New boatie to Rockhampton

[Bilopete]

Hi,
I recently moved to Rocky and purchased a 2nd boat (4.3 Sea Jay with a 35hp evi). Living out west for the past 10 years I never really had much of a chance to go fishing but as they say...there's no time like now!

I recently met up with Local_Guy (hi Jase!) and he has been very very helpful in giving me some local advice on where to fish, how to fish and what equipment works best.

I have only really fished in the Fitzroy, Iron pot, Causeway Lakes and Roslyn Bay and I should try and get further out to catch something other than bream and whiting.

I have scoured the forusm for some suggested GPS points but as usual these are tightly guarded secrets!

If anyone could PM me any points they feel comfortable passing on, it would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Bilopete

[Local_Guy]

welcome aboard mate and it was great to catch up with you in Rocky on sat.

as soon as this weather clears and i get a day off work we'll head out and find some fish. then you can record all my Spot X's (so far got 1 of them) on your handheld gps.

in the meantime, hope you catch some fish landbased, if you do your doing well with the current condtions...

[BOMBIE]

HI Bilopete mate check out the piney fishing club in emu park good family club comps once a month & the fishing expo is on {again } on the 28/29 this month at emu park plenty of knowledge & advise /photos at the bar cheers BOMBIE :D

[mangomick]

Mate
I'd be sounding around the 40 acre paddock, A general GPS co-ordinate for the 40 acre paddock was given to a post a couple of days earlier earlier in this forum in regard to places to fish around yeppoon. There was also the marks for lisa jane shoals but that might be a bit far out for you.l
You could also grab the zoning map from the local bait and tackle place (they are free)and it shows you where a lot of fringing coral is. Just sound around out from them. There's bount to be the odd bommie just out from them. You'll need a zoning map anyway if you dont want to be the catch of the day.
When you're out there, anchor up and drop a few baits in the open sandy spots amonst the coral and you should do ok or try fishing along the outer edge where the running tide pushes up against it.
If all else fails try findlay reef 150.49.720 23.00.100 I've never tried it . I got it off a list that I had floating around. JT (jtpython) or Scott (ifishcq) should be able to tell you whether findlays fishes ok or not. Then I'll know too ;D ;D ;D

[Bilopete]

Evening Jase and Bombie and thanks for the welcome!

The fishing expo sounds like a go'er, do you have any more info on it Bombie?
Crap weather alright...anymore days like today and I may as well put the boat in mothballs!

Oh Bombie, let me be the very 1st to give you thanks!

Cheers guys

[Local_Guy]

mango. apparently findlays as well as farnbrough and bangalee reef work early morning.

i haven't been to either of them yet, but have 2 marked on the gps in the boat.

Try this link
http://www.emuparkonline.com.au/Clubs/Club_49-fishclub/club-49.html

[Bilopete]

Thanks Mangomick for the feedback,

Local-Guy has also suggested a few of those spots and as soon as the weather gets better I'll be sussing them out.

Cheers

[BOMBIE]

NO problems Bilopete ,mate just turn up at the Piney on sat 28 about 10.00am and go to the bar and see the Locals from the Pine beach fishing club & they wont lead u astray and ask for the president he will help you out BOMBIE 8-)

[Kendall249]

I lived in rocky and kinka beach for several years. The causeway lake has provided some og the most consistant jack fishing, the average about 42cm and the largest 55cm. The best bait was anything live you could get, mullet etc.

When the weather is good there is plenty of macks, queenies and teh such to be caught around double heads and iron pot. The old technique of a ganged pillie works well though I found a metal lure of around 5cm very effective. Better again when you leave from Roslyn bay harbour catch some live herring, float these under a small float and if the macks are around you baits wont last long.

Around double heads and iron pot you can catch bonito and wolf herring (ribbon fish) regularly. Keep these to troll around 40 acre, conical rocks and keppels in general to target good size spanish, it seems to be more about the tides than location. I never perfected it though the bigger the tides coinsiding with nice clean water seemed to be better.

Sorry I don't have any GPS marks though the better country was out from flat and perforated island, they are a bit out of the way. People I spoke to talked about the red fern.

Also if you can head up to corio bay and fish around the heads, better water up that way. Hope that helps.


Kendall

[Bilopete]

Thanks Kendall,

Anywhere specific in the lake? I read that anytide higher than 3.8m brings in the water and I often see people fishing both sides of the bridge or are you meaning in the lake generally?

Thanks for the info on the other locations. You mentioned a few spots I haven't heard of yet so I will do some digging around.

Cheers

Bilopete


I lived in rocky and kinka beach for several years. The causeway lake has provided some og the most consistant jack fishing, the average about 42cm and the largest 55cm. The best bait was anything live you could get, mullet etc.

When the weather is good there is plenty of macks, queenies and teh such to be caught around double heads and iron pot. The old technique of a ganged pillie works well though I found a metal lure of around 5cm very effective. Better again when you leave from Roslyn bay harbour catch some live herring, float these under a small float and if the macks are around you baits wont last long.

Around double heads and iron pot you can catch bonito and wolf herring (ribbon fish) regularly. Keep these to troll around 40 acre, conical rocks and keppels in general to target good size spanish, it seems to be more about the tides than location. I never perfected it though the bigger the tides coinsiding with nice clean water seemed to be better.

Sorry I don't have any GPS marks though the better country was out from flat and perforated island, they are a bit out of the way. People I spoke to talked about the red fern.

Also if you can head up to corio bay and fish around the heads, better water up that way. Hope that helps.


Kendall

[BOMBIE]

Bilopete , mate we have got the yammy barra tank, fishing gear suppliers ,crab tying demos ,castnet comp, good local boating suppliers , camping gear ,fridges campers etc etc just keep your eyes on the box in the near future ,Cheers BOMBIE

[ifishcq1]

Hi Bilopete

pm me your email address and tell me how far you will travell.. while I am doing a list for Local Guy I'll get another few done for you and the others I promised

SL

[Kendall249]

Hi Bilopete

My favourite spot in the lake was not far from the ramp. If you are looking out from the ramp (roughly west) you can divide the lake into to the south branch and the north banch. You head up the south branch, straight across from the ramp, stay of the right side as this is where the deepest water is. From the point where branch starts and 200 metres up from there are some of most succesful spots. ( how far along i can't remember) Have a look for rocks scattered in the water along the edges and watch the sounder for water depth 1.5 - 2.5 m. This spot provides shelter from the annoying wind (sometimes). the deepest water is only about 10- 15m (could be closer) metres from the northern bank of this branch. Abit further up and on the other side there is a clearing, it is a spot i use to collect bait.

If you continue up this branch you will pass a mud island (lack of a better term), in behind this there are large weed beds. at this spot you can berley up with bread for gar and bream over the week beds. Squash the bread into a dough and generally catch bream, make it float by not squahing it and generally catch gar. I have also used small live prawns under a float and watch the bream smash them. These gar a rather large snub-nosed variety and make awesome bait for macks out the front.

keep heading up this branch and you come to a junction this is a good spot to cross paths with barra and jacks. I have not explored much further up than this.
if you headed up the other branch, the northern one from the ramp, you will find some shallow spot all have produced fish. The lake generally fishes better at night, especially in the shallows. Use the weed beds as structure by fishing around them. Fishing can be slow at times, but I generally used live bait.

Using anthing live you can get mullet, bony bream, herring ang gar. Don't be afraid of using large live bait such as mullet 4-6in and gar up to 8in. I often fished with both smaller ones and large one, It is surprising that the big baits sometimes get smashed. I have caught 90cm barra and a 1.2 m barracuda in there before. The bigger fish baits seen to work better when the water is warmer.

The run-through, when the tide get over 3.8, seems to bring some pelagic action near the bridge during the day, as well as barra. Though the barra bite better at night. Fish hear with a float (with a glow stick on the float if you like) and live bait from tthe bridge, but it is a popular spot.

I generally use a paternoster rig or a running rig, the running works on most fish but the paternoster seems to be more effective on barra. The lake is a strange place to work out, as it lack significant tidal influence most of the time.

I moved back to townsville in 2005 and had forgotten how much I enjoyed living there, or should I say I enjoyed fishing there rather than living there.

Kendall

[jtpython]

Hey Bilopete Looks like your in good hands with Scotty Mate anything else you need don't be frighteened to ask as i'm always heading out for a fish
JT

[Bilopete]

Once again, many thanks Kendall249.

I have been at the causeway when the tide rushes in and fairdinkum, you have to fight for spot either on the bridge or off the bank and at atimes there's a dozen boats about 20-40 metres away....never seen anything large pulled from the causeway though.....

I have been warned not to take the boat in the causeway lake because of its shallow depth, submerged trees etc can cause some damage to the boat but I guess it depends on the type of boat you have.

Cheers

Bilopete

[Bilopete]

Thanks Mate, I will keep that in mind.

If you ever have a spare seat in the boat and you don't a newbie coming along then give me a call.

I figure my golf handicap improved from 28 to 12 by tagging along with a 'A'grade player and learning from watching / talking etc....fishing / boating shouldn't be any different!

Cheers

Pete


Hey Bilopete Looks like your in good hands with Scotty Mate anything else you need don't be frighteened to ask as i'm always heading out for a fish
JT