Hinchinbrook advice req'd

[StuH]

G'day All,
I am planning a 2 week trip to Hinchinbrook in October putting the 1st Qtr moon, (13th), in the middle. I am taking my boat, (435 Hornet), and plan to target mainly Barra and Jacks.I was after any advice from you if this is the best way to plan the tides. Also accomodation, Lucinda v Cardwell or any other ideas you may have from past experience.
Thanks in advance,
Stu.

[Vern_Veitch]

StuH,
I like to fish the middle of the channel and Missionary Bay so prefer to stay at Cardwell. I recommend the Kookaburra which is on the highway and caters well for fishers.
Lucinda is also great and Wnaderers is very popular but there are more sandflies and your fishing choices are less.
As far as tides go, the middle of the channel can be accessed for Fishers Creek about 27Km south of Cardwell but make sure you are there on at least 1.5 metres of tide as it is at the top of the creek.
If you are going to Missionary, the ramp at Port Hinchinbrook is good for all except the bottom 75cm or so. Dungeness near Lucinda is much the same but make sure you get lcoal advice on where the passage is out intothe main channel as at low tide there are some pretty big sand and mud bars and the midges are big enough to put a hole in the bottom of your boat if they bite the wrong thing.
The whole of Hinchinbrook is god's country and is definitely worth the trip but it can be a bit hard to suss until you know where and when like any new area.
Vern

[clutter]

Stu, I'll be up there at the same time but only for a week. Never been there before but will be going with some mates from Mackay and elsewhere in central qld. We'll be down around Deluge Ck in a house boat. From what I hear, so will about 100 other boats. Keep in touch and might bump into you up there. Will have a Stessco RV445 Hurricane by then. Clutter.

[StuH]

Thanks for that fellas,
Clutter, I am based in Emerald and will keep in touch and let you know closer to the time when and where i will be staying.
Stu.

[craigie]

G'day Stu,

If you decide to visit Lucinda, pop and say hi to Al Goodwin who is the local Fishing Guide (Crackajack Sportfishing Adventures).

[craigie]

G'day Stu,

If you decide to visit Lucinda, pop in and say hi to Al Goodwin who is the local Fishing Guide (Crackajack Sportfishing Adventures). I was up that way a couple of years back and found Al most helpfull. He didn't know me from a bar of soap but was quite happy to chat to me for a couple of hours giving me tips on where to fish, lures etc and no he wasn't trying to talk me into a charter with him !! Next time I'm up there I will book in for a charter, nothing like a bit of local knowledge to help get fish attached to your lures.

One word of warning, If your a meat gatherer, Al may not give you the time of day. He's sick of the southerners transporting their freezers to and from his slice of Paradise flogging the place to death.

Cheers
Craigie.

[davo]

I had 2 weeks at Hinchbrook just before Easter this year. I stayed at the Lucinda end. My advice is that if you have only 2 weeks, check the tides and travel up to and back when the spring tides are one. This will maximise your fishing times during the smaller tides. I had to go on school holidays which limited our efforts. Next time I'd like to go for a month

I loved Hinchinbrook and I'm going back next year with a new ready to explore further. Get as many maps as possible and go to the Seamedia web site and buy the new book on Hinchinbrook. Good luck!!

[StuH]

Thanks Davo,
I have put the 1st Qtr moon in the middle so I can have a look around when I get there and then target the best tides when they come though.
Also would like to spend a day with crackfish tours and pick their brains for a while.
I have the new book, it's a beauty, no one should be without it, as well as North Australian Fish Finder.
Hopefully it will all work out ok.

Stu.

[Jack_Lives_Here]

Stu,

About to head up for my 3rd trip in Sept. (14th - 27th) and I am starting to get a handle on the place. I base at Lucinda - Wanderers. Great atmosphere - can't say we've ever been bothered by sandflies there though. Must be there at the right time. The access into Dungeness is very, very shallow at times.
Fish are available the whole length but a little local knowledge is helpful. I have planned my previous trips, as well as this one, around the full moon. We fish the week leading up to the full with the best action the 3 days before the full.
The middle of the channel is definitely a very good option. One thing is to not be worried about fishing shallow (1ft of water), we've caught plenty of fish (Barra and Jacks) in this stuff.
I'll be posting a report when I get back.

[Barrymundi]

You will be fishing in a beautiful part of the world when you visit Hinchinbrook. Nothing beats cruising up the channel at first light on a calm morning watching fish smash through the bait schools

Beware of the local crocs, there are a lot of them around.

I fish from Cardwell, Fishers Creek and Lucinda. My preference is Fishers Creek, BUT, a 1.5M min tide is required. The ramp is basic and can be hard to find coming home. Next spot is to launch from Lucinda-Dungeness and fish the bottom end of the channel.


Hinchinbrook is huge and has so many great spots to fish, concentrating on a few areas and not the whole area will produce results.

Barramundi are everywhere with good jacks always willing to smash your lure. Fish will sit in 1 foot of water and also deep out in the holes. One day we caught a 90+cm barra in one foot of dirty water behind a little stick. Others days we don't even see a fish.

Camping is good at Wanderers and they also have cabins around $55. Good self contained appartments are available down near the ramp for around $90.

Ask the locals for information, the majority are helpful.

A good spot is just down from the ramp at Dungeness. Head left, up the creek, within 100 yards you will find an area that holds Barra and 3 small crocs, largest about 6 foot.

If you stop at Ingham, call in at Nuggetts Tackle shop for some local advice or if you stop in a Townsville call into the tackle shops, we have a few of them. Most have local mud maps and will give you latest information.

If you need more specific information let me know. We have the luxury of fishing Hinchinbrook when ever the weather looks good, normally once a month. It is only 1 1/2 hours from Townsville.

[Barrymundi]

Just to wet your appitite go to the Saltwater Picture section, page 2

Hinchinbrook Barra

[StuH]

Thanks again fellas,
Keep the info coming, you can never have to much.
Stu.

[Simon_Goldsmith]

The Hinchinbrook region is a big area, so it's best to work a little bit at a time. Don't go there with visions of fishing the whole place.

You could quite easy spend a week just fishing the creeks from Dugeness upto Seymor or Sunday.

As a general rule the creeks at the top of the channel fish best on the top of the tide and those at the bottom on the run down to the bottom of the tide.

The reason being the creeks at the north a generally shallower than those south.

If weather permits and you get the chance scoot around to Zoe Bay, it's a beautiful (closed to fishing though) place, the freshwater stream that runs into is just out of this world.

Regards

Simon.

[Jack_Lives_Here]

Hey Simon,
My charts show Zoe Bay as a restricted zone - lure, fly or 1 baited hook. Has this been recently changed. ??? ??? ??? I was factoring a trip up if the weather was good when I'm up there in Sept.

[Jack_Lives_Here]

Too true. The area is huge. The first 2 trips we only ventured as far up as Deluge Inlet. We caught plenty of fish each day from Dungeness to there. All up 26 species in 10 days on lure and fly.

No matter where in the channel you fish, take plenty of the spray on bushman repellant - the sandflies are thick. Gunna give the old detol, baby oil, metho mix a run this year to see if it works.

[Simon_Goldsmith]

Yeh, when i say check out Zoe i don't me for the fishing, only for the aesthic beauty of the location.

Simon.

[Barrymundi]

plenty of local information at this website
www.hinchinbrooknq.com

http://www.hinchinbrooknq.com/trsm_recreation.htm#FISHING

[kc]

Hey Stu,

Send me your e-mail adress and I will send you some info which may help

Regards

kc@whitsunay.net.au

[imported_admin]

Just saw a book at the newsagents that might interest you

"Fishing The Hinchinbrook Wilderness" Had a good range of mud maps and info in it.

Also available online at http://www.seamedia.com.au

[sooty_mad]

Stu

Having spent many a pleasant week at Hinchinbrook at both the Cardwell and Lucinda ends, I must admit to having a preference for the northern end. In Cardwell the ONLY place to stay is the Kookaburra Caravan Park. You can get all the information from their web site. kookaburraholidaypark.com.au
The park is run by Ken and Clive and their respective wives. They are very friendly and helpful people and they will make sure that you have a great time. This is the place where all the serious fisherman stay so you will get plenty of advice/help and some great story telling around the bar-b-que plate of a night time.

Don't be fooled by the glass like water of an early morning. There is quite a bit of open water around the island and the wind can get up pretty quickly. It's not a pleasant run back to Port Himchinbrook from Missionary Bay with a 20 knot northeasterly blowing.

The northern end gives better protection if there is a southeasterly (most common) and the southern end better with a northeasterly. Also be aware of crocs, particularly at Deluge and Meunga Creeks.

It would be interesting to get other opinions, however I have found that at Hinchinbrook Island, smaller lures (3 or 4 inch) will consistently outfish larger lures for Barramundi, Jacks and Fingermarks.

Even if the fishing doesn't go well, you will return in awe of the island. It truly is one of the most amazing places on this earth.

Regards... David

[StuH]

Thanks David and everyone,
There is nothing like hearing from personal experience.
The Hinchinbrook book is an excellent read, Don't know how they kept it to the size they did.
I am taking on board all the info and by the looks of it many others will to.
Can't wait to get there now.
Stu.