Scratchie Posted April 4, 2018 Share Posted April 4, 2018 G’day raiders, Well if not been truly blessed where I live. I have been given permission to get away with a couple of mates next week and we’re heading to wooli for 3 days to target Spanish macks! My questions to you good people are: Has anyone been there recently or travel there frequently? Did you have any success? What was the best method? Is there any advice that could offer more success? And any gps marks that I should take a look at? Thanks for any replies! Cheers scratchie!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonD Posted April 4, 2018 Share Posted April 4, 2018 (edited) Firstly make sure you know where the sanctuary boundaries are. Secondly the bar is quite narrow and often has surfers right in the middle of it, it can get a bit lumpy at times. Launch and retrieve at low tide is very shallow so don't drop to boat in with the engine trimmed right down. There are several places big mackerel are regularly taken, some just put the front and slightly north. The mackerel can be just off the headlands a few km to the north. I tend to head out around North Solitary, there's a great little bay for snorkelling on the north end of the island ( sanctuary). Just north of the main island is a small island with a big bommy at its northern end, this often has all kinds of fish ( last time I was there we kept getting every rod hooked up on small yellow fin 8-10kg). There's a long reef that heads east from the southern end of that little island that is a mackerel and wahoo hotspot. The offshore side of the big island is almost impossible to pull lures along without something smashing you ( often big mack tuna or kings ). If you hook small kings in this area just keep them in the water about 3m under the boat as this often brings the bigger 20kg models to the boat. If you get live bait then cobia are also through this area and at the southern end of the island. In all honesty I've never had to work hard to find fish in that area, in fact you often see tuna busting up from the break wall. If you have charts you will note there are so many reefs in the area and most have something on offer. The downside can be if the water goes green or dirty the fishing drops dramatically. The fad is normally excellent and we often see big wahoo and sharks in that area too. If you sound the bottom close to the fad you can normally find good numbers of trag ( haven't failed yet). Just one thing, when you get through the bar head a little north before heading to the island as there are some shallow bommies about 500m out, these often have crab trap floats dotted about too. I would normally head up around this time but my kids all have things on so I might have to leave it untill snapper time. The pub has good food but groceries are quite limited from the service station shop, saying that they have everything you need. Almost all divers work, with red and whites always a favorate but literally most will catch fish there. Edited April 4, 2018 by JonD 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickmarlin62 Posted April 4, 2018 Share Posted April 4, 2018 the small island mentioned is nor west rock also sanctuary zone 100 mtrs roughly nth east are two pinnacles that come up to 5mtrs..thats Spanish territory in front of it all the best divers head there for macks n wahoos...il see if I have some marks for you jeff rick 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirvin21 Posted April 4, 2018 Share Posted April 4, 2018 https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/656305/Solitary_Islands_Marine_Park_2015-low-resolution.PDF a map of the marine park, couple of guys copped a decent fine recently for ignoring the sanctuary zones, plenty of Spanish getting caught up here lately... good luck 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jiggy Posted April 4, 2018 Share Posted April 4, 2018 You can also launch at Minnie Water, it's a beach launch into a lagoon with no bar crossing involved. It's just 10 km up the road from Wooli. Cheers Rob 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scratchie Posted April 4, 2018 Author Share Posted April 4, 2018 @JonD @rickmarlin62 @dirvin21 @Jiggy And this is why I love fishraider so much! I put this post up yesterday and by this morning, quality information all over it! Thank you champions! Can’t wait to get there! Cheers scratchie!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaddyT Posted April 4, 2018 Share Posted April 4, 2018 Was up at Coffs a couple of weeks ago, wahoo, spotties, spannies, kings , yellowfin , way too many mack tuna- hooked a small black on a bait jig at the Wide Bait ground on 6lb braid and had an interesting half an hour with him until the inevitable happened. Just a point of caution on the marine park zoning, the downloadable map is not printable in any sort of useful size (I really wonder if the MPA wants us to fish in the right places ?) so make sure your chartplotter is up to date- its a great fishing area . Be careful at Wooli it is a b!@#$^&d of a bar 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scratchie Posted April 5, 2018 Author Share Posted April 5, 2018 52 minutes ago, PaddyT said: Was up at Coffs a couple of weeks ago, wahoo, spotties, spannies, kings , yellowfin , way too many mack tuna- hooked a small black on a bait jig at the Wide Bait ground on 6lb braid and had an interesting half an hour with him until the inevitable happened. Just a point of caution on the marine park zoning, the downloadable map is not printable in any sort of useful size (I really wonder if the MPA wants us to fish in the right places ?) so make sure your chartplotter is up to date- its a great fishing area . Be careful at Wooli it is a b!@#$^&d of a bar Thanks for the feedback PaddyT. We are aware of the bar. If it’s not passable we’ll take the drive to Coffs! Mate, what was the ramp like at Coffs? I’m hearing it’s very shallow there atm! Cheers scratchie!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaddyT Posted April 5, 2018 Share Posted April 5, 2018 Ramp is heaps better than its ever been since they did the mods to it a year or so back. On our first arvo we were in the left over swell from the recent Qld cyclone and there were some big sets rolling through, we went out just after high tide (and it was the dark of the moon so big tides) and had no probs, came back in right on the bottom of the tide , waited for a lull and shot through no probs-probabaly 3 -4 feet of water under us. The surge at the ramp is nowhere as bad as it used to be and its only one wave to cross. Going out is a bit trickier than coming in because you cant see around the rock wall, but either way its easier than any bar crossing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickmarlin62 Posted April 5, 2018 Share Posted April 5, 2018 Minnie is fine jeff on all but big swell n large high tide launch yours easy there..will look at gps tmrw my boats at mates place..rick 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scratchie Posted April 5, 2018 Author Share Posted April 5, 2018 6 minutes ago, rickmarlin62 said: Minnie is fine jeff on all but big swell n large high tide launch yours easy there..will look at gps tmrw my boats at mates place..rick Thanks rick! Not taking my boat though! I’ve been to Minnie, not sure about launching a 190C Edgewater there? A bit heavy me thinks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonD Posted April 5, 2018 Share Posted April 5, 2018 4 hours ago, Scratchie said: Thanks rick! Not taking my boat though! I’ve been to Minnie, not sure about launching a 190C Edgewater there? A bit heavy me thinks! I'm keen to try and launch there but sold the Prado and not sure how the Hyundai Santa Fe will be on the sand, haven't pushed the so called 4x4 button yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirvin21 Posted April 5, 2018 Share Posted April 5, 2018 (edited) 13 hours ago, Scratchie said: Thanks for the feedback PaddyT. We are aware of the bar. If it’s not passable we’ll take the drive to Coffs! Mate, what was the ramp like at Coffs? I’m hearing it’s very shallow there atm! Cheers scratchie!!! apparently it was dug out a few days ago, prior to that it was apparently only 30cm deep at low tide Edited April 5, 2018 by dirvin21 change 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jiggy Posted April 5, 2018 Share Posted April 5, 2018 I was a member on another now defunct site and one of the members lived at Minnie and launched a 7 metre plate boat from there. But he did use a tractor and not a car. I've been there and, though I haven't launched from there yet, I'd be comfortable launching my 6 metre console boat from there. That's the plan later in the year chasing snapper. I've been told that the trick is to be quick, if you take too long you'll start to sink into the sand. Cheers Rob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Welster Posted April 5, 2018 Share Posted April 5, 2018 You might be able to download the marine park mapping into the Avenza Maps app. I have used it in Jervis bay and it shows your location on the map with the marine parks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaddyT Posted April 5, 2018 Share Posted April 5, 2018 They 8 hours ago, dirvin21 said: apparently it was dug out a few days ago, prior to that it was apparently only 30cm deep at low tide They are dredging it regularily but the issue at that ramp was caused by the design, the "pond" they dug out means the entrance will not silt up as often and it stops the swell reflecting directly onto the ramp- its heaps better than it used to be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TK01 Posted October 16, 2018 Share Posted October 16, 2018 Sorry to raise the dead with this very old thread, but it's just too good to leave alone. I'm heading to Wooli in just over 2 weeks for a 4 day fishing trip. There are some really good pointers here that I know were meant for Scratchie, but I really appreciate them too Can I ask what fish I might expect early November at Wooli? I'm assuming it's probably a bit early in the season to be hoping for spaniards and wahoo? How's the beach fish at this time of year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickmarlin62 Posted October 16, 2018 Share Posted October 16, 2018 Snapper n jew are at peak now up there comin into nov we used to spend two weeks in nov heaps of reds trag jew samsons out wider in 50 mtrs and kings layed on at nth solitary beaches are also good for jew n big bream Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TK01 Posted October 16, 2018 Share Posted October 16, 2018 Thanks a lot Rick I found some gps marks for the area you shared in another thread, so thanks for that too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scratchie Posted October 17, 2018 Author Share Posted October 17, 2018 3 hours ago, TK01 said: Thanks a lot Rick I found some gps marks for the area you shared in another thread, so thanks for that too. Good luck with the bar! Pretty tricky at times. Just remember, if you commit, there ain’t no turning back! Exit on left hand side and come back in same side! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickmarlin62 Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 If wooli bar isnt favourable ten min drive to minnie sorts that beach launch but easy read previous comments Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TK01 Posted October 17, 2018 Share Posted October 17, 2018 Yeah we are certainly aware of the bar, thanks Scratchie. We have plenty of experience with beach launches so I dare say that Minnie will be our preference for any conditions that are less than ideal for the bar. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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