queensland Info Please: 1770, Pancake Creek, Middle Creek

[Angus]

Hey everyone,

Obviously 1770 is fantastic for reef bound adventures but has anyone any information on the creek systems that proliferate the area?

I have been offered a possible opportunity to go check it out (one that may benefit AFO as whole in the not to distant future) and I am very keen to maximize the opportunity. Particularly of interest are timings... As in are there any times of year to utterly avoid?

Any and all info would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers.

Angus

[kmcrosby78]

I am almost certain that my brother camps at Pancake Creek - he leaves his car at the boat ramp (or launch area) and drives the boat approx. 20ish minutes and camps near the mouth. He goes back to the car I think daily to check on it (sounds like the area is safe) and to top up ice supplies (from Waeco).

I'll call him and find out more but he raves about it and is starting to do it more often.

[Dinodadog]

I go down a track behind the council yards and fish a creek, dont know the name of it. Plenty of bites to be had there by you and the sandflies.

Dino

[The Mad Hughesy]

Avoiding school holidays is always good.

[benno573]

Hey @Angus

Not 100% sure what you want to know but here's my experiences.

getting to to pancake is usually by water and usually means running up from 1770 or down from turkey beach. Either way open water is involved. There is a crazy BS 4WD track in there but  driving across salt flats through a mangrove swamp has never appealed to me. There is a campground on the banks of the creek.

fishing wise - there is a reef system just inside the mouth of the creek that can produce pretty much anything. Personally I have caught tuskies, cod, mackerel, grunter, spangled and grass sweetlip, morwong, cobia, trevally and queenies along there the drop off. There is plenty of the usual bread and butter estuary species around on all the sand banks and drop offs, jacks and cod up in the snags. Blue salmon are pretty common as well. Barra are scarce at best.

Middle creek you can 4WD to through eurimbula NP with "bush" boat ramp or access from the ocean, it can be a very shallow entrance though. There are heaps of bread and butter species on offer, there is also a few deeper sunken rock bars that hold all sorts, including the occasional black Jew and barra, as well as grunter, jacks, cod, finger mark, blue salmon etc.

eurimbula creek is much smaller but is worth a look - my PB flathead of 106cm came from just near the mouth of this creek so forgive me for being a bit biased. Plenty of snaggy banks and open flats to work, usually holds a heap of bait as well. 4WD track in and beach launch but fine for smaller boats.

hope this helps.

[Angus]

Thanks for all the help guys.

Heading up in May hope to havea  decent report for y'all

Angus

[Fishaman]

Gday Angus

 

We usually drive into Middle Creek and camp there for a week or so at a time, bush boat ramp but it's pretty serviceable (Book your camp spot on line). Like Benno says plenty of things to keep you amused and an abundance of muddies to be had. To get to Pancake we usually leave mid tide running in so you can make it through the shallower parts between the two spots. (We run a 4.5M renagade with a 50hp on the back) 

 

Plenty of spots all the way through to Pancake to fish. Once at pancake there is a big reef system and ledge drop off that you can fish and snorkel along. Floating over the reef at high tide you can catch a million cod on plastics (no real big size to most of them but heaps of fun on silly string)

 

On a nice day head out through the bar and hit Bustard head (inner. middle and out rocks). 

 

Good luck

[Angus]

Cheers guys. Heading up next weekend so will keep you all posted

 

Angus