Anybody know Hayes Inlet?

[Benno75]

I headed up hayes Inlet for the first time a couple of weeks ago. If you follow the chanel markers from the hornibrook bridge they head you up the northern side of the inlet towards a big drain pipe, but the markers don't go very far, and the ground gets very shallow after that.

Do any of you guys know Hayes Inlet? I'm heading out tomorrow morning and I'd like to explore it a bit - I know I took the l wrong approach last time. Is there more water along the southern side of the inlet?

Any directions would be appreciated. You don't need to tell me your favourite spots. Happy to sus out my own but I hate getting stuck when I'm out by myself exploring new areas. Thanks guys.
Benno

P.S. whats the best ramp top launch from? I put in at Dohles Rocks last time

[trueblue]

Clontarf or deep water bend are your alternative ramps to dohles rocks. Deep water bend is a longer run and you'll go past dohles rocks, but it depends on where you live. Clontarf is out the front in the bay and you have to follow the channel in and under the two bridges.

I haven't been there (on the water) for about 20 years so what I used to know about the place wouldn't count for much anymore.

Very, very shallow area, and very easy to be caught out by the falling tide.

Cheers

Mick

[killitfillit]

hug the left hand side of saltwater creek past the pipes but not to tightley and just go slow it gets a bit deeper further up.it fishes ok in season but it doesn't take long to fish it.

[robersl]

anywhere from the pipes up towards saltwater creek is good for whiting bream and flatheadis a bit shallow in places but once you get past the pipes head to your left just go slow until you get up stream a bit all sand and mud so pretty safe

[SgBFish]

This is the best aerial map of Hayes I have found. The area is very shallow at the mouth nowadays. I would only go up there in a small tinny.

Saltwater creek of to the left is worth a look for crabs. Stay near your pots!!!

Plenty of good flatties at low tide but you may not be ablr to get out.

Cheers,
Scott

[Benno75]

Thanks for your posts guys. I did make it up the inlet, and it is very shallow at the mouth.

Not much to report fish wise. 1 monster catfish and something else big which I'm positive was a stingray even though it wasn't sighted.

The place is alive with bait though. No too many prawns that I saw but mullet everywhere.

We very nearly did get stuck. Had to get out and walk the boat through the shallows on the way home.

[split-shot]

Benno75,

May I suggest that you look at google earth. It gives you some idea on the shallow channels that exist in the area. As the others have stated it is a shallow area. I find it best to travell up on the half tide and stay there till there is enough water to return. Not much up there other than vermin. Better off near the mouth, but even then the decent size fish are few and far between.

If you decide to give it go, then please let me know what your thoughts are on the area. By the way, beware of sunken crab pots.

[Benno75]

Split shot, my humble clapped out little PC doesn't do google earth, but yes it is an invaluable tool for just these types of situations.

But in answer to how we went and what my thoughts are, well . . . . The jury is still out.

We got up there OK, and we got back easy enough. We took it very slow both ways. Interestingly we got out at about 9:30 and I think low tide was at about 10ish - so it was pretty well close to the bottom of the tide, which I don't think was a particularly low one (and we did have to get out and walk a bit)

The place is full of bait, absolutely thick with mullet. Plenty of banks & drains etc, and the sides of the creek are lined with good looking snags and mangroves. I fished a live gar fish for 40 mins or so, without a hit. Flopped plastics around on my other rod for zero touches. My mate got a beauty of a catfish on a dead half a herring and then on the other half of his herring he hooked a stingray which gave him some stick too. Based on that I can't say my experience was all together positive, but I guess there are signs there that the fishing should be OK, at least some times, maybe?

I went up there due to past reports from this site claiming flathead on the low tide. I'm yet to prove that theory but it does kind of look like flathead territory. (it also does kind of look like catfish territory and we saw a few rays moving off through the shallows on our way both in and out).

I guess its worth another look, but it is a bit of a pain to get in before low tide and then be stuck up there for a few hours - we were lucky to get out as it was, it would have been a real struggle on a lower tide

Does anyone fish Hayes regularly?

[split-shot]

Benno75

I found that the small mullet and herring were thick at times. Have caught a few flathead on lures trolled along the drop off areas at low tide towards the old hornybrook briddge. There was a lot of days with no hook ups, so do not expect to catch them all the time. I use the area as a back up if it is a bit rough outside.