was keen to tempt a Barramundi. The tide was running out and had been high at about 4.00 pm. The wind was north-easterly but its was dropping off.
The folks in Barra Jacks (http://www.barrajacks.com.au) had loaded me up with traditional hard bodied suspending minnows and 45 lb leader but the reports from the Barra Bounty competition (a few weeks earlier) had suggested many anglers had been successful using small soft plastics. Obviously, I had a few packets of these as well.
Fitzroy Flathead
Fitzroy River seasnake
Lures will catch anything
Nasty
I started fishing at about 5.30 pm behind the bowls club on the north side of the river, with a locally made, timber hard bodied suspending minnow lure in a silver colour. There were a few surface slurps and I could see decent bait schools swimming around. As the sun dropped on the horizon I felt some resistance and wound in. I had something but I could not see what. As I pulled it clear of the water I realised it was a sea snake. Is there no end to the predator list up here!
I managed to shake it loose from the line and it slithered off, back to the water. I decided to swap to soft plastic and put on a GULP 3″ Minnow in the Peppered Prawn colour, on a 1/8th ounce, size 1 hook jighead. It was now almost completely dark. I walked along the bank casting wherever there was an opening in the tall grasses.
Just before seven I felt a fish grab the plastic and I was hopeful. After a couple of small runs I realised it was a flathead. It came to the surface angrily shaking its head. It was about 45cm long. I released it and gave up for the day.
Landangler's Blog 
landangler, I gather you’re a man who appreciates refined, high quality equipment based on your current setup. I suggest you have a look at a Japanese brand called Yamaga Blanks at http://yamaga-blanks.com/product/index.html This company owns the Ripple Fisher brand also; they make their own blanks in-house. I have owned 3 of their range now for the past 4yrs and they are nothing less than an absolute joy. I’d recommend you look at the BlueCurrent range for your PE 0.4 game, and there’s a range in 2-piece spigot joined models from 6’8″ to 8’3″ to cast weights 0.5 – 15g. They are not cheap! One of these will make a perfect compliment to your Stella 2500FE. There’s an online vendor I’ve bought from over the years; also met him and fished together on Tokyo bay for Japanese Seabass. He could source and ship. Contact me if you wish to make enquiries.
These look fantastic but perhaps a little too refined for my rather crude tactics – I will get round to them eventually