G’day lads, fishing mate Darryl is back from central Queensland and shattered that his annual trip to Awoonga Dam was wrecked by heavy rain. He’d know countless thousands of barramundi went into the Boyne River, when the flood reached eight metres over the spillway. So I’d better not show him this report, from Pat L:

Andy, went for a look in the Boyne today for any escapees.

Recaptured one that went just over 110cm, jumped about 5 times and had a fair bit of go for what this fish has gone through on the last month or so, with its trip from Awoonga. Looks skinny in the photo but was a solid fish and the marks would be from its trip over the wall. A couple of smaller fish around as well. Caught on Killalure Krazy Deep on a Calcutta/Egrell Rod. Just doing my bit to keep the peace with all these escapees out on the loose!

Top job Pat you bounty hunter, you. Yep, put em away where they belong – on the barbecue! But mate is it the end of an era for the barra paradise, that was Awoonga? Appreciate your prediction if you’d care to share.

last Thursday big barra went 102cm … caught in the creeks around Townsville in Cleveland Bay

Magnifique! Looks windy for January, Simon?

The barra have been chewing their heads off in Cairns at the moment, so at least we have had something to chase down instead of reefies

Beautiful. Trust you to be out there whatever the weather, Dan.

 Bob from BK Charters announces the Return Of The Mack, to Gold Coast waters. Yes, Queensland fishing has been horribly affected by floods, wind and rain. But perhaps things are finally coming good.

don't know if ya know but its been the slowest start to our mackerel season for us in the 26 years I've been doing fishing charters on the Gold Coast – but theyre finally here – Ye Harr!!!

Ye harr yourself Bob, and thanks for letting us know the season’s underway.

Walking past the chemist in Willoughby Road on Sunday arvo and spotted their front window display for Cardio cholesterol meds. Centre stage, Fisho Jim in his fishing vest, showing the barramundi he's just boated now his cholesterol levels are all good. Only downside, the barra's been scaled. And how’s that sunken eye? The barra, not Jim:

Epic fail, Cardio Guys.

Something our readers might find interesting, about these fish. This was told to me by Nambucca’s Man of Mystery, AKA Master Cobia. If you want to know about cobia, he is The Man. Why? Because he was lost at sea as a lad and raised in the wild by a school of cobia, that’s why. He taught me all I know:

Anyway, I asked why schools of cobia follow big stingrays, through Moreton Bay. I said, ‘Master Co, do they eat the prawns and little crabs, the rays dig up in the sand?’

He looked at me in his patient Nambucca way and said, ‘Grasshopper, look at the powerful body of a big cobe. Do you think a few squirt worms would keep that fuelled? Now look at the huge wide flat mouth of a cobia. And meditate on the fact that stingrays give multiple live births, while swimming.’  Master Co is so wise. One day I will snatch that knife jig from his hand, and it will be time to leave.

One of our suppliers – not clients – is selling a pretty amazing game reel. It’s an original Japanese made Daiwa SLT50W. It’s never been used or even spooled, accessories are still in a sealed bag:

This SLT50W was made around 1975-1980... I have kept this reel more than 20 years. It is the last model of Sealine tournament produced in Japan, they stop producing this model because they could not compete with US made reels like Penn.  Daiwa price was higher than Penn Internationals because the Japanese yen was high during that period.

If you have any interest, let me know?

 J Roving reporter Mick Tait was on the spot when tragedy happened, in Perth:

The old Freo Bridge just down from the Left Bank Friday Evening 22 Feb 2013. Ouch!!!  I could hear the crunch from inside the car!

Check out the two fishos in front, watching it all. Mick: It was Packer's boat "Infinity"

5.64kg caught on 1kg line won Estuary Division. Pending NSW 1kg line class record beating old record by about 0.6kg

Beautiful, Ron. She barely fits in the tank!

Passing through the Heads last week was amazing. Despite little wind, the surge and chop was almost vertical. Matt L explains why:

Have you ever seen this!….the current is raging like a river offshore it was making rapids at entrance to Harbour and Botany on Tuesday like a Bar with the tide pushing out against it. Once I crossed the rapids the temp jumped to 25-26!...looking at this no wonder with the peak heat water pushed hard against coast now..but still dirty green

Signing up for Fishtrack myself soon, Matt.

Myles had a good result last week:

we fished the first hour of the run out tide, hoping to pick up a king moving through middle harbour and BAM, a good 70+Kingie in amongst the moorings which is always entertaining!

Across our wide land there is one state that consistently produces big game fish, and has way better weather than NSW or Queensland. I speak of course of Tasmania:

I have attached a picture of a southern Bluefin I caught off SE Tasmania last weekend approx 50kg so you get an idea of what I'm up against down here. Cheers, Richard Thomas

My heart goes out to you, Richard! Check out what we’re up against here. Chris Wallis writes from Kempsey:

I know many people are suffering but when the floods come, some of us can think of nothing else to do but take photos of water. This was going to be  a fun weekend to discover what the new bypass would mean to Kempsey and celebrate the longest bridge  in the southern hemisphere.

The irony of all this is that a sign advertising the benefits of the bypass lies in the middle of a flooded paddock.

Sheesh. What a shocker we’re having weather wise in 2013. STOP PRESS just as I was about to send out this week’s report, emails and calls started coming in about a big bite on small pelagics, in Sydney’s Middle Harbour. I passed through a fleet of flyfishing craft yesterday there but didn’t realise the fishing was white hot. Rod Baker: