queensland Moreton Island 17/10/20 - 24/10/20

[benno573]

Hi all,

Finally it was Moreton time again.  Loaded the car with way too much stuff and my partner, bubs and I hopped on the Saturday morning MiCat to Moreton.

The tracks weren’t in the best condition but we made it to the campsite without incident.  Bubs decided to crack a significant na-na, as such, I was stuck building the whole campsite while mum did her best to soothe the beast – man the bourbon at the end of all that tasted good.  After finally settling for a sleep, bubs completely re-set and we headed for a walk along the beach in the afternoon.

I took my light setup for the walk, hoping to find a gutter were a flathead may be sitting.  Unfortunately there was no good gutters for flatties but I climbed up onto my favourite rock at north point and threw a plastic about.  I managed to landed a massive dart that played up a treat on the light gear as well as a bream around 30cm, both were released.

 

Next morning I was awoken earlier than I would have liked, managed to get bubs back to sleep but I could not.  So nothing else for it – rigged up a slug and went for a walk up to the rocks just after dawn in the hope of landing a tailor or two.  The wind was blowing about 20kn straight in my face but I managed to land 3 tailor and a dart on a 40g slug, 2 tailor kept destined for a later bath in some thai red curry sauce.

 

 

After breakfast, I headed back to the barge to collect my sister and brother in law who were joining us for a few days.  Had some significant 4WD challenges trying to recover a bloke towing a caravan who was going no-where, but got there in the end, 2 recovery straps, 8 max tracks and 12psi all round for me.  I also then towed out another guy in a GU patrol who had dug himself in so far he was on his chassis rails – claimed he had 18psi in his tyres but a quick smack of the sidewall confirmed this was very much not the case.  After removing this w-anchor/obstacle from our path we were back at camp in no time.

 

Based on my sister having a severe seafood allergy, fishing was somewhat curtailed on Sunday / Monday but the glass off about 3pm was too good to ignore.  I launched the yak and headed out to an isolated patch of reef that I had all to myself.  Before long, a few nice fish were coming aboard, I ended up keeping 3 snapper and 2 grassies for the freezer.

 

 

Tuesday morning we were greeted by a 25kn southerly so a bit of a tour of the island ensued.  My sister departed on the afternoon Micat and we returned back to camp.  An afternoon walk resulted in two more nice tailor being kept destined for lunch tomorrow.

 

 

Wednesday morning we were greeted by a cracker day, so kayak was locked and loaded and I headed out to the same reefs I had fished on Monday at about 9am.  They generally don’t fish all that well in the middle of the day, however, today was a bit of an exception.  I only had about an hour of fishing time and managed to nab 3 snapper, a grassy and a new PB school mack of 78cm, as well as plenty of undersized snaps, the world’s smallest yellowtail king and a variety of other smaller reef fish.  Made it back in time to take bubs for a quick trip on the kayak up and down a nice sheltered gutter which she really enjoyed so win all round really.  Took the bucket of fish frames down the beach later that day and watched the pelican, raptors and seagulls fight over them.

 

 

Thursday morning we were greeted by rain so minimal activity occurred, had a quick flick between showers and hooked up to a huge flathead in about 30cm of water – unfortunately not long after the big girl threw her head around out of the water and the plastic came flying out.  Bugger!  Would have been over 75cm regardless but still would have made a good photo.  I went for a walk during bubs midday nap and managed to land a smaller model at about 45cm.

 

Friday morning I took bubs for a walk up to the rocks with me, managed to land a long tom and a small tailor with her in the carrier on me.  After breakfast, I walked along the beach in hopes of a flathead or two but they were very hard to come by.  I landed one small bar tail, a bream and about 8 long toms.  My last hurrah trip on Friday afternoon I landed a couple of nice tailor to take home.  Unfortunately this trip was soured when I was standing on the one small rock casting away when 2 randoms just decided to come and stand right beside me and have the nerve to tell me that we would take it in turns casting from then on.  Like WT actual F.  So I called them a name that rhymed with a flat bottomed boat, left them to it and raced over to another rock on the opposite side of the headland and was rewarded with two more nice tailor and a restoration of peace and solitude.

 

Saturday thankfully we managed to get everything packed up dry and into the car before the storms hit – perfect timing really, hit us on the barge on the way home!

 

Thanks for reading if you got this far.  Looking forward to the next trip over when hopefully bubs can hold her own fishing rod!

 

 

Cheers,

Benno <’><

[ellicat]

Mate, that sounds like a great trip with some ripper sessions.

Hope the pusher-inners were both rewarded in turn with no catches. That's crazy.

Cute beach-bunny shot.

[benno573]

7 minutes ago, ellicat said:

Mate, that sounds like a great trip with some ripper sessions.

Hope the pusher-inners were both rewarded in turn with no catches. That's crazy.

and here was me hoping that they got washed off by a rogue wave... yours is nicer i guess... the thing that got me most was they didn't think they had done anything wrong. 

[Drop Bear]

1 hour ago, benno573 said:

Would have been over 75cm

you sure mate? It sounds like a 3metery! 

Cracking trip mate and great report. Not many people catch fish from that point. You really have it dialled in over there.

[jon]

Awesome trip benno with some great quality fish man well done

[benno573]

1 hour ago, Drop Bear said:

you sure mate? It sounds like a 3metery! 

Cracking trip mate and great report. Not many people catch fish from that point. You really have it dialled in over there.

Hey mate,

i fairly regularly catch big flatties off the northern beach of Moreton, just got to pick the right gutter and time of the tide. My best to date was 89cm. I think this one would have been about 80 or so. hooking them in a foot of crystal clear water and watching them engulf your plastic is pretty awesome.

 

there’s a few good fish around north point rocks too - mostly tailor and dart but also get GT’s, golden/silver/big eye trevs, bonito, Mack tuna, even a Spanish and a  mulloway, all spinning metals early AM or later afternoon.

 

we need to get a trip together over there one day soon-ish @ellicat @Old Scaley etc. 2-boat challenge, Moreton edition!

[ellicat]

4 minutes ago, benno573 said:

we need to get a trip together over there one day soon-ish @ellicat @Old Scaley etc. 2-boat challenge, Moreton edition!

It'll need to be a very early start to beat the northerlies home....or are we going camping ?

[benno573]

I was thinking just the cars and beach/rock/kayak fishing

[samsteele115]

Mate. Awesome trip and report! Love the variety! 

[ellicat]

8 minutes ago, benno573 said:

I was thinking just the cars and beach/rock/kayak fishing

I'm free those days.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Hey Benno

That is a legendary trip - what a variety of species! Great job on the yakking, the surf fishing, and the rock fishing.

What twits just thinking it is there given right to cast your lines. I hope they got a shower from a big wave (which may have cleaned their noggin out). Shame that the big flatty got away, but it sounds like the fight was great.

Cheers Hamish  

[kmcrosby78]

Another awesome trip @benno573 - you would have got some good exercise sneaking all those sessions in . Looks like bubs enjoyed herself - she'll be fishing beside you in no time!!!

[GregOug]

5 hours ago, benno573 said:

Hey mate,

i fairly regularly catch big flatties off the northern beach of Moreton, just got to pick the right gutter and time of the tide. My best to date was 89cm. I think this one would have been about 80 or so. hooking them in a foot of crystal clear water and watching them engulf your plastic is pretty awesome.

 

there’s a few good fish around north point rocks too - mostly tailor and dart but also get GT’s, golden/silver/big eye trevs, bonito, Mack tuna, even a Spanish and a  mulloway, all spinning metals early AM or later afternoon.

 

we need to get a trip together over there one day soon-ish @ellicat @Old Scaley etc. 2-boat challenge, Moreton edition!

I’ll be in that, if invited

[Drop Bear]

12 hours ago, benno573 said:

Hey mate,

i fairly regularly catch big flatties off the northern beach of Moreton, just got to pick the right gutter and time of the tide. My best to date was 89cm. I think this one would have been about 80 or so. hooking them in a foot of crystal clear water and watching them engulf your plastic is pretty awesome.

 

there’s a few good fish around north point rocks too - mostly tailor and dart but also get GT’s, golden/silver/big eye trevs, bonito, Mack tuna, even a Spanish and a  mulloway, all spinning metals early AM or later afternoon.

 

we need to get a trip together over there one day soon-ish @ellicat @Old Scaley etc. 2-boat challenge, Moreton edition!

Super keen. 

[Drop Bear]

12 hours ago, benno573 said:

I was thinking just the cars and beach/rock/kayak fishing

im in

[Old Scaley]

+1

[Ryannnnnnnn]

Some people are unbelievable  I'm sure there were plenty of other areas they could have thrown a line from.

[Angry51]

Yeah, You wonder whether they're being a smarta#*e or

they are just DUMB.

Trouble is they breed.

[benno573]

11 hours ago, GregOug said:

I’ll be in that, if invited

mate after reading your story about your prior camping trip to an island, any decision around an invite will likely need to be decided by committee vote... 

just jokes - i am sure it will be fine mate.

[Do$tylz]

Sick trip Ben.

Hey - you reckon an xtrail can make it up to there? Have been keen to get out there but just don't have any experience doing 4x4 and don't have any of my close mates who are into it with the right gear. Would love to roll up there for a few nights for a trip sometime.

[Drop Bear]

1 hour ago, Do$tylz said:

Sick trip Ben.

Hey - you reckon an xtrail can make it up to there? Have been keen to get out there but just don't have any experience doing 4x4 and don't have any of my close mates who are into it with the right gear. Would love to roll up there for a few nights for a trip sometime.

I have had a mate take his xtrail over there and had no problem. Its all about the tyre pressure. 

[benno573]

2 hours ago, Drop Bear said:

I have had a mate take his xtrail over there and had no problem. Its all about the tyre pressure. 

normally yes, however, it would have been a deadset struggle this time with the tracks in the condition they were, I was doing some ploughing of the middle of the tracks in the BT50 the sand was that soft and deep in places.  probably totally different now after some heavier rain though.

@Do$tylz - I am sure if we do organize it and get a few of us together there will be a spare seat in a car somewhere that you could fill. also works out more economical for all to split the costs of barge etc.  and saves me getting out a snatch strap... 

[Do$tylz]

you love getting out your snatch strap

yeah I'm keen to get in for a trip.

[tugger]

Action packed week we truly are blessed with this island on our door step. 

[benno573]

Sure are. 

 

I just wish people would respect it a little more - bogans doing donuts on the beach, driving like absolute noobs, driving on dunes and leaving rubbish and crap all over the place. Hopefully once the rest of the nation opens up they all go down to Coffs and try and wreck their cars there instead.

[Brodie_S]

you got a awesome variety there and looks like you got a nice feed out of it good job it’s shame about those people though they ruin it for everyone .I could never just go up to someone and start casting in the same spot its just plain disrespectful .at my local spot if I see more then 1 person on the wharf I fish somewhere else as the wharf is quite small and takes about 20 minutes to cover all ground from just casting off the wharf using plastics for me it’s always kind of like a unspoken agreement thing that you never go up to someone fishing and fish right next to them and cast in the same area