queensland Booked a trip to the Keppels

[Ryannnnnnnn]

Hey guys,

Just booked a weeks trip up to yeppoon next month. Have never been and am so excited!

Plan on doing most of my fishing from my boat around the islands, popping for trevally around rocky areas and flicking plastics around reef edges in hope for my first coral trout. The Mrs will be using bait, while I try and fit in using some lures in between re-baiting her hooks  

Does anyone have any experience in the area / know of where to start sounding around? There's so many islands so I think it will be overwhelming on where to go - I'll be like a kid in a lolly shop!

Have a big fuel tank with 250 litres of fuel, so can travel out to more remote islands.

Thanks!

 

 

[Ed.]

The furtherest Keppel island is less than 20 nautical miles away so not too far, but if you wanted to go out to the Barrier reef islands than you would be more than double that, and Gladstone could be closer to them. I can't tell you where to fish as it has been nearly 5 decades since I was there, I actually took my boat up there  a few years ago to fish the Keppels  but my motor's CPU module died 50m from the fuel dock so that killed that idea.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Hi Ryan

Good luck! It is lovely up there. 

Depending on where you fish you may encounter the odd pelagic as well. Hope you can catch some nice fish.

Cheers Hamish

[Drop Bear]

Mate it sure sounds like you know what to do. 

Plenty of fishing options up that way. If you specifically want some trout, head out to the reef and drop your biggest plastics down with big jig heads or use baits and bottom bash. 15-30m normally works. 

I can't wait to see some photos. 

[Ryannnnnnnn]

Thanks guys shame about your trip Ed, hopefully you get up there next time without any trouble. 

Thanks @Drop Bear I'll try both those options. Look forward to sharing a report. Time to study up on the greenzones

[Ed.]

Thanks Ryannnnnnn, it took a couple of days for the mechanic to come down and investigate the problem, then told us it would take 6 weeks for the CPU module to come in, at that stage we decided to call it quits.  It was not meant to be! I don't think there will be a next time though unless it's on a charter boat.

[GregN70]

All the closer islands around the keppels are pretty much flogged clean. Wider is Barren Is which is good for Spanish Macks at times early in the morning and late afternoon, but getting one to the boat is hard due to the sharks. Further to the North is Flat and Perforated Is. They are very heavily fished too but being much further away most can russel up a feed there in a day usually. Otherwise to do real good you have to  head out 80+ kms and find new ground. The further you go the better. Red Emperor, Trout, Red Throat etc.

 

There have been some spanish macks in an area between Barren Is and Outer Rock called Greasy Alley recently/ and Man & Wife Rocks.

Starter marks will get you there, but watch for green zones in those areas. http://www.fishntales.com/gpsmarks/qld/yeppoon.htm

As for the Trevs look for current lines and water collisions off the end off the points and islands

[Ryannnnnnnn]

Great advice there @GregN70 will definitely try going out a bit further especially if things get slow.