Upper Noosa River

[wheezer]

It has been a few years since I've fished the upper reaches of Noosa, and with a relocation back to cairns on the cards we decided to have one last shot. The goal was to concentrate on surface fishing, targetting wild bass in the upper noosa river followed by tarpon up in kin kin creek.

We hit the narrows and started casting in the pre dawn light. The bass were slow with only 4 or 5 hits for 1 fish boated. by 9am we had moved into kin kin creek, the wind was up and we weren't holding out much hope of being able to use surface presentations.

We managed to find a stretch sheltered from the wind gusts and almost instantly i was on, only to result in an airborne tarpon going one way, my popper the other....over the next 4 hours we had plenty of action, final tally was only 5 fish boated with at least double that many dropped and plenty of hits.

We had intended to target jacks as well but we were having so much fun on the tarpon we didn't get around to it...the run back across the lake into a stiff sou'easter was hell and we got thoroughly flogged and saturated but still nothing could wipe the grins of our faces...aaaah surface fishing gotta love it!

[marty_z]

I have to agree - there is nothing better than surface fishing. You should be able to get plenty of that in the creeks in Cairns also!

I am heading to Noosa North shore this weekend (leaving the boat at home though) and staying on the edge of Lake Cooroibah. Is it worth taking a spin rod for a flick off the bank? And if so, what can I expect to catch?

Finally, can I find yabbies on that bank as I would like to take my daughter for a bit of a fish as well?

Thanks

Marty

[black_sheep]

marty_z,

Plenty of stingrays mate. Don't know how they go on surface lures though . From memory, Cooroibah is very shallow except for the main channel. We canoed it and came across dozens of stingrays, the occassional whiting and flatty. Don't think you'll get much else from the bank.

Good luck though.

[Pistol_P]

Good work Andy,

Dont worry mate I promise I will come surface popping with ya in Cairns...

See you there for some BIG black popper munching GT's.

Pete

[wheezer]

yea as navi said pretty hard to access the channel from the bank, although if you have access to the southern side of it you will be able to...its a popular flatty spot. not sure on the yabbie banks, i always pump them down in the frying pan, as you say the kiddies love it!

thanks pete, had so much fun am tempted to try get up there again this weekend but i doubt it! at least i know what i got to look forward to!!

[BR65]

Gday Andrew, good luck in Cairns mate.
Can you let Chris know Ive recieved the handles, thanks mate
cheers
brian

[wheezer]

thanks mate, looking forward to being close to tinaroo so i can satisfy my my severe IBD infection!

[abbot_86]

nice work mate. i cant say ive ever seen that lake not choppy in the arvo. also what lures did the damage?? nick

[wheezer]

yea cootharaba normally choppy but this time was just nuts! when we came out past the kinaba info centre there was breaking waves! not much fun in the little 375 cartopper....anyway well worth it

lures that did the damage...well for bass it was the cultiva gobo...probably my all time fave small popper more of a spitter than a blooper and can walk the dog well too...very versatile. for the tarps it was either the rebel teeny pop-r or the river2sea bubble pop in 45 size...having feathers on the rear treble made for a definite increase in hits, and changing trebles out to owners off the gobos increased hookup ratio (new river2seas come with owners which is a nice touch)

[flyfisho]

Nice stuff Andrew , good to hear the Tarps aint going nowhere

[skipalong]

good fishing but dirty water up that way where it meets tee tree

[wheezer]

i wouldn't say dirty...just tanin stained...the bass are a really nice dark colour. will be doing more of the same here up around cairns, but instead of bass they'll JP's, sooties etc...can't wait!

[Pistol_P]

i wouldn't say dirty...just tanin stained...the bass are a really nice dark colour. will be doing more of the same here up around cairns, but instead of bass they'll JP's, sooties etc...can't wait!

How did the move go mate....You all in ok..?

Pete

[wheezer]

don't get me started....f#cken removalists have been delayed a week!! can't move into the place because we've got nothing to move in with and i can't go fishing because all my fishing gear is in a truck somewhere down there....

[TonyM]

Moving can be the pitts Andrew.

Hang in there mate, soon enough you'll be back into it. I'm looking forwards to your reports from up that way!

Cheers
Tony