Fishin’ Maggie

What’s Happening On Maggie

I wrote a story couple of weeks ago about somebody getting scared at Picnic at night by marine creature trapped in the nets. Imagine then this next person’s consternation. They were swimming in the stinger nets on Thursday afternoon just on dusk last week, doing a few laps. As they turned their head for a breath they noticed a fin following them through the water. The local who asked to remain anonymous readily admits to a moment or 2 of pure panic as he lost his freestyle rhythm and invented a totally new swimming stroke called pandemonium. The shark disappeared fast, but I have had 2 other reports since of a reef shark trapped in the stinger net so have let the surf lifesaving team know. The shark seems happy enough, his own private fish supply and no competition, that’s the life.

If anyone found a fishing rod at Picnic Bay jetty last week, can you please bring it to the shop as the owner catches great sentimental value to it, and desperately wants it back. It is a Shimano Rod with a nice Fin-Nor reel.

I was fighting my way through a large amount of plastics and other rubbish in Gustav Creek this week, trying to clear it up before the big rains eventually come and flush all that crap into our ocean. We desperately need a program to keep the creeks clean, 2 garbage bags of rubbish in one short section, and more creek bed to complete. If anyone gets a chance to pick up rubbish on the island before the wet season please do so. I’m happy to provide scoop net and rubbish bags. I have found everything from Bongs to bathroom scrubbing brushes. Our freshwater Creeks are incredible places. There are Gudgeons, Fantail guppies, Cherry Shrimp, and the amazing Cherabin or Giant Shrimp (Macrobrachium Rosenbergii) and many other aquatic animals that manage to survive a dry Creek for six months, then come out first rain and fill the creeks with life again.

In the brackish waters are leader prawns, (Tigers) with their red eyes standing out at night in the torchlight, mullet and a myriad of juvenile fish it’s a fascinating and complicated ecology and deserves more attention and protection from us.

The new moon brought the prawns on over the weekend and as they schooled they attracted big Mangrove Jack, and Grunter 40-55cm. Congrats to JW on his beautiful Jack in the Harbour. Grunter and Salmon have been on at WestPoint, although one angler reported having his Threadfin Salmon absolutely destroyed by a shark while reeling it in, right on sunset.  This week the rock walls will be the place to fish as the small bait is hugging the coastal areas.

Congratulations to Ray on his 4kg Coral Trout of Desolation Point. Ray broke his long run of Goldspot\ Cod to finally get a big prize Trout.

Until next time gone fishin’…. be back at dark-thirty

Cheers Dale

Fish’n N Fuel’n

36 Mandalay Ave, Nelly Bay 4778-5126

For all of your fishing and sports hire gear. We hire and sell fishing rods, and snorkel equipment, plus sell bait, tackle, ice spear fishing equipment, toys, party, pool toys, and BIKE HIRE, SEGWAY TOURS and convenience supplies. Check out Kooler 24 hour Ice 7kg plus $4.  New BIKE section. Rod and reel repair available.