PDA

View Full Version : Grunter Mayhem



Fixation
10-11-2005, 01:09 PM
Hi I’m new to the site and just wanted to know if anyone else has caught grunter in large numbers on the reef?

I have only really had one good reef grunter session in the time I've spent out on the
water over the years. I now spend most of my fishing time off the sunshine coast. Now and again we catch one or two but never in big numbers like a couple of years ago off Hervey.

We headed out late one arvo with a 10/15 knot wind forecast for the night and thought it would drop out during the night and into the morning but the wind grew in strength the further we headed offshore. After steaming for more than an hour an a half the muscles and spine were starting to cop it a little. We finally arrived at spot X and everyone stopped groaning as the throttle was pulled back on the yammie.

Not wanting to sound for too long (cause of the conditions) we came over this nice show of fish just to the side of our mark. It looked awesome. We tried to anchor right on it but the wind was playing havoc with us and the bottom was just not solid enough to hold us. After another couple of anchoring attempts she finally held and all of us just wanted to get our lines to the bottom because we could see the activity on the sounder. (see picture) It wasn’t yakka’s that’s for sure.

During the arvo/night we lost heaps of grunter but also landed plenty as well. We only used pillies and squid and the bite period seemed to slow into the night as well. Only managed one nice knobbie but the rest were just grunter.

I’ve fished that same area numerous amounts of times and even on at the same time of year and have only managed one or two. Has anyone else out there had a similar experience at all with them schooling up like that cause it's coming round to that time of year again. I’m thinking they were spawning. Not exactly sure though.

Fixation
10-11-2005, 01:11 PM
Some of the catch.

Fixation
10-11-2005, 01:12 PM
More of the catch

Fixation
10-11-2005, 01:14 PM
And the Knobbie.

danny_Shep
10-11-2005, 01:42 PM
Some awesome fish there mate :)

jackash
10-11-2005, 02:10 PM
Yeah good fish champ... I dunno I could be wrong but the grunter are more prolific further north.
Cheers
JAckash

Scott15
10-11-2005, 02:36 PM
nice fish, yeah a lot more in NQ but we still get some down further south

stunnedmullet
10-11-2005, 03:01 PM
yep we do get some up north ::)
the mullet

stunnedmullet
10-11-2005, 03:02 PM
couple more from the creeks
Some really nice grunter there Fixation. We do get them in good numbers around Nth Qld in the creeks and on the shoals just off townsville. Found best success with them in the leadup to the full moon on squid that is as fresh as possible. Still getting good sized grunter in reasonable numbers at the moment even though my best catches have been in winter.
The mullet.

Mad_fisherman
10-11-2005, 03:16 PM
Laughs,
Hang the sounder you have some nice fish there mate well done to you both

Cheers

MAD!

bigmack
10-11-2005, 03:25 PM
So what do the grunter taste like? never caught one myself .

stunnedmullet
10-11-2005, 03:37 PM
Put it this way Bigmack, lots of my mates who have fished the tropics for many years(and parents and granparents too) would happily give you a barra if it meant they could keep a grunter or fingermark ;)
They also freeze really well. They do not have that strong fishy taste so they are a great fish to feed people who do not eat much fish.
To get a good fillet you do need a fish of at least 45cm. They are also selling for $28.99kg in woolies at the moment which along with jack are the dearest fish for sale.
The mullet

Volvo
10-11-2005, 03:50 PM
Fixation, good chance there's a wreck or part of a wreck where you got stuck into the grunter, as for outside fishing with grunter to school up like that they must have a hideyhole somewhere close by??..
My advice would be to go back and really sus the area out.
If you like nightfishing give them a try from 1st quarter up with nor-nor easters and have some run in the water..They like movement in the water..
Wont rant on about baits becuase appears what you used worked out quite okay for you..
They are a "Loukoumi" eating fsih mate ;)..
let ya sus out what that word means lol..
Cheers

Dehydrated
10-11-2005, 03:50 PM
Totally agree with stunnedmullet. One of the best eating fishing around. You hit the nail on the head with the size. We release all fish under 45cm for the same reason - fillets are too small.

Cheers

bigmack
10-11-2005, 04:02 PM
thanks guys - never seen it in the shops down here.

bidkev
10-11-2005, 04:10 PM
Nice catch mate. Yes, they do show down here and I have the feeling that they hang around a certain area for a long time. This is the biggest I've caught in the bay but I've now caught quite a few from the same spot. I've only evr caught one small one from anywhere else in the Bay. I read once that the Brizzy River had a commercial fishery built around them in the 40's/50's till they all but dissapeared. Can't for the hell of me remember where I read it and one of these raint/windy days I'll have to sit down and read through my collection of fishing mags and books and chase it up.

kev

rocket
10-11-2005, 08:59 PM
Like Kev I have seen some nice ones (4 to 5 kilos) taken from the Brisbane River mouth shipping channel pylons, but to catch them in numbers off the Sunshine Coast is the first I've heard!! Maybe foxy or someone has seen what seems to me to be very out of the ordinary and I've fished the area for many years. I certainly wouldn't be relying on them to make a reappearance ... but could be wrong!! :)

bidkev
10-11-2005, 10:32 PM
Like Kev I have seen some nice ones (4 to 5 kilos) taken from the Brisbane River #mouth shipping channel pylons,
<snip>


Bugger! And I thought it was *my* secret! ;) ;D

kev

bidkev
10-11-2005, 10:33 PM
Like Kev I have seen some nice ones (4 to 5 kilos) taken from the Brisbane River #mouth shipping channel pylons,
<snip>


Bugger! And I thought it was *my* secret! ;) ;D

kev


Just noticed you can see mud in the back of my pic...........what a tosser I am ;D

Fixation
11-11-2005, 03:58 PM
Yeah the place where we were fishin was out off Hervey Bay. Quite wide.

Volvo - There doesn't seem to be any wrecks round there. Just a big ledge. You do catch knobbies and big mangrove jack there also. Good to know that a few get caught down this way too.

Volvo
11-11-2005, 04:17 PM
No Wreck, its the Ledge then as we get them off the ledges out of here also..Get a good night , give em a go n see how you go according to moon phases n tides previous mentioned.
PS Hows the harvey bay been fishing for Whiting this year??..