P14 - FISH & BOAT, February 2019 Fishing Getting The Band Back Together By Miles Tam long time, and wee have had some The result of using the right lure, in this memorable sessions here, so we were case a suspending lure allowed the fish If you have followed my arti- more time to make its mistake. cles from many moons ago, you pretty keen to get back there. So we would have probably noticed a pinpointed an early start time and few things. I love fishing, love hav-were on the road full of beans. ing a good time, and usually it’s withThe game plan: me old mate Jack Reid. As with all my fishing, I can’t fish Now Jack is one of those guys I’ve without a game plan. I need direc- always said, if I ever went and fishedtion for the day and some kind of one of those barra comps, he would common sense to follow. I do this for be the one I’d do it with. After yearsa few reasons. If I have a plan, I rarely of fishing side by side, we have builthave those moments where you drift a fishing connection together that in the creek and look at each other needs no fine tuning, it just works. and say ‘what should we do now’ and Jack has spent the last 3-4yrs it gives you optimism to fish the day working on trawlers, in tackle shops because you have told yourself this is and when in Townsville...fishing where you should look and why be- with me. And no matter how long fore you left the ramp. we have been apart, we pick up the No, it doesn’t always pay off, but rod and reel like no-one ever left! it allows me to fish hard and to During his last stint in Townsville, the best of my ability knowing I’ve marking up high. I told Jack straight we hit it pretty ...he wanted to get in some covered all bases. away to cast behind the boat with his hard...fishing that ‘barratime’ dstretch the So our plan was to Jackall Squirrel, and it was one the It’s not every day you see barra stacked is! This would be an prospect the banks first pause where he got slammed up under the boat waiting for you! But his last crack atre he0lb baia3tcaster befo with Jack up the and slung a 90 odd centimetre barra you still gotta give them what they want! barra before the switchesto fly lines, waders, front and me on into the air with lure one way and season closed and coldweatherandcrap beer. the tiller, keep- fish the other.I had a Jackall Transam on worked before he moves to ing an eye on the England to live. Not only to watch sounder. I was going to make any it to that depth for no avail. 2 casts soccer or ’football’ but also to chasetree or lumps I find while throw- later Jack was on again, and this time a remarkable sportfish...the carp. Soing the odd cast, while Jack would we landed our first barra in the 90cm as you can imagine he wanted to get pepper ahead of the boat. We hadn’t range. It was clear this patch of fish in some ‘barratime’ and stretch the been here for years so to me it was awanted hard body lures, but not just 30lb baitcaster before he switches tonew system I needed to get familiar any! As we reset, I decided to try fly lines, waders, cold weather and with. We did this for about an hour other similar styles of hard bodies, crap beer. and a half until I noticed somethinglucky craft, Jackson, Duo to name We had planned to make the jour- strange on the sounder. few, but if it wasn’t a Jackall Squir- ney to Peter Faust Dam but after We were in about 8m of water and rel swimming, we didn’t get the bites. a late message from Jack saying he a stream of fish came through about They were a bizarre set of fish, they won’t be back till late that night af-2-3m under the boat. At first, I waswould hit with the leader in the eye ter a bender in Cairns, we opted for like, ‘nah hey won’t be barra up here’,of the rod right next to the outboard. a closer alternative. And it paid off.but as the shot got clearer, they end- We haven’t fished this system for a ed up being a massive school of barra Continued next page SIZES FROM SIZES FROM SIZES FROM #2/0-8/0 #14-10/0 #4-3/0 BIG BAIT CIRCLE OCTOPUS T14 Heavier gauge circle A strong hook perfect A strong treble with hook for big fish! for baits such as awesome hooking power Perfect for a paternos- squid and cut fish. and sticky sharp ter rig, or a live points. This 3X hooks bait rig is equivalent to a 4X in other brands. INSTAGRAM:@GAMAKATSU_AUS WWW.GAMAKATSU.COM.AU CMHCIEOCMNRIIOCC AABLLAL RYHB OOSCHKAHA RIRPBGPOOHEIN NN QETWUDIARLEI TCYO NTSETMRPUECRTEIDONHHOHOOOOKOK K S BHEEAYNNEDK GAPE THROATT