Shoalwater Bay

George Pang · April 24, 2007, 09:27:59 PM

As brandon said - Wow! what a trip.

Without a doubt the hardest and baddest GT location I have ever fished. I got my arse kicked so many times by big bad GTs, it became a running joke!
It's all kinda blurring into one, but will try a recall the notable days.

We headed out of Yeppoon in 20-25kt SE with 2-3 swell. Not much fun

The first location we anchored was ?island head creek, the mouth of an extensive estuary system, in which the mouth has multiple rock bars and rocky outcrops. This coupled with a 4-5m tidal range and 2m ocean swell meant an interesting mix of conditions. We followed Damon out, and was maybe 2 minutes behind him. I couldn't believe by the time we had reached the first fishing point, Steve was already hooked up! Unfortunately it busted him off pretty quick smart, cutting through a 100+lb twisted leaded like it was cotton. After about 30minutes, we headed south east across about 8miles of rough seas to reach the Clara group of islands.

Imaging several stone monoliths standing out of 30 meters of water. The ocean swell pushing up against an outgoing tide, giving tight pressure waves and foaming wash between the closely separated islands. When the ocean swells hit the vertical face, easy 5-6 meter "pressure wash" rushes up its face. It was so rough, I didn't take any pictures, just in case I went over. It was not safe to fish its windward side, so we fished the lee side. I loaded up my newly bought hammerhead ($$$) and cast it out. On the second cast, I was smashed by a 25kg GT, but didnt hook up. I tried to entice it to strike a again but faded off into the depths. Liam cast of into a eddy between two closely seperated islands (only about 10m apart), and blooped it back. It was crashed a big GT, easily 40kg, which despite his best efforts of palming the spool busted Liam off in less than a minute. I put the hammerhead away, it was only the first day and lose it in the morning session seemed a little keen and popped on a torpedeo which bloops amazingly well. Second cast past a point and a 35kg smashes my lure side on with it black back and tail out of the water a heading straight for the rock face. I load up and with no drag or line out we back the boat out. I thought I was getting into deeper water, when sudden my line go slack. Cut off in less than a minute. This story continued all morning, with 10 lost fish either to missed hook up as seriously quick bust offs. Only on the 11th fish does Tim land a 15kg on a stickbait. Thank God! I was beginning to think these fish were absolutely unlandable. We headed back east onto the coast line and fished a rocky outcrop. Liam does a crazy thing a casts into a 2 meter gap seperating several rocks. He hooks up, and how he managed to pull that fish out of there is beyond me. After an impressive fight with fish staying low a 20-25kg GT finally makes it to the boat. Just inshore, we saw some bait rippling close to a cliff face, Tim casts in a popper and was rewarded by some acrobatics of a 1+mt queenfish. Not a bad day.

Moved to inside shoalwater bay. As brandon said, we fished with incredible tidal flows, which made for 4-5kts of current. Tim still managed a reasonable coral trout and a nice GT. We tried to find barra, but I think the water temperature was too cold. Got several small GTs and our usual quota of cod.

The weather finally subsided and we went to High Peak Island, where we anchored in a beautiful sandy white beach lined bay with coral almost up to the front of the boat, in fact maybe a little too close! We headed east to little rocky outcrop with current and swell hitting it at different angles. We fished a deep point with current rushing past. Several casts and Ed was rewarded with a nice GT 20+kg. Damon had several follows but I had had three different strikes on my Bills bug. They just didnt seem to stick. I later had a close look and the lower ring had bent out from the pressure. Time to retire me favourite bug. I changed to a orion big foot with damon using a heru wahoo. I got stikes but damon definitely got more interest from the mackeral brigade with several follows to the boat. There was one amazing strike where a spanish mackeral of about 15-20kg lept clean out of the water some 5m into the air after missing damons stickbait from below. Several seconds later, it had another attempt leaping high into the air cutting his twisted leader straight through. We moved to the western side of high peak to a outcrop seperating two islands. First cast by damon and he gets smashed by25+kg gt. In fact there is a school of probably 8 of them a Ed immediately gets a strike. As luck would have it I was rerigging, damn it. We move to windward side and work a point with heavy surf, several casts and damon hooks up and its a good fish, easily 30+kg. We drive out and damon struggles to get it clear of the rocks. The line parts, busted off again.. We move back around the island and get follows and strikes and Ed lands a 15-20kg specimen. Thats enough for one day, its starting to get frustrating, time for a beer...

Headed out the next day with Tim and Lim (the African connection) to what we called breadloaf island, quite simply because thats what it look like. We worked the lee, but the last tide going seemed tough. We had a couple of follows and tentative strikes. The tider changed and so did the fishing. I went MENTAL! Liam casts onto a submerged ridge and hooked up a big fish, again 35+. We drive off, Liam seems in control, and as usual the line parts, even though the fish is in deep water. We are getting pissed off. Same thing happens next cast. There is a big school with probably 8 fish 25+kg and after this fish is pulled out maybe 15+ fish under the boat, it looks black under the boat! I hook up, but again the hooks drop out, I'm think what is going on here??? And finally Tim hooks up to big GT, probably 35+. He has the power to keep the fish under control and even he is huffing and puffing as he brings the fish up. We moved around the corner and fished a little bay. Again probably about 15+ strikes, and I manage to land a fish about 20kg. Probably saw at least 50 GTs, maybe a third over 25kg. It was the craziest afternoon GT fishing I have ever had. We all lost so much tackle, it was almost unbelievable..

Next day we headed to the Percy islands north of High Peak. All three dories raced to a group of islands about 3-5nm east. We fished a rockbar and were immediately slammed by at 25-30kg GT, but as is usual it dropped off despite tension on the line. We worked our way through the island chain, when Ed had a strike by another big fish, probably about 40kg, but no hookup. Jason had a strike from a smaller fish about 20kg and I had a good hit from a 25kg fish. None of the big fish landed. I the afternoon we worked west percy and landed several fish approximately 25kg from what we termed the 'honeypot' because I think about 4-5 fish about 25kg were pulled from there. I fished a rockbar, and had a 35kg fish strike 5m from the boat. It took the popper from behind and ran straight under the boat. Not a good combo in 4m of water. Needless to say it was over pretty quickly. We worked around the outcrops and I had a massive fish come up behind my lure. Ed and I reckon it was about 50kg. It fish came up behind the popper but the bow wave pushed the popper out of the way and it missed the strike. It then came up and took the popper. Several seconds of heart pounding adrenaline and then the popper floated up. It had only clamped onto the head of the popper, without any hooks setting. To say I was disappointed was an understatement.

On the last day we headout out about 10nm to some isolated rocky outcrops. Several small fish to 15kg off it, but when we returned I got mauled by a 20+kg GT, it dived deep after the strike, and again the hooks pulled out. We picked up a couple of fish around the islands, but late in the afternoon, we approached another outcrop and I cast a Heru wahoo in, and a mob of GTs 20-25kg jumped my lure, with a good hookup. I had the fish out in deep water, and was in the final stages of the fight when my rod (a well respected GT rod) snapped at the base along with my line. Talk about bad luck. So I picked my spare and rigged it with wahoo 150, only to have it attacked within seconds of being in the water by a big spaniard. Snipped right off. I thought to myself, this is starting to get expensive..

Anyway, had a ball, busted alot of gear, lost alot of poppers, landed some decent fish. The think that impressed me most about this location is how hard the fish fight. Harder than anywhere I have ever fished.

Things I would do different
1. Bring 3 good outfits. Only brought 2. Had destroyed stripper on one and snapped the other on the last day.
2. Dont bring as much gear. They have everything you need on board at reasonable prices.
3. Use 130lb braid. 100lb is simply not enough.
4. Go to the gym before hand. I didnt get a chance to go prior to this trip, a big mistake.
5. Cast in the opposite direct to were Tim tells you to cast

6. Bring a baitcaster.

I cant go next year, but I'll be going the year after that for sure.

Here are some pics