queensland Hervey Bay Fishing Trip

[Ge_off]

Thanks guys n gals for your good advice,

We done the trip to Hervey Bay for a week of fishing, I must say I was impressed with the place, The bay is huge with a lot of reefs, The sandy straights also has some good reefs,

The weather started out a bit blowy, the bay was very choppy especially in my 3.9m Quinny, we got tossed around heaps and had a sore back for 3 days from it, However, nothing was going to stop us from having a go. the r est f the week was good weather except the day we left were it was perfect, I didn't wat to leave.

Over the week we tried several locations, from out passed the Urangan Pier, to the Sandy Straights behind Woody Island and some of its reefs, 2 days at River Heads up the Susan. Finished the week fishing with the masses on the Urangan Pier were the bait fish was thick, Spotted mackerel carving through and some massive GT's, however no one could catch a thing, every one was using live Herring, Some young guy walks up and drops a frozen half of Pilchard in and was on in seconds for an under sized Spotted Mackerel. How ever it was still a good day with great views and lots of Turtles and little Rays, The water was crystal clear.

Over the week we caught lots of fish species we don't get on the Tweed River, I caught my first King Thread fin, sadly it was only 57cm (legal size is 60cm) and in a matter of minutes the misses lands a Blue Thread Fin Salmon at 58cm, it turns out we could have kept that one "NOOOOOOOO" . Most of our fish was under sized except a Flathead, We ate that one. No Coral Trout or Barra this time round, but we did get a lot of other little reef fish including a Bone Fish.

Next time I go there I now know the Spots to go,  I can't wait

This is only a few of the fish we caught.

[Luvit]

Thanks for reporting.

The blue salmon are beautiful eating. Is that a bone fish you got? 

So many options at HB. Wouldn’t mind living around it somewhere. 

[Ge_off]

Hi Luvit, Yeah the misses got the bone fish on a bit of salted bonnie, she kicked my rear end all dam week, she is a fishing machine,

I too would love to live there.

[Luvit]

What goes around comes around 

[Nog]

And I spent $5K on  going to Kiritimati for fricking Bonefishing. Well done indeed

 

[ellicat]

Sounds like a top week. Shame about the blue threadfin.
Didi anyone get 'done' by the Happy Moment ?

[The Mad Hughesy]

well done to catch that bone fish, im sure many folk would be envious of that!

thanks for the report 

[kmcrosby78]

11 hours ago, ellicat said:

Did anyone get 'done' by the Happy Moment ?

I was going to ask if you were aware of this fish when you caught it? My dad used to have fun releasing them when we caught them in our canoe at Hervey Bay as kids .........  Lots of variety there mate, well done!

[Junky]

Cracka bone there Geoff. Trophy fish for sure. You're only the second person I have heard of to catch a bone over here. I never knew they were here till a bloke pulled one in on Fraser a few yrs back. I thought they were a WA species,  like DUI's. 

Well done on all the fish. 

[aussie123]

Moreton Bay and the beaches on Straddie have Bonefish.

A guy fishing with us one day caught a large one at Boat Rock and about 2-3 years ago, a massive spawning aggregation was discovered at Heron Island.

They can turn up anywhere in SEQ.

[Junky]

2 hours ago, aussie123 said:

Moreton Bay and the beaches on Straddie have Bonefish.

A guy fishing with us one day caught a large one at Boat Rock and about 2-3 years ago, a massive spawning aggregation was discovered at Heron Island.

They can turn up anywhere in SEQ.

Well there you go. 

All the years fishing this area and no one I know (all 4 of them ) has ever caught one,  or even spoken about them. 

 

You'd think they would be a more popular target species around here. 

[Ge_off]

6 hours ago, Junky said:

Cracka bone there Geoff. Trophy fish for sure. You're only the second person I have heard of to catch a bone over here. I never knew they were here till a bloke pulled one in on Fraser a few yrs back. I thought they were a WA species,  like DUI's. 

Well done on all the fish. 

Hi Junky, I wish I could take the credit for the bone fish but it was the misses, AKA the Finance minister, She out fished me bad for the week, I did get the King thready before she out did me by 1cm with a blue salmon thready. I couldn't win a trick. hehehe.

[Nog]

Bonefish seem to be an incidental capture around these parts. They are in numbers up at Hervey Bay but only deep and not on the flats like other Bonefish destinations. 

If you could find a consistent shallow water Bonefish fishery you'd have alot of international sport fishos tearing down your door to get at them. Awesome fish on fly, go like stink....and slippery

 

 

[Drop Bear]

On 14/05/2019 at 8:36 AM, Nog said:

And I spent $5K on  going to Kiritimati for fricking Bonefishing. Well done indeed

 

Did you get one? 

[Drop Bear]

On 17/05/2019 at 9:23 AM, Nog said:

If you could find a consistent shallow water Bonefish fishery you'd have alot of international sport fishos tearing down your door to get at them. Awesome fish on fly, go like stink....and slippery

oh nice one. I should have read down the page before asking. Nice fish mate. 

[Drop Bear]

On 13/05/2019 at 10:40 PM, Ge_off said:

Over the week we caught lots of fish species we don't get on the Tweed River, I caught my first King Thread fin, sadly it was only 57cm (legal size is 60cm) and in a matter of minutes the misses lands a Blue Thread Fin Salmon at 58cm, it turns out we could have kept that one "NOOOOOOOO" . Most of our fish was under sized except a Flathead, We ate that one. No Coral Trout or Barra this time round, but we did get a lot of other little reef fish including a Bone Fish.

Great work mate. Sounds like a cracker of a trip. Thanks for the report. Makes me want to head up there tomorrow...

 

[Ge_off]

On ‎14‎/‎05‎/‎2019 at 8:22 PM, kmcrosby78 said:

I was going to ask if you were aware of this fish when you caught it? My dad used to have fun releasing them when we caught them in our canoe at Hervey Bay as kids .........  Lots of variety there mate, well done!

Hi km, No , we had no idea as never caught one before, It was caught on the edge of the reef behind Woody Island on a bit of salted bonnie.