7 day Weather for Iluka???

[rando]

We are booked in for our annual camping trip to Iluka starting the 9th.
Could some of the Northern NSW contributers give me an idea of the current weather and the trend for the next week. Longer if your game.
Is it as wet and windy as Brisbane,and is the predicted new low likely to affect your local weather down there?? :-/

[stonecold]

Mate I wish i had some good news for you but I don't. I like many of the SE Qld boys are starting to climb the walls.
I went for a drive to Evans Head in the vein hope that i'd be OK but as you can see its crap. The river had a few calmer corners however its been raining constantly for the past 24hrs and ZZZ have just started anouncing road closures. Were in for a flood. On a positive note bring your jew rod the walls will fire. If the swell drops there should be some mackeral and tuna picking up the scraps as well.
The forecast is for intensifying conditions overnight and rain through until at least Tuesday. Wind abaiting Saturday/Sunday.
The attached pic was taken at about lunch time and the waves breaking are approx 500m out the from of the bar.

Hope things change soon:'(

[johnlikes2fish]

the story is that it should start to settle by wednesday, but there are enough spots to find somewhere out of the wind either river or sea, i will be there from the 6/01 to 27/01 so if you see a black guy in a berkley hat casting lures endlessly off the bluff come and say g'day.
john

[rando]

Stonecold
Thanks, Seabreeze shows wind and seas moderating by the weekend but more rain up till 9th . Not what i want for setting up our camp. Fingers crossed , Mate we are down for 3 weeks , Im packing the whole arsenal.

JL2F
Where are staying John.? I will be at riverside camp ground, I love fishing the bluff, so if you like,we can hook up sometime for a fish , or a beer if the conditions are crap.

[nigelr]

Rando, suspect Stonecold is spot on re- 'we're in for a flood'.
Very large and slow moving low pressure system blocked by the high to the south, predicted to head west towards the coast over the next 2-4 days.
The second and third weeks of your trip could produce awesome fishing, after a decent fresh in the Clarence.
As for the weather in general for the 3 weeks, plan for it to be wet, anything else will be a bonus. This has been the wettest spring/early summer I've seen in 10 years, and the 'wet' season (Feb, March) is yet to come.
Cheers and best wishes for a great holiday, I sincerely hope that hope I'm wrong and you get plenty sunshine.

[stonecold]

G'Day John, are you taking the YAK?
Rando, nigelr the river here in Cassino is already up a metre and a half and its still bucketing down. The surrounding landscape was already wet from previous rains so if this low keeps coming its a forgone conclusion.
The water out the front looks as good as I have seen it for a long while, they are already getting spotties at woody head (apparently) so I would say when this rain does stop and the fresh is dropping theres going to be all sorts of goodies cruising that wall, hehehe Hope you've got plenty of feathers, and live bait traces made.

[carpel]

I think its going to settle and your timing except for arrival may not be too bad ..Best of luck .. Ps the consistant southerlies and strong current if the freshh gets swept away quick enough could see the fish get really turned on ... PS .. NOTE ROCK FISHERMAN ARE KNOWN TO BE ETERNALLY OPTAMISTIC SOMETIMES TO THE DETRIMENT OF THEMSELVES AND OTHERS..

[rando]

only 6 more sleeps,,,cant wait:D:D:D
I dont suppose anyone knows if those bloody salmon are still around.?
The last time the southerlies were in during our stay, you could nearly walk on the bait that was around.:o

[stonecold]

There was speak of salmon at Ballina last week although the electric blue water I saw this morning would indicate that they may no longer be around

[nigelr]

Yeh, they (salmon) have been down here just south of Coffs as late as the weekend before last, though not in numbers, thank God!
Hopefully a bit of East Coast Gyre activity will pack them off back down south where they belong!
Cheers!

[whynott]

Good luck Mr Rando,
Does that mean that there might be a new avatar.
Make sure you dont sleep too close to the fridge.
Hope the weather comes good for you and the family.
Graham.

[rando]

oops double post

[rando]

A few nights in front of the fridge might be just what i need Graham. I feel like ive faded away to nothing.I can even get out of the chair by myself;D

[alleycat]

Hi rando, i just got back on the 1st january, the weather was terrible apart from the first 2 days, anyway the river was a browny tea colour on the run out tide, this might get worse with all the rain, was good flathead flicking up against the middle wall, also some real horse whiting in same area, i was getting them on plastics and my son was into them with yabbies, quite a few were over 35cm.

[MY-TopEnder]

I'm currently sitting in the car with my laptop on wireless contemplating going home its that bad at the tweed. BOM says since 9am yesterday we've had 89mm of rain... try 3 times that maybe.

Its gusting to upwards of 40kn, pouring rain, and not very comfortable at all.

It'd be a brave call to make, but i wouldn't be going.

[theoldlegend]

The Bluff and Frazers could be interesting Rando.

However, there's plenty of other places to go. The inside of Colless' wall up near the big red and white navigation thingo; between that and the houses a bit further up river was pretty good for flatties, both on bait and softies. We found the best spot for yabbies was past Johnson's Lane, but before where the luderick guys fish.

Right out near the end of the wall on the inside was pretty good for bream too, but watch the swells. There's some rocks near there a bit closer in on the ocean side that look like they've been specially cut with ledges you can fish off as well.

Anyway, you probably know all the spots.

Have a good break.

Regards,

TOL

[stonecold]

Just had a look on Austar# weather channel... update says wind abaiting Sat. Sunday SE15knt tending NE 15Knts. Monday Tuesday sunny. Woohoo! shame I'll be back at work!

[youngy555]

i've already booked and payed for my accom, suppose to leave newcastle on monday for poona on the sandy straits for wednesday (6nights there) its a long drive towing a boat for nothin.. i'll take the risk

[stonecold]

youngy it'll still be better than work!

[youngy555]

well said stonecold, too right.

[johnlikes2fish]

Hey Rando, Stonecold I'll be taking the yak down in the hope of fishing around woody and the end of the wall as well as the usual rock fishing.
Rando I am staying at a Townhouse down there on Angourie st near the boat ramp (not the pub ramp)
Rain hail or shine I will be out lets hope this is the one time the weather people arent right.

[rando]

John
I am loading the yak also, It will be my first attempt at kayak fishing, so Ill see how we go.
Ill have to go steady , the fitness level could be a bit suspect.
The good thing about Iluka is there is always somewhere you can get a fish.
Check your PMs

[stonecold]

woohoo I can see some blue sky! Lots of roads cut however and floodwaters still rising.

[youngy555]

you say roads are cut, im leaving newcastle tomorow and will probably be staying somewhere near coffs harbour tomorow night, are main roads cut? pacific highway clear through to the border does anybody know or will i be backing the boat into a flooded road to get there?

[stonecold]

Mate you should be right to get through to coffs tomorrow night. They are expecting the river at Coraki to peak tomorrow arv and woodburn shortly after that. It should have begun to receed by the time you come through but if I hear anything i'll keep you posted. Murwillumbah and the tweed also copped a pizzling with road closures. I'll have a listen to the radio and let you kow shortly.

[stonecold]

They've just called off the evacuations at Tweed so you should be right there. Kyogles had their biggest flood in half a century. Theyre predicting that water to reach Cassino at midnight tonight and Coraki Tomorrow arv. Roads will be cut between Cassino and the Coast but I havnt heard anythng about the predicted road closures at Woodburn yet. Worst case divert at Grafton and come up through Cassino then up to Murwillumbah.

[youngy555]

useful info, thanks s.c, got the map in front of me so understand what your explaining, not real familiar with the area up there so your tips, dunno where i'll be stopping o'night yet, when i get tired i spose. thanks again.

[stonecold]

Coffs is a good stop off point. Not much between there and Woodburn. If i was coming up thats were I'd be aiming for. Once there you'll have an opportunity to assess where the water is and adjust the travel plans accordingly.

[MY-TopEnder]

I can confirm all roads through from the Tweed are open and flowing fine (Highway anyway). Just driven back myself.

We copped a nice drenching last night at the tweed.... hence the reason i'm now home. Even though it fined up, i'm going to need an extra day or two to dry things out.

[youngy555]

good news, thanks for that topEnder, gives me a bit of peace of mind, do you know if the next 2 weeks should bring decent weather

[mattooty]

Well boys thought i better chip in with a local report from yamba.
The swell is cleaning up and the wind is dropping. Still a solid swell but its alot more predictable without having an extra 2 foot of chop on top. The water isnt to bad but that will change in the next few days as this fresh makes its way to the ocean. Im cleaning my jew gear and tying new leaders and stocking up on feathers. there'll be stinkers to be had for all once its manageable!
I would have fished this arvo except for i had to work. Come on down, bring all the gera you want cause the flatties are still on around the walls and the bigger boys arent far off.
Re: kayakin around the end of the walls, i wouldnt be contemplating it at the moment with the swell the way it is, maybe on the inside but even then it'll be risky as there has been a consistent break between the coastguard tower and the t-piece at yamba. guys have been getting 400m rides on the surf ski's and big mals in the river.

[MY-TopEnder]

Youngy.... strange question but you weren't in the Browns Plains BCF this afternoon about 4:30 asking about a GPS book were ya? There was a bloke mentioned he was from south and headed to poona too... could just be coincidence

[Haphazard1]

Well, sound like the weather could be anywhere between good and ugly. No matter I am holidaying in Yamba week 12th to 19th Jan with family and new quinny. I have been following all the info above with some interest as I have never been to Yamba before but am looking froward to the break (away from work) and catching some fish. I don't have a sounder as yet, upcoming birthbay present hopefully if I'm good, but have a handheld GPS. I would appreciate any tips anyone may be able to provide in regard to locations / tides / times to fish, terminal tackle and techniques. Also what size gear to load up with as I have a fair selection. 6kg baitcaster is the norm, and maybe a smaller outfit for the bream etc. What do you guys think?