Fitzroy visit

[Figtree]

Heading up to Rocky from Brisbane on Friday, for a few days fishing the Fitzroy. Staying at the South Side holiday village.

I would appreciate a few tips about how the river is fishing at the moment. I heard there was lot of fresh running a few weeks ago.

Looks like the closest boat ramp from the caravan park is an Ingham park. Is that the best place to launch or should we find a place further downstream. Fishing from a 17th centre console, so can get about OK.

we have fished for barra a number of times before but not in the Fitzroy. Thinking of using the same techniques as we used in the NT in the distant past.

I have been reading Douglas's posts which have been very helpful.

Any pointers would be greatly appreciated

[Snodger]

If there is a bit of fresh it maybe worthwhile launching at port alma and fishing that end of the river. If you are fishing the town reaches go slow up past where the yauchts are moored as the rock bars there are very extensive. Its always good to check it out from the bank at low tide so you get an idea of where the channels are. Same as the NT look for gutters on the outgoing tide and give them a good working over. There are plenty around port alma. Wish I was going with you I love that river.

[Snodger]

and hopefully some locals up there will correct any mistakes i made lol

[Douglas]

Plenty of barra being sounded up downstream in river at moment. Hard to get them to strike. They're lined up in squadrons at lots of places but few takers.

Barrage gates opened yesterday (Tuesday) morning. 3-4 of them just as city reach was starting to clear up too. Bugger.

If u want to fish city reaches, live perch are the go.

High tide at Port Alma will be about 1145am on Friday. Add 1.5 hours for city high tide. For low tide add 2.5 hours to Port time. Tides in city reach are 5 hrs in and 7 hours out.

You need to be down river for outgoing tide which means that if you drive down to Thompson's Point boatramp (not an all tide ramp) and fish Casaurina's outgoing, you won't be able to get boat out of water until 8-9pm. Too bloody late for me.

I'd recommend going down river by boat to Casaurina Ck (17km) then up it for 13 km to Casaurina Ck cut-through.

Put-in ramp is Nerimbera on city outskirts on northern bank. 4 lane all tide. No pontoon but occasional croc sighting at ramp tends to sharpen vigilance a little. Couple of big ones in Casaurina too but I haven't seen them for a while.

I'm heading off down there tomorrow for Casaurina barra and king via Nerimbera ramp. Was going today but rain intervened.

Will let you know how it went.

Coincidently, I'm going down again on Friday so you're welcome to tag along if u wish. Midday kick-off.

Gulp or soft vibes for barra at cut-through. Threadybusters, Jackals or ThumperTails.

I put up a post the other day about king in Casaurina.

PM me if you wish. I'll give u my mobile number.

Douglas

[Figtree]

Thanks Douglas

Leaving Brisbane at 8.00am so will not be arriving until around 5.00 on Friday i guess, but thanks for the offer would have gladly accepted.

We ae fishing Sat, Sun and Mon and heading back to Brissie on Tuesday

Will drop you a PM anyway

[addicted]

Mate what Douglas said sums it up. There is fish in the town reaches but the water is dirty, livies would be the go. Plenty of fish in the bottom half of the river, just find that little bit cleaner water then in town. The king are feeding pretty hard on the jelly prawns atm and can be a little hard to tempt. don't spend your whole trip casting at snags, checkout back eddies and any where that's got breaks in the flow. Drains can be hit and miss but still worth a shot.

For travelling I prefer to launch in town or at port alma and just boat it though there are lots of sand bars and Rock piles. Best advice I can give is stick to the middle, still be careful.

Hope you get a few.

[Douglas]

Mon 20th is on the neaps with minimum water movement so water will be cleaner except for high run areas (like Casaurina cut-through).

With Port Alma low tide at 9.45am it brings the Thompson's Point boat ramp into play. Thompson's Point tides about 1/2 hour behind Port Alma.

In water by 6am and out of water by 1 pm.

Gives ideal timing to fish 2 particular rockbars in main river.

If ever travelling up/down river for first time stick to outside banks on bends.

If you go down the centre of the river on anything lower than 1/2 tide you'll most certainly run into grief on sandbars on inside bends.

Even on outside bends, old rock wall emerges some 20 m from bank in channel at many spots.

High tides usually OK.

These rock walls were man made in late 1800s by Rockhampton Harbour Board.

Here's a story about the Fitzroy River rock training walls.

The legacy of those walls is that they provide plenty of structure for barra.

Another legacy is that you must be careful of running into the remains of these walls in the most surprising places as floods changed the river path over the last 130 years or so.

http://fishingterritory.com/post2044...?hilit=fitzroy river#p204482

[addicted]

Just be careful on the outside bend with the tall timber on the southern bank just down stream of the nerimberra ramp, its loaded with rock piles a fair way out into the river.