New member looking to go offshore fishing from Noosa

[Bullie]

Hi Folks,

I am a new member moving into the Noosa area looking to go offshore fishing from Noosa. I have a fair amount of experience crossing the Ballina bar and was training as crew member for Marine Rescue NSW. Hoping to pick up a few hints specific to the Noosa bar crossing. Also want to join the QLD VMR Coast Guard.

My boat is a Searay 185 Bowrider with 135hp Optimax outboard. It's not really a serious offshore boat but if I pick the day it's pretty safe. After seeing some videos of boats pushing through breaking waves on the Noosa bar I think I will leave the forward lounge cover in place to help keep water out of the boat.  

Looking forward to hearing from you guys.

cheers,

Chris

[ellicat]

Hey Chris, Welcome to the AFO forum.

I'm not an offshore fisherman anymore, but this website has all the current bar news for Noosa and is updated daily -

https://www.fishingnoosa.com.au/noosabar.htm

 

Sunshine Reef will be your starting point to search for.

 

[Drop Bear]

Hey Chris,

Welcome to the forum. 

There have been some great fishers that worked the reefs off noosa here. I am sure if you use the search engine you will get a lot of tips and advice. 

I am heading up your way today for some crabbing. 

Sounds like you could give me advice on the bar crossing so I won't offer anything there. 

Good luck, stay safe and have a ball. I can't wait to read some reports of the fish you catch

[Junky]

It's shallow, real shallow. Sometimes low tide can close it down. 

Follow the charter boats out  and go from there. It does get some protection but can turn nasty when the wind goes easterly. 

I don't do much out from there any more. I go further north now. 

[GregOug]

8 hours ago, Junky said:

It's shallow, real shallow. Sometimes low tide can close it down. 

Follow the charter boats out  and go from there. It does get some protection but can turn nasty when the wind goes easterly. 

I don't do much out from there any more. I go further north now. 

Funny you say that because my mate and I tried crossing it a week or so ago and had to turn around because we were hitting bottom even before we got to the bar proper. Very shallow! Scary couple of minutes trying to turn around with the seas hitting us side on and the motor with no water to work in. Strangest thing was the tide was racing out even though it was supposed to be only half high tide! I won’t be attempting a crossing there again in a hurry. I’ll try Mooloolaba next time.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Hi Bullie

I have no knowledge on the Noosa Bar, but welcome to the forum!

Hope to hear of some successful fishing there!

Cheers Hamish

[bully55]

Thanks everyone. I Have been out over the bar 3 times in the last 4 months.

The first Time was with a local fishing charter company, we went to Barwon Banks some 20miles out and caught large snapper, skipper even filleted the fish for us when we got back. See the attached pic.

That trip showed me the current route out over the bar. It is a very shallow river in parts so you need to keep your eyes open for the channels.

Since that first trip I have been out twice in my own boat. The second time going out at high tide was easy, but coming back at a lower tide was dodgy, on the way in I missed the channel and hit the bank at the river mouth, luckily the swell was tiny and I was able to turn out to sea and try a bit further north and crossed ok, but the prop was still grinding the sand.

The third time was pretty easy crossing in and out. The trick when coming in is to keep the boat planing with the prop up. That was what the charter skipper did, he came in across the bar at high speed in an 8 metre with twin 200hp on the back. 

The fishing on both my trips has been slow. First trip was to Jew Shoal  where we caught a few red rock cod. The second trip was to Sunshine reefs where we caught a few reef fish, we kept one nice red emporer.

Both times We were fishing with double paternoster tied with 70lb mono. I have since read in this forum that when fishing the inner reefs it's better to ditch the double paternoster and use lighter line with a single 6/0 hook and ball sinker as the fish seem to hug the reef more on the shallow reefs. So I will try that next time.

On the last trip there were small tuna going  crazy on the surface. Are they worth catching? If so, for Bait or eating, and what is the technique to catch them?

So far i am enjoying Noosa and hoping to get onto some nice fish soon.

Cheers fellas.

 

[Drop Bear]

1 hour ago, bully55 said:

On the last trip there were small tuna going  crazy on the surface. Are they worth catching? If so, for Bait or eating, and what is the technique to catch them?

nice one mate, 

Tuna are great fun to chase around. Most use a slug and a fast retrieve to get them. There is a great report about them here. 

AS for eating. this is far more contentious. I love them and really like to eat them. I even enjoy the Mac Tuna that most turn their noses up at. 

The trick with Tuna is to eat them raw or rare. 

Tuna steak with miso paste on the bbq cooked medium rare at the most is so good. 

Tuna sashimi is delicious. 

Tuna seared and put through a salad with a mayonnaise based dressing is fantastic. 

But if you get a piece of tuna and cook it through like you do for most fish its grey and dry and stinky and bad. 

[bully55]

Thanjks buddy, appreciate the tips!!! 

[Andrew_P]

A legal red emperor from Sunshine Reef is a bloody great effort! The charter boats fish there and only manage 1 or 2 a year between them

[bully55]

Third time out over the Noosa bar today. Getting pretty confident as long as the swell is small. Hanging around Laguna Bay today hitting jew shoal, halls reef, and the wreck. Caught one nice 35cm sweetlip then caught two cobia over one metre, they were unbelievably hard to reel in, great fun. We let them both go but I hear they are good eating.

[ellicat]

Nice one. Glad you had some fun. What did the damage on the cobia ?

[bully55]

We ditched the double paternoster and tried the single 6/0 hook and running sinker with cut pilchards and that seemed to give us better results on the closer/shallower reefs. Fishing lighter had better results. I also had a whole pilchard on triple ganged hooks floating that took a big hit but the 15lb line broke. The two we caught were on 30lb line. Lucky those cobia have no teeth, they fight like crazy.