Stanage

[minn-kota]

HAVE JUST SPENT 0VER FIVE WEEKS IN STANAGE CRABBING & FISHING - SPECTACULAR PLACE- FISHING INCREDIBLY BAD,CAUGHT ONLY ONE DECENT FISH(1x3kg salmon) ON A LURE . DID NOT SEE A CRAB OF ANY SORT MUCH LESS A LEGAL ONE.WE TROLLED/THREW LURES ALL OVER THE PLACE INCLUDING A 15KM TRIP TO THE NTHN END OF QUAIL ISLAND - ALL WITHOUT RESULT EXCEPT FOR A FEW SMALL BREAM THE MATE CAUGHT ON BAIT.DOES ANYBODY KNOW IS THIS NORMAL?? AM I THAT BAD A FISHO??UYS FISHING OUTSIDE ON REEFS WERE REPORTING POOR RESULTS AS WELL

[Angla]

Were the military forces on exercise in the area at all? I believe that will shut the fishing down but the crabs should be there unless you run by the theory of no "R" in the month, no crabs.

JTPython may shed some light there.

Cheers
Chris

[minn-kota]

No the army boys didnt get there until well after we left.The pro crabbers were travelling over 13 nautical mile to check their pots - seems they have cleaned out all of the closer areas.

[A_DIFF_PERSPECTIVE]

5 weeks is a dam long time to not catch many fish. If you only went fishing 3 times in 5 weeks, that isn't so bad, but if you went 25 times, well, that is a different story. I have never known any large location to not produce some kind of fishing action over a 5 week period. Stanage and the surrounding districts offer an array of species that do require varied technique to get better results. Did you bait fish much, or just throw lures? Live bait? Dead bait? Jigging?
Species available should have included black jew, estuary cod, trevally, school and spanish mackerel, tusk fish, coral trout, and a host of other reef and creek species. Crabbing does become particular in the winter months. Some of the best crabbing occurs in many coastal regions in May, June, July, and even in August. It depends on fishing pressure to start with as to how long intowinter the crabbing will last. Some commercial crabbers almost operate all year. Months without an "R" is a crazy old tale that doesn't really apply in the CQ district. Stanage and Shoalwater and Broadsand are massive systems, yes, somtimes you may have to do a lot of miles before you set one pot,,,,,or cast a line. I hope your next trip is 50 times more successful.
Johnny

[Chris_2184]

I did a week up there about this time last year, did lots of km's to set and check crab pot for almost no results so we gave up crabbing after 3-4 days (just too much time and effort for the results).
We bait and lure fished most sheltered estuary areas during the week (due to windy conditions), each day we managed a decent feed of bream but that was it.
It wasn't until the last couple days that the wind died down enough to head out to the islands, which took all of two days to figure out where some decent fish were hiding. Ended up doing 150km each day in my 4.75 bluefin/75hp rig, but ended up with quality coral trout, grassy and spangled emperors, parrot, cod, spanish mackeral, trevally, tuna and even snapper.

The last two days of the trip made it worth it and can't wait to head back up there again!

[tunaticer]

I have been there before for the june - july session and not had a good run, then the next yr it fired. Basically I fish the shallows up to about 10m of water apart from the channel directly in front of the ramp for change of tide periods. I am keen to get back up there tho armed with plastics instead of hard bods.
Have only had pots in there for one tide and caught 2 crabs from 4 pots.

Got to be the best location along the Qld coast with or without fish.

[frenzy]

strange bay,hot and cold but 5 weeks of it mate thats just bad luck