Fishing Strong Double Island Point Offshore Currents

[brooksie87]

Our last trip to the shelf grounds 60-70kms N/E of the Wide Bay Bar fishing for reds was ruined by the strong southerly flowing current (and 10-15 knot northerly). It was unfishable in the 60-70metres of water using rods loaded with 60lb braid and 24ozs of lead, both drifting and anchoring. We just couldn't get the baits down to the bottom where the fish we holding, even on the change of tides.

Can any one used to the fishing the area assit me with advice or techniques to fish these extremes and how to best predict the current rate out wide? I've considered buying deck winches and/or downriggers with heavy leads to get to the bottom but am interested in your thoughts before making my mind up. Any feedback would be welcome. Cheers.

[Smithy]

Can't pick it. Just keep moving till you find a fishable spot. Going back in closer will more than likely get you out of massive current at times. Just the way it is. Sometimes Wind V Tide help you drift slower on a spot anyway.

[Lovey80]

Ive found that the current always runs faster the closer you are to a full or new moon. I tend to fish shallower if I am close to both to get the baits to the bottom. Example was last Saturday on the hards there was no current. 10 days before there was plenty in the same area.

[shane69]

The exact problem has ruined many trips for us over the past 2 years. We fish around the same area. You cant judge the current up there. Last trip we had 4 knots of current and 15-20 ne all night. We were fishing 32oz lead to bottom in 60m on anchor and letting out 100-150m plus meters every drop to stay at the bottom. Hard work but it paid off.
a trip before that current picked up 9pm at night. We used electric reels with 2 32oz tapped together to hold bottom.
We never bother to come inclose as its too much of a hike. Just stay and presist and hope for the current to drop off.
In the day time we use lighter lines if the current is raging and one person stays on reverse whole time to slow the boat down.

[brooksie87]

Shane

I'm a keen follower of your trips and posts and am grateful that you could share your knowledge with me.

Can you let me know what gear your using? Rod or winch? Line size? etc.

Also have you had any luck fishing east of the Cape in 60-70 metres for reds and/or do you find the grounds further north more plentiful? I'm from Noosa and am looking to head north from here to east and wide of the Cape waters instead of Tin Can Bay and heading wide north east of the bar.

Cheers

[brooksie87]

Thanks for the advice. I tend to agree with you that that current in the area can be more greater either side of the full or new moon.
I'm Noosa based and fish the Hards but never experienced current to that extent that I sometimes experience NE and wide of the Wide Bay bar.

[brooksie87]

Thanks Smithy.

[Smithy]

Few mates fished DI on the weeekend on the moon. Current was non existent.

[Smithy]

Current has been ripping here locally this weekend on the quarter moon. Go figure!

[Lovey80]

So many things can come into play. Lunar tides certainly play a role in the ocean currents and it's usually strongest around the full and new moons as the tides are larger with more water being drawn in and out during those periods as the sun, earth and moon are close to aligned. Then there is the orbital cycle of the moon that cycles every month the moon will be at it's closest to the earth having a much larger effect. When all those things coincide we get the king tides.

Then we have wind acting on the currents and the currents created by the thermo circulation. So many factors to consider and a near science degree to predict it.

As a general rule of thumb I tend to take more lead on board the closer to the new or the full moons.

[jmwarner]

I was on a charter up there a few years ago and we started using the clips in the link below. We would drop our sinker on the main line while we held the clip with about 1m of trace and the bait and once the sinker was on the bottom we let the clip and bait go and the current pulled it down.


http://www.bcf.com.au/online-store/p...ecommendations