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therapy
01-05-2009, 08:39 AM
Gedday Ausfishers,
Next w/end, I am going up to a bloke from works property on Stewart Island behind Fraser, just north of Gary's anchorage. We have been there before and it is a great set up. 10 x 10 solar powered shed, gas fridges and cooking, combustion stove etc. Boy heaven my missus called and I have to agree!!;D Now the bloke from work went up there the other w/end to mow and cleanup and brought back some photo's. One of these show's the spot where we are going to anchor now being occupied by a large croc trap!!!:o:o
I know you nth qld boys will probably have a smirk, but for us Brissie lads that only normally have to worry about blue bottles and cutting your toe on a oyster shell at the ramp, this is a somewhat worrying development!! We are still going obviously, but wont be whiting fishing till all hours up to our knees in water, or swimming to retrieve the boat if anchored deep!!
Now to really get us in the mindset please feel free to share any croc encounter stories you have, amusing, scary or bizarre.
My closest experience so far was taking my missus and dog for a stop at an island just out of hervey bay marina while on hols at Toogoom. About 10 minutes to walk around, great little spot and all good on the day. The first Sunday I get home and there is photo of same island showing a large croc slide right about where we anchored for our stop. That is as close as I want to come myself. There are sneaky big buggers, don't play by the same rules as sharks(I stay on land, you don't bite me!!) and just a little scary!!
Look forward to reading your stories......I think!!!;D;D

Cheers......Terry.........

PaulMark
01-05-2009, 08:50 AM
It always amazes me in these times of technological gadgetry,none of these "sightings"are ever accompanied by a photo.Apparently there was one sighted off Shelley beach last week. It always pays to be vigilant but it all seems a little contrived.Reports are that there is no evidence of crocodile activity in the area.So,if you see one,take a bloody photo.
Paulo8-)

the gecko
01-05-2009, 02:40 PM
I read that one guy on Fraser threw his castnet over a croc only last week. It was in the paper. Theres been other sightings by members on fishntales website. theres a lot of credibilty to the spate of sightings around Fraser and up the Mary. Just because we dont have a pic doesnt mean that they arent there. Which island at Toogum had a croc? A pic you say? Jee, Ive been fishing there at night lately....The one near Goodies downstream? Your not getting confused with the croc on Round Is are you?

therapy
01-05-2009, 02:58 PM
No Gecko. I said the little island out from Hervey Bay marina. Couldn't think of the name but your right, it is Round Island.

Cheers.....Terry........

fish2eat
01-05-2009, 03:16 PM
I have a holiday house at Poona, about 10km south of Stewart Island, and upon turning up at the ramp a couple of weeks ago, noticed that a crocodile warning sign had been erected. I really wasn't worried about a croc encounter until I saw the sign. Despite having lived in Darwin where you can get them crossing roads, it is hard to get used to having them so far south.

Stu

PS. Hey Andrew....been following your adventures in Paradise on Fishntales as well and note your increasing exploration and knowledge of the area. I hope to move permanently to Poona by the end of the year, so love to catch up when I do

Cheers Stu

Nic
01-05-2009, 04:27 PM
Well we northerners certainly have to be careful... don't want a close shave like this bloke:

http://www.users.on.net/%7Ednpenfold/crocs/closecall2.jpg

http://www.users.on.net/%7Ednpenfold/crocs/closecall1.jpg

http://www.users.on.net/%7Ednpenfold/crocs/closecall3.jpg


Some fishos just aren't as careful as they should be:

http://www.users.on.net/%7Ednpenfold/crocs/castnet.jpg

More human croc bait photos can be found here: http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2009/04/07/43431_ntnews.html

I personally have yet to see one while fishing but I know it's only a matter of time.

the gecko
02-05-2009, 11:39 AM
PS. Hey Andrew....been following your adventures in Paradise on Fishntales as well and note your increasing exploration and knowledge of the area. I hope to move permanently to Poona by the end of the year, so love to catch up when I do

Cheers Stu


Hi Stu, I dont use that site much anymore. Im on other sites tho, but I cant name em here. Im not as Active as I used to be.......

We had a croc sign up at the Howard ramp too. It makes you wake up a bit.

Nic, thats a serious close shave.......Ive never seen pics of a croc jumping towards a fisho in a boat, I thought they wouldnt bother leaping. Thx for the lesson.

rhycebullimore
02-05-2009, 04:12 PM
had that happen to me in hinchinbrook while getting a crab pot, we have to bat them off with sticks up here.

PaulMark
02-05-2009, 05:50 PM
Hi Andrew,where in the Bay are you?We're in Kawungan,work in M'boro.21yrs this year'
Paulo

Jim_Tait
04-05-2009, 06:45 AM
Hey Guys interesting to read Eliza Fraser's original account of her return to Morton Bay following her shipwreck survival - seems as though crocs in this part of the world aren't a recent phenomena but but re-establishment of what existed before!

Richard
04-05-2009, 07:51 AM
I was out in Trinity Inlet (in Cairns) just yesterday and was about to have a cast near what i thought was a good looking snag.

Got a bit closer and it was a croc's head just out of the water. Was able to get pretty close with the minn kota before he ducked down.

Also had another time when my brother and I were trolling up a creek around Hinchinbrook. THe bank had pretty steep sides and we were trolling right next to the bank. We must have scared this little fella (only about 2m long) who was up on the high bank. He didn't realise we were there until we were just about on top of him. He bolted down the bank, sort of half landed on my front casting platform then ungraciously scrambled into the water.

happended so quickly that my brother and i were left with ours mouths open and the need for a change of underwear.. needless to say we stopped trolling and got out of there..


Richard

TonyM
04-05-2009, 09:47 AM
Hey Guys interesting to read Eliza Fraser's original account of her return to Morton Bay following her shipwreck survival - seems as though crocs in this part of the world aren't a recent phenomena but but re-establishment of what existed before!

And that was possibly Eliza's one true account in the story ;D Our Dearheart Eliza never let the truth get in the way of a good story ;) Apparently the story used to change with each telling.

You're right though Jim about crocs having existed in the area before. My family has lived in this region for 5 generations, and whilst they were just about made extinct in the area by great white hunters in the early 1900's the occaisional one pops up (usually in areas without much human traffic). Yes there are a few hoaxes from time to time as boys will be boys, although they're not all hoaxes ;)

Cheers
Tony

GBC
04-05-2009, 11:57 AM
Ha, I went to school with Greensills, and knowing how inbred M'bro/H.B. is I'd bet it's the same bloody family.

I know they were still knocking them off out the back of the Susan and Farjoy in the nineties. A mate and myself were allowed in there pigging along the Susan and saw various forms of 'evidence'.

No I don't have photos so don't ask.::)

Crabbing up the susan at night in the seventies we used to see a few sets of 'eyes' as well, never real big ones - and definitely shy.

robersl
04-05-2009, 02:24 PM
well i was at maroom 25-26/04/09 seen te trap at sth wytcliffs and fished around stewrts island and pumped yabbies no problems but kept the eye's peeled came home from there and flew to darwin shady camp area they are a dime a dozen there always have to be careful seen a family of geeze crossing the river on wednesday 2 crocs headed from from down stream at them and 1 from behind and across the other side of the river as they got closer a hawk scream down and plucked the ducklings /baby geese from the 3 crocs and 2 of them decided to have a fight so the croc's don't get all the goodies i think we may have this on video the guys from sysdney will send it to me in a week or so

shane

Scott nthQld
06-05-2009, 12:19 PM
this one was only last year, but there's a big croc in the Bohle that I see quite regularly, who isn't boat shy at all. He's a big one at about 5m long and has been there for at least the 8 years I have been living up here.

Well one day picking up the pots after a days fishing and crabbing with the old boy, I notice the first in the string was about 40m away from where we put it. My first thought was bloody pot raiders, but I felt a bit more resistance than and empty pot would normaly have so i was hopeful that maybe it was just the current. But not so, I pulled the pot up, and what once was a 900mm round pot was now resembling more of a baskets ball with the mesh all ripped and torn and the wire now all crumpled up.....the first pot we'd ever had destroyed by a croc.

Anyway, up further we went to the next pot, this one in the same place we put it, but sitting up on the highbank, about 3m from the float was old mate the 5m croc. Not wanting to spook him and have him jump in the boat, we kept going, hoping he would move along whilst we picked up the remaining pots. Not so, we returned about 15 minutes later to him still sitting there, king of his domain. I dug through the side pockets and got out the gaff that permanently lives in the boat, which gave us another 6ft between him and us and gently reached over and pulled the pot up.

All's well that ends well we thought and began emptying the pot, throwing jennies and undersize crabs back., well we should've gone further up river before we started because even though we were up around the bend, as soon as he heard the splash of crabs going back in the water, he jumped in, and the noise he made he was moving fast. It wasn't long and we saw him go under about 10m from the boat, facing in our direction. Not wanting to feed him, we made a beeline out of there until we felt we had put some distance between us and him and resumed emptying the pots.

wilcara
06-05-2009, 02:30 PM
crazycrazycrazycrazycrazycrazycrazycrazycrazycrazy crazy

Scott nthQld
06-05-2009, 07:57 PM
Another one, again in the bohle river, I saw a small croc up on the bank, about 10-12ft long, I look over the other side of the river, directly across and here a bloke nearly armpit deep in water throwing his cast net for bait. I putted over to him, called him a knob and pointed out the croc sitting on the bank.....watching him.

No Worries he said, as long as I can see it I'm fine......bullshit. This Little croc only comes into this particular section of the river around summer, ie breeding season, its shares this territory with the 5m one I mentioned earlier, so i have a feeling that it may be its mate, and seeing how it was watching him so intently gave me the willies that maybe he was being stalked by the big one, as does happen during breeding season, often the big male will be the one defending its territory and female from anything and everyone. I also know that during mating season, the males rarely move too far away from their female.

I then remidned him that this was also the territory of the big one....'what big one?' he said. I told him about the 5 metrey, and that little one over there only comes into this section of river at this time of year. He eventually cottoned on to my theory above and got the fck out of the water.....tosser. And yet not a trip goes by in the Bohle where I don't see some other nob doing the same thing in the same spot....why they don't just use their boats I'll never know.

Fishin_Dan
06-05-2009, 08:23 PM
Nearly got thrown into the Bohle a couple of times off the front of a tinny from an inexperienced driver while cast netting... One time I managed to grab the bimini, turned around to stop the boat hitting the bank, and realised there was a croc about 3 foot in front of me. It crapped itself and bolted into the water, and I think I became about 3 kilos lighter!!!

therapy
06-05-2009, 10:53 PM
Thanks for the replies fella's ( I think?!?!). We leave in about 6 hours and can't wait. Scott, some people make you wonder don't they. The last place you would find me up north will be in the water! Crazy buggers, lucky there isn't more fatalities with knobs like that around. As Wilcara said, crazy (x 20!!) You NQ blokes sure earn your muddies by the sound of it. Hope to put up some sort of report when we get back and some pickies of the place, really is a great spot.

Cheers.....Terry..........

Richard
06-05-2009, 11:10 PM
There's no need to be paranoid but just be sensible. What is that the government keep saying - be alert but not alarmed :)

Don't let it wreck your trip but still be careful.. you get used to it pretty quickly up here

Dick Pasfield
06-05-2009, 11:17 PM
http://i464.photobucket.com/albums/rr4/dickpasfield/3-20.jpg

robersl
07-05-2009, 07:03 AM
Now Dick that is a great photo ,i would be looking all around me lol

shane

finga
07-05-2009, 07:56 AM
Remember about 2 or 3 years ago when a young fellow got taken by a croc in Darwin??
Me nephew was mates with them and was supposed to go on that trip only his mother sent him a ticket to visit her over x-mas
They're always taking the quads in the gunga fishing and shooting.
This time the poor bugger took a bucket down to the billabong to get some water to wash the crud off the bike and a croc grabbed him by the head.
They found the other bloke up a tree. He'd been there for 2 days apparently.

First time I went fishing in Drawin I asked what the big cages were. Croc cages in the boat harbour.
Even retrieving the boat can be dangerous because of the crocs sitting around.

Bugger that place. I have enough to worry about with just blue bottles and midgy's.

Scott nthQld
07-05-2009, 11:25 AM
thats exactly right richard, there's no need to worry as long as you use your head.

Whenever you launch the boat, if you or your deckie insist on holding it while the car is parked, always make sure you are between the boat and the ramp, and don't go past knee deep if you can help it.

What still amazes me is all the ruckus that happens when a croc is spotted on Magnetic island, ffs, its only 8km from the mainland and 10km from 2 major rivers where there are plenty of crocs. Its been documented that crocs swim out on the reef (Green Island off cairns is one recent example I can think of) and even some have been found to swim between PNG and the Cape!

Hot_Snappa
08-05-2009, 06:52 PM
It always amazes me in these times of technological gadgetry,none of these "sightings"are ever accompanied by a photo.Apparently there was one sighted off Shelley beach last week. It always pays to be vigilant but it all seems a little contrived.Reports are that there is no evidence of crocodile activity in the area.So,if you see one,take a bloody photo.
Paulo8-)

I'm thinking mate that taking a happy snap may not always be the first thing that someone would be thinking of doing after sighting a croc!;)

Gilli
23-05-2009, 09:06 PM
The amount of crocs i have seen down the bohle is phenomenal. There was a report in the paper about a fella who was almost taken by one years ago when he was launching his boat at the ramp. from what i was told they reckon he didnt even touch the sides of the boat when he jumped in the boat lol

Scott nthQld
23-05-2009, 09:55 PM
yeah I remember that. it was about 6 years a go now I think, he was holding the boat (on the open water side) whilst his mate was parking the car. He thought it was a log until he seen it stop and go under the water

therapy
23-05-2009, 10:23 PM
Well we made it back no worries. I did take some of the advice offered here re keeping the boat between the person on the beach and the water (no ramp ,no car access,anchored off the northern tip of the island) I did make up this device for anchoring and retrieval of the boat to give us access at all tides. The presence of the croc was confirmed by a couple that have lived on the island for 30 odd years. The lady said she saw it about 50 mtrs from where we were standing and it is about a14 footer. The trap remains baited but untouched.

http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/showthread.php?t=149695

Cheers...........Terry................

Richard
24-05-2009, 08:08 AM
This is a pic of a small guy we saw up Hills Creek in Cairns. It's a popular spot for everyone to go get live bait and to get out of the boat and fish from the bank. I just about hit this guy casting a lure at the bank before i realised he was there. My mate in the boat pointed him out before i cast again.

Was able to get pretty close to him with the electric motor going. He looked like he was only about 2m long.

Knackers
24-05-2009, 07:38 PM
About 12 years ago the old man and I went fishing up the Cairns inlet near Redbank in his 12 ft tinny and came across a 8-10 ft croc sunning his belly in the water. Well we cut the motor and quietly drifted closer to get a better look. As we came alongside it, I leant over and very very tentively tried to wrap the anchor rope around it's rear leg. Well!, it let out a big hissing sound and slowly disappeared below the water, emitting an absolutely putrid smell as it made it's way down. We presumed that it was dead,given that it was on it's back and showed no signs of life,but we weren't totally sure if crocs could physically float on their backs.That encounter certainly got the heart racing and put the wind up us. In hindsight it was probably a stupid thing to do but it did make us all the more careful.
Knackers

marty+jojo
25-05-2009, 07:12 PM
About 12 years ago the old man and I went fishing up the Cairns inlet near Redbank in his 12 ft tinny and came across a 8-10 ft croc sunning his belly in the water. Well we cut the motor and quietly drifted closer to get a better look. As we came alongside it, I leant over and very very tentively tried to wrap the anchor rope around it's rear leg. Well!, it let out a big hissing sound and slowly disappeared below the water, emitting an absolutely putrid smell as it made it's way down. We presumed that it was dead,given that it was on it's back and showed no signs of life,but we weren't totally sure if crocs could physically float on their backs.That encounter certainly got the heart racing and put the wind up us. In hindsight it was probably a stupid thing to do but it did make us all the more careful.
Knackers

Your last sentence says it all. Your words not mine.
Marty.

Scott nthQld
25-05-2009, 09:51 PM
Good one knackers hahaha, I probably would've thought the same but maybe just poked it with something, like a fishing rod, leaning over the boat to tie up a croc just isn't my thing lol

Mozza
07-07-2009, 12:35 PM
Knacker,

I lived in Darwin 4 5 years and could fill a few pages here of stories etc of some the experiences I've had. It's interesting to note what you said by smell as that was another piece of advice given to us up there: often you can smell a croc long before you see them, especially the bigger ones.

Sometimes scooting down Corroborree billabong, NT, first thing in the morning you'd zoom thru patches of foul smelling air in the still mornings and sure enough, you'd spot the big bugger catching some sun right in the middle of it.

Cheers
Mozza