Day 2 Cape York Far North Queensland.

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Day 2 was to be our first fishing day so we joined John of Cape York Adventures for a crack at some Spanish Mackerel down at the mouth of the Jardine River system about 35 minutes south of Seisia.

Sesia Wreck - former people smuggling vessel

All loaded and ready to go

We started a troll about 10 minutes prior to arrival at the Jardine. We ran deep diving lures including a prototype that Gladiator are working on (will let you know when they are out - they were dynamite). It was not long into the first troll when we got smashed by a big Mak. This was a big fish that did a lot of direction change, Kosta Linardos the publisher of Hooked Up Magazine was the first on the stick and put some hurt on the fish as soon as he picked it up. The fish made a mad rush for the bottom of the boat and took the leader out on the prop. Re rigged and back out we started moving again.

Safety breif

We soon found out why the Fish were ducking for the cover of the boat as as soon as the next reel started screaming Kosta picked it up and again the fish bolted to the back of the boat. As it took off under the boat we also notice a massive Bronze Whaler Shark shoot under the boat after it. It would seem that the Spanish Mackerel were just trying to hide from the sharks and the was no shortage of sharks.

While Kosta was hooked up I decided that we were going to have to skull drag these fish up to the boat and try and beat the sharks, I took out the PE 8 Jig Stick and the Dog Fight and set the drag at 12kg to reef them in before the wildlife enjoyed a feed before the boys on the boat could. I dropped a 60g Blue Blue Sea Ride down and started working it back. First drop ended up a hookup so with all the speed I could put in we locked the fish and turned it back toward the boat. Literally within seconds it was smashed by another shark, problem here was that I was still attached to it with 12 kg of Drag. The Sea Ride Jig must have been caught nice in the corner of the sharks mouth because it was not getting bitten off. The tug of war began. Now I dont mind telling you that it was a hard slog with a fish bigger than me on 12kg. I held tight and hoped for the best, after a big struggle we got the shark up so we could all have a look at it and then pooped him off go go on his merry way. I think I blew a pooper valve. A lot of people talk about reels with 30kg of drag let me tell you I and 6 foot tall and weigh 120kg the is no way in this world that I could fight a fish on 30k of drag. It might be handy to turn a fish but to fight a fish at 30kg you are a much better man than I.

Kosta Hooked Up to a fish

The shark plague was killing us, we moved off to an inshore reef for a spot of micro jigging, using Inchiku jigs and the Blue Blue's we had a ball on the new light weight Psyborg rods. Even with locked drags on 4000 sized reels to beat the sharks they ran perfectly all day and made light work of the landing of just about every Trevally species in Cape York.

The day was getting on so a quick stop for lunch inside the Jardine river mouth. After a bite to eat we all thought we would have a quick flick of some lures around the mouth. I opted for a Gan Craft S-Caper in the hope of smacking soem fish on the surface. After a few cast's the queenfish came on in a big way and every cast was being smacked around like no tomorrow. I have no idea how many Queenfish we belted but we brained them for what seemed like ages. We put them all back and headed back out on the troll in the search of soem more Spanish Mackerel with out the sharks. Sadly no fish picked up a lure so we made our way back to the wharf. After a shower and a tidy up some cracking local folks Trent and Trish turned up with some awesome live fresh caught mud crabs. Those who know me know that I dont eat fish but will always try some thing if I have never tried it before. These things looked brilliant so I gave it a crack. Sadly I did not like it but every one else smashed them.

big low tides on a sandy ramp - snatching the boat out

Long day done a bit of re rigging and of to bed again. Will be more pics and video to come just have to download them and with the very limited connection I have here it would still be uploading as I was in the plane on my way home - more to come.

Fresh Muddy's

Mud Crab Claw

Shark stealing Trevally

Every one enjoying the crabs

Not much left

Kosta Hooked Up Again