Late Fraser Report (10/6-14/6)

[jollyman]

7 of us, most of who work together, made our annual pilgrimage to a sand island last week. We had a pathfinder, a forester and a grand vitara in convoy.

We Brisbane left on Saturday morning in showery conditions. Myself and Steve (chisel) met up with Slider on the way up to collect some sliders. Nice to meet you Lindsay! We ended up at our camp near Ocean Lake, just north of Orchid Beach, in the early afternoon. The tracks up were in great condition and no worries for any of the cars. We got the camp set up in the rain, and it just kept coming. We managed to get some worms that afternoon and wet a line, but didn't manage any fish in wet and windy conditions.

It proceded to piss down until 6am the next morning. Sandy Cape reported 182mm for the 24 hours to 9am Sunday!!! But it pretty much just turned off then. We fished some decent looking water for a couple of just legal whiting in the morning. Weather was pretty still all day. We got stuck into some more worms during the day (there were lots to be had) and that afternoon hit a great gutter full of very good dart. Dart might not be everyone's cup of tea but when there are not tailor around they're hard to go past :-) These ones were good size and a superb fight on light gear. I think we ended up with 20 odd, and they cooked up brilliantly for dinner.

Monday morning was probably the best morning of all... weather wise at least. The swell had dropped right off but there wasn't a scale to be had. During the day the wind really got up. A planned trip up to Sandy Cape came to an end after watching a car get bogged at Ngkala rocks, so we ended up driving most of the island to show the Fraser virgins some sights, which was a lot more driving than we thought it was.

Tuesday morning once again netted nothing. Wind was really starting to get up, and even though we were a bit protected from the SW and S north of Waddy, we still felt the SE. Got stuck into even more worms during the day, with a couple of lads losing their worming virginity. Fished that arvo for an avg haul of legal dart, whiting and bream/tarwhine. Steve caught what we think was a milkfish at maybe 27cm long which was returned.

Wednesday morning again was pretty much fishless. We fished long and hard, but came up empy handed so packed up camp for the journey home. Despite a pretty disappointing trip fishing wise, it was still great fun and heaps better than working! :-)

So fish tally was a heap of dart, a few bream/whiting. NO TAILOR! :-( and our new shiny sliders went untouched, despite much casting. They cast like a dream though, much further than a raider of the same weight.

Sorry about the essay.


Pic: dart

[jollyman]

Sunrise on the day that the swell went away

[jollyman]

Yours truly fishing a good looking gutter for nothin'!

[jollyman]

At least the scenery was good

[Slient]

Hi Jollyman,

Sorry about "No tailor" but sure you enjoy the break & fishing on Frase island
Thanks for pic's with nice scenery!

Happy fishing
Silent

[Slider]

Hey guys,

The forecast certainly wasn't a good one and you were always going to do it a little tough. It's a shame that you didn't get to the cape and how anybody gets themselves bogged at Ngkala after rain always dumbfounds me. Seems like in the last few years that I always have to assist other people in bogs there before I can get through. Last time we waited an hour for modern vehicles to give up or get through before we towed a boat behind my hilux through without any problems and were backing off before the crest and it was dry.
How good is it though camping at Ocean Lake? Can't think of a better place to stay irrespective of the fishing. And guys as you say the dart are great fun on light gear and I've always enjoyed eating them as well.
Next time perhaps with the Sliders hey.

Linds

[jollyman]

I'm still very keen to test these sliders out on some big tailor first hand Lindsay.

The car that was badly bogged was actually a hilux :-) There was a boggy patch just near the southern entrance. After he was snatched out backwards another guy in a patrol ute came hooning through. Got through no worries but cut up the track more which is didn't really help. We decided it wasn't worth trying to get our cars through.

Yep, the Ocean Lake campsites are very nice indeed. There were only 2 other groups in the whole area, thanks largely to the weather I guess.

Joel

[chisel]

The Ngkala bypass was pretty cut-up. In retrospect we should have gone up straight after the rain when it looked easy-as. I had no troubles with the boggy patch there in April (others did) but it did look worse this time. I somehow doubt the fishing was that much better at the cape anyhoo.
Joel forgot to mention a short fish at Waddy off the rocks on the northern/protected side. There didn't see to be much except small tarwhine around but again with hindsight we probably should have persisted at the rocks a bit longer.
There's always next time!! :)

[FOOCKCHUCKER]

bit dodgey weather can sometimes rev the finned ones up but with only stinkey dart on offer they must have not liked the cooler weather. will be here soon as a mate down northern n.s.w. has been getting slammed by monster green backs now for three weeks and said on the weekend they were getting thicker. all caught on mullet fillets said the pillies were untouched probley those bodgey stars and stripes type but good to here they are on the way and if the wind won"t bugger of to head offshore may have to head down that way for a weekend quicky. :)

[Jono757]

that day where the swell goes down looks awesome for fishing. i was down there in the easter holidays and there was one day that we thought was good, but it was nothing like that. we just caught heaps of whiting. some days we caught an average of 100. you might know my granddad he has a house in happy valley and his name is des Guissler i think that's how you spell it.

[Slider]

Always queenies and GT's at the cape - netting aside.

The tailor will definitely be at Fraser by now - first run went past Noosa in early May and the comp produced a few.

Poyungan is the place to spin lures early in the season.