GregN70

Thanks for the tips.

I also find this kind of funny too. My Ex Father-In Law, lives at Evans Head NSW, and he showed me his Mackerel gear. It consists of large handlines filled with rope, a short length of thick multi strand wire and a 8" metal spoon with one big hook. He always seems to catch a few good Macks every year down there despite not having the right baits, not using nylon, not even using a rod and not even owning a sounder, just using land marks.  Perhaps im over thinking all of this, and basic and simple is better?

4 minutes ago, Tuna are fish said:

this is just an idea, but you could go up to Airlie beach. you will have to go out far, but me and dad caught a few there when we use to live there.

 

 

Thanks, might be worth looking into. 

4 hours ago, Andrew_P said:

Forget about lures. Slow troll dead/ live baits around the outer gneerings/blinker area. Just look for all the other boats doing the same. 
plenty of info on rigs, techniques and best baits out there. Google “bump trolling” that’s what they call it in florida cos they bump it in and out of gear to keep it slow. Best of luck

Yep, thanks. I've become quite good at rigging baits and can get them to swill really well, up around yeppoon where I have been trying for the last couple years, I've used Tailor/Bonito/Ribbonfish/Yellowtail Pike. Make up a rig with front hook, stinger at rear, chin weight, sometimes a skirt or an islander style trolling head, etc. So i'll start there.

The inner gneerings are so close, I thought you'd have to get out to the barwon banks to do any good. That's great if the fish are that close. Here at Yeppoon the closest Mackerel area is 31km East from the Marina, but the better mackerel areas are 50-60km from the ramp.

My goal is to catch a Spanish Mackerel, I’ve been chasing these for years with no luck, especially out of Yeppoon in Central Qld of late where they appear to be extinct there.

So the plan is this: I have 2 weeks off in January/February and Im planning a trip down to Mooloolaba Sunny Coast area. From my research that time and place seem to be my best chance of running into one of these oceanic speedsters.

I’m taking my 581 Mclay Crossover Cuddy Cab, 140hp Suzuki and plan to pester the local tackle shops for info on where and when while there. Will mainly troll, lures, and rigged swimming dead baits. But will mix it up depending on conditions etc.

I am taking the following offshore type rods,

1.       PE3-4 Demon Blood OH Rod, with a Saltiga 30HA Star Drag running 50lb braid (250m)

2.       PE4-5 Demon Blood OH Rod Saltiga 35 Lever Drag with 60lb Braid. (330m)

The overheads will run a top-shot of 50 0r 60lb nylon/flurocarbon for a bit of shock absorption, perhaps 20m or so.

Also taking a Nomad Blue Water 7” spin stick, PE 2.5-4 with a Certate SW 10000-H and 47lb braid (300m) for throwing small stick baits and flasher lures etc.

 Is there anything im missing, or recommend I need for this mission?

19 minutes ago, GregOug said:

Good review. Pity my favourite reels Shimano didn’t take part though.

Yeah, each to their own. It's a bit like cars, GM, Ford etc isn't it? Some love Shimano, some hate them, some love diawa, and on it goes. I'm not a fan of shimano at all, but that's just me.

Enjoy whatever it is you like hey.

I used to catch a lot more fish before I even had a sounder.

I have a humminbird I use for creeks and estuaries, but will get rid of it and just go back to reading the river and sandbanks to try actually catch something from now on.

Black Jew Here

I'm just wondering if you all actually get to your bag limits often?

I've only managed it a couple of times/

1. Came across a big school of Blue Salmon hold up in a creek mouth over at Curtis Island near Gladstone. Hit 10 fish in 10 casts.

2. Bribie island after some good rain, got to my 10 Mud crabs in about and hr and a half (back in 2005)

3. Hit my bag limit of tailor of the beach at double island point a couple winters back.

That's about it.

2 hours ago, tugger said:

we couldn't go wrong especially the coral trout. We were releasing trout over 60cm as we were already bagged out on trout.

Wow, that's excellent, Im really keen to get a Trout. Never actually got one yet. Tried heaps but no luck. 

Looks like I might need to do a trip south soon.

Getting keen to catch some reef fish.

On 23/08/2021 at 6:29 PM, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

Hey Tuna

Bad luck. It is a shame you didn't get more.

That Red Emperor is really cool though. I just guess it shows the effects of Global Warming are still happening here and changing the oceans a bit too.

Cheers Hamish

Back in the 1980s I regularly caught Juvenile Red Emperor at Bulwar. Biggest was about 35-40 cm. Nothing bigger.

What about 3 chicken nuggets on a gang? 

12 hours ago, kmcrosby78 said:

Might be time to seek out more successful fishermen then to have conversations with them ...... . Actually, come to think of it ....

If they exist. Honestly I just plan on moving somewhere better like back to Brisbane, or NSW

1 hour ago, Kat said:

And you haven't had a legal sized fish in 2 years?  I really can't understand that.  Do you meet other people where you are that do not catch legal sized fish?

Cheers Kat

Yeah all the time. Most of the people I associate with in fishing conversations rarely catch anything ever around here. It’s only those that have really big boats that go out 130km+ that do ok. Once you get out there you are starting to get reef fish and a few mackerel. 

1 hour ago, kmcrosby78 said:

Surely that can’t be true. Apart from mackerel, what else do you target?

I often target, Whiting off the beach’s.

I target various reef fish, trout, Sweetlip, cod etc offshore. 

tuna, GTs, Queenfish, cobia on poppers, stick baits and jigs around the islands

Barra n Threadfin in the creeks and river on live baits and lures of various types.  

Garden worms go great also

A lot of places are fished out these days. But keep trying, luck might strike soon.

I have 2 boats, fish all the time, live 600km north of Brisbane and I haven't caught a legal fish in a couple years now. So i understand the frustration.

On 06/07/2020 at 8:42 AM, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

Hi kmcrosby78

Yep, I'm curious how I'll go myself... There'd have to be some cod, or depending where I'm fishing, maybe salmon too. 

I will still be targeting salmon, and I can't wait until Summer to get a few more bullies as well - this season I'm going to try getting them on my size 1000 reel!  

Hi Jimmyjack

Yep, that seems like a very good theory - I reckon you're on the money, or it's something around breeding habitats. 

You would think that is why the GC jacks are humongous and NQ ones aren't as big (in the estuaries, anyways). 

Cheers Hamish  

From tagging and tag return data I had the privilege of viewing, there was one common thread to places that hold jacks consistently. That was water quality, that being, they don't like turbid water, of the sort you'd find in the city reach of the Brissy River, or Rockhampton's Fitzroy River & the Proserpine River. However in cleaner estuary's with lower tidal variations such as Nerang river, Noosa River, Pumicestone Passage, Hinchinbrook, Embley & Trinity Inlet it's a far more likely scenario.

If i wanted to find a jack in the Brissy river I think id be around the mouth in the cleaner waters.

Back in the olden days I did ok on the choppers in these spots. Mostly late afternoon, with a rising tide, higher they better. Gang with garfish or pillies. But a flasher would do the trick too.

On 16/07/2021 at 4:42 PM, ellicat said:

Shame they weren't on the chew. Bigger shame to have dropped the flathead ! I remember a recent post from @GregN70 saying fishing the Fitzroy was tough.

I take Travacalm Original fairly successfully when going outside. (Doesn't work everytime )  It has a combination of the active ingredients from both Kwell and Dramomine. You need to follow the instructions and you need to start the day with a full stomach.

Yeah, the Fitzroy could be one of the most challenging places i've ever fished. If I had to try feed myself in a survival situation there im sure id die of starvation.

As for taking sea sick medication, over the years i found the best was to take a Kwell before bed the night before, then when up in the morning or about an hour before hitting the water have 1 or 2 Travacalms. That Kwell the night before is the key, and is always the best for me.

1 hour ago, Newbie to Brisbane said:

I got three in one session landbased first time I’d ever been there. There’s definitely still a decent amount of Barra and threadies in the river. I recommend sounding around structure on last half of run out tide, super early mornings before sunrise worked well for me. Different parts of the heat they move to certain areas in a system. This time of year the Barra fishing can be quiet, but a brilliant time for big threadfin when I fished it two years ago

Nah I wouldn’t bother. I’ve done about 60 trips on the river and I think it’s a disgrace. Much better places. You could not pay me to fish the Fitzroy it krappp 

At first yes it was, however; there's no new fish in the system. There's been very little rain in the past 4-5 years which means no recruitment, & no new fish entering the system. So what few barra were there have either been caught, or they have all seen 1 million lures bounce around their noses and are all bite-shy. You'd be very lucky firstly to find a barra these days, and even luckier if you got one to bite.

9 minutes ago, Newbie to Brisbane said:

Mate Rockhampton is probably the most underrated Barra fishing place in Queensland. So many good fish in the city reaches. Happy to pass on more info if required 

Ha, really. That's just near where I live (Yeppoon). And to be honest, I hate fishing that Fitzroy River all I've ever caught in and around there is catfish.

So maybe there's a secret im missing, i don't know.

14 hours ago, tiotony said:

Pass the more populated areas and keep driving up to Weipa; and you'll likely get plenty of barra.

I thought about that, however I do only have 14 days, and wanted to keep the travel down to 2 days each way, as im going by myself and towing my 4m tinny. That leaves 10 days, 2 of which typically will have poor weather/wind. That leaves 8 days or so of fishing, 3-4 of these will be good tides. I thought it might be a stretch to do Weipa in that time comfortably and safe by myself. If I was going with someone and sharing the drive, all good.

CHeers