FISHING
Fishing the Hinchinbrook Channel.
People often ask me what is the best thing
about fishing the Hinchinbrook Channel? Is it having the fabulous
Channel for your office? Is it the wonderful scenery and pristine
wilderness? Is it the excellent fishing, chasing Barramundi, Mangrove
Jacks, Giant Trevally, Monster Queenfish and a host of other tropical
fish? Is it seeing Turtles, Dolphin, Dugong, Crocodiles or the
plentiful birdlife as you fish?
To me its all of the above plus
being able to go out whatever the wind speed as we fish in protected
waters. That’s the big
plus, being able to have access to calm waters most days and having
good boat ramps.
There’s
nothing better than working your lure close to a snag and seeing
that silver flash as its grabbed by a Barra. Watching it tail-walk
across the water, gills flaring as they try to dislodge the lure,
making repeated line stretching runs followed by more jumps. That’s
Fishing!
It might be chasing Pelargics out and around
Missionary Bay or chasing bait schools being trashed by tuna. I
prefer to work a good sized “Popper” close to a bait
school or in the current on a headland. Working that lure really
fast and seeing the mighty splash as its monstered by a “GT”,
then seeing the drag smoking as it peels of line at an astonishing
rate. Long hard runs followed by plenty of pumping and winding
is the order of the day. That’s Fishing!
It might be working
up one of the numerous creeks that run into the channel, on the
electric motor chasing the dirty fighting Mangrove Jack. Working
the lure close to the Mangrove roots system, having it smashed
and taken right into the timber before you can say ”I’m
on”! Sometimes you get your lure back, some times you don’t
and even sometimes you get your lure and a fish. That’s Fishing!
Now
if all of the above doesn’t get the blood coursing through
you veins, how about down sizing the tackle, and fish the crystal
clear freshwater streams that also abound in the area. A day on
the sweetwater can be fun, chasing Jungle Perch, Sooty Grunter,
Tarpon and a bit closer to the estuary mouth, Mangrove Jacks and
Barramundi. Now this is sight fishing at its best, crystal clear
water, light gear and tiny “Poppers”, watching a “JP” smash
the lure and leap about all over the creek. They can spend as much
time out of the water as a Barra!
Or working it close to one of
the many sunken trees and seeing it absolutely smashed by a “Horse” of
a Sooty! Now that’s Fishing!
It might be chasing lagoon Barramundi,
fish that are land locked till the next wet. They also respond
to a surface lure but tend to work deep when hooked, using there
weight and speed, in mind boggling runs and still leap a bit too.
Nothing better than seeing that flash of color as it gets close
to the boat which also is the signal for another run. That’s
Fishing!
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