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Tim Kelly

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Stanage Bay QLD
May 15, 2009, 10:33:01 AM
Hi everyone

I'm planning a trip up there next year.  I haven't been able to find a lot of info on the area so far in terms of GT's.  Looking at a map I can see that it's not all that far from Shoalwater Bay, so I assume there will be some big GT's in the area. 

Has anybody here been there and can tell me a bit about what to expect?

Thanks

Tim

Vic Levett

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Re: Stanage Bay QLD
May 15, 2009, 12:59:00 PM
Gday Tim
im planning a trip there around DEC  towing a 6.8 mtr noble centre cab from southwest rocks with the sole intention of piffin poppers for GTs
have done extensive research into it . We intend to do 2 and 3 day trips to the Islands and over night sleeping on board weather dependent . Al Mcglashin bringing his 6 metre haines  Big tides and strong currents can be an issue and 100 ks of dirt road leading into town will be a pain in the asss . Fuel accomodation supplies all available at Stanage Extra fuel in the way of 8 jerry cans plus our 240 litre tanks . round trip some of the outer islands are around 200 Ks  Let me know if your planning around this time . Regards


Tim Kelly

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Re: Stanage Bay QLD
May 15, 2009, 04:12:16 PM
Hi Vic

I'm planning to head up around April/May with my 5m centre console and a mate's 4.6m centre console.  We are planning to do a similar thing to you, although our boats don't have the same range as yours.  There are a few islands within 15 miles of Stanage that look like they'll provide good anchorage for overnight camping, and home base for us to head out a bit wider during the day.  Many jerry cans will be a must!  We'll probably be limited to single nights out due to fuel capacity.

I've found info on accommodation and some general fishing info and reports, but if you've found any great sources of info I'd be keen to know about it.

Cheers

Tim


Vic Levett

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Re: Stanage Bay QLD
May 15, 2009, 05:52:10 PM
Tim
the reports and video of shoalwater and capricorn islands ,on the Nomad site are a wealth of information especially if u read between the lines . Or alternatively you can till we come back and hopefully we will have plenty to report and maybe a photo or two

Travis Heaps

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Re: Stanage Bay QLD
May 15, 2009, 06:05:16 PM
for first hand information ring the plumtree store on 07 49373169 <http://plumtreestore.tripod.com/>

The following is from memory and from a trip that was so quiet we didn't land a single GT.


Big tides and big currents are spot on fellas, there's no shortage of either up that way.  Shoalwater Bay is a big area but a run of about 60km or so will put you near the Cannibal Group (? pretty sure that's it) which is in the mouth of the Bay itself and has some crazy features that must hold GTs at the right times, from there it's only another 20km or so down into Shoalwater/Strongtide Passage - be very careful around the western entrance (we passed through there on a calm day and driving hesistantly and still got within 50 metres or so of submerged rocks that were sticking maybe 15cm out of the surface, if it wasn't for the bird sitting on them we wouldn't have seen them...in a chop you'd have no chance so tread carefully.  Also on any decent tide you'll get standing waves at the mouth of the channel plus whirlpools...once again be careful.

Marble Island is just about one of the closest to Stanage itself and has some top fishing, never chucked poppers there though. We camped there, not sure if you're allowed to but it's possible and shouldn't be an issue if you keep a low profile and leave the place how you found it.  Be warned though of the issue of camping onshore up that way - tides!  We pulled up, unloaded and anchored the boat offshore about 100 metres in 2.5m of water, within an hour we were back down, moving the boat out and reanchoring and swimming back in - this is fine in the middle of the day but if the low occurs at night - like it did when we went - you'll find yourself unable to sleep while waiting for the tide to fall, wading out to the boat at 11pm, reanchoring and swimming back in wondering - like I was - where the crocs, sharks and jellyfish are isn't the most fun :D :D

Heading more easterly you pass a bunch of islands and will most likely stop at High Peak/Cheviot Islands, good looking territory and worth a trip.  Be careful on the western side of high peak and the beach that you go onto to camp...at low/falling tide there is a reef that jumps from 3-4m to water level with big coral bommies - if you encounter it with a bit of chop and in low light - like we did - you probably won't see the bommies and - like we did - will run aground and have to push your boat out while worrying where the sharks are coming from and where you'll be sleeping, not to mention if the boat now has a leak in it. :o :D

Heading more northerly you'll come across the Percy Group - you can camp on Middle Percy http://www.percyisland.com.au/  I've never been but it is supposedly brilliant.  Not to mention from there you're almost...well a decent trip in great weather, but do-able, to the outer reef.  Vic - i think it's in you're range - especially if you use one boat as a fuel boat to carry supplies to Percy and the other as the reef runner...think it's a bit beyond your reach Tim.

Ask any questions you have, i'll try and help, only been there a couple of times though.

 

Vic Levett

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Re: Stanage Bay QLD
May 15, 2009, 06:33:46 PM
Thanks for that travis, i read that story in the archives it sounded like a mission  pretty funny too !
In regards to the GTs what would u do different if u were to go back

Tim Kelly

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Re: Stanage Bay QLD
May 15, 2009, 07:54:00 PM
Thanks for the info Travis, much appreciated.

I've been in contact with the store at plum tree.  Will certainly be hitting them up for further information. 

Yes, we're a bit limited with the size of our boats and fuel capacity.  That's okay though.  It seems to be the kind of place where there are a lot of options regardless of boat size or sea conditions.  If it's really nasty we'll troll for barra and trap mudcrabs!

Vic eluded to a report you had in the archives.  I'll track that down and have a read too.

Cheers

Tim

Travis Heaps

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Re: Stanage Bay QLD
May 15, 2009, 08:25:48 PM
http://www.gtpopping.com/forum/index.php?topic=1041.msg10411#msg10411

there's a link Tim.  Your boat will be fine for up there, just not for the long haul out to the reef!  :D

Vic - besides maybe taking some sinking stick baits (we didn't have any) I wouldn't change anything we did...we really did try everything - fished the prime spots with a bunch of different techniques at all different tides...there was bait but just no fish...no tuna, no mackeral and no GT's (well very few, I caught that tiddler to the south another baby and a strike or two but that was over 4 days.  The fish just weren't there! 


Graham Scott

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Re: Stanage Bay QLD
May 17, 2009, 10:27:45 AM
Hi Guys,

With 6m plus boats and a range of 200km you are FAR better based in Yeppoon. You get all facilities plus a good ramp. Last time at Stanage the sand had built up on the only ramp and it took 2 4wd to pull even 5m boats up the ramp. Most of the GT's up here are Not in Shoalwater Bay, actually on the outside Islands....Stanage is a great place, very "rustic" which can be fun, but if you don't want to rough it,(and keep your trailer in 1 piece) come to Yeppoon.

Would you agree Travis?

cheers,
graham

Geoff Volter

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Re: Stanage Bay QLD
May 17, 2009, 12:44:31 PM
Graham, What is the GT fishing like in the Keppel Group?

Vic Levett

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Re: Stanage Bay QLD
May 17, 2009, 06:36:47 PM
graham .. what area would u fish from Yepoon ..Would u still head north to Shoalwater or out the Keppels
are  there any anchorages out on the outer reefs ?The estuary to the north looks pretty cool . Youve started me thinking now about Yepoon
ICome on Graham spill the beans on YEPOON !!!!!!
 

Travis Heaps

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Re: Stanage Bay QLD
May 18, 2009, 06:57:03 AM
...Last time at Stanage the sand had built up on the only ramp and it took 2 4wd to pull even 5m boats up the ramp...

Whenever i've been you generally see the local tractor doing the launching/retrieving.  That said, not sure when you were last there Graham, but in January the ramp was fine with plenty of standard 4wd's launching/retrieving.


Edit: sorry missed this bit before
...Would you agree Travis?

Not necessarily.  Sure the facilities are better but what are you after - fishing adventure or fishing holiday?  Stanage has great bottom fishing, esturaies with monster mud crabs for when the wind blows up and Nomad has proven the quality of the Gts in the area.  It's a great laid back little town, great scenery and it's an adventure. 

Yeppoon - the islands are flogged devoid of any quality reefies just about and you need to know spots offshore to rustle up a feed generally.  The GT fishing can be hit and miss also - we've had our good days but also you can flog the water to foam for nada - Warwick and I have been quiet on the trip report front lately because the last two trips have resulted in 14 hours of casting in every location there is for one lazy follow to the boat and one missed strike  :-\
Last Edit: May 18, 2009, 07:35:52 AM by travis heaps

Graham Scott

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Re: Stanage Bay QLD
May 18, 2009, 12:56:14 PM
Ok all,
Hows this for a diplomatic answer,
Tim,
 You should go to Stanage Bay. With smaller tin boats you will still be able to access offshore Islands as well as highly suitable for estuaries chasing grunter fingermark, mudcrabs etc. In fact the smaller boats let you be a lot more adventurous in the rough country.

Vic,
You should go to Yeppoon. 6m glass boats and 6.8m Noble super vee (I assume with a lovley paint job) are pushing it at Stanage. The extra size will let you travel further from Yeppoon. The Keppels are heavily fished and unless you are a local they are tough. The attraction from Yepppoon is to head north which takes you along the coast past numerous headlands and Islands with GT populations. Most of these places are deep water right in close so pretty safe with the larger boats. There is also plenty of other pelagics on the more offshore Islands and heaps of reef on the depper red fern grounds which start about 50km out and extend all the way across to the Swains.
The big northern estuaries of Port Clinton and Island Head Creek are excellent as well.
I would not bother going out to the reef proper, Capricorn Bunker Group) as to me its relatively featureless and hit pretty hard from Gladstone boats (someone will no doubt tell me I'm wrong). The Swains Reefs are too far for your boats.

With regard time of year: it blows hard up here in Autumn,
Tim, April May is normally stiff SE, from late May it improves and probably calmest in September.

Vic,
December is normally fairly good with a bit of upredictable North westerlies and a few storms. We also get some big afternoon sea breezes, where it might start at dead calm and be up around 30knots by 4:00pm. So you need to work your way around the sea breeze...and its bloody hot!

Fishing wise: April May is excellent with both winter and summer species on the go (pity about the wind), but with a smaller boat at Stanage and prepared to fish the creeks ....

December is also pretty good and is the start of the summer species with reef fish in shallow water back on the chew.  We have caught good GT's in both April/May and December.

Tides: if you are hell bent on GT's go for the spring tides. This is less important around Stanage as it always runs hard. Along the coast north of Yeppoon we find tides do make a big difference. For the deep reef species the neaps are better.

Like anywhere you can't beat local knowledge. Stanage, its less important as there are so many fish all over the place. Yeppoon its more important if you have a small boat and going to the local spots. If you are travelling 50 to 100km north along the coast the fishing spots are pretty obvious.
Of course you could always come on a charter with us???

Geoff,
There is a lot of water between GT's in the Keppels and those in the know keep it quiet. You can fish with poppers at the likely looking spots, current across rock ridges or isolated bommies and you are a fair chance of catching something. There are good queenies around plus a mix of smaller trevally. Scale back to maybe 100gm poppers on 50lb braid. Also some surprisingly good fishing on the mailand headlands and close in Islands.

Travis,
Mate what are you doing wrong?. We chucked poppers for an hour about 2 weeks ago for 4 missed GT's and 6 or 8 big queenies.
I did a quick afternoon fish on Saturday for a black jew 15kg, a couple of grunter and near bag limit red jew(nannygai), didn't have time for poppers as reefies kept biting. The other charter boat did try poppers for nil, very small tides, but pulled plenty of good trout on plastics and plenty of red emperor and nannygai in the deeper country.

Hope this helps.

cheers,
graham

Travis Heaps

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Re: Stanage Bay QLD
May 18, 2009, 01:29:59 PM

Travis,
Mate what are you doing wrong?. We chucked poppers for an hour about 2 weeks ago for 4 missed GT's and 6 or 8 big queenies.
I did a quick afternoon fish on Saturday for a black jew 15kg, a couple of grunter and near bag limit red jew(nannygai), didn't have time for poppers as reefies kept biting. The other charter boat did try poppers for nil, very small tides, but pulled plenty of good trout on plastics and plenty of red emperor and nannygai in the deeper country.


Graham - we're doing nothing wrong!  Well that might be a bit presumptious ;) but tactics will work some days and not others.  We go out to catch GT's not to look for reefies or a feed and on the surface front the last two trips have been ridiculously slow for us.

Tim Kelly

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Re: Stanage Bay QLD
May 18, 2009, 02:28:10 PM
Fishing wise: April May is excellent with both winter and summer species on the go (pity about the wind), but with a smaller boat at Stanage and prepared to fish the creeks ....

December is also pretty good and is the start of the summer species with reef fish in shallow water back on the chew.  We have caught good GT's in both April/May and December.


Thanks for the info Graham, much appreciated.  Particularly the warning about the wind at that time of year.

How's the fishing up there in September?  What species are most active around that time?  (I'm not fixated on GT's, much more interested in fitting as many things into 1 week as possible)