Qld. Bowen River Sooties n Barra n soaked in Mackay!

**Omsk** · 28-06-2009, 05:35

G'day peeps,
I have been a wee bit quiet since we moved from WA to Qld. Still trying to get me head around living 2 hrs away from the coast. Have found the Bowen River however. The weir near Collinsville to be precise. Had some good fun catching sooty grunters & my first barra. Them sooties pull harder than anything else pound for pound. Awesome little sports.

Have attached a couple of piccies including one of a sign I have to drive past to get in....... Needless to say, I carried on.

Did go beach fishing in mackay yesterday. It was great having the sand between me toes again. It turned out to be an eventful trip. I had the light gear out trying to catch some livebait. After an hour of nothing, my rod was violently wrenched out of the sandspike and into the sea at a very rapid rate of knots (teach me for not having my drag backed off...). At this time I was happily in a world of my own. Tropical (winter!!!

28*C) sun beating down on me back, MP3 player damaging my eardrums. Needless to say I wasn't expecting such a hit. The rod took off into the water; my obvious reaction was to save the rod n reel. $400 worth. Scrambled in after it. Gravity took hold as my legs hit the water and my body continued on. Splash, full dunking, music abruptly stopped, smokes in my other pocket soaked. Did manage to grab hold of the rod, which loaded right up as whatever was on the other end continued heading out to sea. Salt & sand must have got into the drag as that siezed up and snap. Me sitting neck deep in the sea holding my rod as a couple of tourists sauntered on past. At least I gave them a laugh. Well not too chuffed was I. Lost the fish, ruined my walkman and my smokes & damaged mypride in taking such a public dunking.

An hour later however, rod gets smashed again. I was on the ball this time; but again was expecting a whiting to use as livebait. 45 mins later, got sight of a massive stingray. A few of you who know me will know how I feel about stingas. Good fun for the first 10 mins or so, but they just keep wailing on you. I was more chuffed than usual though as this would have gone 40kg or soon 10lb line. With no gaff and such light line I had no choice but to cut the line off.

I moved 5000km across the continent and the first decent 'sea' fish I catch is me auld mate, the stingray.......

Hopefully before much longer, I will have some more tasty tales of Qld for you.

**Spitfire66** · 28-06-2009, 18:33

Originally Posted by Omsk

G'day peeps,
I have been a wee bit quiet since we moved from WA to Qld. Still trying to get me head around living 2 hrs away from the coast. Have found the Bowen River however. The weir near Collinsville to be precise. Had some good fun catching sooty grunters & my first barra. Them sooties pull harder than anything else pound for pound. Awesome little sports.

Have attached a couple of piccies including one of a sign I have to drive past to get in....... Needless to say, I carried on.

Did go beach fishing in mackay yesterday. It was great having the sand between me toes again. It turned out to be an eventful trip. I had the light gear out trying to catch some livebait. After an hour of nothing, my rod was violently wrenched out of the sandspike and into the sea at a very rapid rate of knots (teach me for not having my drag backed off...). At this time I was happily in a world of my own. Tropical (winter!!!

28*C) sun beating down on me back, MP3 player damaging my eardrums. Needless to say I wasn't expecting such a hit. The rod took off into the water; my obvious reaction was to save the rod n reel. $400 worth. Scrambled in after it. Gravity took hold as my legs hit the water and my body continued on. Splash, full dunking, music abruptly stopped, smokes in my other pocket soaked. Did manage to grab hold of the rod, which loaded right up as whatever was on the other end continued heading out to sea. Salt & sand must have got into the drag as that siezed up and snap. Me sitting neck deep in the sea holding my rod as a couple of tourists sauntered on past. At least I gave them a laugh. Well not too chuffed was I. Lost the fish, ruined my walkman and my smokes & damaged mypride in taking such a public dunking.

An hour later however, rod gets smashed again. I was on the ball this time; but again was expecting a whiting to use as livebait. 45 mins later, got sight of a massive stingray. A few of you who know me will know how I feel about stingas. Good fun for the first 10 mins or so, but they just keep wailing on you. I was more chuffed than usual though as this would have gone 40kg or soon 10lb line. With no gaff and such light line I had no choice but to cut the line off.

I moved 5000km across the continent and the first decent 'sea' fish I catch is me auld mate, the stingray.......

Hopefully before much longer, I will have some more tasty tales of Qld for you.

lol love the sign Omar - looking forward to the reports now youre back on the water - they got Mullowys round there?

**Omsk** · 29-06-2009, 09:32

They do have mulloways over this way. Call them Jewies. Doubtful get to the same size off the beach but.

I was kind of hoping they didnt have stingrays though........

**skippy** · 29-06-2009, 10:18

plenty of big jewies from the spit mate on the goldcoast had them from the shore there

**skippy** · 29-06-2009, 10:20

here is a pic i think of were i am talking about
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie...38581&t=h&z=15

get onto the beach on the right looking at the pic there is a wreck about 200 meters of there loads of big jewies there

**Omsk** · 29-06-2009, 11:34

How bigs big Skip?????

**skippy** · 29-06-2009, 11:41

bigger than what u are holding in that pic mate
i had them over 25 kg

**skippy** · 29-06-2009, 11:42

cant see what u holding in that pic very well

**skippy** · 29-06-2009, 11:44

slimey mackrel for bait mate freelined and hold on have seen 1 well over 60kg in the past guy next to me hooked it up what a fight it was returned not a bad fish for the beach

**skippy** · 29-06-2009, 11:51

also a good chance of a shark from that point along with other big teethed critters it u fish the rocks to the left in the entrance of the spit u will find large bream small jews skipjacks and oither predetors
fishing the channel to wave break island 1 day and a bunch of surfers took the boat over to wave break island but not all could get in the boat some started to paddle across when out of no were a gw cam in and took out a turtle no net in that area so u never no