1770 Late April 2007

[eagle ray]

My first trip to 1770 was definately one to remember. I had heard about this place for years, marlin just off shore, massive macks, trout , reds, snapper, cobia all waiting for the travelling angler. Plus with a nice beach that could turn on a wave or 2 i was excited as in going.

I got a cheap flight up to Hervey Bay and jumped on the greyhound to Agnes Water ariving after dark. I had tried to book at a hostel but they wern't having any of it as I was an Aussie and they seem to have problems with groups of boys coming down from Gladstone and drinking rumbos all night and perving on the euro backpackers that come to stay. To get around this problem i put on my best english accent and booked with another staff member. The staff were cool with me really being an aussie however i was told to keep my mouth shut whenever the boss was around.

The great thing about 1770 isnt just the fishing or the beach there are heaps of things to do when the wind blows (and she blows alot). I went on a killer joy flight which included zero gravity drops, landing on a beach up near bustard headland and spotting sharks just cruising right off the beach. Also went on a larc (like a army duck) tour to the light house that was pretty intresting and went snorkling right up pancake creek on a coral reef in an esturary. That was a adventure in itself as the shark cat we were on had both its suzuki 4 strokes break down and had to be rescued by the VMR (it was anzac day and every one was on the sauce so we waited a while for the tow). Also hired myself a little chopper moto bike to cruise around town which was cool.

Now for the fishing. I did 4 days offshore in my 10 or so days there and they went from epic to ordinary. The first day we got so many hits on large macks that it was not funny. They were on the chew big time. Only problem was that we couldnt land a single one as they were biting the line where it hit the water, eating the swivels and biting the line where it meets the trace.

Second day we had better luck with 2 fish coming over the side at around 20 kg. The third day was the same and we did a run out wide chasing reefies coming up trumps with 2 large trout.

The fourth day offshore was very windy but we wanted to get another big mack so we just went out for 2 hours or so. We fished the area around bustard head land and the small islands that break the surface straight out from there. We trolled and trolled and trolled and were going to call it a day when the big swim bait screamed. The bait we used was a big spotty mackerel (60 cm or so) with a 2 hook wire rig. The bait had its mouth tied together with dental floss and some copper wire holding a largish chin sinker in place to keep its head down.

I looked at the reel as it had now stopped screaming and started thinking about weather or not this would be our only sniff of the day. Sure enough about 10 seconds later the little tld 15 started screaming like no tomorrow. I did a slow 5 count while we gunned it forward. I wanted to make sure it was hooked well. I struck and the first thing that i could feel was weight. It went absolutely ballistic and dumped nearly the whole reel of the 12lb mono we were fishing with. It was choppy and windy and we had to chase this fish down. We got a bit of line back on the reel (about 3/4s) when the fish went in to hyper drive again this time causing the little reel to start smoking. We continued to chase and chase and got the fish to about 20 meters off the boat. I then had to endure some tense moments as the big girl shook her head like a heavy metal rocker and we just sat there seeing who had the most patience. I had lost some big fish at this stage of the fight before so i was very worried. After a few minutes i started to make some head way when it decided it was going to swim right at the boat. In a mad dash i pulled the rod out of the my gimbal belt and just managed to get the tip of the rod in the water to stop her from busting me off on the boat. A few minutes later we got a gaff shot. We had the girl on the gaff and a second gaff was put in and we heaved the bohemath aboard. I was stuffed, my arms and wrists were cramped and was kind of sad at the same time. She was a stunner of a fish and we quickly called her for around 40kgs. She wasn't all that long but she had some girth on her. A pro mack fisher motored over for a looksey and called right on the nose for 35 kg. We got on the mobile and arranged of a huge esky and digi scaled to come down to the wharf as we thought that we might have had a record. When we weighed her we were all a bit disappointed as the record was 36kg for 6 kg line. We had bleed the fish when she came aboard and placed a wet hessian sack over her but she missed out only weighing 35.15 kg. Close but no cigar. The fish was not wasted and even though i didn't eat any as the fear of ciga poisoning was very real the person who was nice enough to take it off our hands didn't die from eating it.

I will remember the day i got my monster mack until the day i die or my memory goes which ever comes first. If any one is thinking about going ti Agnes / 1770 do it you wont be disappointed.

agnesscanphotos2.pdf

agnescanphotos1.pdf

Edited July 16, 2010 by eagle ray

[fran1mat]

Great read mate. That bought back some great memories. I spent a few years growing up in Hervey Bay and have fished form there up to Stanage Bay, about 100 odd k's North of Rockhampton. 1770 is just a beautiful place.

[The Iceman]

Its a fantastic place I spent a lot of time there camping at the council park in 1770 and surfing at Agnes The trip on the larc is well worth doing with some great history up at Bustard head lighthouse My and I did the trip back in the early nineties sometime while spending a few days there while visiting my father in Gladstone

The fishing can be really good without having to travel far small blacks and sails inbetween 1770 and Bustard head good mackeral around outerrocks(those three little islands are called inner middle and outer rocks) off Bustard and some good estuary fishing in the creeks Also the reefs out from 1770 has some of the best reef fishing on the GBR

[mobileluked@gmail.com]

Great read! That mac is a monster for sure. I was wondering where we should go next year...1770 is a bit far but might be worth it.

[eagle ray]

It really is one of the best kept secrets in Australia. I guess Byron Bay and Noosa were like this before the develepers got in and stuffed it right up. I try and tell people that you can watch the sun setting over water on the east coast and people think i am mad.

I have been there 3 times now. Been on a live aboard out to the boult and fitzroy reefs etc and the last time i pulled the boat up which took the best part of 2 days. The wind blew and blew but still managed 2 days trolling. 1st day jumped off 2 micro marlin straight out the front and second day got some decent cobes, small macks and jumped off another mini marlin. The girlfriend loves it more than Byron. I think i do too (especially as they banned the fishing out at Julian rocks).

Also you are within easy driving distance to the stocked dams of Awonga and the other one which i cant think of at the moment. Also the rock fishing is pretty special. I saw heaps of good longtails hooked and then fought for ages only to be eaten right at the rocks by the taxman who is very common in those waters. What a place. If only i was rich i would keep a nice 30-40 footer on a mooring there and go out to the shelf and chase grander blue marlin between there and break sea spit at Fraser.

[The Iceman]

You should have seen how quiet and small it was before they fixed the road in It used to be nothing but corrugations

Wind is always a problem I reckon it blows 20knts+ SE 9mths of the year

The other dam is Monduran