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Thread: Hinchinbrook....doesn't get any better

  1. #1

    Hinchinbrook....doesn't get any better

    Wasn't too sure where I should put this one as we did a bit of both (Offshore/Estuary) but figured technically the Hinchinbrook channel IS part of the coral sea, that and the fish of the day come from out wide.

    Headed up to Halifax with Stuie to his 'hut' (house more like) on Saturday arvo to fish Sunday.

    Got everything ready on the Saturday so settled in for a couple of beers.

    We awoke next morning and to go and see what the weather was doing, heavy and bluewater gear in the rod holders, barra gear in the lockers, didn't know what the water would be like with the Low in the coral sea. Got a bit of bait, and headed down dungeness ramp. Looked out to sea, and it look fairly bumpy so we spent the next couple of hours fishing the jetty for one small, pansize fingermark on an octajig, caught by Stuie son Timmy. Couldn't buy a bite after that. By then the water had calmed down so we headed out to fish one of Stuie closer in marks, only about 10 mile out.

    Pulled up for a few drift and the sounder looked pretty good, there was no structure so to speak, but a nice bumby gravelly bottom. Cos there was no structure to get busted up on, I decided to stick with my 'light' 30lb spin outfit i normally use for casting slugs etc for macks and trevally, with 60lb leader already on I couldn't be assed changin it to tied on a couple of hook and a 12 oz snapper lead with put a very 'healthy' bend in the 6-10 kilo rod. Had a 2 dropper paternoster setup and sent donw the baits, prawn and squid.

    First couple of drift brought aboard a couple of hussar and cod which were released, then after what feels like the tiniest of tiny reefy biting i set the hook in something huge, and its off making a run for britomart. At first the call was for a shark the way it ran, but after a few minutes thoughts changed to a big trevally, either way me arms were hurting, for a while there every for every metre I gained, I lost 2. Eventually I started winning and we got colour, water was pretty dirty so what was coming up looked gold, ig golden trevally maybe?? As it got closer and the shape became more pronounced thouht of a massive fingermark started popping up, but no, too far wide I thought. Shape started going pink, then WOW, big LM nanny bout 10kg comes over the side, not bad for 30lb, but made me think twice about the 2 dropper rig i was using .

    Must've been the only one though cos a few more drifts brought up a few more hussar and stripies then eventually the current got too strong and nothing.

    So we made the call to head back in and fish the channel....a first for me, been living in Townsville for almost 10 years, and have NEVER gotten off my arse to fish the hinchinbrook channel.

    We were a bit early and the tide was still fairly high up in the mangroves, so we stopped at the pontoon and headed up to get a feed.

    Anyway, stomachs full we headed u the channel to fish some gutters, still a bit early so not a lot happened for a while (Timmy got his barra, though the wrong type....cuda, so he kept telling us) once the tide come down a bit more and few lure changes later, I'm first in with a rat, but a jump and it threw the hooks, I cast back in to see if his buddies were interested but no dice, next gutter and bang, I'm on again, this time a little GT about 1-2kg makes his way aboard. A few more casts and a bit further up Stuie spots some bait looking very skittish under some over hanging mangroves. Timmy trying to get in first casts too early and at the wrong tree, I fire one in and a couple of crank and I'm on again, this time a nice fat 65cm barra somehow finding his way into the esky.

    After a bit more moving arouns, finding the gutters and chasing the bait, only one more barra was boated (again by me ) but fell short on the ruler. Had a few more strikes and follows, but none were converted to fish. It was amazing to finally get up the channel and have a good look, and it is very high on my list of things to do to get back there again asap., will be a good test for the little cuisecraft rebuild once complete, get out amongst the bugs in the channel, shoot out to the jetty then over to the Palms.

    Was a great weekend, and I'll definately get several feeds out of that nannygai.

    Only got the one photo of the nanny on my phone, so will have to find the cord and upload it later.

    Was funny when i got home, told my brother I caught both the Nannygai and barra in the channel in a deep hole.....he almost believed me for a second

  2. #2

    Re: Hinchinbrook....doesn't get any better

    Good going looks like you had fun,great report.
    Life is short fish hard!!!
    21,6 Sea Fox WA Pro ....

  3. #3

    Re: Hinchinbrook....doesn't get any better

    Scott great report no way I could have written that and I had a great time will do it again one day soon
    Stuie
    IF IT CAN'T EAT A WHOLE PILLY I DON'T WANT IT

  4. #4

    Hi Scott,

    How is Lucinda cvn pk and the boat ramp looking?
    Regards,
    Gary

  5. #5

    Re: Hinchinbrook....doesn't get any better

    didn't have a good look around, but lucinda seems to have survived with much damage at all. Lots of trees went down, so things look a bit bare, but not a great deal of damage to property from what i could see.

  6. #6

    Re: Hi Scott,

    Quote Originally Posted by GLXMAN View Post
    How is Lucinda cvn pk and the boat ramp looking?
    Regards,
    Gary
    as Scott said we didn't go for a look but I went past a week ago and there were a few coconut trees down that had been cut up and taken away and apart from that it looked okay I only drove past though
    Stuie
    IF IT CAN'T EAT A WHOLE PILLY I DON'T WANT IT

  7. #7

    Re: Hinchinbrook....doesn't get any better

    Tks Guys,
    Although I'm from Adelaide, called into Lucinda after a Weipa trip last year,
    Fell in love with Lucinda and the channel, had a 11ft tinny then, some anxious return trips back to the boat ramp,

    Have an Allison 4.95 SC now, cant wait to get back, all the geckos were larger than the tinny last time

    Regards,
    Gary

  8. #8

    Re: Hinchinbrook....doesn't get any better

    Top report Scott....Going to do a Queensland trip up the coast starting in may for a couple of month's & the Hinchinbrook area looks like the place i will be spending a lot of time...

    Cheers Baz

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