Barrier Reef Fishing

[Wammo]

Guys - heading up to the Barrier Reef in a few weeks camping for a week in the National Park on the islands near Herron Island. Anyone got any tips on the fishing in that area. E.g. baits (noting minimal refrigeration), lures etc. Keen to chase a few surface fish but also go for the coral trout??

[huntman]

when are you there? I'll be on heron from 20th til 27th of november for uni and I'm trying to work out how to get a fishing trip in

A lot of the area around the island is marine park sanctuary zone, so be careful where you wet a line. You can get maps here: http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/corp_site/managem...oning_maps.html they will show you where you can go.

I was planning on taking a charter if possible.

[GregL]

Hi Wammo

Sounds like it's gunna be a good trip.

Lures I would take are some metals like raiders to cast at surface fish. Some deep divers like CD9's and Crazy deeps in a range of depths that your tackle can hold(upto the big 8m diver) and a few poppers like the roosters.

If you have a bream rod loaded with braid, make sure you take some smaller plastics for flats fishing. Simple patterns like bass minnows work a treat on tho's trevas.

Good luck

Greg

[The Iceman]

Which island are you staying on?

If its Masthead Northwest or Wilson I will give you some tips on fishing around them

Greg is right you can have some awesome fun on light gear but I would be useing something rated 3-5kg

[Wammo]

Which island are you staying on?

If its Masthead Northwest or Wilson I will give you some tips on fishing around them

Greg is right you can have some awesome fun on light gear but I would be useing something rated 3-5kg

Greg - mate we are staying on Northwest Island. I am a huge fishing nut but mostly based off Rocks in NSW. Thinking of taking up a tinny and a kayak. What are your thoughts?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Wammo

[The Iceman]

Greg - mate we are staying on Northwest Island. I am a huge fishing nut but mostly based off Rocks in NSW. Thinking of taking up a tinny and a kayak. What are your thoughts?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Wammo

Northwest is only accesable from half tide up to half tide down so your fishing will be limited to around high tide Small metal lures should get you longtails and mack tune which you can use for bottom bait for the trout and sweetlip Should also be some mackeral around mainly shark mackeral

6-8kg spinning outfit s for the tuna and macks and we used to use 55lb handlines for the trout and such fish for them in close to the bombies with just enough weight(a small pea sinker or no sinker depending on tide run sliding onto around a 6/0 hook)if the fish arent there move out deeper and up your sinker weight and dont forget your light rod with the bass minnows I would even try some 4in bass minnows on heavier jigheads on the 6-8kg outfit Im not to sure how it fishes around there now as a lot of people camp on Northwest Dont know about the yak but the tinny will be good

Have fun you will enjoy it

[Conor Barry]

Hi everyone,

I am looking for some advice on fishing Masthead Island.

We are going for the second time mainly targeting mackerel and trout and big tuskys and red throat. We bagged out on big tuskies and red throat but were unable to find a good strategy to target trout. We got 2 trout for the week and looking to improve on that. We were lucky enough to get a few mack tuna and a shark mackerel on the troll but no spanish. If anyone has some ideas on how to target those big spanish it would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Conor

[JonD]

I head up there and base at Lady Musgrave. I take my 4.5m boat out there and a small yak to get in and out to my boats mooring. Within the protection of the lagoon there's numerous species on offer but outside also includes pelagic's such as tuna, mackerel, emperor and trout etc. Almost any lure has worked for me but I especially like curley tail plastics in white. Lots of marine protection zone around there so be sure you know boundaries as fisheries are literally on top of you very quickly up there where they cover ground quickly from a helicopter out of Bundaberg. 

In the past Ive picked up a 20lt bag of ice from the servo in Agnes Water and had a few yeti ice bricks to go with it. Now I take a small fridge freezer which I use solely for ice which I can run off a small lithium battery and a 160w solar blanket indefinitely. I always end up taking to much water with me but its better to have to much than not enough. 

I don't go on a kill mission, just enough for a feed each day and spend the rest of the time catch and releasing or free diving with manta rays, turtles, sharks and all sorts of fish. There are lots of sharks that can be a problem for those wanting to keep lots of fish but I never seem to have to much trouble with them. 

Getting out there there and back seems to be for less predicable these days as it always seems to be blowing up there. Ive been caught out on the last three trips with winds over 30kts on the run home which can turn the seas horrible. Making sure everything is securely tied down on those 80k runs is important, as can be having a roll of bin liners to try and keep gear dry. I've found the seas so bad that you get into a driving focus zone that stopping the boat to sort anything on deck can become dangerous very quickly and hard to get back into that driving zone .

I have no phone reception while Im out there but I do carry a Garmin in reach which I can get weather forecasts on and have two way communications with responders and family etc. If you get int trouble and need a rescue, you will be charged for it, which includes the rescue vessels fuel and payment for the crew. If you pay the local marine rescue membership, any rescue will be covered.

Edited August 29 by JonD