Townsville trip

[sawtellrob]

we have been offered accommodation on an island off Townsville any time within the next six years. As we are on the mid north coast of N.S.W. it's a big trip and we want to make the most of it. When is the best fishing time - seas, wind, tide and fish? Do you have live bait grounds like we have here?

[whiteman]

May-Sept when the rainfall, humidity and temperatures are low. It's just about always windy.

Live bait schools everywhere.

[ssbayguide]

GDay SawtellRob

Which Island - like Whiteman said, heaps of baitschools.

[cooky]

as long as you've got a boat that likes 10-20kts with 1-2m seas you'll be fine. not always like this, but seems to be windy most of the time

[sawtellrob]

The island we have access to is magnetic island. Don't know anything about the area - drove thru Townsville on the way to Weipa a couple of times.
Are we wasting our time going? Are there reefs within reach for 15' boats? Should I abandon my family for two weeks of such north Qld decadence?

[cooky]

Are we wasting our time going?
NO WAY.
You'll never be wasting your time coming to Townsville or anywhere in North Queensland for a holiday. Magnetic Island is rated as one of the best islands you'll find anywhere.

check out http://www.townsvilleonline.com.au for more information on the region.

15 foot - is it glass or tinny?
You're not likely to get to any reefs from Townsville except on a bloody good day, but you can get to some pretty special places - even if not from Townsville - Lucinda (Hinchinbrook Island), Bowen, etc - all within an hour or so drive. BASE yourself in Townsville and enjoy - you will not regret it.

You could join a charter to get out to the reef, or if you're a nice bloke you could join an ausfish member on a trip. Then you can use your 15' for creeks and trips to Magnetic Island.

Magnetic Island is approx 7kms from Townsville and has great beaches and a variety of things to do (perve on backpackers and get drunk for example).

here's a photo taken last Sunday at one of the beaches

[cooky]

another one - this bay is a great place for a swim, snorkelling, and knocking back a few cold ones. Even has a toilet block.

[Leo_N.]

Fringing reef is the most you can expect at Maggie, but there is still some awesome fishing to be done from a 15 ft tinnie. West point has a good population of school mackeral late winter and spring, at which time there are some good blue salmon in the creeks if the weather isn't too flash. Various places in the area hold good fingermark and grunter from now through to late summer.

You will pay a fair bit to get your boat onto the island on the car ferry (and a lot more to tow it here I suspect),so if it is reef you want you might want to get onto a charter.