Wardy I always love watching these Wenlock drifts ! Still remember the ones you handed me on DVD years ago. What a brilliant to explore the country and a fitting tribute too. Great stuff mate!
Great video mate. That fish at the start is a coal grunter. I sometimes catch them in the Walsh river when chasing sootys they're a cool looking fish. Cheers 👍🏻🎣
Thanks for the great video Mark. Can you elaborate on the tackle you’re using please? I can see you’re using some raider rods, which models are they? Any info on the leader choice, lures etc will be much appreciated. Cheers
Thanks mate. I fish very light but as you can see, I don't lose many fish and can still muscle them out when I have to. The rod is the Raider 6'10" 3-5kg. I love that rod because it has a long butt so I can fight fish with one arm as the long butt can run along my forearm to give me that extra leverage instead of all the strength coming from my wrist. Plus, they are about $120 so don't hurt very much when I snap them. As I do with some regularity. The main line is a light 12lb daiwa J braid 4X which is quite thin but still very abrasion resistant. I found the 8x J Braid a little weak but either or is good. The leader I prefer is also Daiwa but mainly because it is stocked here in Weipa. But any good fluorocarbon leader is fine. I use 25lb on the light spin gear. 25lb is usually enough to land a good barra but still light enough to increase the catch rate even when the fish are shy. BUT..... you have to go easy on the fish. Off course, if they are running you into a snag and you have to lock up, then so be it but once out and coming to the boat, be very patient. I did an experiment to show how light leader works when under too much pressure in a video I did on ultra-light fishing Cape York. Check that video out and the experiment I did which will give you an insight into how I land big fish on very light leader. I have managed a 109cm barra on 25lb leader by doing this so a lot of luck and good technique and you can manage some massive fish. I mention it in the video but I use mono leader for my "walk the dog" surface lures. The mono floats and makes the lure work so much better. 60lb on my baitcaster with 20lb mainline on that. I used to use Alvey reels but they are in some trouble again financially unfortunately so love their reels but haven't bought them for a while now. I love heaps of different reels but buy decent without breaking the bank. In the video I am using my very light Virtuous CF from Wilson. They cost about $220 and are fantastic for that price. And finally, you may have noticed I used one lure all trip on all three rods. The surface lure is a Zerek walk the dog. Sorry I forget the actual name. The hardbody was a RMG Scorpion 90 in the 2.5m diving version. That depth and size just worked in that water. And the plastic is a ZMan 3.5 inch grubz in the midnight oil colour. That is a must have in the freshwater around Cape York. I take a whole box of plastics but use nothing but midnight oil Z Man. Hope that answers you question mate. If you have anymore don't hesitate to ask. This channel is all about learning to catch more fish on the Cape so always happy to help. Wardy
Thanks for the brilliant advice Mark, that really helps. Appreciate the detailed reply. What’s the typical depth you’re fishing with the diving hard bodies? I’m pretty fond of surface walkers too, and fish seedless plastics a lot
@@kevm5205 I can't be certain of the depth of the water because we can't have a transducer on the boat. Therefore I can only guess that the water is around 2-4m in the parts I am working with a hardbody. BUT...these shallow freshwater systems fish a lot differently to most estuaries. The fish hold up in a snag or on a stretch of bank and they don't miss a thing. They pick up on all the bait in the area and are so tuned into their environment that you don't need to put the lure in their face. You just have to let them know the lure is there. I hope that makes sense. Just the splash of the lure can trigger a reaction from the fish. Make sure it looks like something they normally eat and you will usually catch a heap.
Hi mate, great video! Brings back some memories of us (true north) doing it last year. Can you remember what the river height was when you did it? Looks maybe a bit lower than us… I can imagine that would have made it a hell of a lot more painful if so! Also was the v- bottom boat a lot more of a hassle or not really?
Gday Marc. Yeah it seemed to be a little lower. We did it at 2.2m at Moreton. I had a flat bottom punt for years and the punt is heaps better. My little 3.15 was fairly stable but Black Betty is very unstable. But awesome trip. The fishing shut down on the last day but we still had a ball. Loving your content too boys so keep up The good work. Wardy.
Awesome mate, love the ep.!Can’t wait for Wenlock 2024. It’d be a pleasure to join you guys for a trip👌🏽
Lovely Ep and fishing, Sorry for both your losses,
Wardy I always love watching these Wenlock drifts ! Still remember the ones you handed me on DVD years ago. What a brilliant to explore the country and a fitting tribute too. Great stuff mate!
Thanks John. I always look forward to
My drifts. Love it. Glad you enjoy it mate. Will have to join us one year.
Great work again Mark,condolences to Sam and you!🙏
Thanks mate.
Good onya Wardy loved it mate.
Thanks mate.
Great video mate. That fish at the start is a coal grunter. I sometimes catch them in the Walsh river when chasing sootys they're a cool looking fish. Cheers 👍🏻🎣
Thanks mate. Amazing colours on them. Appreciate the feedback mate
Thanks for the great video Mark. Can you elaborate on the tackle you’re using please? I can see you’re using some raider rods, which models are they? Any info on the leader choice, lures etc will be much appreciated. Cheers
Thanks mate.
I fish very light but as you can see, I don't lose many fish and can still muscle them out when I have to. The rod is the Raider 6'10" 3-5kg. I love that rod because it has a long butt so I can fight fish with one arm as the long butt can run along my forearm to give me that extra leverage instead of all the strength coming from my wrist. Plus, they are about $120 so don't hurt very much when I snap them. As I do with some regularity.
The main line is a light 12lb daiwa J braid 4X which is quite thin but still very abrasion resistant. I found the 8x J Braid a little weak but either or is good.
The leader I prefer is also Daiwa but mainly because it is stocked here in Weipa. But any good fluorocarbon leader is fine. I use 25lb on the light spin gear. 25lb is usually enough to land a good barra but still light enough to increase the catch rate even when the fish are shy.
BUT..... you have to go easy on the fish. Off course, if they are running you into a snag and you have to lock up, then so be it but once out and coming to the boat, be very patient.
I did an experiment to show how light leader works when under too much pressure in a video I did on ultra-light fishing Cape York. Check that video out and the experiment I did which will give you an insight into how I land big fish on very light leader. I have managed a 109cm barra on 25lb leader by doing this so a lot of luck and good technique and you can manage some massive fish.
I mention it in the video but I use mono leader for my "walk the dog" surface lures. The mono floats and makes the lure work so much better.
60lb on my baitcaster with 20lb mainline on that.
I used to use Alvey reels but they are in some trouble again financially unfortunately so love their reels but haven't bought them for a while now. I love heaps of different reels but buy decent without breaking the bank. In the video I am using my very light Virtuous CF from Wilson. They cost about $220 and are fantastic for that price.
And finally, you may have noticed I used one lure all trip on all three rods. The surface lure is a Zerek walk the dog. Sorry I forget the actual name. The hardbody was a RMG Scorpion 90 in the 2.5m diving version. That depth and size just worked in that water. And the plastic is a ZMan 3.5 inch grubz in the midnight oil colour. That is a must have in the freshwater around Cape York. I take a whole box of plastics but use nothing but midnight oil Z Man.
Hope that answers you question mate. If you have anymore don't hesitate to ask. This channel is all about learning to catch more fish on the Cape so always happy to help.
Wardy
Thanks for the brilliant advice Mark, that really helps. Appreciate the detailed reply. What’s the typical depth you’re fishing with the diving hard bodies? I’m pretty fond of surface walkers too, and fish seedless plastics a lot
@@kevm5205 I can't be certain of the depth of the water because we can't have a transducer on the boat. Therefore I can only guess that the water is around 2-4m in the parts I am working with a hardbody. BUT...these shallow freshwater systems fish a lot differently to most estuaries. The fish hold up in a snag or on a stretch of bank and they don't miss a thing. They pick up on all the bait in the area and are so tuned into their environment that you don't need to put the lure in their face. You just have to let them know the lure is there. I hope that makes sense. Just the splash of the lure can trigger a reaction from the fish. Make sure it looks like something they normally eat and you will usually catch a heap.
Hi mate, great video! Brings back some memories of us (true north) doing it last year. Can you remember what the river height was when you did it? Looks maybe a bit lower than us… I can imagine that would have made it a hell of a lot more painful if so! Also was the v- bottom boat a lot more of a hassle or not really?
Gday Marc. Yeah it seemed to be a little lower. We did it at 2.2m at Moreton.
I had a flat bottom punt for years and the punt is heaps better. My little 3.15 was fairly stable but Black Betty is very unstable. But awesome trip. The fishing shut down on the last day but we still had a ball.
Loving your content too boys so keep up
The good work.
Wardy.
What an epic adventure. Although I did like the red Bikini 👌👌😀😀
Thanks Kev. I liked it too.