Heading North ADVICE Please

[darryl_l]

Hi all,

I am heading up to Townsville for a meeting on Saturday and Sunday first weekend of June. I have decided to tow my 12ft tinnie up with me on Thursday and need some ideas on where to fish. I am looking to do a DAM run for a sooty grunter either on the way up or on the way home so any advice on location or lure choice would be greatly appreciated. I am in Bundaberg so any dams between here and there that are not a millinon miles off the highway would be worth suggesting.

Darryl L

[Heno]

You could try Teemburra dam west from Mackay Or any of the creeks in in the Mackay area or Peter Faust dam (about 20 ks) off the highway from proserpine.
Around Townsville there's the Burdekin river thats about 1hrs drive towards Charters Towers or another stretch of the same river is out towards Hearveys Range again about an hours drive from Townsville.

[darryl_l]

Heno,

Does Teemburra have sooty grunter in it??

Darryl L

[Heno]

Not sure if it has or not but I know some of the creeks in the area do.I was taken by friends to the area a couple of years back & we fished all three dams in the area along with the creeks the names of which are long forgotten.We scored quite a few in the days we were there. I'll do a little homework and get back to you soon.

[Heno]

pelagic chaser,
All three dams in the Mackay area( kinchant Teemburra and Eungella )do hold sooties as does peter faust. Freinds tell me Poppers& plastic shads no larger than about 70 mm are the go and small deep divers.

[darryl_l]

Heno,

Thanks for that. I'll try a couple on the way up and on the way back and hopefully have some pics to post when I get home.

Darryl L

[shayned]

Could I suggest doing Eungella Dam for 3 reasons the drive up through the nat. park is beautiful and should be done for this reason alone. 2nd there has been good reports lately of sooties firing up there. 3rd there used to be some good spots around walkerston and marani in the pioneer river in between the big chunks of granite where the river has worn them away leaving some good cover for the fish in the channels that are formed. Try call the local tackle shops first.

[darryl_l]

Thanks shayned,

I will see how much time I have on my side for the trip back..

Darryl L

[seajay39]

why don't you try a bit closer to home?
i heard that there is a good population ofsooty grunter out at lake gregory?

[darryl_l]

seajay,

Whilst I have seen photos of sootys caught at Lake Gregory they have not been stocked. I have fished the area extensively and still not hooked 1 in there.

As I have already posted I have a meeting to attend up that way and the fishing trip is an add on to having to drive up just for the meeting. There are any number of species that I would like to catch while away but time is limited so Sooty went to the top of a short list. Northern Saratoga are up there too.

Darryl L

[BobbyJ123]

G'day mate. At Kinchant dam, Mackay, go straight across to the inflow channel. and cast around there for the sooties. The dam is now at 100%. The dam has some monster barra as well. But keep it to yourself, hey??? ;)

[darryl_l]

Bobby,

Yeah a couple of people have mentioned Kinchant now. Looks like one of my must stop and try locations on the trip. What is the size of the dam??

Darryl L

[Heno]

Kinchant is the smallest and also the closest dam to Mackay which makes it a popular place for skiers and jetski's over weekend periods.Better to fish here here during the week IMO.

Shaun.

[darryl_l]

Thanks Heno,

Will probably fish around Mackay area on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday so weekend won't be a problem.

Darryl L