Interesting afternoon with a surprise find

Took the dinghy up to the creeks at Miaboolia to see if there were any muddies about. Ran the nets out and on the first run, 2nd pot picked up a crab that after measuring was about 2mm under, while trying to measure it I.d drifted in to that bloody brown slime weed that grows along side the bank on the upper reaches of the creek. Trying to get the bloody crab out of the net, get back in to clear water with a 20+ knot sea breeze and thinking it was solid the dog jumps out. Try to motor back in to save the little bugger because its too thick for him to swim, the motor stalls, prop choked with weed, pull the oars out and finally get to him.

Row out to clear water and get outboard running again minus 20 tonne of weed and slime, pick up and move nets closer towards the mouth of the estuary, running them back upwind in to another arm of the estuary, drop the last net then the motor conks out and won't start, check fuel ok, check oil ok, turns over but no start!, shit.

Out come the oars again, picking nets up that had been in the water only a few minutes and using the breeze to assist. Got back to the mouth of the arm that I'd set most of the pots in and left one because I had to return that way to head back to where I'd launched from. Headed down to collect the other two and got a good big keeper in the last one, rowed to shore and on stepping out of the boat found out the just because the bow of an 8.5 foot dinghy is on the shore doesn't mean its shallow enough to walk, resulting in getting wet up to my tits Grabbed the anchor rope and dragged the boat the 400 metres or so back up against the wind.

On the walk back I spotted a sawfish, all of 70cm cruising along in a foot of water, it took no notice of me as it went about its business. It was the first time I have seen one less than 3-4 metres long and only the second one south of Hedland.

Spotted 6-7 undersize muddies feeding in the shallows on the rest of the walk, hop back in the dinghy and picked up the remaining net only to find something with a bit of aggression has demolished it [suspect bull shark] then off on the over 1 km row back to the wagon.

Used to and still do enjoy rowing a boat but the body is telling me it doesn't like it the next dat, lots of aches and pains that have been hidden for a long time.


uncle's picture

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Date Joined: 10/02/07

sounds interesting alright

Tue, 2013-11-05 08:40

i guess ones enough for a meal

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all aggressive fish love bigjohnsjigs

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oars

Tue, 2013-11-05 08:53

lucky you had some oars in the boat, sounds like a comedy of errors glad the dogs ok lol

carnarvonite's picture

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Date Joined: 24/07/07

Oars

Tue, 2013-11-05 12:32

Enjoy rowing a boat and now that the dinghy is licenced will do more of it though through choice not necessity. Oars come with me any time when using a dinghy, small outboards are to temperamental for my liking or trust----that includes near new one like this one.

As for eating the crab, nah, pass on that. One or two a year is plenty, gave it to the missus.

tim-o's picture

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Blimey, thought youre meant

Tue, 2013-11-05 10:22

Blimey, thought youre meant to get wiser as you get older haha ;-) Bet the muddy tasted good after all that

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I am, as I've said, merely competent. But in an age of incompetence, that makes me extraordinary.

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There used to be HEAPS of

Tue, 2013-11-05 14:07

There used to be HEAPS of those little saw sharks up there mate...
We used to sail into that bay which lead to the creeks (Mia Beach) and there would be hundreds cruising around the shallows along with heaps of baby shovel noses!!

 

Glad to hear they are still there  :-)

carnarvonite's picture

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Saw fish

Tue, 2013-11-05 18:18

Correction, sawfish, sawsharks are a different species and have bar bells half way down their bills and are mostly found further south around Geogographe Bay area.

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Would have been

Tue, 2013-11-05 14:43

 one of those funniest home video moments when you jumped out the tub near shore.

 

carnarvonite's picture

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Not Kidding

Tue, 2013-11-05 18:15

Not kidding there, nearly squashed a gooly as the first leg went over and the side of the dinghy lifted as the weight was removed. Was worried about the phone taking a swim as well, last one is in the drink under the rescue boats old pen after it slipped from shorts pocket.

Don't mind stuffing up a little bit as long as there is around to witness it

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No offence -

Wed, 2013-11-06 14:22

 I chuckle just a little bit more every time I think about it - mind you Ive done similar things before. 

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.

Wed, 2013-11-06 14:23

double post

Wes F's picture

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At least you were up the creek with a paddle.

Tue, 2013-11-05 18:42

Could have tested ya if no paddle on board.

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 Old fishermen never die they just smell that way.

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Haha

Tue, 2013-11-05 20:03

A day you won't forget John full of drama. Only thing that wasn't against you by the sounds of it was the tide.

Brock O's picture

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Sounds like a

Tue, 2013-11-05 20:41

 

Normal day out for me, always a few errors...Arr still better than a day at work! you did finish with a keeper.

Faulkner Family's picture

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sounds like a great day apart

Tue, 2013-11-05 20:41

sounds like a great day apart from the motor not starting after the break down, the dog going for a not so leasurly swim,you going in the drink where you thaught was shallow . then again sounds like a s@#t day. lol. good to see your ok in the end along with your first mate

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RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together

carnarvonite's picture

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Enjoy?

Wed, 2013-11-06 06:02

Didn't say I didn't enjoy the day, out at one with nature, best mate with me, saw something that was of great interest, found some new spots and some that I'll never venture to again, got some badly needed exercise and so on.

Would I do it all over again, being a slow learner ---YES and would smile at the same time!!!!

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Date Joined: 12/05/12

Sounds like you had fun

Wed, 2013-11-06 21:51

 Good on ya better then working ....a good story