Sept School Hols Trip

[Saltboy]

Hi

Looking for some advice from people with experience of fishing the Gulf area around September. My concerns are not wasting too many days travelling when only having the 2 week period available and overcrowding of fishing areas due to time of year, Grey Nomads etc etc. I have even starting looking at staying on stations which cater for fishing/camping.
Distances from Mackay that are within a 2 day travelling time are:
Karumba 1300kms
Burketown 1500kms
Weipa 1400kms
King Ash Bay 2200kms.
Could possibly look at KAB and take an extra day or 2 off??
Appreciate any thoughts and also would like to throw out to any members if they are keen to come also??

Thanks Dave

[3Macks]

Hey Dave, have a think about Cooktown in September. Guides are usually booked out in September. Not sure if the wind will be down, always a gamble but should be a variety including mackeral in the Endeavour. I will let you know about Elim Beach too. Will be there soon to check it out.
Karumba has had a good run of barra this year according to ABC news. Should be mackeral out in the leads too.

[Douglas]

Karumba is on the grey nomads route though most will be clustered around the leads at river mouth.

Mapoon just north of Weipa is worth a look. A bunch of about 5 boats go from Rocky as a group for 10 days about this time of year.

Roper River at Tomato Is campsite (or down at Port Roper) or any of the rivers along the Gulf Coast north of King Ash Bay. Maybe extra day or so but worth it. Best spot would be Port Roper but you'd have to be fully self-contained (including water). By Sept the Roper fish will not be at drain mouths (with one exception). There'll be a lot of them on the rockbars downstream

One of those NT Gulf rivers has cabins. Lorella Springs has but I think there's another one too but its a cash economy there for fuel or some food supplies. No EFTPOS or C/cards although Lorella might have EFTPOS being so popular.

Coastal road should be graded by then.

[Saltboy]

Hey Dave, have a think about Cooktown in September. Guides are usually booked out in September. Not sure if the wind will be down, always a gamble but should be a variety including mackeral in the Endeavour. I will let you know about Elim Beach too. Will be there soon to check it out.
Karumba has had a good run of barra this year according to ABC news. Should be mackeral out in the leads too.

Thanks. Had thought about Cooktown and even Daintree but concerned with winds

[Saltboy]

Karumba is on the grey nomads route though most will be clustered around the leads at river mouth.

Mapoon just north of Weipa is worth a look. A bunch of about 5 boats go from Rocky as a group for 10 days about this time of year.

Roper River at Tomato Is campsite (or down at Port Roper) or any of the rivers along the Gulf Coast north of King Ash Bay. Maybe extra day or so but worth it. Best spot would be Port Roper but you'd have to be fully self-contained (including water). By Sept the Roper fish will not be at drain mouths (with one exception). There'll be a lot of them on the rockbars downstream

One of those NT Gulf rivers has cabins. Lorella Springs has but I think there's another one too but its a cash economy there for fuel or some food supplies. No EFTPOS or C/cards although Lorella might have EFTPOS being so popular.

Coastal road should be graded by then.

Thanks mate. Yes, I guess that time of year just means factoring in the Grey Nomad aspect. Looked at Mapoon'(Wenlock) and its tempting as it also has systems in close proximity north and south of it. Yes lifelong campers with everything and the Kitchen sink!! to be self sufficient. Spoke with KAB and they told me you don't have to booked as there's always sites available at anytime?? Still would make me feel nervous driving over 2000K for a holiday not booked

[Gippsy]

A bit off topic but When are you going to Lucinda Dave. Back on the topic. The haughton river at giru is close. Good accommodation at the pub. Good fishin most of the time. Maybe a curve ball but what about coming south. Still some great snapper fishing in September. The Barra start to get moving down this way if it's windy.

[Douglas]

Limmen River was the other one I was thinking of. Don't get it confused with the Limmen Bight Park. Its outside that and on the Limmen River on the coastal side.

There are a couple of makeshift cabins, water, electricity, fuel and limited food supplies. Which means you don't have to cart generators, water, all food and water. Best of both worlds if you can get one of the "cabins". Cash again (or used to be).

[Saltboy]

Limmen River was the other one I was thinking of. Don't get it confused with the Limmen Bight Park. Its outside that and on the Limmen River on the coastal side.

There are a couple of makeshift cabins, water, electricity, fuel and limited food supplies. Which means you don't have to cart generators, water, all food and water. Best of both worlds if you can get one of the "cabins". Cash again (or used to be).

Thanks Douglas. Scoped that out on Google Earth also the other week. I guess I have a month or so to weigh up alternatives. I'm thinking that if I go the more remote option that I might look at trying to get at least one other travel mate/vehicle/boat to come along.

[Saltboy]

A bit off topic but When are you going to Lucinda Dave. Back on the topic. The haughton river at giru is close. Good accommodation at the pub. Good fishin most of the time. Maybe a curve ball but what about coming south. Still some great snapper fishing in September. The Barra start to get moving down this way if it's windy.

G'day mate. Had 12 days over Easter up in Lucinda. Very hard going with wind and rain but managed to get a good range of fish. Even got a few JP's up Deluge Inlet(almost bitten on arse by tide getting out of there!!) and had an insane Easter Saturday morning on Jacks in a favourite spot of ours. Not a bad call Townsville actually as I've been thinking about a visit up there and exploring the systems north and south of there. And when you have a V8 100 series that gets about 25/100kms towing, a 4 hour return trip becomes very appealing on the wallet Thought about going back home to the Goldy/Tweed but having fished there all my life I think I will take advantage of living up this way now and exploring our beautiful country. My 13 yo has not caught a Barra yet and I'd give up all the ones I've caught for him to get one. This trip is as much for him as me, as along with League and cricket, fishing's his life.
You up this way again anytime??

[3Macks]

Dave, I have now been to Elim Beach for 5 days. Excellent camp area. $10/head/night. Flush toilets, cold showers. We took enough water for drinking and our own solar heated showers but a limited supply of water is available on site. Took the boat but did not launch it. You need spring tides and either stop out a short time over the high tide or go out after high and come back on the next rising tide. Whichever you will need to plan for spring tides. Alternatively you could drive 5-10km up the beach and launching is supposed to be at any tide. We didn't try that as the wind wasn't suitable. Poddy mullet are available for bait.

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The last photo is at high tide with a 2.8 tide height. 2 days earlier there was still a fair bit of sand here. I am going to do some research about Starke which may only be 20 km further north and access to the sea may be possible apart from the barra fishing.