Turkey Beach options.

[Muddy Toes]

Hi All,
Planning on heading up to Turkey Beach over x-mas and after reading some old posts about the Turkey beach boat ramp i'm kinda worried about trying to launch/retrieve my 7.4mtr/3.5T boat.If anyone can offer some feedback on this it would be a great help and as this is my first time in Turkey Beach(couldn't get a place in Agnus) i was also wondering what my options could be in the bay with this size boat if the weather turns foul and i cant get out wide.I've read a bit about sand banks,rock bars,submerged hazards and its starting to seem like a bit of headache for a blow in like myself.
Thanks Anthony.

[perko]

I don't have any trouble launching a Kevlacat 2400 off the ramp in anything but dead low water. As for the fishing, hope the weather comes good and you can get outside or you would need a tinnie to go up the creeks chasing jacks and crabs etc. Also pack the bushmans.

[Muddy Toes]

thanx for that perko sounds like you've done it all before....is the run out across the bay pretty straight forward?and i think i read somewhere the road to the ramp was gravel, if true does it get bad after rain?

[tae4551]

no she's all bitumen.

[Sheik]

Mate it depends where the wind is coming from. Its a pretty big bay, Rods Bay, and you can get out into some of it in a big boat even if you can't go outside. Launching from the sand is probably the safest unless you do it very carefully from the ramp. The ramp is BLOODY slippery with a big run going past. Boobs nearly lost the Prado last year when he backed down the ramp, even with the brakes on she kept slipping down, and that was with just a 450 hornet trophy.
You can also go out and down to Pancake which I am informed has some reef around it. We went there but unfortunately my trasnducer broke off half way down there.
And Perko is right, there's nowhere for you to go upstream. Very shallow.
If I was smart I'd say stay away, but it is a great place as far as I'm concerned. No great amounts of fish, but enough around to keep me interested. And if you can get out, superb.
regards jim

[Lucky_Phill]

Turkey Beach is Sandfly Heaven.

I launch off the sand beside the ramp and in a 2 wheel drive.

Rodds Harbour is about 11k's long to the end of Rodds Peninsular ( Tongue Spit ) where you take a right hand turn past the marker buoy and head to the reefs. Rock Cod Shoals are about 35 k's from the point with quite a few other reef systems to the sth of Rock Cod.

Rodds Harbour fishes well in all weather and even ducking into 7 Mile Creek can be fruitful.

Cheers LP

Rock Cod Shoals

[Muddy Toes]

all great info guys and thanks.Kinda wish i had been more organised and got somehere in agnus but not to worry.Nearly lost a prado with a tinnie hey ?The beach is sounding good.I've got a 4.8ltr patrol and trailer has got 4 wheel disc brakes.I'm starting to think i should launch off the boat but retreive on the ramp coz i'm not sure about how the pootrol will go towing 3.5t on sand.Sandfly heaven hey phill?as bad as river heads?

[Lucky_Phill]

River Heads has nothing on Turkey Beach.

But, in all fairness. Dawn and Dusk are really bad, during the day they can be annoying and once on the water are non-existent.

I use 2 plans. Number one is utilize air conditioned accommodation and then a long sleeve shirt and track dacks to venture from air con to car.

Or, take home brewed repellent.

Number two option requires you to eat large amounts ( more than normal ) of vegemite in the weeks leading up to event and then..

1 part baby oil

1 part Metho

1 part Dettol

mix this into a spray bottle of normal dispensing bottle and rub it on prior to leaving air-con or boat upon return to mainland. You may wish to add, Tea Tree oil, eucalyptus oil or another fragrance.... mainly for girls .

Well Muddy, you can always book in for the Annual Agnes Water / 1770 Ausfish M & G. This is held in September next year and details are in the first thread on this forum.

Also be aware of the Green zones in close to land on Rodds Peninsular on the ocean side.

Cheers

[Spot82]

thanx for that perko sounds like you've done it all before....is the run out across the bay pretty straight forward?and i think i read somewhere the road to the ramp was gravel, if true does it get bad after rain?

The Channel out of the bay is very deep and well marked.

No Gravel Road, all bitumen.

I would just check the ramp conditions when you get there, there is plenty of room to launch/retrieve beside the ramp on fairly hard sand. The tide does move in and out at good pace, so this is what makes it difficult.

I was up there in June and the ramp was good and had no issues launching or retrieving a 5.5m boat and also went out with Perko in his 2400 Cat and he had no issues...

Plenty of good fishing outside if weather permits!!!

And the sandflies can be way worse than river heads, I think we got lucky in June as there was next to none!

Anthony

[Muddy Toes]

thanx once again guys.as for the m&g next year phill i was ummmming and ahhhhing but now i'm SOLD!!!I'm in.Just for the record i didnt think the sandflys at river heads were that bad, i use it as a gague because everyone tried to talk me out of buying a block there 2 weeks ago on that basis....didnt work though still bought the block.Keep up the good work anthony and great product mate.
Cheers Anthony

[Spot82]

I grew up in Hervey Bay, lived there for 17 yrs and still regularly visit, don't worry the sandies can give you hell at river heads, just depends on what the wind is doing, I guess Turkey would be the same... All this rain will definitely stir them up though!!!