Any crabs in Caloundra - Bell's Creek - Military Jetty

[bondy99]

Hello fellow fishos

Going up to Caloundra for the day some time this week. Does anyone know if there are any crabs in Bells Creek, would they be sandies or muddies?

Friend has a small boat with 3.3hp motor.

Any info would be greatful.

Cheers, Bondy

[Still_Dreamin]

Got a feed of sandies south of the blue hole. Used some old pillies and mullet. One buck for about ten jennies and they were full of roe.

[bondy99]

Still_Dreamin,

Thanks for that info, nice to know there are some sandies around. Only got a small boat. I've never been there before, how far south of the blue hole?

I've got 8 metres of rope, would that be ample taking into consideration high tide?

Thanks, Bondy

[bondy99]

Does anyone else had any success or info?, Leaving very early am tomorrow.

[Still_Dreamin]

Water depth was only around 3m. I started just at the edge of blue hole and ran them south along Bribie. It is a blind ended channel so don't screaming down along Bribie. Double back until you hit the red marker then you will be back it deep water.

[Dignity]

Bondy, for sandies try the mouth of Bells immediately to the right of the green entrance marker just before you get to the yellow marker as they are often found there and it is only 1.5 - 1.8 metres deep. If you head up into Bells you will find plenty of places to put in your pots for muddies but as I haven't put mine in their due to recent school holidays and influx of visitors I can't really say if they have been on.

The muddies do prefer the high tide to walk around and tomorrow you will have a falling tide so get up there tonight. The sandies will be caught on the falling tide so that may be your best bet. The wind should drop tomorrow also so it would be far more pleasant and you could try the water as mentioned by still dreamin although I have found that the area formed by the sand bank opposite Military Jetty to be ok at times also for sandies and there are ramps close by.

[Volvo]

And i'm looking at a week down that way also:), any good spots to wet a line off the bank??..

[bondy99]

Still_Dreamin and Dignity,

Thanks very much for your help and advice, I'll let you know how I went.

Cheers, Bondy

[Funchy]

Good lck mate. Flattys are starting to chew too :-)

[Dignity]

Volvo, mouth of Bells Creek in the shallows and north of there, also just north of the Power Boat Club, you can walk around the mangroves and there is a sandy Bea beach that will produce, even the board walk produces good fatties and trevally on live herring.

[bondy99]

Greeting ladies and gents,

Been a wonderful trip to Caloundra yesterday, not much traffic northbound, not very good for southbound traffic on the Bruce Highway heading towards the city, kilometres of slow bumper to bumper traffic. Shell servo before Roys Road heading North on the Bruce had unleaded fuel at $1.36 litre, compared to $1.56 for the same in Caloundra.

Got to the Military Jetty Caravan Park, met up with a friend residing on holidays for a day's outing to try ones luck at landing a feed of whiting and blue swimmers ( had two pots). We traversed a wide area and stopped at various locations as well as heading into Bells Creek for an evening session. From previous discussion there were large fish in the area busting the surface, but alas no large fish, just 4 winter whiting and 2 summer whiting 32cm.

Plenty of mozzies at dusk came out in full force, (left the Aeroguard in the car) , interesting navigating a pitch black creek , edged our way out into the main channel , too dark to retrieve crab pots so left them as is.

This morning, went out to a different section, heading towards Bribie Island, anchored a few locations for zilch, moved to a few areas on route towards tip of Bribie Island, managed to catch 1 legal summer, 28cm and 1 blue swimmer on bloodworm. Decided to have a break and have a walk to the eastern side of Bribie Island, surf was very close...did not taker long, probably 5 mins or so and viola Eastern side of Bribie Island is reached.

Wow, what a drop, a good 30 foot drop from the top of the heath scrub to the beach proper. See Photo.

Would have been good to explore, getting down would be easy, getting back up, well, that could be a bit difficult.

Attempted a few more spots, nil action. Decided to call it a day, went to retrieve pots, first pot, 4 sandies, all undersize.....second pot. 5 sandies and 1 coral crab, , sandies are undersize and all jennies.

See pic of coral crab + blue swimmer. Coral Crab was released , blue swimmer kept.

We had plenty of yabbies collected the previous day, , bloodworms I dug from the day before trip (see pic).

A few whiting fisherman around (see pic).

Also juvenile tarwhine and some type of stripey (I never seen before). (pics attached)

Although bugger all fish, it was still good to be out on the water and explore new areas.

Cheers and tight lines, Bondy

[Funchy]

Good onya Bondy. How long you here for?

Try down towards Bells and drfit south just off the weed beds. Also straight across from Bells drift south on the Bribie side just on the drop offs.

Keep em coming fella

[bondy99]

G'day Funchy,

I was only there for a day, slept overnight and done half a day on the following day.

I would have liked to stay longer but had to be elsewhere. My friend stayed longer as they are on holidays.

Being unfamiliar and lacking local knowledge of the area does make a difference when it comes to missing out on a feed and getting enough for a feed. Still, it was a great day out, would like to repeat this trip , it will be 12 months before that will happen. Its good to have other members of Ausfish to help others out with locations / suggestions and pointers in general.

Thanks to everyone that assisted.

Cheers, Bondy

[cuzzamundi]

Great report, Bondy. Gee that northern end of Bribie has some major erosion.

The stripey fish looks like a crescent grunter.

Cuzza

[Still_Dreamin]

I wonder how muchq longer it will be before the sea breaks through near the blue hole. It would be flat out being fifty metres wide there. I reckon a good cyclone and some flood waters on the inside and the bar will move south. Back to what it was like in the late 80s with the large spit heading south from happy valley.

[bondy99]

G'day Cuzza,

Thanks for the info on that fish, I've never seen a juvenile crescent grunter, thought it was a stripey due to stripes lol.


Bondy

[bondy99]

G'day Cuzza,

Thanks for the info on that fish, I've never seen a juvenile crescent grunter, thought it was a stripey due to stripes lol.

Yep, certainly is a bit of erosion, would have been a nice place to camp for few days, I was told the area we ventured onto was a no go for camping.


Bondy

[Dignity]

Bondy, no camping but plenty of people throw up a cabana for day use. The area further south is even more eroded, it is probably 30 m wide and looks like agent orange had been sprayed, all the pandanas palms that we often picknicked under are all gone and buried in the surf. If it breaks through it will be just north of the channel marker.
Glad you enjoyed your trip.

[cuzzamundi]

Mate, many people call them striped grunter, so you were correct, too.

Cuzza

[bondy99]

Dignity,

That northern tip I was at was certainly an eye opener, I should have brought my handycam with me , would have been nice to have recorded what I've seen over there.

I would have liked to stay a bit longer but had to be back home by Friday evening.

Would have been a good spot to relax for awhile. Seen heaps of cuttlefish bones, I would have ventured down onto the ocean side and take some home , wife of a farmer I know has birds that require cuttlefish bones on occasions (probably for the mineral or salt).

Maybe I could have got back up the dune with a 50 foot rope tied to a tree that looked a bit susc. From what I seen on the surf side, the high tide laps at the edge of the dune, that's on a calm day.

Cheers, Bondy