Hi guys,
As the title states just wondering if anyone can tell me where’s the place to go to throw surface lures at GTs around Fraser Island? I have a boat and have been to the tip. I’ve seen some great videos of people catching big GTs around Fraser somewhere and just wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction? I was wondering if it’s on the other side of the breaksea spit around some of the mounts. You dont know until you ask...
Cheers
Nick
“Filthy Oar”
Stessl 5.3m centre console
90hp Suzuki
Breaksea Spit shoals .....Originally Posted by OcciferNick
Chris
Give a man a fish & he will eat for a day !
Teach him how to fish
& he will sit in a boat - & drink beer all day!
TEAM MOJIKO
Anywhere there is a shallow reef or rock with deep water nearby, bait and good current flow as a start
Cheers guys much appreciated.
“Filthy Oar”
Stessl 5.3m centre console
90hp Suzuki
Nick, your in the right area, you can catch marlin in the shallows up there, the GTS do prefer a bit of reef though so seek them out,a lot easier in a boat though.
Cheers, I just need to google to coordinates now for the crossing points. Actually I’ll contact vmr up there and get the latest ones. They would have them wouldn’t they? Or has anyone else got the latest crossing gps marks.. someone told me I would have to use the 13 mile one as I’m in a 5.3m centre console with a 90hp.
“Filthy Oar”
Stessl 5.3m centre console
90hp Suzuki
Fusiliers are the key. Mostly on the west side of the Shoals. Dunno much about the Spit Bommies. Haven't seen fusiliers there but have had shoals of yellowtail kings and shark mackerel there mixed in with all sorts of species.
There's all sorts of arm stretchers on the Cape shoals. Don't know if poppering is the go, they are a bit deep.
nil carborundum illegitimi
GBC, I thought the shoals are shallow where the waves break over the sand banks or reefs?
“Filthy Oar”
Stessl 5.3m centre console
90hp Suzuki
There is plenty of shallow ground on Sandy Cape Shoals. It is less than 10 metres deep across the top of the shoal. These days it is rare to not see at least one boat throwing surface lures around the shoals on a calm day. Saw a couple of blokes out there recently in a 4.5 metre Polycraft. I thought they were a bit game.
Nick - did you manage to get the co-ordinates for the 4 mile crossing? If not I can send them to you by PM. It is an easy crossing at the moment, just got to watch out for the whales using it to cross through the spit at this time of the year.
cheers
Jeff
Hey mate, no I haven’t gotten the coords yet. Someone said that my 5.3m centre console with 90hp should only use the 13mile?
if you could send them to me that would be awesome. I can then assess the crossing on the day whenever I go.
“Filthy Oar”
Stessl 5.3m centre console
90hp Suzuki
The 4 mile crossing is fine as long as the swell is not much more than the metre mark. Any more than that and you probably don't want to be out there anyway. I have been using the 4 mile crossing in 5 metre boats for around 30 years without any dramas. The 13 mile crossing is a better (wider and deeper) crossing but even it starts to get dodgy if the swell is any where near the 2 metre mark. If unsure at first, try to time your crossings on the top half of the tide.
I started fishing out there in my old Cruisecraft 533 Reef Finder which had an old Evinruder 90 on the back. Upgraded to a Sharkcat 500 Sportsman for the security of the twin motors after a couple of years of fishing out there. This was back in the days when we were into the ANSA light line craze and it was our go to place for chasing masters fish and Queensland and Australian records. The fishing there can be mind blowing but it is fished much more heavily today than it was back then. Only had 27 meg radios and GPS units were just coming into use and cost more than most fishos could afford.
When you get out there concentrate your efforts along the western edge of the shoal. That is where the main drop off is and you can sit in deeper water and work your poppers off the shallower country. Best way to explore the area is to whack a few lures out and go for a troll and mark any spots of interest on your GPS and come back and fish them when ready to do so.
Main thing to be aware of is safety. Hervey Bay ASR does not run out over the spit. If you get into trouble outside the spit, then Bundy ASR will be the one that responds. Around 2 years ago, a boat that was fishing east of the Cape ran out of fuel. He called up for a fuel resupply and was told that he had to agree to pay all costs associated with Bundy ASR getting the fuel to him which he agreed to over the radio. Ended up costing him just over $2000 to have 120 litres of fuel delivered to him. A very expensive lesson but one that should not have happened - his gauges showed he had 150 litres of fuel left when he ran out.
I will put the crossing marks up on this post as I am sure there are probably others who may be keen to get the latest marks. These are accurate as of 3 weeks ago. Crossing marks from west to east. The first mark is a bit west of the shallow water with the second mark right at the entrance and the last mark if just outside the bar as the water starts to get deeper:
South 24 38 501
East 153 15 191
S 24 38 407
E 153 15 970
S 24 38 782
E 153 16 909
S 24 38 957
E 153 17 450
S 24 39 101
E 153 18 086
cheers
Jeff
Hi Jeff,
Thanks mate for a really informative post it’s really appreciated.
Like you said, if the waves are up then I wouldn’t be out there anyway.
this is so true, I don’t like going out in big seas just because it’s not enjoyable so I always prefer to wait for a better day.
When I manage to get out I’ll document the trip and try and do a report.
Cheers
Nick
“Filthy Oar”
Stessl 5.3m centre console
90hp Suzuki
Generally rule of thumb if you do run out of fuel is that you pay double the price that the CGs and VMRs use and supply at the marina. From memory I think most of them no longer bring fuel out due to liability and you get towed back, the usage goes up considerably, recent instance I'm aware of a tow from just on 10km out cost $198 and that was when fuel at the marina was $1.18.
Short Fuse, how is that Seatrek cat going.
Edit. The rules change if you are one of their members where you get free tow up to an amount then pay the difference, still worth joining local rescue services.
Hi Sam. The Seatrek is going great. Best boat I have owned for sure. Even the Suzukis are behaving themselves these days. Its nearly 2 years since the last problem with them, so touch wood, I think they may have finally sorted out the issues. We have been doing a few runs out of the top of Fraser along with Toby who bought a Seatrek off Al about 12 months or so after I bought mine. He was smart though - he put Yamahas on the back of his boat.
We have been getting some great fish on the reefs up there, although the last trip was probably the worst trip for sharks that I have experienced. Did not matter how much we moved around, each time we stopped, we would land the first couple of fish, and then every fish after that was taken on the way up. Eventually gave up and headed in mid afternoon. Glad we did leave as the section from the top back to Roonies Point was humpback alley. Would not like to have tried it in the dark.
The bloke who ran out of fuel a couple of years ago was a big platey with twin 175s on the back. He was due east of the light house when he ran out. Bundy ASR told him their cost would be worked out at $2 per litre for the fuel delivered, and $2 per litre for the fuel they would use in their boat out and back, and he would also be charged for the trip hours on their motors at the percentage rate of their service costs on their motors. A couple of blokes were trolling the shelf in a 40' gane boat, and they offerred to tow him back to Roonies on their way in. He was not game to be towed through the bar so declined that offer and asked Bundy ASR to deliver the fuel and that he was prepared to pay the costs. As the rescue boat would not arrive on site until around 9pm, we stayed out and anchored nearby in case he needed assistance at any stage. He got his 120 litres of fuel and got the motors primed and running before the ASR boat headed back to Bundy. Next morning they headed in and met up with the other boats from their group at Roonies. He ran out of fuel again just near the Pelican Bank, and had to be towed the last bit by one of his mates.
I don't think he has ever gone back out there since that day.
cheers
Jeff
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