Peel Island today

[joeT]

Got to the Vic Pt boat ramp at 6am today to launch and it was fairly calm weather. Fished Horseshoe bay for about 3 hours, lots of undersize squire, a few good bream (25-30cm), a couple trevally, one keepable parrot fish (32cm), before the wind started to blow.

Thought I would head back since I only have a 4m tinny. Got back to Coochie and fished it for a couple of hours without a bite. Then headed home.

Overall a good day out, wished I could have stayed a bit longer at peel though. Anyone else fish the area today?

[aquarius]

Hi Joe........My mate and a fishing guide fished the north western side of Peel (outside the closed area) on Saturday........they were using soft plastics and brought home a bag limit of snapper up to 45cms and 2 good size mackerel....He said he lost heaps of plastics to cut offs.......Mackerel he reckons as the 2 they caught were lip hooked.
Cant wait till this weekend to have a go at the soft plastic technique myself !!!!!
Cheers Brent

[craigie]

G'day Brent,

I was running around the Bay on Saturday and saw Bob Cozien (Moreton Bay Fishing Adventures) drifting his clients across 'Harry's'. I'm sure they were also jigging 'Softies' in this area as well.

I spent the morning down at the 4 beacons loading up on Bonito with metal slugs. The things were going ape shit, it was fish every cast, I was stuffed after about 20. Went back to 3 kilo gear for a bit of fun, although loosing extra lures was taking it's toll .

Cheers
Craig.

[joeT]

Went out again today to Peel, and boy did it chop up at midday. I was silly enough not to come back earlier. Coming back, I had 1-1.2m swell coming in all directions and the boat so full of water it wouldn't plane anymore. Got pretty scary and had to get bailing, really need to watch the weather with a 4m tinny...

Fishing wise, had a good few squire biting early on, and landed a couple good size parrot fish too.

[MY-TopEnder]

Joe... mate i feel your pain with the water into the boat thing. I've only got a 4.3m tinny and gees she filled up today.

I was out only off coochiemudlo and got a few good bites but nothing major, and nothing of legal size. And after parking it on a few mud clumps around Coochie i got the shits and had the bloody outboard all out of whack so i headed home. Next weekend i'll get up there to Peel.

[webby]

The pleasures of fishing the bay, blink your eyes and she gets pretty wild
Keep at it mate
regards

[joeT]

My-topender, yeah, it gets pretty shallow off coohie at low tide. I used to get beached there all the time, now after a year or so I know where the channels are and stick to them.

I use the ramp the barge uses, and follow the same path as the ferries, you'll never run aground there on your way to peel. The new the ramp at the VMR is great, but its really shallow around there.

[MY-TopEnder]

Shallow alright... first time i'd been out there and came across the western side of coochie and thought i'd made it across. I basically watched the sounder peaking at 20cm of water. Got out and walked it round and all was good.

Next week i'm gonna give it a 4am run up to Peel...

[straddie]

joeT, MY-TopEnder reach over and pull the bung out while you are running along. 99% of the water will drain out itself, just remember to put it back in before you slow near the ramp.

[joeT]

joeT, MY-TopEnder reach over and pull the bung out while you are running along. 99% of the water will drain out itself, just remember to put it back in before you slow near the ramp.

I'd do that if I was planing along ok, but is it wise to do that when I'm churning through the rough at 4-6knots? I think most of the water I got was from water coming over the back of the boat

My-topender, I did the 4am run this morning. Flat as a pond, just make sure its gonna be calm weather or get back before it starts to blow (after 10am),

[MY-TopEnder]

Good idea there Straddie... i think eventually when i get around to it i'll make a little console up with a bilge pump and so on that i can work with that.

My plans are to head to Cleveland for a 4am launch and really quick belt across to the bottom end of peel, then by 10am i'll have the shits on so back to the ramp by 11am, fish and chips for lunch then home still in time to mow the yard, have a few beers and kick back... gees i love this country.

[straddie]

joeT, 4-6knots should be fine, if in doubt try it out in calmer waters. If the water is coming over the back it sounds like one of two problems, you don't have enough weight forward or it's spraying up from the motor . If it's the motor, just get an old piece of conveyor belt or 10mm rubber. Pin it under your motor bracket and cut it to fit around the leg so it deflects most of the water.

MY-TopEnder dusk to late evening fishing can be interesting over there at times, especially if you fish light.