Gladstone / Awoonga

[madasacutsnake]

Hi All,

Had about enough of the cold water, cold weather and wind down here on the South Coast! Going Up to Gladstone for 2 weeks next Monday. Got a house to stay in at Tannum Sands and plan to do plenty of fishing around Gladstone and will definately give Awoonga a go.

Any tips would be great.

Except "be good to your mother" someone already told me that.

Thanks

Stallo

[arpie]

Hi Stallo

A couple of years ago, I was at Awoonga in Sept & they were catching with small bibbed minnow lures, usually first thing in the morning or at dusk (from a boat), casting towards the weedbeds along the banks. Some said to use dark ones, even black - whilst some preferred gold or silver.

The original river bed goes from the dam wall & way out into the middle of the lake. If you do a really deep "triangle" trolling pattern, along the front of the wall "no go area'", then to a point, somewhere in the middle of the lake & try different depth lures, they reckon the fish hang around the deeper parts of the river bed. THey go deeper in summer, to find the cooler water & more shallow in winter, to find the warmer water! ALso casting to the fallen trees (rather than the standing trees) is supposed to be better (even from the shore!) Make sure you have strong (up to 50 - 80lb) leaders & top hooks & split rings.

Keep any eye out for the cormorants - they know where the bait fish are schooling up, & the fish are usually not far away! So worth a try casting or trolling around the school.

Let us know how you go! GOod luck!

Cheerio

Roberta

PS I didn't catch any, but 'patted' one that I thought was dead! It wasn't! I should have just netted it! I will be better armed next time!

Edited August 7, 2007 by Roberta

[The Iceman]

Are you taking a boat with you and if so how big

I grew up in Gladstone and have a heap of info for you depending on where you can go

[kingpig]

I have fished the dam and from what i know the water temperature has the most effeect.

All the fish I caught were on Tilsan Barra lures. I fished with two other guys using other lures and they got zero.

I would try to fish the shallow bays at this time of year. If you can find one where the breeze is blowing warmer surface water into it that would help. 1 or 2 degrees makes a difference.

Good luck

Kingpig

[madasacutsnake]

Thanks Roberta and Kingpin. I remember reading your post Roberta, about the very lively, dead barra. I am lucky enough to have a couple of mates at gladstone that fish awoonga fairly regularly and will be spending a few days out there for sure.

Iceman: I have a 5.1 plate side console Tabs with a 115 etec and plan to do a bit of fishing out around facing island, gladstone harbour area and around the front of curtis island.

Any info you may have would be great. I have a decent sounder and GPS to get me around. My cousin lives up there and talks about some spots they fish and dive but I have no idea where they are talking about. I will have to get a map when I get up there. He talked about a hot water outlet they fish and some place off the front of curtis, may have been called yellow sands or something like that.

Cheers,

Stallo

[arpie]

Hi Stallo

Did you check your pms? Nice looking boat!! Very deep! I am sure your buddies will have all the goss!! There are a couple of 'permanents' at the caravan park up from the ramp - take a beer or 2 along to them (down the back of the park) & I am sure they will be glad to have a chat, as well!

Cheers - and let us know how you go!

Roberta

[The Iceman]

Nice boat Hope the weather is good for you

The hot water outlet is on the Calliope river and is the outlet for the powerstation At this time of the year it should get a run of blue salmon Live herring is the gun bait for them

Yellow patch is on the northern end of Curtis island around the corner from Cape Capricorn lighthouse There is a little island( we called it rocky island) just off Cape Cap it has some good ledges which I would be dropping SPs down around for redthroat sweetlip also should be worth a troll for some big spaniards which also should be around at this time of the year We used to get our biggest in august If you like oysters we used to get big blacklipped ones on rocky island

Rising tide in the evening on a makeing moon will get you good whiting on Tannum beach peeled prawns or yabbies pumped from Wild Cattle creek will work

With your boat you should be able to get out to the reefs Masthead and maybe a couple of others if you get good weather but work out your fuel consumption first as they are about 40kms out Drift the channel between Masthead and Erskine islands for sweetlip and parrot fish

Hope this helps if I can think of more spots Ill add more posts

Sable Chiefs off Facing Island is another spot for redthroat and spaniards also blackspot tuskfish one of the hardest pulling fish you will encounter large prawns or crabs similar in size that you would use for blue groper

Edited August 8, 2007 by The Iceman

[madasacutsnake]

Thanks for all your help! If any of you are down around Gerringong and keen for a fish or a beer, let me know, I owe you one.

I'll post a report when I get back.

Stallo

[arpie]

Woohoo!! I'll be in that next time we go south!!! I love the look of that flat rock shelf at Gerringong - problem was, I wasn't into blackies & drummer back then!! Only caught some trevs near the pool!

Cheerio & Good luck - can't wait to see the pics & read the reports!

Tight lines

Roberta