queensland Fraser Island / Hervey Bay 17th-22nd

[AlsHilux]

G'day guys,

Just got back from a stint at hervey bay, I had almost forgotten what a holiday was like.

So Thursday evening packed up the luxy, loaded the rods and tackle in and took a nice leisurely 3 and a half hour drive north.

Friday morning the decision was made to jump on the Kingfisher Bay ferry for a spot of fishing off the fraser pier fishing. (I've been holding out to get back to this pier for the last 5 months when I was there last as I had seen some monster mackarel and tuna free swimming just around the pylons but I couldn't even catch a cold.) So we hit the decks at about 9.30am expecting high tide somewhere around 11am (we didn't check) and all was pretty quiet for the first couple of hours with my mate benno catching a medium sized stingray, a nice bream, a little flattie and frasers local favourite, a decent sized happy moment. We were just cracking fresh brews after a slow half an hour when I heard the ratchet on my overhead going wild. Hoping for the best in the spot where my pillie had been I started to fight this thing around the jetty for about 5 mins until I got it close enough to the side of the jetty for old mate to grab it. My first ever mackarel.. stoked! Although she was barely legal (50.5cm) to the fork, I was happy and we all had school mackarel with butter and garlic for dinner, with a side serve of bream and mowong donated by a local.

Saturday, and we're back at the pier again, this time a little later (a little morning recovery time from the previous evenings festivities). Today was to be an eventful day, Spending the first 6 hours landing happy moment after happy moment (12 to be exact) I was start to get a bit over it, but the crowd from the 'learn how to fish' tour seemed to love it but couldn't figure why we kept cursing and throwing all these fish back in the water. So plans are made to go for a run to the local shops (jimmy cans are $21 a six as opposed to 32.50 a 6pack at the pier) and get ready to go home. But, determined to catch some dinner I honourably offer to mind the gear while benno walked to the shops.. he stepped off the pier, I dropped half a pilly just off the side and 5 seconds later it went off.. it was getting a bit dark and I was thinking I had the mother of all happy momoents so the preliminary cursing started. As it turns out it was one of the tour goers that happened to enlighten me I'd just caught my first tailor, as i brought it up closer to the surface I found out he was right. 34cm.. sold! dinner again and we left.

Sunday - was feeling a bit lazier today so went out to the urangan pier to have a splash. A quick reco of the water and I've already spotted a 80+ cm broadbar mack just cruising through the pylons, a few minutes later I saw my first flash of giant yellow tails. So in went the pillies and we decided to try and jag a few livies as well. Lots of waiting followed. One of the livies went off, old mates rod nearly snapped but instead the line did.. and she got away. Morale was low until a local came treddling down the pier on his pushie 65 odd centimetre GT. Unfortunately, that was the catch of the day and we retired to drown our sorrows with some of the amber stuff.

Stuck around until tuesday, tried a couple of spots at bargara, burrum heads and beelbi creek but got no action.. and i'd just decided to try out those berkley gulp SP's too.. what a shame. [img size=500]http://www.australianfishing.com.au/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/images/fish.jpg

[Angus]

Nice one mate.

Im sure that mack cooked up a treat.

Angus

[Tim a]

I'd be happy with that mac! Wait till you catch one on 4lb fireline. Then you'll know your hooked! That reminds me I better go try and catch another one!

Nice report to!

[Big_unit]

Good report mate, KFBR is an awesome place to fish although there is knack to knowing to when.

Blackall ( Slatey Bream, Morwong, Blubberlip, Iodine Bream ) are pretty good chewing up this way, Ive landed some monsters ( 6.7kgs is my best so far ). Most Brissy fishos reckon they are crap but for some reason the HB / FI fish are OK. Bleeding & icing is the best prep method, then fillet & skin, then beer batter & deep fry.

Cheers

James

[Jordan]

top spot kingfisher bay, last time i was there i caught a dingo in the drag net while i was getting out all of the hardie heads, took me and 2 old ladies to get it out. then it ran off with my brothers hat. costs a fortune to stay there though dusnt it? id looooove to go back over there. how long was the baot trip?

[AlsHilux]

the morwong(?) tasted ok but damn it was chock a block with bones.

dunno what the price is to stay at the resort, something hefty i'm guessing. my mate works there so we just catch the ferry across for mates rates. takes about 30 min high tide and 45+ low tide.

wanna go back sometime in the next couple of months, get the fourby across and camp on the other side of the island. get some beach fishing done.. might do a heads up on here see if anyone else is keen.