Weipa 2016

[hookerbruce]

Got back from Weipa last weekend. We went on the house boat had some very good days and some days the fishing was very quite. Have been up there around the same time other years and found the fish better.

Fished south Westminster, Redcliffs, Boyds, Pera, 3 Mile and The Norman. Landed 10 barra for the trip all undersize (some by an cm), Didn't see any giant herring and only caught 1 blue salmon. these are usually in good nos along the beaches. Had a few good beach sessions with a fish almost every cast for over an hour queenies golden trev, dart and small GTs. Also had a few with 2 fish in an hour.

Tuna were the thickest I've ever seen them, and the sharks were just as thick.

landed a couple of new species and a new pb GT.

Took up a new 50lb braid outfit which I pushed to the limit, breaking hooks, swivels and other gear trying to stop some of the unstopables,

Even managed a couple of feeds of squid so make sure you take a couple of squid jigs if you go.

Usually I manage a GT around the 70 cm range this year I managed a few around 70 cm, a couple of 80 cm and finally a metre GT.

A new capture for me was a manta ray on a soft plastic cleanly hooked in the mouth. Was only 65cm across but had me guessing what it was till we saw it in the water.

Also landed queenies to 1 metre and tuna and bream and a good gold spot cod. t

The fishing is still good up there probably needs a good wet.

Been busy this week getting the van and boat etc ready to go north for the winter.

The gulf and Darwin and places via Birdsville the inland rivers.

Anyone else going to be up that way in the next 4 months.

[LuckyFil]

Hi Bruce

Sounds like a different trip form the usual this year. I'm heading up there next week with a crew on the houseboat. I'd heard the lack of a decent wet this year has made the fishing a bit more tricky.

Do you mind passing on whereabouts you found the bigger GT's? We usually get a few in close at Pera but it's a bit and miss.

Nice fingermark in the pic - was that at 3 mile?

Cheers

Phil

[Scratchie]

Well done bruce! Every report I see from weipa there are some fabulous captures and your report is no different. Definitely one of the must do's for any fisho by all accounts. I'll get there one day! Thanks for sharing!

Cheers scratchie!!!

P.s yes mate, I'm in Darwin in October!

[Yowie]

Good work Bruce. Some nice fish there.

Heading off shortly in the van, but will be inland a bit from the coast up to Atherton, Port Douglas to visit some friends, down to Townsville to meet up with some others from the caravan club, then home by the end of July (that is the plan)

Dave.

[Get Bent]

Nice report. I'll be up there for my second trip on one of the houseboats in October - can't wait. I'd also be keen to know where you got the big GT's. How did you go in the Norman? We got nothing when we fished it, it was dead low and very shallow for most of it. We did well around the island just outside the mouth though.

[hookerbruce]

Hi Phil

Got GTs, cobia, big queenies, fingermark and other good fish on outside of Pera reef in 15-20 m of water. Also sound around up to 1km west of pera reef some little peaks and broken reef produced if you could beat the sharks. 3 mile was rather dead but did jig up big sharks. Only saw your pm yesterday will reply.

Hi Scratchie

Like a lot of other places it doesn't fish as well as it used to, but for ease of access and cost it is still the best I can find. Planning my next Weipa trip now. Sept I'll be around Burketown somewhere and on the way home by Oct.

Hi Dave

Heading off probably next wed up to Narrabri (Lake Yarrie no fish don't even know if there is water this year) then up to St George (on a river about 20 km out), next on to Quilpie, Windorah (Coopers Creek) and down to Birdsville Then north to the Gulf. Naturally having a fish in any river we come to. That is plan A.

I've seen you anchored up in port a couple of times, kept away didn't want to scare the fish early in the morning. My son bumped into you a few weeks back at mainbar pumping nippers and said hello.

Will come and say hello next time.

Get bent

The Norman fished dead but the mouth did produce jacks and heaps of golden trev,queenies, dart etc not big fish about a kg. I fish the beach areas with 10lb braid on a 2-4 kg 7 ft graphite rod and have a ball with a fish a cast on small soft plastics. The mouth comes alive with the run in tide over the flats at the mouth.

Also about 1 km north of the norman big area of broken reef in about 2-4m of water well worth trolling over.

[fragmeister]

.. and that a slow year in Weipa!

The Manta ray was an interesting catch.

Looks like another place to add to the bucket list.

Cheers

Jim

[Get Bent]

Thanks Bruce, it'll be 4 months till I'm back up there - can't wait!!

[LuckyFil]

Nice report. I'll be up there for my second trip on one of the houseboats in October - can't wait. I'd also be keen to know where you got the big GT's. How did you go in the Norman? We got nothing when we fished it, it was dead low and very shallow for most of it. We did well around the island just outside the mouth though.

Get Bent

Yeah the Norman can be disappointing but can fish well occasionally. I've been going to Weipa for 7 years now (not as long as HookerBruce though!) . If you want to send me a PM I'll pass on what I've learnt.

Cheers

Phil

[Get Bent]

PM sent - thanks a heap Phil.