Freeeedom
05-04-2006, 08:35 PM
Spent a week camping at Burrum Heads so I could have a look at the Burrum River and try some fishing with a slightly more tropical feel to it. Each day I tried a different situation and looked for different species. Caught fish every day although not in huge numbers, but enough to feed myself and bring a few fillets home on the ice. Species caught included grunter (javelin fish), bream, tailor, estuary cod, school mackerel, flounder, pike, snapper, grass sweetlip and moses perch. Notable absentees among the catch were whiting and flathead although the techniques I used would catch heaps of them in the estuaries of SE Qld.
A few points to note...
There are 2 ramps at Burrum, both concrete with drop offs at their ends at low tide. The tidal rise and fall can be over 3 metres (10 feet) and the tide really rips in and out. Both the ramps face north so they also may have a bit of chop on them if the sea breeze is up. This makes it very difficult to retrieve a boat of any size except at slack tide (and even then) without assistance. I often had to get shore based anglers (usually fishing off the boat ramps) to help me. The ramp at Walker's Point, across on the north side of the river is a much better ramp.
The river is very shallow at low tide and there are sandbanks and a few mudbanks everywhere. A couple of kilometres up the river there is no main channel and the river may only be a metre deep or less. There are no beacons or bouys except those from the ramps out into Hervey Bay, so travel slowly and look carefully before charging around, as a few were doing. You'd hear the sound of a roaring outboard suddenly die a couple of times a day.
There are yabbies in huge numbers on all the banks, but they are universally tiny. I did not pump a single yabby that I would consider keeping if I'd pumped it at say Bribie. There are herring and hardiheads in large numbers, easily caught with a cast net or bait net, and they provide a ready supply of live bait.
Ran up to the Woodgate Artificial Reef one day for a look. Had a set of GPS marks from the Fishnet archive. They were WRONG - out by about 10 nautical miles. Fortunately I had another set of marks which turned out to be correct. Got busted up by a couple of bruisers I couldn't even turn. Old couple in a tinnie near me boated a trevally well over 10kgs after a long fight.
Crabbing up there was just like down here (Brisbane) - pots every 20 metres and lots of jennies. Caught only 1 legal buck.
Would I go back? I think that the area would fish better during the winter or early summer, it being a bit bewteen seasons at the moment, but I wouldn't go back to Burrum Heads until they get better ramps that are safe at any time of tide. I'd probably camp on the north side and launch at Walker's Point. Still had a great week though
Cheers Freeeedom
A few points to note...
There are 2 ramps at Burrum, both concrete with drop offs at their ends at low tide. The tidal rise and fall can be over 3 metres (10 feet) and the tide really rips in and out. Both the ramps face north so they also may have a bit of chop on them if the sea breeze is up. This makes it very difficult to retrieve a boat of any size except at slack tide (and even then) without assistance. I often had to get shore based anglers (usually fishing off the boat ramps) to help me. The ramp at Walker's Point, across on the north side of the river is a much better ramp.
The river is very shallow at low tide and there are sandbanks and a few mudbanks everywhere. A couple of kilometres up the river there is no main channel and the river may only be a metre deep or less. There are no beacons or bouys except those from the ramps out into Hervey Bay, so travel slowly and look carefully before charging around, as a few were doing. You'd hear the sound of a roaring outboard suddenly die a couple of times a day.
There are yabbies in huge numbers on all the banks, but they are universally tiny. I did not pump a single yabby that I would consider keeping if I'd pumped it at say Bribie. There are herring and hardiheads in large numbers, easily caught with a cast net or bait net, and they provide a ready supply of live bait.
Ran up to the Woodgate Artificial Reef one day for a look. Had a set of GPS marks from the Fishnet archive. They were WRONG - out by about 10 nautical miles. Fortunately I had another set of marks which turned out to be correct. Got busted up by a couple of bruisers I couldn't even turn. Old couple in a tinnie near me boated a trevally well over 10kgs after a long fight.
Crabbing up there was just like down here (Brisbane) - pots every 20 metres and lots of jennies. Caught only 1 legal buck.
Would I go back? I think that the area would fish better during the winter or early summer, it being a bit bewteen seasons at the moment, but I wouldn't go back to Burrum Heads until they get better ramps that are safe at any time of tide. I'd probably camp on the north side and launch at Walker's Point. Still had a great week though
Cheers Freeeedom