Parreara Channel...Anyone fished it?

[imnotoriginal]

Was driving to Buderim today along Kawana Way and went over the bridge that crosses this little bit of water. Was just wondering if anyone had tried fishing this area of water and had had any success. I like fishing the canals (particularly in this wind) and was thinking underneath the bridge might be a good little spot to try. Any thoughts on target species or tactics??? I like the SP fishing, but I also have gear for live-baiting.
Joel

[gunna]

I've chucked plastics round the bridges but with no success. Haven't done it a lot so it mighta just been wrong time of tide or something. Or just no bloody fish .

[Gummtree]

That canal when constructed was excavated to over sixty feet in depth. As part of the process when the excavation is carried out, without going into a detailed explanation, acid sulphate soils are encountered which have to be managed. The acid sulphate contaminants ( called slimes ) are eventually placed back in the canal before it is allowed to fill. It is poisionous sludge and it is deadly to fish and vegetation. It is approximately 10 meters thick in all canals at kawana. That is why all those canals are contained with a wall with a lock to let boats in a out. The slimes that are in them would kill every fish in Moolooaba Harbour if it ever got out. But, it never can due to the walls. The slime is heavier than water and just sits on the bottom causing no problems but it cannot be allowed to mix with other tidal waters. There were fish in the canals but I am buggered if I would ever eat one.

[imnotoriginal]

Right....thank you for the detailed explanation. I wouldn't have been keeping anything anyway. I went there this morning from 5 til about 8 and got a couple of fish, including a few small flathead, a fat little bream and a decent grunter. So is that why the weir is there, to stop tidal flow taking the 'slime' out into the harbour? Cause I'm pretty sure the channel eventually rejoins the river....could be wrong though. Cheers.
Joel

[snakecatcher]

If you fished the bit of water near the bridge on the kawana way then that is part of the Mooloolah River not the canal system. If you have access to a UBD or the telephone directory take a look at map 79 & 80 as this shows the whole system. I have been along that road many times and often see people fishing next to a small area where you can park a car - is that where you fished?

Cheers

Mike

[imnotoriginal]

Yep yep yep, I was fishing from under and around the bridge that is part of the kawana way. I got up as far as the corner and even fished on the other side of the weir in the mooloola river. Have you fished this area Mike? Any success?
Joel

[snakecatcher]

Haven't actually fished there myself but might have to give it a go, always on the look out for somewhere to go and flick some SPs in the area.

Cheers

Mike

[Noelm]

I was up there once on holidays and did not have any real "local knowledge" so had a fish right under the bridge, I had a couple of live baits that I caught nearby and was sitting there just kind of hoping for something to come along, when my small float I was using to keep the bait up off the bottom a bit, just took off, set the hook and whatever it was hit the afterburners and shot up the channel under the bridge, line did not last too long on the pylons but hey, must be "something" there at times.

[Creek_Vermin]

Used to troll small hard bodies a lot in parreara. Everything with fins lives in there withplenty of small pelagics. I normally troll the rock wall on the right heading towards the weir. Just where it bends to the right the pelagics like to hang. A variety of trevs queenies tailor hang there and my bro briefly hooked a giant herring casting prawnstars for flatties around the lock. Also heaps of juvenile cod and no doubt some bad jacks although I haven't got them there yet. Caught em in the main river so they've gotta be in there. Some days the place is alive with everything, but others it's just dead. Look for bait on th surface or getting eaten and target it. The fish won't be far behind. The bridges at the mouth look great but don't get much tidal run. Haven't caught much except small flatties and trevs. Try fishing the bridges in the main arm of the mooloolah river. Much better quality fish around them

[Big_Ren]

We have lived on the island (Kawana) since Day 1 in 2001 and there seems to be plenty of activity in Parrearra Lake (the area that is bordered by the lock/weir at the northern end and the weir at the southern end).

There are jacks in there, as well as bream flatties and queenfish to name a few. Also mud crabs if you're keen. I agree with Gummtree though, I don't thunk I would eat one if what he says is right.

Cheers
Paul

[imnotoriginal]

Cheers everyone for the info, I'll definitely give this area another go next time. I was thinking of getting some livebait but didn't get the opportunity to get it all together. Will give me a chance to use the livebait bag I bought from BCF not that long ago.

NoelM- what livebait were you using, poddy, herring???

Creek Vermin- what size fish were you catching? I don't have a boat so I'll have to try from the shore and I wanna match a plastic or lure to suit.

Joel

[Noelm]

I had three prawns and a couple of little mullet, the take was on the Mullet, and I was also fishing from shore, thats why I could not chase or get a better angle to save a cut off on the pylons, who knows what it was, and sometimes local Knowledge is not always good, most people would have told me "nothing there" I also fished a little creek near Caloundra, I think it was called twoway or something like that, caught a few HUGE Whiting, one of which was 800 grams and while I was packing up a "local" came by and told me to not bother fishing here, there has been nothing caught here for years!

[mini696]

All I have to add to this is those canals (Tooway, Parrarera, etc) are very finicky (sic). Sometime they are on, others they are dead as.

But there is usually bait around, and I believe where there is bait there is fish.

Dont let the locals tell you Tooway is dead. They just dont want you to know about the BIG jacks living there.

[Noelm]

OH big jacks in Tooway huh! I will be back up there again soon, so, I will have a go, now that you have let the secret out!

[flyfisho]

they are probaly feeding of the toxic crap from the industrial area
and I have seen some pretty unbeleivable rubbish and pollution floating around threre I wouldn't wade in there let alone fish there
youd be better off going to currimundi lake for jacks unless you want to soak a bait with the kids at tooway just don't let them touch anything that comes out of the water and wear repellant if its locked, [smiley=sick2.gif] that lake is disgusting