P52 - FISH & BOAT, April 2019 Junior Fisho The School of Fish By Nick Thompson Another great fishing spot is the Schools finished, it’s time formouth of Fishing Creek. There is aAlways be ready on North my favourite subject: it is called track, and when you walk through Keppel as the big fish are fishing. The school holidays the mangroves, there is a yabbie never far away. are the perfect time to catch some bed there to get some bait for a great fish and here are my favour- good days fishing. The fishing here ite holiday fishing locations around is awesome as there are barra and Rockhampton. These places hold so salmon and out on the flats, there are many fish and have endless ways to dart and flathead, with small pelag- fish it. These spots all hold a large ics like queenfish and giant trevally. amount of fish and are all accessible The mouth is a great place to also fairly easily. go kayak fishing, but there is a lot of Fishing Creek is a great fishing lo- tidal flow, so you need to make sure cation with easy access. Fishing here you know how to paddle and fish at is a juvenile fish haven and where the same time. there are small ones the big ones are Another great spot to go fishing close by. There are two parts that is Coorooman Creek. This place is can be fished. There is the back of my number one grunter fishing area. Fishing Creek which holds a lot of It is fished best on a boat as there the juvenile fish, and there is also the are a few great spots that catch some mouth which the bigger fish tend to epic fish. The amount of bait that is hang around, but both are great fish- there is ridiculous which makes bait ing spots. collecting easy. You can catch lots of The back of Fishing Creek can be different fish species in Coorooman accessed by any car, and there are so all the way up to massive grunter many ways to fish, it doesn’t matter and all the way down to the small how you fish it, as it generally pro- bream and whiting. For land-based vides a good days fishing. fishing, You can also fish off the boat If fishing the creek in the low tide, ramp and the beaches nearby the the creek has very little water in it; boat ramp if you do not have access The Fitzroy has many fishing spots, need to wear boots so that you can thing else that bites is mozzies and however, there are plenty of deep to a boat. land-based and boat ramps. be protected from sharp rocks sting- sandflies so always bring spray so it holes, and this is where the fish shel- There are many creeks, cockle A couple lures, a bait rod and a rays and the sun. The tide is one of can save you a lot of pain and a lot of ter during the low tide. beds and mangrove shorelines thatcast net is all you need to catch somethe biggest dangers at Corio Bay andbites. Like most areas, you need to These deep holes are spread outfish really well. Coorooman creek isbig fish in the Fitzroy. The iconicFishing Creek. In Corio Bay, yoube sun safe and if you’ve never fished across the creek, so make sure you known for its wide range of different barramundi is in abundance, andneed to be careful of the low tide be-there before, chase some knowledge spend time fishing every hole. These fish to catch. Bait collecting is easy, you’ll never forget landing the meter cause then your boat will be high up from someone who has. holes provide mangroves, gutters, but there are no yabbie beds that I threadfin salmon that hang around on the sand. All of these areas hold Remember these are just five areas and many other snags for these fish know of in Coorooman Creek, butthe town reaches here too. The Fit-sharks so always be wary of sharks,that are close to me and there many to hide and feed. Fishing there is as there is an abundance of live bait zroy has more hiding places for a fish but the chances are slim of you be- more spots that I enjoy fishing at. great as you will often find there will here, like most areas, live bait is the than you can imagine, so it is worth- ing bitten by one. Crocodiles are also Our area has many more great places be whiting in one hole and flathead best option when bait fishing here. while fishing every snag. The thing in most of these areas. These animals to fish and spend a great day on the in the next. Coorooman Creek is also good crab- I love about the Fitzroy is, it always are the king, and if ever spotted, it is water, but these five locations I rec- The reason for this is because often bing at the right time of year. Fish has a surprise around the corner like best to get out of the area as quick ommend you spending time at over the holes are small and the fish fight the shallows for flathead, the rocks the sneaky mangrove jack or theas possible if not in a boat. Some-the holidays to catch a great fish. for the best hole. There are also a for grunter or the mangroves fordeadly stonefish, the only thing that number of yabbie beds, which makes bream, either way, you’ll always have is not a surprise is the catfish. A nice little golden the fishing even better and bait col- a great day at Coorooman Creek. Corio Bay is number two on my trevally caught off lection easier when fishing here. The Fitzroy River cover coverslist as it very rarely doesn’t provide North Keppel beach. Expect the usual flathead, bream, most Rockhampton and holds somegood fish. Corio Bay holds the usual and whiting, but if you are fishing in of Australia’s most iconic fish spe- estuary fish like bream, flathead and the right area at the right time, you cies like the king salmon and the whiting, but also holds many other might snag a threadfin king or blue barramundi. The Fitzroy ecosystem species that you can find when fish- salmon, tarpon or mangrove jack.has improved so much since theing here like the hidden snag that This area also holds some big mud- nets have been removed, and it is a holds the mighty fingermark or dies, so it is worth bringing a crab great option for everyone to get out the meter plus flathead lurking the pot there and catch yourself a nice fish. shallows. Corio bay has so many fish species to make any fishing day enjoyable. If you have never fished here before, it’s a good idea to bring someone who has so you know where the sand bars are. The reason for this A solid bream is because of all the sand bars that pulled from Corio appear in the low tide and if you get Bay snags. stuck, prepare to be there for a long time. Corio Bay holds many struc- Let the battles begin. tures like gutters which hold whit- ing, flathead, dart and bream, rock flats are great for bream, grunter, cod and mangrove jack. Number one on my list is North Keppel Island. I cannot tell you what to expect when fishing here, the only thing I can tell you is that it holds fish and lots of them. Con- sidine Beach at North Keppel is a yellow zone, so only one hook and rod per person. North Keppel is surrounded by a green zone which means no fishing in it whatsoever. If you’re unsure, make sure you ask someone before fishing here. Wind can also change your trip because it is an offshore fishing destination so make sure you check the weather regularly before heading out. North Keppel holds so many dif- ferent fish species from dart to co- bia, so it’s got it’s all. When fishing here keep it simple, and a long shank hook with the running sinker. If you are using a larger bait for some grunter or trevally use a gang with a set 3 to 4 depending on the size of the bait. Bait wise, prawns, pilchards and worms are my choice of bait. All of these spots have different safety needs. Most of these areas you