Brisbane water

[Gatte]

Hi all,

I'm fairly new to the central coast and am having loads of fun fishing around the estuaries with my partner so far. Next weekend I'm hiring a small boat to go out onto Brisbane water for the day with a few mates for my birthday. Most of these guys haven't been fishing before so I want to make sure I fond some fish for them.

Was looking for a bit of advice on what to target at the moment and where we might find some fish.

My idea was to start off by catching some bait before trying a few spots. Would love to get a feed out of the day but I'm looking forward to just being out on the water with some mates but any tips and advice you can offer will go a long way towards making it an even better day.

Thanks and happy fishing!!

Gatts

Edited July 19, 2012 by Gatts

[Ray R]

Go and pump some nippers from the Wagstafe shoreline at low tide, then go and drift the incoming tide around the Ettalong/Hardys Bay sand bars, you might pick up a few whiting, bream and maybe the odd flattie..

[Testlab]

Where are you hiring from?

Anywhere around the sandbars as above is a good start as mentioned above. High tide will be between 10am and midday depending on where you are on Brisbane Water. The slack will occur near the rip bridge around 1030.

If they haven't fished before then catching anything is better than nothing, even if it's too small to take home. So around the slack water periods you are likely to get reddies (baby snapper) in the bay on the eastern side of the Rip Bridge. Try around 30m out from the moored boats, toward the the main channel.

The west side of the bridge has Booker Bay and Machins Marinas. Just to the south (seaward), following the shoreline, there is a public wharf and the water is quite deep. When the current isn't too strong you are likely to get a variety of red, black and yellowfin bream, flathead and whiting. Somedays its good, others it's dead.

If it's windy then try the Woy Woy channel between the town and the boat ramp or around St.Huberts Island, Lintern Channel or around the oyster leases near Hardys Bay or the moorings at Pretty Beach.

If you're hiring from Andersons, Machins, Booker Bay or Killcare marinas these places are all within 20 mins run in a hire boat. Low tide isn't until late afternoon so unless you try for a few yaks or poddies across the flats at Ettlaong, Wagstaff or Pretty Beach ye olde frozen pack of Hawkesbury prawns will probably have to do.

The water police have been very active up here the last few weekends and doing safety checks on lots of boats, especially those with kids, so brush up on the lifejacket rules if you've youngsters along.

Have fun and happy birthday.

Edited July 19, 2012 by Testlab

[Noodles]

There is a deep hole right on the shore at the ballast heap on the Saratoga side of paddies channel. Fish light and you'll be surprised what you can get out of it. The ballast heap is one of the places where the big boats used to drop and pick up their rock ballast before and after going into the shallower areas of the system many years ago. There are a couple of places where the deep water goes right up to the shore and these are where they used to do it.

The one I mention is about halfway along the shore between the Veterins Hall Wharf and the sand island at Saratoga point. At low tide you will see the rocks poking out into the channel with the mangroves behind them. At high tide it is where the mangroves stick out the furthest into the water. The last hour of the run in tide produces a definate eddy over the hole and I have taken some ripper winter bream out of that spot on cubed pillies or fresh prawns.

It also fishes well for leatherjackets with small hook paternoster rigs and peeled prawn. I know people who have caught jew and flatty in there and I've caught a turtle and a protected estuary cod. We always fished it with one anchor out from the shore and the other one up on the rocks so very close in.

Another one is straight in front of the big block of flats on North Burge Road. It's not as noticeable but it is there. My grandparents owned the house next door.

[Gatte]

Wow guys! Thanks for the awesome replies ad amazing detail! Ill be hiring from hardy's bay area ad found some whiting over there myself off one of the piers the other day as well as nippers. I'll update with results of what is sure to be a successful days thanks to this site!

[Gatte]

Got delayed a day bit heading out tomorrow! Can't wait!!!

[DrownNprawns]

Got delayed a day bit heading out tomorrow! Can't wait!!!

good luck I may be out that way tomoz depends on the weather

David

[Gatte]

Hey guys thought id let you know how we went the other day. Unfortunately we got held up with some issues at home (neighbors) and didn't get away until later in the day so sadly missed the tide. Non the less we were happy to be out on the water but only managed to find 2 decent flathead, both over 45cm - drifting between the Channel markers at the entrance to hardy's bay

Thanks for all the advise, next time we go we will know where to travel and get there on time haha

[spaners]

Hey guys thought id let you know how we went the other day. Unfortunately we got held up with some issues at home (neighbors) and didn't get away until later in the day so sadly missed the tide. Non the less we were happy to be out on the water but only managed to find 2 decent flathead, both over 45cm - drifting between the Channel markers at the entrance to hardy's bay

Thanks for all the advise, next time we go we will know where to travel and get there on time haha

Nothing wrong with two Flatties over 45.

Regards Stu.