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Thread: Deep Dropping East of Caloundra??

  1. #1

    Deep Dropping East of Caloundra??

    Gday guys, just interested in any information on the deep drop scene east of Caloundra or the Northern end of Moreton Island. I live at Caloundra so will be leaving from there. I have fished quite a bit on the wrecks east of Caloundra in depths around 130-145m but would like to venture out to the deeper water.
    I will try and tell what I have learnt through the posts on here and the Internet but am open to any information that you are willing to share.
    Am I correct in looking for bar cod in 230-250m? Drifting West to East is preferred? 15/0 hooks is the size? Sinkers ranging between 2kg and 5kg?
    Now for some questions, size limits / bag limits? What other species would I be expecting to catch in waters up to 300m? I have a small deck winch with 100lb mono, a alvey 9" with 80lb line and a tld50 with 100lb braid, which would be preferred to use?
    I am running a Furuno FCV 295 with 1 kW transducer, would I be expecting to see fish or just bottom? Is there pinnacles to look for or just flat country? Should I just head East until I find 230m and slowly head further whilst sounding? I imagine this is going to be hard work fishing so if I can have a rough idea about what I am doing before I start dropping it may save my arms a bit. Am I better off starting North of cape Moreton or south of the cape? I don't expect to catch much on the first outing but something will give me heart to try again.

    cheers guys and thanks for sharing any info you choose to
    Lee
    The wait is finally over.........was worth every minute..........let the RIPTIDE rip..........hell yehhhh

  2. #2

    Re: Deep Dropping East of Caloundra??

    Don't know a lot about fishing deep there, but, we do it all the time down here, the 100lb mono will have way too much stretch with that weight, you will feel it like a rubber band, the TLD will be OK, but damn hard work, how big is your Alvey? I would think about spooling it with braid. Definitely look for structure, you might see fish, but we fish drop off/cliff face type of bottom.

  3. #3

    Re: Deep Dropping East of Caloundra??

    Hi Noelm, the alvey deck winch is only a reefmaster and the reel is a 9". I understand what your saying about the stretch in the mono so may need to rethink that. Yeh I realise it will be hard work which is one of the reasons I am trying to gather as much info as I can to try and eliminate the needless dropping on nothing. Thanks for your advice

    Lee
    The wait is finally over.........was worth every minute..........let the RIPTIDE rip..........hell yehhhh

  4. #4

    Re: Deep Dropping East of Caloundra??

    Reef master will probably be OK, just buy some cheap braid on line, quality is not a big issue, I use about 150lb, and got a 1,000m spool for peanuts, then just make up a kind of heavy duty paternoster rig, with the sinker on about 50lb mono, big swivels, and circle hooks if they are your thing, and as many hooks are your rules allow, prospecting will be your best option, just trying here and there.

  5. #5

    Re: Deep Dropping East of Caloundra??

    I've started playing around in the areas your talking about to try something different. Heaps of good ground out east of cape moreton. I've only done two or three trips past 150m and still learning myself but in saying that we've caught a couple of bar cod and plenty of big pearlies in around 200m and even a monster snapper on the Noosa canyons in over 250m. The other fish we've caught plenty of are sunset perch they seem to be everywhere off Moreton and eat pretty well too. We bought a couple of 2nd hand electric reels off eBay and run 100lb braid it works pretty good, better than winding anyway. Like you say big paternoster rigs with swivels on everything and a light or two helps. ive got a hds10 with 1kw through hull on my boat and I can see fish out past 350m which is as deep as I've been. Your Furuno should be a bit better than mine I would think if your set up right. There's some big walls 30 to 40m high in places but I haven't had a good enough day to Suss them out properly. Anyway let us know how you go. Cheers

  6. #6

    Re: Deep Dropping East of Caloundra??

    If you can find 30-40m walls in deep water, you will get fish!

  7. #7

    Re: Deep Dropping East of Caloundra??

    Yeah found that one last trip but once we got past 200 odd metres the current was out of control and not fish able. Hoping to return in the next couple of weeks. If we go alright I'll chuck a report up.

  8. #8

    Re: Deep Dropping East of Caloundra??

    Gday Barry, thanks a lot mate that is exactly the info I was looking for. I will google up sunset perch as I have not heard of them before. 30-40m walls!!!!!!!!! I will be pretty happy if I can find something like this. Are you talking generally running north/south type stuff, so if I am heading east I will come across these?
    I haven't spent the money on electrics yet but if I have a few trips and think I could have a decent crack I will definitely invest in the electrics.
    So Barry after having a few trips yourself, is the 200-250m country where I should be starting? I really think 300m would be my limit on winding but less would be better? 15/0 hooks suitable for those perch?

    I I am aiming for my first attempt on August 2nd with an overnight trip east of Moreton. Plan will be to leave Caloundra about 9.00am Tuesday, jig some bait then head straight for the deep water then come into shallow tempest for the night. Up early Wednesday and head to deep tempest until lunch time then home. Hopefully the weather agrees with my plans.

    cheers
    Lee
    The wait is finally over.........was worth every minute..........let the RIPTIDE rip..........hell yehhhh

  9. #9

    Re: Deep Dropping East of Caloundra??

    Don't know how far Blue Eye and Hapuka and stuff like that range north, but that is exactly the sort of structure to fish, we drift into the wall so your hooks are right against it (if possible) I think Bass Groper are caught well north?

  10. #10

    Re: Deep Dropping East of Caloundra??

    Hi Noelm, yeh I have heard of the blue eye but uncertain if they are up here or what depth they are caught in. I have also heard of the bass grouper but once again don't know anything about them. Will try and do some more research on them.
    Cheers
    Lee

  11. #11

    Re: Deep Dropping East of Caloundra??

    yeah lee a lot of the ground I've found has run north south. most of the larger drop offs I've found to be in 250 or deeper but in saying that I haven't had many hours searching as yet. The hooks I use are 13/0 s/s circles that I get from commercial fishing supplies at Warana and I catch pretty well everything on them in the deep even smaller snapper and pearlies. I get all my braid and terminal tackle from there, its cheap and really good quality (Korean made). I've even stared using these in the shallower water around 100m which is where I get most of the sunset perch at least I was told they're called sunset perch. I'll try and find a photo of one to put up.

    ,(/IMG_1065.jpg

  12. #12

    Re: Deep Dropping East of Caloundra??

    Hi Barry, yeh I used to buy gear at cfs but the last time I went there it was shut down? Are you still getting stuff through him? I haven't seen those sunset perch before and Google doesn't show much on them? Is there a size limit?
    Are you just us ring normal big baits, mullet, squid etc?

    Lee
    The wait is finally over.........was worth every minute..........let the RIPTIDE rip..........hell yehhhh

  13. #13

    Re: Deep Dropping East of Caloundra??

    Sorry for the late reply lee. Your right mate CFS has closed around Christmas I'm spewing. I'm not sure on size and bag limit on those perch mate maybe someone else on here might know. i had to send a photo to a pro line fisherman I know to find out what they were and if they were edible when I first started catching them. The one in the photo above is probably the average size I get them and have never caught one below 45cm or so. As for bait I'm using mainly flesh baits and squid. Pretty keen to get back out wide, just need some weather and work to line up. Cheers mate

  14. #14

    Re: Deep Dropping East of Caloundra??

    CFS has closed the shop front, but still has online shop.
    http://www.commercialfishingsupplies.com.au/

  15. #15

    Re: Deep Dropping East of Caloundra??

    Just spoke to a mate of mine up there, and Blue Eye are there, so, if you can find these deep cliffs, you will get them, great eating fish.

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