Where to go?? (Townsville)

[Seaking]

Hi again to all,

Can anyone recommend a decent beach near Townsville? As kids will be with as well, facilities will be needed. Was thinking of Cungulla, or Alva..... Any ideas?? Also advice on the fishing there...... only going for a day though.

Thanks
Seaking

[STUIE63]

Seaking I would go to
-palarenda park at car park at end and walk to beach and walk up the beach 500m
-strand jetty only cast out 10-15m don't cast too far as there is a gutter and a long cast will get you in shallow water
-mouth of the ross river at the reclaim or even the rock walls
-bushland beach at mount low
-lakes behind mercure inn there is a outlet pipe
-rockpool i've never fished it myself but have heard it is good at times
-rockwalls at the harbour
-then there is saunders beach,balgal beach , crystal creek cromarty landing (haughton river) morriseys the other one is get your bait from a tackle shop they will all talk about fishing spots
Stuie

[Scott nthQld]

If you head north, just out side of Townsville there is Toolakea and Toomulla beach. I haven’t fished toolakea before but have heard some good reports of whiting, bream and flathead off the beach there.

At Toomulla beach there are toilet and bbq facilities there and you’ve got a choice to fish if the beach for whiting flathead and bream (watch out, there is heaps of stingrays cruising along the sand flats there) or you can fish in the creek just to the right of the boat ramp off a mud bank across to the other side where good sized grunter, bream and mangrove jack congregate (once you are down there the spot to soak a bait will be obvious). Just be aware that there are loads of sandflies and mozzies there and if fishing in the creek don’t go near the water as there are a lot of crocs that hang around not too far away from the boat ramp, but there is plenty of space on the bank so there is no real need to get too close to the water edge.

There are plenty of yabbies to be pumped so bait for the whiting, bream, flathead and grunter is plentiful, and if you can’t get any there is a servo down the road that sells prawns caught in the area.

[oldboot]

I've just been up to townsville visiting the rels, there wasn't much biting at the time....even the locals wern't catching much......but i got em talking.

by bro'inlaw has been up ther for 40 odd years but he mostly fishes in "the creek" ( ross river) in his little tinny..... there can be all sorts in there.

on the strand (a vey nice place for the family) there are 2 purpose built fishing platforms

the one at the rockpool, is near a rocky headland (kissing point) there is a heap of rock there and you can get hung up easy.
ther are a couple of locals that float for mackrel off there with long rods.

adjacent to there ther is a rock retaining wall...you are better off there if youhave a short rod and normal expectations.

the other platform is a purpose made fishing jetty about half way along..... there are a bunch of very regular locals there every morning...... early.
aparantly you can get all sorts off there when things are right......tiddlers up to monsters.
I got a couple of little trevally off there myself.
A word to the wise .... take your hand lines.
I was using a rod... light gear..... and getting little or no action.
this islander lady comes along ( a regular) and throws a handline in and starts to pull em in one after the other..... so I parks up the rod and sits down besider her with my piddling hand line and in come 2 trevally.... no problem.
This lady is there very regular and only ever use hand lines.......if she aint catching no one is.
there are a group of characters there...... worth going even if you dont catch anything

you only have to cast in about 3-4 metres.

paleranda is very much worth a look.
there are two creeks
one near the caravan park which aparantly is good for whiting and flathead.....
up further is 3 mile creek
OMG..... what a spot......you must look at this one.
aparantly it can be very lively at night.
I didnt get a chance to try either of these , but I will next year.
the beach at palaranda goes for miles.... (about 6) and is good for the usual suspects when thing are hapening....... aparantly.
The facilities up there are great
the strand is very well set up and extreemly well maintained.
palaranda isn't as "developed" as the strand but there are several areas with facilities and a wide path runns most of the length.

if you have some time to yourself, throw a line in over at the fifth ave boat ramp in south townsville.....straight out off the ramp....upstream is full of snags on the bottom.

aparantly fishing off the offshore breakwater is worth a try...... if you dont mind the walk...its a couple of k out to the end...... but you ahve to stay off the bottom.

OH there are so many places to fish there.........a 15 year old kid with a bike and a rod could have a great time in T'ville.

hope you do well
I hope you are going to report in when you get back.


I'll be consulting the tide book before booking next years visit.

Oh one last.... Saunders beach......... must... must....... i didn't get there this time but it has a rep as whiting city.
look for high tide in the early morning and fish the creek to start and follow the tide out..........

cheers

.

[Taipan]

If you have a fourby you could try the Beach out at Clemant state forest, it's a right turn down a dirt track a few k south of Rollingstone, or you could hit Ollerra and either fish the beach or the mouth of Ollerra, or the southern side of Crystal, but watch the tide at crystal, best to fish once the water starts receding.