Tin Can Bay.

[cookie_7]

Hey Gang.

I'm heading up north to Tin Can Bay this Friday for the weekend camping. I've never been to this area before and would like some local knowledge, hints/ tips on where to fish this place.

I got a 4m tinny with a 35hp on the back. Got plenty of fuel to explore.

Any info would be great.

Thank you.

[bogan]

Hi cookie_7,

Got back last tuesday after being up there for 5 days, same size boat as yours.

Unfortunately not a great deal to report.

Got a hammerhead shark between fraser & inskip point which is about a 30 minute trip in calm conditions that was released & a huge sea toad. Out towards wide bay bar where you can see the waves breaking from here, there were plenty of sea birds diving, but it was too dangerous to venture that far for us.

Pumping nippers at Ida Island (south of inksip), you will catch plenty of whiting, we only found small sand & winter whiting. If you can be bothered, you could catch winter whiting all day long (small), and fillet for a feed.

Tried Teebar ledge and a few other known spots with little to nil success.

We fished everyday. Nobody was catching anything except a few jacks which the locals were getting going up the creeks at high-tide during the storms (no electric and no local knowledge for us meant we didn't do this on our first trip, especially with the lightning that was around everyday). Cast netting or using a bait jig off the boat ramp pontoon will get you scad, but nothing will eat them where we fished.

Moses perch, spangled emperor were also caught, but too tiny to mention. Sting-rays as well of course.

Watch out for the trawler that recently grounded itself just south of Ida Island - http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/grounded-trawler-leaks-fuel-in-tin-can-bay-20131115-2xlzl.html

Jelly Fish in plague proportions.

Not sure if the trawlers have just wiped out the area (which is not meant to be a commercial netting area) or it was just a bad time, or most likely bad fisherman with little local knowledge (this one!).

If you're thinking of taking crab pots, think again. If you choose to do so, fit them with GPS, video cameras, finger-printing device and a 4g wireless broadband, along with some sort of electric zapping device so you can see/hear who's stealing them as I can assure you, even within eye-sight, as soon as you turn your back for 20 minutes they will be stolen or cut.

That's all I can think of at the moment.

Edit: Oh, lost of little flatheads. We tried lures of all sorts, Sp's of all sorts, every drop off we could find.

Also, if you see a storm coming, run. They come in faster than you think. We stayed on bream street, and when one of the wild storms came in from Rainbow Beach, it actually blew an anchored tinnie 150 metres up onto the esplanade.

Hope I haven't turned you off!

Edit2 - Just read the report about the grounding of the trawler - It grounded itself nowhere near the Bar. It was in very safe/calm waters down towards Teebar Ledge https://www.google.com.au/maps/preview?authuser=0#!q=Tin+Can+Bay%2C+Queensland&data=!1m4!1m3!1d64853!2d152.9947821!3d-25.8542055!4m15!2m14!1m13!1s0x6becac17a62dc6fb%3A0x400eef17f20ede0!3m8!1m3!1d14546268!2d145.8791619!3d-19.4570344!3m2!1i1273!2i725!4f13.1!4m2!3d-25.9134131!4d153.0057846

[cookie_7]

Thank you very much! Heaps of information. I won't be taking my crab pots up. I've heard a few stories about that area ppl knocking off your pots.

I'm going to have a hidden video camera recording my boat and trailer while I sleep, for a piece of mind.

Hope the weather plays nice this weekend. I only have just the 1 day to fish (Saturday)

[bogan]

No proof, but the rumor is it's the pro fisho's that attack the tourists crap pots, or their mates.

As you'd know, it's a lonely coast town a good 50Km's from Gympie.

I'm no expert, it was my first trip there, but appears to be a low socio-economic area which is a shame for what could be a fishing paradise. I'm sure that it was years ago (a fishing paradise) and not 100% sure what could ruin such a fantastic area.

Hence my comment regarding the trawlers possibly raping the area - no fact to this.

If you had a single day:

1. I would pump yabbies/nippers at low tide that will be within walking distance of any place you stay at, and concentrate towards the trawler areas in Snapper Creek, or the Powerlines on the other side towards crab creek.

2. Take the gamble, good pillies or live bait, and get up between inksip and fraser island and drift. It's 30 metres deep here, so hang one low, a mid, and a surface. You are allowed (to my knowledge) 3 lines/person in this area.

[ellicat]

Best of luck, Cookie.