Greg here, and a new Boat

[GregN70]

Hi all, Greg here. I moved from Brisbane to Rockhampton/Yeppoon area a couple of years ago. I thought i was heading to a fishing Mecca but it really wasn't that at all, in fact i regularly caught far more in Brisbane than I have ever manged here. But anyway, I moved here for work, Im in the Electrical Engineering field. A new boat has come my way recently, a new McLay 581 CrossOver cuddy cabin, with a 140 suzuki and topped with some Simrad bling. I head offshore from Yeppoon and chase reef fish and mackerel, don't find many but I try, often up to 123km strait out, a 3hr run each way. I like deep water fishing, sadly the deepest you will find within 140kms of yeppoon is about 60m, so im planning on moving to NSW soon for the better fishing overall and deeper offshore waters.

I also have a 4m Stacer Barra Pro with a 30hp Suzzi, front lekky, humminbird side scan for the creeks, but will be selling that soon as the creeks and inshore around here are absolutely hopeless fishing & crabbing.

My bucket list fish are Wahoo, Dolphin Fish, Yellowfin, Blue-eye Trevella, Hapuka, Bar Cod, Blue & Stripped Marlin, 25lb Snapper, Flathead, Whiting and Tailor.

[Drop Bear]

Hey mate,

That shocks me. I wonder why you haven't nailed it up there? 

There must be heaps of trout and Spanish out at the reef. I have fished off Townsville and 1770 with great success so I don't really know why Rocky would be much difference? 

Boat sound mint. Got any pics? 

[ellicat]

G'day Greg. I remember you saying how you were struggling to turn the dreams into reality, Shame it didn't work out.

Where in NSW are you going to be heading ? I've heard just today from @Old Scaley that Woody Head is a good spot with only a short run to the reefs and good mackerel fishing in season (now for spotties).

[GregN70]

Im looking at Coffs Harbour area, there looks like a job coming there towards the end of this year.

And as to what the problem is with fishing out of Yeppoon. Well it's to do with distance and water depth.

The Keppel Islands are surrounded by waters no deeper than 20m, usually 15m on the eastside and no more than 8-10 on the west.

So then to get to the these contour lines east from Yeppoon it will take you this distance 30m-51km, 50m-72km, 100m-128km, Continental Shelf 381kms The closest true reef complex is new reef which is 76.7kms east from yeppoon.

Compared to 1770, 30m-15km, 50m-58km, 100m-72km, Shelf 148km

And from Coffs 30m-2.8km, 50m-7.6km, 100m-19km, Shelf-28km

 

The other things that are a problem is the dirty water outflow from the Fitzroy River which at times can extend 50kms out to sea and shuts everything down.

Then the current offshore here often runs South to North which again shuts it all down, and finally the lack of bait. It's an unusual sight to see birds working on bait. It just doesn't seem to happen here much at all.

And one last one, between Stange Bay and Gladstone which is 355kms of coastline there is only 1 coastal boat ramp to launch from (Roslyn Bay Yeppoon) which gets that busy in can take hours waiting in line to launch and retrieve your boat. Cheers

[natang]

I lived in Yeppoon for 10 weeks in 2019 and tried fishing land based at The Causeway and Emu Park and went on my uncles boat about the same distance off shore and got bugger all. I caught more fish at the top of Farnborough beach at the mouth of the river there with low tide some queens and big dart being in the pools of water trapped in then at the run out blue salmon and queens in the waves at the mouth there. Used to use metal slugs, popper, fresh worms and pilly cubes. 

[GregOug]

Did you ever catch a mud crab Greg? I remember you lamenting some time ago that you couldn’t find one to save yourself.

[GregOug]

On 23/04/2021 at 7:55 AM, GregN70 said:

Hi all, Greg here. I moved from Brisbane to Rockhampton/Yeppoon area a couple of years ago. I thought i was heading to a fishing Mecca but it really wasn't that at all, in fact i regularly caught far more in Brisbane than I have ever manged here. But anyway, I moved here for work, Im in the Electrical Engineering field. A new boat has come my way recently, a new McLay 581 CrossOver cuddy cabin, with a 140 suzuki and topped with some Simrad bling. I head offshore from Yeppoon and chase reef fish and mackerel, don't find many but I try, often up to 123km strait out, a 3hr run each way. I like deep water fishing, sadly the deepest you will find within 140kms of yeppoon is about 60m, so im planning on moving to NSW soon for the better fishing overall and deeper offshore waters.

I also have a 4m Stacer Barra Pro with a 30hp Suzzi, front lekky, humminbird side scan for the creeks, but will be selling that soon as the creeks and inshore around here are absolutely hopeless fishing & crabbing.

My bucket list fish are Wahoo, Dolphin Fish, Yellowfin, Blue-eye Trevella, Hapuka, Bar Cod, Blue & Stripped Marlin, 25lb Snapper, Flathead, Whiting and Tailor.

All those are on my bucket list too. As well as every other fish in Grants Guide To Fishes.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Welcome back @GregN70. 

It's a shame you have not had the results you were hoping. My uncle was a commercial fisherman up that way many moons ago. Some photos show day where he caught/a decky caught in excess of 300KG of fish!

Ultimately, he retired as there were too many green zones and too much fishing pressure.

Cheers Hamish

[GregN70]

On 24/04/2021 at 10:00 PM, GregOug said:

Did you ever catch a mud crab Greg? I remember you lamenting some time ago that you couldn’t find one to save yourself.

Yes, managed to get onto a few. Real hard work though. Middle of the night, in hard to get to places, miles from anywhere, eaten by sandflies. But managed a couple legal ones.

[GregOug]

3 hours ago, GregN70 said:

Yes, managed to get onto a few. Real hard work though. Middle of the night, in hard to get to places, miles from anywhere, eaten by sandflies. But managed a couple legal ones.

Now that brings back memories. Lol. Been there, done that. Good on you!