Flathead Classic. report.

[Cloud_9]

Gaday all.
just a early update for the classic.
Its been tuff out there so far, day 1 our team only managed 3 fish for the day for 70 points, that put us in 68th position.
me personaly i was 45 points and 121st place in the seniors catagory.
Seen a few other Ausfisher's , DC and his team as well as Marty-Z , and they were doing it tuff too.
the only 1's get the big points where the southport sportfishing club members, ( the local no how does pay off )
catch rate was down on last year, the best at the end of day 1 last year was 1200 points,
this year its down to 500 points.

day 2 sore a slow start with 2 fish by 8am .
so far ive traveled about 80 or 90 nm.
we had the rain as well but that was a turning point for the fishing, from 1:30 till 3pm we managed 3 more fish all caught by yours truely. a 74 55 and a 38 for a total of 200 points for me for the day and a team total of 270 i think for day 2.
weather conditions have been atrosious, 15 / 20kns n/e up to 30kns at times. had Cloud 9 airbourne a couple times running around. allmost lost another hat, and an esky lid after 1 heavy landing, getting big air at 40mpm off the top of 1.2m chop and coming down hard on another big chop. but we saved the lid from the drink.
so far i think were in the top 40 teams . fingers crossed.
the best part is im in the draw for the big prize of the boat.

ill update this further tonight after the comp.
hopefully some of the other guys will add there tails of woa.

Cheers for now Cloud 9

[jeffo]

80 or 90nm for flathead
i think if you talked to greg 80nm would get you to his red grounds off DI
74cm lizard-GOOD FISH
whats the biggest so far?

[Fishinmishin]

How does the piont system work and how do you enter and what are the costs and rules ??? Please direct me to this info or give me short explanation. I decided to go to the pin for a fish on Thurs to relise the 60+ boats out there indicated the comp. was on. My usual haunts were 6 boats all in casting distance of each other . Headed right to the pin entrance to check for any tailor and get away from the croud but they were everywhere. Saw a school of bait fish fleeing to the shallows of swan bay and with 2 casts with sm metals, pulled two tailor from between all the boats(some of them well inside swan bay during the rise ). Went to find a quiet spot and suprisingly the east of Crusoe Is was bare exept 1 boat off NE tip. 1st drift and just as the 1st bait hit bottom- Flathead soon followed by another. 2nd drift 2 again but the 2nd being released before in boat (snap). 3 flathead only 33-37cm but suprised to see most people working all other spots, 3 boats thick, constantly casting plastics. There best chance was to eventually foul hook a flathead. Plastics work well but use them on the drift while casting and flicking in strike spots. If one passes the nose of a flathead without a strike, move on or try another pattern. Fair enough no room to drift but you odds are better in a 2nd rate area all to yourself. As for me, I went fishing to get away from the crouds so I stuck to plan. Headed to Tiger mullet ch. for a couple of bream, then slipping sands and colby for a feed of whiting. A good day but was initially hoping to find me elusive great lizard.

[Fishinmishin]

P.S. Saw nobody at all giving gold bank a go. My two bob again is on the last couple of hours of the falling if everywhere else still taken, try drifting the edge of dropoffs with plastics or trawling or my sure method Frogmouth pillies on double hook rig (bottom hook through gills)with light weight . If that doesn't get you one i'll wear my wifes undies my next trip.

[Fishinmishin]

Pic of my feed- notice 1 flathead missing as traded for a cold beer.

[agnes_jack]

Fishin mission
I hope they aren't dusky flathead you have there at that size ???

Tony ???

[jeffo]

yeah thats what i was thinkin tony.. duskys at 33-37cm's are well under legal size!!

[mackmauler]

fair go guys, typos happen from time to time, isnt that right top feed there fishnmishin

[Cheech]

I recall about 6 months ago that one of the regulars on this site posted a similar thing related to duskys. That time it was bag limits. It ended up that he genuinely did not think he was breaking the regs as he thought they were sand flathead as he caught them all on a sand bank and did not realise that duskys were also in clean sandy areas.

Quite likely an honest mistake here.

Cheech

[Chrisso]

They look a bit dark to be sand flathead ???

[Cloud_9]

Gaday all
comps at an end. [smiley=2thumbsup.gif]
will get to fishinmishin questions later.
after 2.5 days of fishing our asses off.
my total for the comp was 4 fish
1st mate 3fish.
and boson 7 fish.
on the stats side of things Cloud 9 traveled 111Nm's and burned 71 litres fuel for the comp.
i drank about a caton of gold.
i made about 450'000 casts
lost about 20jigheads of verying sizes.
changed rubbers 50 times.
got rained on
nearly lost my hat.
and the esky lid.
sore couple of white points on 2 different house boats.
and met some great people from Ausfish and everywhere else.
any way here is a couple pics of things related.
1st is just my asinal for the comp, the other 2 had about half of what i took.

[Cloud_9]

here is a couple of the fish we caught.and if this works there should be a pic of the first Miss Flathead 2004

[Cloud_9]

and another

[Cloud_9]

heres my best for the comp.

[snappa]

cloud 9

holly sh** thats a lot of gear for flathead, sure your not suppling a tackle shop ????
years past all i used was things called MR. TWISTER.
and bait strips
jamie i see you have power baits what do you think of that stuff. does it have the scent release ??