Finding GPS Way Points

[markpeta]

Hi guys been fishing for ages close inshore and just started to head out inside the bay but the only spot i know at the moment is curtin artifical. would like to find spots like the rubble banks etc . is the a book or can someone please tell me some where to go to find other gps way points.

[webby]

Hi There is a book i've seen in newsagents, think its called 500 or 5000 gps points, or something like that.
It covers from fraser south to the border. There were a few in it that covered the main structures in the bay, so it might help with a starting point for you, the rest is exploration.
regards

[devocean]

Best way to find spots is look for boats anchored up and go checkout what they are sitting on. Occassionally you get an empty stubby thrown at you but as Ive found everyone does it to you eventually and Im pretty sure thats how spots get around

[macdwp01]

Too true, Devocean to true, i have seen and heard of many on boats doing that little trick in fact i know a person who is very vary of this trick. If he is on one of his "prized" or "top - quality" marks and he see's a boat in the distance coming towards him then its red-alert. In come the lines, even if the fish are on the bite, on occasions he will leave 20lb red emperor biting, up comes the anchor and off the spot he goes. I guess his motto is that you have to invest time (sometimes years) in a area to suss out good spots or secret spots, whether its a productive patch on the reef or a micro shoal in the middle of no-where he came across by accident. As a result, no other fishermen will get his hard work if he can help it. Mind you this same guy does the same trick and is quite prepared to wear a empty stubby or some abuse to see what a fishermen is on who is not prepared to up anchor. Curious, hardly, smart , YES. Many a spot has been found in the past from this technique, and many a secret spot will be located from this technique in the future.

[drevil]

You can also buy a chart for $20 and get whatever points you need from looking at the reefs, etc.

[markpeta]

thanks guys for all the help ill invest in a helmet in case anyone gets anoyed

[macdwp01]

Another tip is to also go exploring by that i mean this, of most places where there are reefs there are nearly always what people like to call micro shoals - they are worth their weight in gold - sometimes these "micro-shoals" are not even known about and they hold a large quantity of fish - Agnes Jack sounds like he has one of these "Micro-Shoals" that hold good trout and other fish. As such though they are extrememly hard to find and almost always are stumbled upon by chance. Your best chance to find one is when your going to a shoal or structure about 1.5nm miles away from your intended waypoint slow the boat down and sound around for some of these shoals, they dont have to rise far just a metre or so. Hopefully, as time goes by you can eventually find one and jackpot if you do. If you keep it secret and dont plunder it you will have a very nice reserve on your hands. If you find one and your anchored on it and a boat comes, rise the anchor and get the hell out of there because sure as hell the other boat will think its a bit strange that your anchored seemingly in the middle of no-where and will probably mark the point down for later inspection. Good Luck.

[macdwp01]

Also try and fish areas that dont show up on charts. Obviously, less people would know about them so that area should be better.

[Cheech]

I have a few secret spots, and have motored up to them from time to time and found someone else on MY secret spot. Need to get close sometimes to make sure they are on it or off it enough to make it worth while to anchor.

After reading the above, I hope they were not thinking of chucking a stubbie. After all, they were on MY spot.

I suppose if you do motor up, at least look like you intended on going there and they are on your spot.

[caloundra]

try these markpeta

http://www.fishnet.com.au/fishnet/cgi-bin/gps/gps.pl?enter

Daniel

hoped that worked

[QldKev]

Also try your local tackle store, they often have a starter list.

[Anne-T-Dote]

Hey Markpeta,

You sound just like me a few years ago. I have been hunting around for a while now and have collected a few marks (still a lot of country yet to explore though). It's easy, but takes time and patients. Don't think you can do just one trip out looking for marks and expect to have collected all the good marks in the area by the end of the day.

I will give you a GREAT starting point though: My first experience with finding my own spots was at The Hamilton Patches just off Caloundra. I'm not saying these are "My Spots" - everyone knows about them. What I am saying is that I found them by myself without anyone telling me the marks. The area is COVERED in these little "micro-shoals" as macdwp01 describes above. All we did was head to the general area, slow down and sound around, and within minutes a fantastic show of fish came across the screen. First few drops produced good tuskies, maori cod and even legal sized red emporer (back in the days of the 45cm size limit). How surprised were we ?? - only 3 or 4 nautical miles from Caloundra headland! Then my sister in law hooked a massive fish on 8kg line. My bro called it for a cobia so up anchor and the chase was on. It busted off after about an hour and we never saw the fish. I reckon it was a shovel nosed ray, but I can't convince my bro of that.

Anyway, I was drivin' the boat while we were chasin the fish and the whole time i was watching the sounder (and GPS). We must've stumbled across another 4 or 5 great little shoals in that time that I marked as we went over them. When we busted the fish off we went back and got good fish from all those spots.

This is now the technique I use when finding new spots anywhere (and is pretty much the technique anyone uses I suppose). So give it a go, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

By the way, If you were thinking more along the lines of "inside the bay", check out some of the scuba diving sites as they give GPS marks for most of the well known wrecks in the bay, some of which are well worth fishing on. BUT I will say that the Hamilton Patches are easily accessible from Spinnaker Sound or Mooloolah River if you're not keen to cross the Caloundra Bar. Probably no further than going over to the Curtain Artificial Reef....

CHEERS, Happy Hunting and GOOD LUCK,

Macca.

[Mick]

Don't forget the spots that don't show up on the sounder. A 2 foot wind chop just might be enough to disguise a small low lying patch of rocks on the ocean floor, which may hold good fish.

[macdwp01]

All in all, you'll have in invest time and patience in looking for more spots and you'll have to have a share of luck. If you do find a productive area that produces time after time i suggest you keep it secret. Very Secret. Maybe only fish it on weekdays (if work permits) because as i've said before people out on the water will notice anyone that seems to be fishing in a area away from the crowd and they will investigate. What you dont want is coming back to your SPOT X and finding 3 boats on it pulling fish. Once we find it, your number 1 goal should be to keep it secret by whateva means, your second goal would be to fish it. Cheers

[devocean]

I reckon finding your own spots is the only way to go. Plenty of people give out dodgy gps marks. One guy I know (ray) left a whole heap of dodgy GPS marks on the floor of a council car which gets used by ehaps of people. He did it on purpose. As a result a heap of people hit the water the next good weekend driving to nothing. Recon missions are a must these days. Last time I went fishing I spent two days exploring before even wetting a line and found some awesome spots.

[macdwp01]

That is GOLD devocean, not a bad trick at all, only if the points are not that far out though, after all you don't want to send them out to whop whop. Devocean what do you look you when exploring, (ps, not the thing you told me in December).