Gotta love a road trip

[NAGG]

Hi All

Been a bit quiet of late ...... overseas trip for work followed closely by a dose of the RONA (first time) - but now I'm just 6 days out from my next trip . Lake Kinchant for a crack at those big barra.
Really looking forward to this trip - particularly having the right boat & the tech (active target) . Nice to have some new gear to play with & plenty of new lures / placcies & swimbaits . Normally I'd concentrate on rolling slick rigs & hollowbellies - then throw the odd top water which has always worked for me . This year though will see the big 8 & 10" swimbaits get thrown around the weed bommies & edges ....... should be exciting.

Anyhow - that's not the point of this thread & a trip report will follow. What I'm now planning is something to do during the Christmas break .... I've basically got 3 weeks off from Christmas day . That's the longest I've had off at Christmas in my entire working life. So with that much time off I need to plan a road trip .
Now I hate travelling at Christmas & I know finding a place to stay (camp) will be a challenge . Last year I did a road trip which took me to Lake Monduran / Lake Callide / Lake Cania & Pindari ..... that was pretty good & no issues with camping - particularly after 1st Jan . That trip could be on the cards again but I would also like to spend a few days fishing the Fitzroy River
Question - does anyone know some camping options around Rockhamption ? . I'd probably go to Rocky in the 1st week of January .



OK - Here is another train of thought - What about a tour of the cod rivers in Southern NSW ....... work our way along the Murrumbidgee River / Murray River.
Basically drive to a place .... Swag it / fish the area - move on .......... that would be a good road trip & less driving than heading up to Rockhampton & doing a big loop .
Question - does anyone have any knowledge of fishing those big Southern NSW rivers ?

Appreciate any tips advice / assistance in planning this trip

Cheers

Chris

[disorderly]

Hi All

Been a bit quiet of late ...... overseas trip for work followed closely by a dose of the RONA (first time) - but now I'm just 6 days out from my next trip . Lake Kinchant for a crack at those big barra.
Really looking forward to this trip - particularly having the right boat & the tech (active target) . Nice to have some new gear to play with & plenty of new lures / placcies & swimbaits . Normally I'd concentrate on rolling slick rigs & hollowbellies - then throw the odd top water which has always worked for me . This year though will see the big 8 & 10" swimbaits get thrown around the weed bommies & edges ....... should be exciting.

Anyhow - that's not the point of this thread & a trip report will follow. What I'm now planning is something to do during the Christmas break .... I've basically got 3 weeks off from Christmas day . That's the longest I've had off at Christmas in my entire working life. So with that much time off I need to plan a road trip .
Now I hate travelling at Christmas & I know finding a place to stay (camp) will be a challenge . Last year I did a road trip which took me to Lake Monduran / Lake Callide / Lake Cania & Pindari ..... that was pretty good & no issues with camping - particularly after 1st Jan . That trip could be on the cards again but I would also like to spend a few days fishing the Fitzroy River
Question - does anyone know some camping options around Rockhamption ? . I'd probably go to Rocky in the 1st week of January .



OK - Here is another train of thought - What about a tour of the cod rivers in Southern NSW ....... work our way along the Murrumbidgee River / Murray River.
Basically drive to a place .... Swag it / fish the area - move on .......... that would be a good road trip & less driving than heading up to Rockhampton & doing a big loop .
Question - does anyone have any knowledge of fishing those big Southern NSW rivers ?

Appreciate any tips advice / assistance in planning this trip

Cheers

Chris

Wecome back mate....so how bad did the virus affect you..?

Fitzroy River sounds awsome..it seems to have become the best fishery on the QLD coast since the net ban....huge Barra and Threadies caught regularly..

Hows this guy...2 Barra over 135cm in a few day period..how good would that have been..

.

Trouble for you is that Xmas is still closed season for them..

[NAGG]

Wecome back mate....so how bad did the virus affect you..?

Fitzroy River sounds awsome..it seems to have become the best fishery on the QLD coast since the net ban....huge Barra and Threadies caught regularly..

Hows this guy...2 Barra over 135cm in a few day period..how good would that have been..

.

Trouble for you is that Xmas is still closed season for them..

Thanks mate

It's hard to say ..... how bad

Not feel like dying bad ....... but like a bad dose of flu for a few days ( bit of a cough , bit of a fever , runny nose, sore joints ) ......... However 2 weeks since I tested positive - I feel lethargic & get tired pretty easily........ I'm 80% I reckon.

Dean Silvester has been putting a bit of an effort into the Fitzroy in recent times & has nailed some absolute stonkers ..... It may be closed season for barra but there will be some good threadies & jew in the system - crabbing should be ok . Jacks - so good options . Since I'm mainly catch & release the closed season wouldn't bother me.
I've fished a bit around Port Alma & Curtis Is ..... but the Fitzroy will be new to me.

Chris

[Kev_McC]

Hi Chris. The fishing in the Fitzroy can be really tide dependent so the most important thing is to make sure you plan around the neap tides. If you’re thinking early January then the period between 3rd and 8th Jan is when I’d plan on being there. If there’s been flooding in the upstream catchments then it can be bloody difficult so need to keep an eye on that right up until the day you leave.
its been pretty good fishing over the last few months, once you dial into it. It’s a massive system and does take a while to work it out.. the fish move a lot and you need to expect do the miles travelling around in the system to work out where bait is and where the fish are. There can be big sections of the system that are not holding many fish so the thinking observant angler will generally move. The good thing is that the next fish might be a rat or it might be a 1.3M thready.
I’ve never caught a jack in the Fitzroy but they do turn up occasionally. Better systems nearby (short, clearer coastal systems) if you want a jack fix.
if you do end up coming this way then feel free to get in touch, a bit of local knowledge can save you a lot of time.
Best to check out Coby Pascoe’s YouTube channel if you want to get frothing about targeting large wild fish on live sonar. I think he got >20 Barra over 1200mm in July alone.

[NAGG]

Hi Chris. The fishing in the Fitzroy can be really tide dependent so the most important thing is to make sure you plan around the neap tides. If you’re thinking early January then the period between 3rd and 8th Jan is when I’d plan on being there. If there’s been flooding in the upstream catchments then it can be bloody difficult so need to keep an eye on that right up until the day you leave.
its been pretty good fishing over the last few months, once you dial into it. It’s a massive system and does take a while to work it out.. the fish move a lot and you need to expect do the miles travelling around in the system to work out where bait is and where the fish are. There can be big sections of the system that are not holding many fish so the thinking observant angler will generally move. The good thing is that the next fish might be a rat or it might be a 1.3M thready.
I’ve never caught a jack in the Fitzroy but they do turn up occasionally. Better systems nearby (short, clearer coastal systems) if you want a jack fix.
if you do end up coming this way then feel free to get in touch, a bit of local knowledge can save you a lot of time.
Best to check out Coby Pascoe’s YouTube channel if you want to get frothing about targeting large wild fish on live sonar. I think he got >20 Barra over 1200mm in July alone.

Appreciate the reply Kev

The Fitzroy will be new to me - though I have spent some time fishing around the Narrows - All the western creeks on Curtis island & a bit fishing around Balaclava /Port Alma ...... but no doubt the Fitzroy will be something else .
The timing you suggested sounds about right ..... with the early plan to go to Monduran , Awoonga & Rocky - I'll work the scenarios over the next few weeks

Appreciate your offer ..... no doubt will reach out.

Any thoughts on where to stay ? ....... camp ground or caravan park

Chris

[Kev_McC]

A mate who guides (Guided Fishing Downunder) got a 150cm thready for a client this week. During the Barra closed season the council also has a $10k cash prize for the first to catch a tagged thready, need to register first.
Take-a-break Bush Camp on Hipcamp is well situated not too far from the Thompson Point boat ramp, toward the mouth of the Fitzroy. If the fish are in the upper reaches you’d probably drive back to Nerimbera boat ramp (maybe 20-30mins from there) or another 10mins back in to one of the ramps in town. That will be ok if you want a basic bush camp.
The Riverside Tourist Park is about 2min drive from the excellent Northside boat ramp in town. Air con may be a huge plus in Rocky in January….that way you can easily fish the upper reach, and then choose to drive to Nerimbera boat ramp for the mid reach and Casuarina Creek, or down to Thompson Point ramp if you want to fish the mouth area. You can of course run all the way down there in your boat, but it’s a decent haul. If you work it right you can hit various spots on the way down and back up river, getting similar tide stages by running and gunning. It’s about 47km by boat from the town reach to Mackenzie Island near the mouth.