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View Full Version : Tailor fishing Fraser island 8th-10th



McKnight
14-08-2014, 08:22 AM
After getting all the boys to commit to coming at my wedding last year, we headed up to Fraser early Friday morning and were on the island by lunch time. We set up at Dunduburra after stopping at the usual tourist spots along the way. Decided to head for a quick afternoon fish. only managing 1 big keeper between 9 of us, Some other campers were leaving the next day and had a bag load of fillets they didn't want to take home so we had a feed the first night.

Saturday we had a morning fish again managing only 1 between 9(wrong time in the tide). after going back for breakfast/lunch we headed for lake McKenzie, and stopped for a little fish somewhere on the way back. By the time we left that spot the it was just on dusk and the tide was on its way in, and we were still south of Eli creek :( We get to Eli creek and think we picked a good path through only to go through the biggest hole(don't cross at the bend). A bit of water over the windscreen and into the front windows of the lead car, and a number plate was all we lost on three vehicles without snorkels.

Sunday morning Session was much better, we managed 7 nice sized fish. after a nice breakfast of fresh fish we kicked a footy around until it was close to low tide. We loaded up and headed out to find a nice gutter to park on until the right time. We found one about 1 km south of Dunduburra, with tent city in the dunes we new it must have been a good gutter. We parked up and tried our hand at worming and boy were we useless at it. we only managed the one out of about an hour trying. At 2 hours to high tide we new things were starting up when a few blokes from tent city descend from the dunes and take up their spot. We quickly started pulling in a few smaller ones, then the larger ones came on pretty fast and when we hit 10 we were only keeping the larger ones. Ended up with 16 at the end of the run and the kitty for largest went to yours truly.

We only ever catch what we intend to eat on the island as we find tailor are crap if frozen. We also cook the frames up as well and pick the meat of the bones :) Cut off the tail, skin top, and bottom also remove blood line from gut area. Then crumb and shallow fry.

I will add some pics later.

-Shay-
14-08-2014, 02:45 PM
Nice work mate, looking forward to seeing some pictures.

Using pillies or lures?

Probably picked a good time to come back with the weather supposed to turn crap this weekend

Just_chips
15-08-2014, 07:31 AM
And the larger fish were how big?

I think you can consider yourself lucky at Eli Ck too, been many a vehicle lost there so you did pretty well only losing a number plate. Three vehicles and 9 blokes and nobody walked the path first?::) Could have been very ugly. The creek will constantly change with each tide, but generally the further down the beach you cross the shallower it will be, just need to watch the waves and how much salty water surges up, but it will be quickly diluted by the massive volume of water coming out of the creek.

Thanks for the report mate. There is always heaps of hype about guys heading up to Fraser at this time of year, but often not many take the time to give a report on their return.

Kev

sharkymark2
15-08-2014, 07:31 PM
I did the same thing 40 years ago at the creek. Mate walked through in a curved fashion.::) I came in and had water over my bonnet and a wave was breaking through the window. Just managed to get the window up and a little water came through. Needless to say had the foot on the brakes for a while. Every time it rained after that the solenoid on the starter would play up. I wonder why:-X

McKnight
18-08-2014, 08:19 AM
There were a couple caught on slugs(40 or 50g I think) the rest were on pilchards. Tackle Shop at Carseldine has good pilchards. The IQF ones are good quality and being individually frozen makes them last better then block ones in my opinion. The largest was around 50cm so nothing overly large, the fillets were nice and fat though. We all had lots of fun.

First time I have put the Alvey reel to good use since getting it. I'm not sure exactly on the model old 550 I think. It felt a little small to be on a beach rod to be honest but it worked a treat. I had it on a rod set up for a spin reel so that was a pain but it still performed. I will be getting an Alvey rod for next year.

In hindsight we should have walked it, hell I should have at least had the dashcam running :( Lesson learned though. Yeah we went back and had a look the next day and it was very different to when we went through it and that was only two high tides since we went through.

Sunday morning.
http://i.imgur.com/BJQjw05l.jpg

Sunday afternoon
http://i.imgur.com/k62Z5j3l.jpg

Where we were fishing Sunday afternoon. You have to be quick with a panorama of the surf. To the right is a nice shelf where we had a crack at worming and to the left is the gutter.
http://i.imgur.com/morLxjBl.jpg

Just_chips
18-08-2014, 09:15 AM
Your feet are massive!

McKnight
18-08-2014, 09:32 AM
Forgot to crop that out haha, it's also a little deceiving since the camera is angled and my foot is closer to the camera haha. but yes my feet are quite large.

Tailorfisho78
20-08-2014, 07:38 PM
Your feet are massive!

Yes I must agree with just chips, you must have massive feet as some of the choppers look very small compared to you foot, or maybe the other choppers are massive compared to the smaller ones?

McKnight
21-08-2014, 07:04 AM
Yes I must agree with just chips, you must have massive feet as some of the choppers look very small compared to you foot, or maybe the other choppers are massive compared to the smaller ones?

Alright my feet are big, but I swear it is just the angle of the camera.

We must have been on the same barge Tailorfisho, we saw you a couple times heading up the beach.

Tailorfisho78
21-08-2014, 07:50 PM
Alright my feet are big, but I swear it is just the angle of the camera.

We must have been on the same barge Tailorfisho, we saw you a couple times heading up the beach.
Just jealous mate as I only caught 3 tailor, 1 dart and got smashed up by a Spanish mac just north of dundaburra. Could of caught a few more but the 6am beers got the better of me and staying dry and clean seemed like a no brainer! Had some good fun driving up to the cape on the Monday and decided to come home a day early. Looking at going back up on October long weekend for a few bigger fish

Just_chips
22-08-2014, 09:44 AM
Could of caught a few more but the 6am beers got the better of me

I've always said the best way to catch more fish at Fraser is to take less grog ;D

McKnight
22-08-2014, 09:56 AM
I didn't have any problems with that since I was driving all weekend. it was the outlaws car. Everyone else not driving was on the drink early, one bloke cracked a can of coke and pour in some rum before 8am haha.

bondy99
31-08-2014, 11:20 PM
McKnight,

Excellent Report mate and good of you to provide a feedback after your visit to the island, not many do. As with Just Chips said, Eli Creek is a tricky obstacle and low tide is the way to go, usually quite a few ruts in the area one needs to be diligent for. In hindsight we all know now that's is wise to check the crossing before venturing the creek.

Nice tailor, if only I had a 4WD to get over there, nothing flash but not a rust bucket either. One day it will happen

Cheers, Bondy

SON_of_ADD60
01-09-2014, 01:42 PM
Hi Guys yes we were there earlier in the month of August and only caught 3 Tailor ourselves better luck next time as we are looking to go up on the long week end ourselves Dad and Bro in tow might see you up there Guys. :-)