Mackay any tips?

[Sergio_kutz]

Hey guys,

I'm heading up to mackay on the labour day weekend for a hockey comp and i was hoping to have a littel flick around with a few lures. I'll be landbased and taking my plastics rod and maybe a 3-6kg baitcaster as well. Any info on where i should be looking at wetting a placcy? hopefully somewhere not too far away as i have no idea on how much access i'll have to a vehicle (not a 4WD).

Thanks heaps for any info,
Serge

[BobbyJ123]

G'day mate, get out on the harbour south seawall. Lots of spotty macks along there and a few coral trout and other fish to catch.
You can drive right out to the helicopter pad and fish the harbour entrance.
Most blokes use 10ft rods and pillie bait on the outside for spanish macks.

[Richard]

You could also try flicking plastics amongst all the old boats permanently morred in the river.

Just head down the beach end of river street and just before the boat ramp on your left there are heaps of boats lined up there (also a fish shop if you don't do any good).

Try heading down there near high tide and there are heaps of pylons and jetties to cast around


Richard

[cdg81]

yeah i agree with richard, your best chance is around the river street ramp, all the rock walls hold fish. fish light though 1/8 is as heavy as you want to go with your jigs, 3 inch berkley power baits, bloodworm, emerald shiner and pearl blue, are my picks, expect bream, cod, maybe a jack, queenfish and trevally.

[Sergio_kutz]

Yeh that little rock wall sounds like it will be a treat to throw some plastics around. Let's just hope what i am picturing in my head is as good as it will be when i get there ;D By the sounds of how heavy a lighead to use it would seem that there isn't too much current there. Either side of high tide be the best time to work the rockwall there? How heavy should I go? I'm running 4lb braid with 10lb leader these days, or a 6lb leader on sandflats. Or will the cod get me everytime if i'm running line that light?

Hopefully i'll get the time to do a few sessions there and get into a couple.
Serge

[Richard]

" it would seem that there isn't too much current there."

Well, on Sunday we had a 6.23m tide so thats not exactly the case :) Just depends on when you are planning your trip but it is good to try and time your trips for around the change of the tide.

If i get the time today I'll try and get down there and take some photos for you. It's only just around the corner from work.

There are quite a few cod in the area. The last effort brought to my boat was a 42cm gold spot estuary cod (from a different spot in the river but still on a rock wall there) but the norm is more about the 20-25cm mark (usual rats).



Richard

[cdg81]

na mate the current is savage here, i fish 4 pound and 8 pound leader, 52 cm jack is my best of the rocks, the cod arent real big most of the time, just high stick them early, get their head up.

[Sergio_kutz]

Excellent, i love those little Cod, They're tricky when they can fit their heads between the rocks and lock their gills out. Always amusing and lots of fun. Definatly an art to catching them. Hopefully some of the boys in my team will coming 'fishing' with me. Their idea of fishing is soaking a bait once a year with the family so it's going to be interesting teaching em how to work a plastic... i think i'll start them on weedless jigheads to save my pocket. Hopefully they don't lose intrest too quickly. AHH all this talk isn't doing me any good... mite have to head down to the goldy on friday to calm myself down. Really looking forward to seeing those pics. Thanks for the replies everyone and keep em coming! i'd love to hear from all u mackay fisherpeople :)

Have a good one,
Serge

[Fishin_Dan]

I've had some fun throwing SP's and HB's around the Hospital Bridge up the river a bit... Caught a nice Grunter and a Trevally belted me into the rocks stealing my popper :(

Have also heard from the hotel owner of where I was staying, that he's caught Barra there...

[Richard]

Here's a couple of photos of around the wharf areas in the Pioneer River. The river is pretty muddy at the moment on account of all the rain we have been having but it's normally fairly good on a high tide (sort of a bluey-green).

It's currently high tide in these photos and every location i took a photo at there are rock walls and habitat galore underneath the water. You have to imagine 4.5m less water over all the areas (it's only a smaller tide today, 4.96m)

[Richard]

Hi Serge,

Found another pic in my collection. It's from a boat but it's actually at a point where you can walk to.

In this pic you can also see how the water normally looks, the nice blue-green colour.



Richard

[Sergio_kutz]

Looks fantastic... Very cod like in appearance. Plus i love the way that the current and eddies form just a few meters out from the rocks. Looks like it could produce a few trevs and what not. I'm itching to get up there now! Labor day hurry up and get here! Hopefully i'll get to catch up with you Richard after all your help when i get up there to have a bit of a flick.

Thanks and if anyone else has any info keep it coming ;D