OFFSHORE Baffle

[fish_hunter]

Hi,

Myself and few mates are doing a trip to Baffle Creek north of Bundaberg in 2 weeks. Stayingh at Boaga and planning on doing a fair bit of fishing in the creek for flathead, jacks etc. Will be taking the tinny but was also just wondering if it is worth taking the big boat also for a spot of offshore fishing there.

Does anyone know what the bar is like there as I have heard it is pretty shallow? Any information regarding any close by offshore spots and what types of fish you might expect to catch at these spots would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks a lot and cheers 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-)

[agnesstyle]

The bar is shallow and it rips through threre on the run in & out, but is worth bringing the bigger boat if the wind drops a bit. There are reefs 6 miles out, and the sunken "Carma" is 10 miles from shore. Both spots are currently producing big reds and oversized sweet lip. The carma always holds pelagics, our last trip produced some really big cobia, and the usual mackeral.
The creek itself is big... some holes are 10+ meters deep and are very fishy. We fished all weekend without much luck, but the tides will slow over the next week and the jacks will come back on the bite. We cracked a few small school jewies, which was a first for me here, and saw some pretty big surface feeders, perhaps salmon.
Good luck with the trip,
Agnes Style

[roz]

I've had a good look at that bar, and agnes style is correct. Bit nasty on the back tide. Would definately pay you to check it out properly first, or perhaps fish out of 1770.

roz

[fish_hunter]

Thanks heaps for the great info guys.

Sounds as if it would be worth a go offshore.

Does anyone know the GPS marks for these reefs?


Cheers :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D,

[madmix]

beware of green zone, gbrmpa deliberately included the catamaran
wreck just inside green zone. that only leaves the Karma 28km
offshore. Check notes to mariners for gps mark, and I'll give you a hint,
it is within 300m of notified mark, just have to search around with sounder.

be warned this bar can be treacherous, if entering from south beware
of false entrance, or else you will find yourself having to go back out
which is no fun when its rough and you cant get the power on to get out of the shallows.

also beware of submerged timber, best to check it out for yourself at
low tide.

Also you could checkout fingers reef 2km north of baffle bar

[timbacutta]

Another spot to try off the mouth of the Baffle is the Kolan Patch. Reefies on the bottom, mackeral, tuna, cobia and trevally trolling around the patch. Approx 10 miles from the mouth. Hope this helps.

Jeff.

[madmix]

sorry fish hunter, just realised I made a blue in last post.
KARMA is 18km offshore.
Also be careful north of fingers reef, due to green zone
adjacent to deepwater national park.

cheers mick

[JEWIENEWIE]

Madmix, can you still fish from the beach or tinny if conditions allow, north of fingers reef up to the creek mouth? being Mitchells and is camping still allowed on the spit at Mitchells Creek, beachside??
JN

[madmix]

Hi there Jewienewie,

Yes, beach fishing is stil alowed upto Mitchels Ck, I havn,t camped
there personaly but as far as I am aware it is stil OK, access is stil
available from rules beach.

The problem starts for the area adjacent to deepwater national park
(24.23.374S), with GBRMPA green zone. and a 200m yellow zone
shore side, which allowed beach fishermen to use one hook.

That was all bad enough, until premierre pete decided that Qld fishing
zones adjacent to GBRMPA zones would match offshore zones to save
confusion. So go figure, Im stil in the dark.

[agnes_jack]

Just to clarify that a little,
Beach fishing is permited all the way along the beach thru Deepwater national park to the mouth of Baffle and beyond. The green zone runs along the beach from about red rock thru to just south of wreck rock. There is a yellow zone in place for approx 200m from the low tide mark. This means beach fishing is permited, but fishing from a tinnie would more than likely put you into the green zone. The yellow zone restricts anglers to one hand held rod per person with no more than one hook, or lure per line, or one set of up to 6 gang hooks.


Regards, Tony

[Smithy]

Another spot in the area is what some of my friends called Blackwater. It is off the Telecom tower to the north. Little patches of rubble but check the GBRMPA zones as some of my marks for it are inside and some just outside. Holds Grunter on the bottom and Cobes and Spanish mid water. The other guys are right about Fingers Reef, The Karma, Kolan Patch being recognised spots and unfortunately the Cat being in the green zone.

[JEWIENEWIE]

Thanks for the update boys, i camp up there every june for a 4 to6 week stint, never really stay informed on new regulations. Are the mullett netters still permitted to operate of the beaches there?
jn

[Benno75]

Jewienewie

Where a bouts do you stay at Boaga - is there a camp ground? I've camped at Baffle Bobs, and also in the NO at the mouth of the baffle. I was unaware of any kind of accommodation at Boaga though

[JEWIENEWIE]

Drive to the beach access onto rules beach drive ontothe beachand turn left, drive up the beach til you can drive no further and you can camp on the spit or back along the beacha bit.
The sand is super soft with no access of the beach once you get on. Make sure you havethe tides right!!! It can be really hard going at times. i tow a small tinny loaded with a 2000 model tropy, so far so good but have seen some pretty stuck vehicles.There is noamenities here no nothing in that respect, just how we like it! If you turned right once you hit the beach yu would end uo at the mouthof the baffle creek.
JN

[fish_hunter]

Thanks guys for all the valuable information re fishing Baffle Creek. I'm heading up there Saturday morning for 7 nights so I will give you a report how we went when we return, hopefully with a lot of fish stories


Cheers

[JEWIENEWIE]

If you have a4x4, get onto rules beach and head up to Mitchells creek, take some soft plastics or any of your favourite flattie lures. The creek is full of monster flathead. My best up there is a 77cm mother, but as with all flattie, the big buggers are breaders so do the right theing and put her back.
Jewienewie

[JEWIENEWIE]

One more thing fishhunter, if you see a blue double ocean kyack, malibu twwo is the brand, with some repairs done to the bottum of her, please let me know, I lost the bugger last year in a big swell, see lost and found section. If you see her please call me on 0401099029. Cheers mate, she was a gem for fishing in the shallow creeks up there.
Jewienewie

[JEWIENEWIE]

Fish-hunter, i havent seen a post regarding your week away at boaga, i am heading up there very soon, any info on how you went would be great, how is the mouth at Mitchells creek?
Jewienewie

[fish_hunter]

jewienewie.

the week at BOAGA was great. Fished outside on 3 days. The bar is not too bad, main thing is to take it slow and watch for submerged tress, we hit one on the way in and did some prop damage. Best to go out on a rising tide. Plenty of birds working only a few k from the bar. Did not get out to the Karma plenty of fish closer in. Picked up good kingfish, spaniards , tuna and spotties on the troll and casting metals. Not much in the way of reef fish.

Inside the creek trevally and queenfish were working the channels and easily caught on metals. Caught a few big flathead and grunter trolling as well as big mangrove jacks on the rock wall.

All in all a good result and I will definitely be going back.


Cheers

[JEWIENEWIE]

Thanks mate, just as i remember the place, just dont tell to many people!!
JN ;D

[madmix]

Glad to see you had a good time , fish=hunter.
Apart from a few showers you scored some pretty good
boating/fishing weather.
This week the submerged timber is the least of the problems
on the bar, which is breaking upto 3-4