Great Sandy Straits

[daveylad]

Just wondering is anybody has been on the Great Sandy Straits (GSS) from Tin Can Bay to Urunga I'm thinking of spending a weekend up there boating with a bit of fishing between, according to the charts even a low tide there is usually 2 metres or more water in the main channels and Garry's Anchorage areas. Been caught out before on this and wondered if anyone has done the trip and anchored overnight in the channels that could give me some hands on advice, I've got the charts and Beacon to Beacon just first hand knowledge would be great

Thanks

Davey

[tangles]

Gday Davey,

My Bro and I did it years ago for a week but we motored up from Mooloolaba. Fished Wolf rock on the way, overnighted in the lee of Double Island then did the bar in the morning. Wasn't too bad on the top of the tide. It has a dogs leg channel, but the leads are good.

That won't worry you coming from Tin Can Bay.

There isn't anything particlarly tricky about the strait itself if you follow the charts. The main channel is well marked and has plenty of water. We took a tender and fished the sandbanks for some good trevally.

Only time we had any trouble anchoring was in the northern end of the strait near the artificial reefs as the current really rips through there.

Had a good relaxing week, but the weather turned bad when we were due to leave. Spent 24 hours anchored inside the bar waiting for the conditions to improve. We picked up a pro on the radio notifying the coastguard he was going out over the bar, so we requested to follow him out.

After a bit of a chat, he agreed. That was the single most frightening experience of my life and I have no doubt we would have come to grief without him guiding us out.

You probably need more than a weekend to do the strait properly but I can think af a lot of worse ways to spend a weekend.

Cheers

[AZZA]

Hi Dave we have been set up to do it the last two easters but have bailed due to weather. let us know when you are going as I think it would be a great trip although two days would be rushing it

[daveylad]

Hi Aaron, we were just going to do is as a trial run so Carol can get some time out on the boat, we are open to any time really for going up there and no set time limits for staying up there. I'm hoping that we would be able to get to the Northern end past uranga and do some whale spotting in the Bay. Looking at the charts it looks like there is usually plenty of water if you dont anchor up to closae to the shore line. Any advice on Anchor types etc would be a help. Let us know if your'e interested in a trip up there too.

[AZZA]

I use a 15lb plough anchor and have never had a problem with it draging. I also set the anchor alarm on the GPS which lets me know if you move more than a pre set amount. You just need to set with enough tolerance for anchor swing on the turn of the tide.

[straddiebrad]

a few mates and i went up a while ago and spent three days on a charter and we were not too far from land and got a heap of fish alot of good ground up there here are some of the catch.brad

[daveylad]

straddiebrad wrote:

a few mates and i went up a while ago and spent three days on a charter and we were not too far from land and got a heap of fish alot of good ground up there here are some of the catch.brad

jesus Brad like a picture of the "Killing Fields" sure you lot wern't using slabs of C4 :laugh:

[zan0_15]

ahhhhh thats not that impressive brad......people tell me all the time thy have days like that out at mud island!!!

[daveylad]

Zano I would't mind a pound of whatever they are on who are telling you that :laugh:

[zan0_15]

hahaha.....ill get a pound and sell ya half !! that is a seriously good catch but brad!!! :woohoo: what period of time did u accumulate such a feat?

[straddiebrad]

september i think it was about two years ago we got a few fish but it cost about 900 bucks for the 3.5 day charter had a ball.

[dhess]

Where abouts was the charter? Jurasic Park area up to Breakseaspit? Have heard some awesome reports from there.

If you travel up the inside of the island further north (I guess its not the Great Sandy Straights anymore) there is some really good fishing around Wathumba and Rooney's. If you are leaving from Rainbow or Tin Can make sure you take about 10 jerry cans because you will need them because its a long way. Leave from Urangan and its easy enough though, but thats a whole adventure for another time. Really easy to do when there is a SE er blowing as you are sheltered by Fraser Island the entire way.

[straddiebrad]

we left from urangan,i think the boat was the old getaway boa that was on the t.v.and steamed out for about 3-4 hours.