tugger

Thanks Kelvin it would have been about 6 or 7kg

Thanks Steve just a quick stop in the lagoon this time

Hit the bunker group last week with a few friends and my son Brock. I deckied in my mates 6.7m bar crusher and Brock was in a 6.8m Haines hunter. We hit some ordinary weather heading out but it got alot better as we reached the bunker group reefs. It started off alright with our boat finding good coral trout and red throat emperor. We tried for some red emperor but they just weren't biting so moved back to some shallower water where the trout were chewing. We found another good patch of fish as we moved around and watched the boys in the other boat bag a few Red emperor. My son getting his PB red as well as the skipper getter his 1st ever Red times 2. We spent the night anchored behind the reef we were fishing and rafted up having a few well earned coldies together. The next day we caught some more quality fish, then at lunch time we had a snorkel over the reef checking out all the colour of the coral and fish. As the trip rapped up our boat had caught good coral trout, red throat emperor, moari cod, tusky, Spanish flag, hussar and plenty of just under red emperor. We left the reefs and headed in getting back to the ramp just on dusk. A stop in town that night before driving home the next day and filleting our catch. Here are the trout from our trip back at the ranch.

Nice feed of whiting this rain should be bringing them on

Heading up that way myself soon that's some wicked weather and I plan to see none of that lol.

That's sounds like a good start to the trip

There is no where for 2wd cars it's the largest sand island in the world and after you get dropped off from the barge you get around hook point which is really soft sand. Then you hit 75 mile beach before you get to Indian head which is another soft track up and around the headland. We did camp north of Waddy point which you don't have to go that far but all of this you really need a high clearance 4wd. It took us all day to get to camp but my mate got stuck towing the trailer around Indian head in 3 attempts. All the Inland tracks are soft and rutted and trailers and not recommended. We were in 4wd all the time with tyre pressure at 16 psi to keep from getting bogged. Ngkala rocks is another challenge and brings alot of people to get bogged. We saw 3 cars getting bogged in front of Orchid beach pub while we were there. You get a round of applause from the patrons for that.

Great report and a nice feed of fish it's hard to beat whiting and flathead on the pan.

We did go during the school holidays too but it works out with my missus a teacher aid. This is the way everywhere now with our population growing all the time. It doesn't bother me we found a good camp that was my main concern probably one of the best in the area.

Thanks Kelvin it has been 30 years since I've been on the island been around it plenty of times and thought it was due for me to get up there again.

It's a diesel D40 model it might just be the phone mic but I was feeding it to get through the soft bits.

Headed up to Fraser island for a week with my wife and a mate with his family. We had our 1st night in rainbow beach hitting the surf club for dinner and drinks then back to our unit for an early start the next day. We got on the barge and headed up the island for our camp north of Waddy point. The 1st night we found a few tailor in the gutter just north of our camp at low tide. The weather was perfect and we settled into a perfect evening back at camp. The next day we checked out the sunrise and had a quick fish then drove down to the Champagne pools for a swim. We spotted a cheeky dingo right beside the track on the way back for a few beers at Orchid beach pub. On the way home we stopped at Ocean lake for a swim and rinse the salt off us. This fresh water lake was near our camp and handy for a quick swim. We had another fish in the late arvo for a few more tailor and had some fresh fillets for dinner. The next day we woke to a beautiful sunrise and after breaky blasted back down the beach to Eurong on the way we came across a stranded yacht on the beach. Moving on we got to Eurong township and went inland to Lake McKenzie for a swim. This lake is amazing and I was stunned after emerging from the track to see it for the 1st time. It is well worth the drive then we visited central station as well to see the huge trees left after logging finished. We stopped at the Maheno on the way back for a photo op at low tide. We had another fish in the late arvo again for some more tailor before heading back to camp for dinner and drinks. A storm came through in the wee hours the next day and after some mopping up and breaky we set off for the Cape. We waited patiently in line and tackled the Ngkala rocks track and with the peddle down through the soft sand we made it without a problem. Up at the Cape we got in behind the big sand dune to get out of the wind which had now set in. We did some sand tobogganing down the big dune and some fishing off the beach there for a heap of dart. The dingoes were keen on pinching a dart but we made sure not to feed them. received_333800038542255.mp4 received_551321089455629.mp4 On the way back south we stopped at Ngkala rocks for a photo op at low tide. We headed back to camp and got on the beers as it was still to windy from the east and we had a good home camp in behind the dune there for wind. The next day we headed down to Orchid beach township and took the Inland track to Wathumba. The fires ripped through this part of the island last year but the vegetation has all bounced back. Here the grass trees and ferns fill the undergrowth under banksia's, wattles and eucalypts. Wathumba creek is on the western side of the island and was a top spot for a swim and a fish. We spent half the day here on the beers again with our wives always keen to be the designated drivers by the afternoons. This was our last night on the island but we weren't disappointed as we had done and seen plenty over our stay. The next day we packed up camp and headed south stopping at Eli creek for a swim. We stopped in at Happy valley for a couple of schooners at the pub and the girls got some Fraser island travel mugs. Then back on the beach we found a nice gutter and caught a few more tailor as the wind had dropped out again. We made a full day of it and caught the last barge off the island watching the sunset of the great sandy straits. In the end we all saw whales from the beach and headlands. Dingoes came into camp every night and along the beaches every day. We saw sea eagles, colourfull kingfishers and pretty finches around camp. Everyone caught tailor and dart with pilchards and sand worm. The trees on the island are amazing and worth noting. The sand is the whitest there is with the high silica content and I would dare say is better or on par at the least of the famous Whitehaven beach. The lakes and creeks are crystal clear and the colours stunning. I just wished we could have stayed longer and we are already planning another trip back now.

Timely report for me thanks Dino good to see they're getting plenty

I normally start flushing motor then crack a beer once beer is finished turn off motor and tap job finished.

Yes camping just north of Orchard beach

Thanks for the tip I will throw in a few poppers

This is music to my ears with my looming trip up there. It looks like you had a great time and some top photos. I'm going to flick slugs, stick baits and some pillies at those hungry fish in a few weeks.

Heading up to Fraser island in a few weeks to catch a few tailor off the beach. I'll probably be a bit rusty as I haven't been surf fishing for a while. It should all come back to me though and I hope I find a few big models in amongst them.

Would have loved the Red emperor even better but the grey suits had them for breakfast instead lol.

Coronation trout are pretty good in my opinion to I think they are on top we had one for lunch on the 1st day on the boat.

All good I do go to great lengths to look after the catch from ice slurries to washing the fillets in the salt water from the fishing grounds. I have done this method for over 35 years and I can't tell the difference from fresh or frozen afterwards.

If looked after well I can't tell the difference from fresh or frozen fish once it's cooked up especially quality fish like these reefies.

Yeah you get the big fellas in the high 50cm size and you think it's a red emp to start with.

No just ordinary freezer bags it never stays long in our freezer.

Most of it frozen some eaten fresh and this lot will last about 2 months before all of it is gone. Nothing like pulling Trout and Lipper out of the freezer to feed the family a couple times of week. We love fish at home and a bit goes to my extended family as well you got to look after mum and dad.