Overnighter inside Fraser Question's!?!

[therapy]

Gedday Ausfisher's
After 8 month's of graveyard shift's I am taking a week off at the start of November to re-charge the battery's and what better way than towing the old Sporty somewhere I haven't venture often to explore some new ground and see some new sight's. After some thought, I have decided that launching at Hervey Bay at spending a couple of night's inside Fraser would be just the medicine I need. Considered crossing Wide Bay bar but not confident. I will be travelling solo ( unless Elle or Hawko start answering my e-mail's, letter's!!!) Now for the question's?!?!

1- Anywhere to secure the car and trailer at Hervey Bay?

2- Where to overnight? Wathumba or elsewhere?

3- I have 90 mile's range and want to travel to the tip. How much more fuel do I need ( usage 1ltr per mile)

4- What sort of fishing is to be had inside the island. I have seen doco's about shallow water pelagic's (LT'S, marlin) and Eric's report's. Any hot spot's along the way to look out for??


That's about it for now. Looking forward to any feedback..

Cheers.....Terry......

[Si]

mate i did a trip like that myself bout a year ago. I left the car and trailer at the Mantra secure parking at the urangan marina complex and took the boat around big woody and headed south along the inside of fraser. I set up camp at Garry's anchorage. It was ok, a lot of sail boats at the time when i went due to a race on or soemthing. In hindsight i would have camped away from all the yachts just about 800 to the north near a big tree in the water. The dingos can be a problem in you are camping so never leave your food outside as they will get in to it. If you are just doin an overnighter in your boat there are other designated anchorages along the island. However, garry's is tucked in behind short island so is protected from most wind directions.

dont know bout your fuel. Id rather not comment on fuel.

sort of fishing - usual species. Others best to comment here.
threadies feeding around sandflat drains
queenies around the kingfisher jetty on fly is good fun!!!

[GBC]

We'll be up there first 2 weeks in November - Look out for a 36 Riviera towing a signature centre console.

80 odd kays each way from the Urangan to Sandy cape - v conservative.

If it blowing SE you can overnight close to the beach anywhere (deep water in close like the inside of Moreton)

If It's got any West you'd be better off up a creek or going south.

Macs will be on by then - touch wood., and it looks like the snapper season is late so there still might be a few around???

Finfish closure first week so watch that.

[JB]

Great spot, camped in wathumba creek .. make sure its on the western side of creek as the other side is worse for bities. Take plenty of fuel, great protection in s/e wind.

[Lucky_Phill]

Terry, have a look here and even ask questions.

http://www.fishntales.com/

Tony, owner of site is more than helpful as are his members.


Cheers phill
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[cuzzamundi]

If S/E blowing, camp/anchor for the night anywhere up the streatch from coongul to wathumba. Some smal reef patches out from Arch cliffs with Lt's, GT's the main catch for us. If Northerly's blowing, which is more than likely in November, Go anchor between wathumba and rooney's pt. Sailfish should be starting to come on by then, so look out for em in the shallow and mid zone. Or you can troll the drops as well. Station hill reef south of rooney's has some good fishing also, many different type of pelagics.

Cuzza

[therapy]

Thanks for the response's fella's!! Some really good info there.

seriola- I will call the Mantra. Sound's like exactly what I need. Respect your comment re fuel. I think I will take another 75 ltr's to be safe.

GBC- 36 foot Riv!! I will be in a 17 foot platey!lol.. Hopefully I will see you out there. So around 160k's return. I'm pretty sure I can cover that safely. Finfish closure's is a bit of a pisser but all good!! Pelagic's would probably be my focus.

JB- One of my first thought's was sandflies the bastard's!!! Been smashed by them a couple of time's. Wathumba sound's like the go.

Phil- thanks for the link. That will be my next stop.

Cuzzamundi- I'm hoping for a s/e to n/e. Weather will be the deciding factor. I have been out from Hervey Bay in a northerly in my old 17 foot Seajay and it wasn't pretty!! I have a 5 day window to do it so hoping the weather god's are with me!! (Do they read Ausfish?!?!lol) I will have to chase some generic mark's for the reef you mentioned and go buy a map. Much appreciated!! Trolling skirt's and Rapala's sound's like the go.

Cheers.....Terry......

[Spot82]

Hey mate,

I grew up in Hervey Bay and still fish there a lot.

We never usually have problems leaving car and trailer at the ramp over night, always use a trailer lock to secure the trailer to the car though.

Most of the areas to fish you can gps marks for off the net, just google Hervey Bay gps marks or similar.

If you get good weather I wouldn't be concerned with staying out wider from the island at Rooneys or similar sort of area, weather is usually pretty stable up there on the good days, check BOM windmaps for you're forecasts as the wind can be quite different at Rooneys compared to the mainland.

Most of your other questions have been answered I think

Anthony

[Getout]

I was there inside Fraser last week. Its not called the "Great Sandfly Straits"for nothing!!
Watch out for the big tides. Inside the straits, I went upon the dry on both low tides. The mozzies and sandies showed no mercy.
If the weather is suitable, the northern end of the Island, however, is superb.

[sandbankmagnet]

school macks were being caught off Kingfisher Jetty last week. Along with big eye trevs. I think the pelagics will be early.

[cuzzamundi]

Yeah Terry the Rapals's will do well out on that reef patch. Also we've had really good success there trolling Mack Baits and Paser Pro's. 6-8 knots. Also once you get around the station hill area, work the grounds to the east, going back towards just north of wathumba. There's the odd bommie on the sounder and some BIG gt's and the odd spano to be had through there. Hoping that those northerlies stay away mate.

cuzza

[cuzzamundi]

Sorry mate i meant Laser pro's, not bloody paser, lol.

[cuzzamundi]

Also meant to say mate i think it's illegal to take spanos from platypus bay. Dont worry too much as they're a bit of a bonus in that area (for me anyway), and the two I've caught there were around easter i think. Also if that bas$ard northerly is blowing, dont get too disheartened, just work the drop between wathumba and rooneys for sailfish. Always look in the shallows as well, as sometimes they're right in there.

cuzza

[therapy]

Thank's again for the input all.

Spot82- I'm hoping the weather will play and thought of staying wider of the island overnight because of the sandfly factor. Have to wait and see!!

Getout- I once spent 5 hours high and dry in behind Big Woody. Not much fun!! Hope to make to the northern end. Never been there before.


SBM -Sound's promising on the pelagic front!


Cuzz- I read in a a link posted by Spaniard King that Platypus Bay is the cig capital of Aus so wasn't planning on taking anything out of there to eat. I will be fishing of course but not looking to fill and esky, just have a look around.

One more question for you guy's that know the island. On google map's there seem's to be some fresh water lake's pretty close to the beach toward's the northern end. Easily accessable or too far/ hard??

Cheers......Terry.......

[GBC]

There's creeks that break out and supply good fresh water. Don't know about getting to the lakes - pretty marshy like the rest I'd suspect, but doable for a master explorer....