queensland Peel & Dunwich - need an EPIRB?

[kmcrosby78]

Hey guys,

Heading from Vic Point after work tomorrow arvo with my 14ft tinny (30hp Johnson) and my mate is coming with his 16ft. Prob just fish around Coochie and nearby then the others are going home. I am VERY tempted to take advantage of the low winds (7knot ESE) and 4am high tide and move onto Peel and perhaps Dunwich either later that night or first light the next morning.

My experience in the tinny around Brisbane has so far only been around the Bris River mouth and around Coochie once. So would like advice on:

1. Do I need an EPIRB? Assume not because as I get further from the mainland I'll be getting closer to Straddie but just not sure on exact distances to Peel/Straddie. I have flares.

2. Although I haven't driven the boat alot I'm pretty sensible/cautious and don't normally go real fast. Given this would people advise I travel to Peel (from Coochie) at night (preferred option) or wait until first light?

3. On the fishing front, any particular areas to try around Peel? I don't have a sounder (well actually I do but only just got a battery and haven't got around to setting it up) or GPS so just general directions would be appreciated.

Cheers in advance for any advice. In theory I prob should be doing this during the day first but the conditions should be pretty good and, as stated, I'm not a known big risk taker so will be slow and steady.

Kelvin.

[1800amix]

1. Nope

2. First time you go anywhere, go by day ;-)

3. South west rocks, the wreck on the east side...

So if you do go by night, if you are heading to SW rocks, they are out from the island sort of halfway betweeen the beacon and the island. Yes... they are rocks sticking out of the water and it's pretty shallow around there too. Hence recommending going by day.

Amix

[Eug]

Also watch for green zones around Peel.

[kmcrosby78]

Cheers guys. Yeah you're prob right mate, for the sake of 30minutes fishing around sun up I'd better wait til then before I head to Peel. Will sleep on the tinny on the north side of Coochie.

Thanks Eug RE:Green zones. Was going to get the Beacon to Beacon out before going to bed but certainly didn't realise off the top of my head that there were any around Peel. Will keep well clear.

Gotta love that SW rocks is on the east side!!!!!!!

Thanks, report to come (hopefully eventful - fishing wise only!!!!).

Kelvin.

[ellicat]

Why don't you head to Peel tomorrow arvo. You will be there before dark. You can shelter in Horseshoe Bay..even camp if the tide is right.

I have a handheld GPS I can lend you for the session if you want. I am almost on your way (if your profile is up to date)

Fishing in between the two green beacons on the south side of Peel can be productive.

South west Rocks and the Wreck are 2 different places. (The Wreck is on the east and SW rocks are on the SW corner area)

Don't be afraid to fish some of the deeper drop-offs / ledges to the south (although they will be hard to find without your sounder).

The southern end of Banana Banks holds heaps of legal size sharks.

[Young_fella]

Can someone explain the green zones to me. I understand you cant fish them, but im not sure why. Is it because the fish know it is a pregnancy ward type area?

Do the fish discuss world economics and population control there?

Are the green zones well known fish "brothel" areas?

any information on green zones is greatly appreciated

[Young_fella]

Is it true that tilapia and other "pest" species organize suicide bombings and mass murder attacks on these areas.

[Young_fella]

All jokes aside i do want to know how they pick these areas and what they are for.

[ellicat]

Can someone explain the green zones to me. I understand you cant fish them, but im not sure why. Is it because the fish know it is a pregnancy ward type area?

Do the fish discuss world economics and population control there?

Are the green zones well known fish "brothel" areas?

any information on green zones is greatly appreciated

Briefly (so the thread doesn't get off-topic) the green zones were introduced to preserve the ALP's position at the election prior to the last one. They required the Greens support and this was the deal they did. That is what they are about. There are plenty of threads on the topic in the Environment section of the forum.

[kmcrosby78]

Hey Ellicat - cheers for the offer but wasn't on a computer all day Friday (school teacher - PE) and have only just checked my post tonight.

Was meeting a mate and had others coming later on for a fish around Coochie area hence not heading straight to Peel but that is definitely what I will do next time. Head over, try around Peel and prob also Dunwich to try where Angus suggested near where the barge/ferry casts light on the water. Could have gone to Peel/Dunwich on Saturday as the weather was PERFECT but decided to save it til next time.

Had a great time, especially as was my first time in the boat for about 2 months. My mate had netted about 30-40 prawns so headed off to the red beacon off SE Coochie. My mate got a small jewie (45cm) and two sharks whilst I anchored closer to shore (figured we may as well spread out so we could see where they were biting) and caught 3 squire (26, 26 and 32) and missed a few good runs on the heavier set-up with a floating pilly.

learnt a valuable lesson (ironic given the nature of my original request for info regarding boating at night) as we headed back to Vic Point ramp to pick up the latecomers. My mate had headed 5 mins before me (I was fighting either a ray, shovelnose or big cod but lost it) and on my way back, after getting past all the yachts, I sped up a bit (still only half pace) and all of a sudden the motor is jumping up and down!!!!!! I was only just thinking a minute earlier that I hoped I didn't run over a crab pot buoy/rope (wasn't on the plane so nose was up and couldn't see much ahead). Looked back and saw the motor was stirring dirt up and realised I was in 20cm of water. WTF!!!! Only previous time I'd been there was in the day and in hindsight wasn't around low tide so hadn't studied the map closely. Turns out there are shoals all through the area. Phoned my mate to let him know - my other mate hadn't reached them and turns out suffered the same fate. So now know to study all areas I'm likely to travel over if boating at night!!!!

Won't waffle on for too much longer ..... rest of the night we caught another small jewie (gave my mate some stick on his 6lb setup!!! Couple of sharks, shovel-noses and one more squire. The others went home so I fished for a bit with just one more small shark and setup for a sleep at about 2:30am. Set the alarm for 4:45am to fish around first light - didn't feel too bad/sleepy (I'd been up past midnight every night the week leading up to the trip looking for previous posts on AFO - think I am addicted!!!). Fluked a 51cm flattie on my heavy setup as I wound it in as I wanted to try closer in - nice start to the day!!!! In closer I got consistent bites on bits of prawn lightly weighted - eventually caught one (and then another, and another ....) they were small grassies.

Went and checked the pots on West side of Coochie - no luck so out around north side of Coochie (saw two kayakers - AFOers??) before anchoring off the rocks on East side of Coochie. Got a 30cm grassie (can't believe they only have to be 25cm, doesn't seem right???????), quite a few more small grassies (first one got followed up by what was either a shark or big flathead - I know that sounds weird but boy it looked like one - turns out it was a shark as it hit my heavy set up a minute later. Lost it twice as didn't have any wire.

Went and tried between Macleay and Garden Island at a spot we got a few sharks last time. Would like to use the sounder there once I hook it up as there must be some rubble/rocks. Drifted the same stretched and within a minute my heavy setup copped a good knock and was on - immediately assumed shark as that's what we got last time. Surprised that a small squire came up. Drifted the same stretch 3 or 4 times for another squire, one shark to the boat but off and numerous bites (was using large prawns on either 2 or 3 ganged hooks).

Time to head home and was peak hour back at the ramp - had expected lots of boats to be coming in but NOT so many heading out at midday.

So in summary, learnt a lesson about night boating, know I can get to Peel/Dunwich now on a good day (didn't realise you could see them so easily from Coochie), got a PB flathead (51cm) and in general just loved being out on the water again. Thanks to those who gave me advice, particular 1800amix - sometimes people on this site like me I think ask these sorts of questions knowing what the right answer is (be conservative and travel by day) but just need to hear it from someone else so thanks to everyone on this site for caring enough to impart their wisdom.

Cheers (and if you got this far sorry it waffled on so long and I haven't even got a photo of my flattie!!!!).

Kelvin.

[tangles]

Hi Kelvin,

Good read, but one thing worth remembering..... Grass sweetlip are not actually listed in the guide as a sweetlip. They are listed as Grass Emperor with a min size of 30cm.

This came up recently on a AFO thread.

In my opinion the Qld Fisheries need to reword the guide as you're not the only one to make the mistake.

[crazywalrus]

Hi Kelvin,

Good read, but one thing worth remembering..... Grass sweetlip are not actually listed in the guide as a sweetlip. They are listed as Grass Emperor with a min size of 30cm.

This came up recently on a AFO thread.

In my opinion the Qld Fisheries need to reword the guide as you're not the only one to make the mistake.

I know I made the mistake the first time out. Rang my brother to check and he said all good only need to be 25cm it was probably legal anyway but how easy is it to do the wrong thing.

Yeah Viccy point has quite a lot of shallow areas on low tide. It does take a while to become familiar with the bay. It is surprisingly shallow for such a large body of water. I learnt like yourself when starting this which JeffF can attest to at the last MBC. :whistle: What Reef

Sounds like you guys had fun, good on you

[kmcrosby78]

Yeah Crazywalrus - figured I wouldn't have been the only one!!!! Actually I meant to add in my post that when I returned to the ramp on Saturday it was only about an hour after low tide. Put the motor in shallow drive and drove half standing up (REALLY didn't want to be the clown that got stuck in the middle of the day with HEAPS of people in the vicinity!!!!). Anyway - couldn't believe that there was nothing visible indicating where the shallow water/shoals/sandbar was - well, as far as I could tell anyway. To me it just looked like a paddock of similar water. Now I'm no expert but I've been around and on the water alot over the years too, so yeah it's certainly a tricky area.

Tangles - that was a typo on my behalf. Actually got a 30cm parrot (which I can't believe only have to be 25cm!!!!!!). The other small ones were all grassies. I replied to that previous post you were talking about - yep, pathetic the way they have categorised them.

[Young_fella]

Yeah Viccy point has quite a lot of shallow areas on low tide.

I remember in the boat with mr walrus, going from 30 knots (i think) To almost stopping, from those damn sandbars.