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Hi Guys,
The Child Bride & I just got back from a couple of days at Woodgate :twisted: .
There has been mention made of this magical place here before but not in great detail. let me rectify this
Woodgate is situated about 30klms south of Bundaberg or about an easy 4 hours drive north from Brisbane. There are 16 kilometres of untouched beach with no highrise and is like stepping back in time to a seaside holliday villiage circa 1960.
It is bounded by Theodolite Creek, a sand and rock bottomed mangrove lined creek to the north, and the magnificent Burrum River to the south. (launch facilities at both.) Accommodation here consistes of beach side rental houses or the Barkala Tourist/caravan park with cabins, camping and caravan capacity. This is also just across the road from the beach and is very popular with retired southerners coming north for the winter.
I ramble on. To the trip report. Tuesday 14, we put in at Theodolite Ck at about the top of the tide and paddled up stream. About a mile up where is a hole we call Queenfish Corner - Paddled though it dragging a SX40 (colour 305) and a cheaper version bought at a local tackle shop. Allmost straight away, double hook up - two small trevally about 20cms. let em go, another 50 metres or so, another double hook up, two more trevally about the same size - same result.
Continued on up the creek to another gutter - one bream on the SX 40 about 25 Cms. let him go. The weather was turning nasty so returned to our cabin. Enough fishing for one day.
Wednesday, 15th June. Robin was not feeling well so I went alone. Put in around 9am and paddle upstream with the rising tide. Trolling the same lures. Nada till I got to Queenfish corner - straight away double hookup again - little trevally. Bugger this, continue on up stream. tis navagable for a yak for about 5 or 6 kilms.
Was working the shallow gutters running with the tide Piced up one flathed 39cms D'oh! I just love eating lizards. let him go and continued on picking up another half dozen or so lizards all just undersize. (Robin had mentioned that she would really like a feed of fresh fish for tea.) Came round a corner with a rocky pretty steep to bank and got smashed by something way more solid. This is better! solid litle estuary cod at 38cms. on the SX imitation Not sure what size they need to be, so into a wet bag. (These blokes will live like this for hours.)
Another couple of hundred metres and another solid hook up - Very nice little lizard at 45cms. Into the bag with you me lovely.
Towards the top, the creek narrows down, gets deeper and is bordered by a tall mangrove forest. Sneaking along dead slow dragging the lures under overhanging tress then my little SX went ballistic! Reel screaming, rod bending right back and touching my shoulder, couldn't get it out of the rod holder. Quickly turn the yak - remove rod - not much of my lovely new braid left! - and still losing it. :shock: Put rod back in holder and paddle franticly in direction of fish still heading down stream and stealing my line. Once I got momentum up, retrieve rod and start working the fish. This is bloody amazing. in around 20 seconds this fish has just about stripped my reel and allmost given me a heart attack at the same time.
So the dance commenced, up and down the creek - round and round we go, then up and down the creak again Oh man, I just love this high tech braid and flourocarbon stuff . In all the excitement, I completely forgot my other little uglystick and lood up to see it going off its head too :shock: - Stuff it I reckon the one I was playing was as good as anuthing else I was likely to get. After about 15 minutes, netted a mangrove jack that was bigger than my little measuring board so will have to guestimate it size. Grabbed t'other rod, fish still there :shock: a well and truly played out little grunter at 30cms let him go.
Back to the Jack, De- hooked - donged couple of quick piccies and poked right up into the bow. Don't want those bloody teeth anywhere near my feet. :shock:
Continued on to the head of the creek picking up a couple of grunter all C&R, turn round and replace the SX lookalike with a 52cm Scorpion.
Paddle about 200 metres and similar hit & run to the jack on the Scorpion. This bugger pulled me into overhanging mangroves very quickly and the hooks pulled.
On the paddle back down stream C&R several more flathead, kept one more for the bag, check on the cod, still alive and strong, released him.
All up for the days trip, I kept one jack and two flathead. I lost count on the number of flathead, grunter and small trevally I released. My best estimate is around a dozen lizards, 5 or 6 grunter and 8 or 10 flathead oh, and a cod. This would easily qualify as my best ever days lure fishing and I can't wait to get back up there.
A couple of piccies.
The Child Bride & I just got back from a couple of days at Woodgate :twisted: .
There has been mention made of this magical place here before but not in great detail. let me rectify this
Woodgate is situated about 30klms south of Bundaberg or about an easy 4 hours drive north from Brisbane. There are 16 kilometres of untouched beach with no highrise and is like stepping back in time to a seaside holliday villiage circa 1960.
It is bounded by Theodolite Creek, a sand and rock bottomed mangrove lined creek to the north, and the magnificent Burrum River to the south. (launch facilities at both.) Accommodation here consistes of beach side rental houses or the Barkala Tourist/caravan park with cabins, camping and caravan capacity. This is also just across the road from the beach and is very popular with retired southerners coming north for the winter.
I ramble on.
To the trip report. Tuesday 14, we put in at Theodolite Ck at about the top of the tide and paddled up stream. About a mile up where is a hole we call Queenfish Corner - Paddled though it dragging a SX40 (colour 305) and a cheaper version bought at a local tackle shop. Allmost straight away, double hook up - two small trevally about 20cms. let em go, another 50 metres or so, another double hook up, two more trevally about the same size - same result.Continued on up the creek to another gutter - one bream on the SX 40 about 25 Cms. let him go. The weather was turning nasty so returned to our cabin. Enough fishing for one day.
Wednesday, 15th June. Robin was not feeling well so I went alone. Put in around 9am and paddle upstream with the rising tide. Trolling the same lures. Nada till I got to Queenfish corner - straight away double hookup again - little trevally. Bugger this, continue on up stream. tis navagable for a yak for about 5 or 6 kilms.
Was working the shallow gutters running with the tide Piced up one flathed 39cms D'oh! I just love eating lizards. let him go and continued on picking up another half dozen or so lizards all just undersize. (Robin had mentioned that she would really like a feed of fresh fish for tea.) Came round a corner with a rocky pretty steep to bank and got smashed by something way more solid. This is better!
solid litle estuary cod at 38cms. on the SX imitation Not sure what size they need to be, so into a wet bag. (These blokes will live like this for hours.)Another couple of hundred metres and another solid hook up - Very nice little lizard at 45cms. Into the bag with you me lovely.
Towards the top, the creek narrows down, gets deeper and is bordered by a tall mangrove forest. Sneaking along dead slow dragging the lures under overhanging tress then my little SX went ballistic! Reel screaming, rod bending right back and touching my shoulder, couldn't get it out of the rod holder. Quickly turn the yak - remove rod - not much of my lovely new braid left! - and still losing it. :shock: Put rod back in holder and paddle franticly in direction of fish still heading down stream and stealing my line. Once I got momentum up, retrieve rod and start working the fish. This is bloody amazing. in around 20 seconds this fish has just about stripped my reel and allmost given me a heart attack at the same time.
So the dance commenced, up and down the creek - round and round we go, then up and down the creak again
Oh man, I just love this high tech braid and flourocarbon stuff . In all the excitement, I completely forgot my other little uglystick and lood up to see it going off its head too :shock: - Stuff it I reckon the one I was playing was as good as anuthing else I was likely to get. After about 15 minutes, netted a mangrove jack that was bigger than my little measuring board so will have to guestimate it size. Grabbed t'other rod, fish still there :shock: a well and truly played out little grunter at 30cms let him go.Back to the Jack, De- hooked - donged couple of quick piccies and poked right up into the bow. Don't want those bloody teeth anywhere near my feet. :shock:
Continued on to the head of the creek picking up a couple of grunter all C&R, turn round and replace the SX lookalike with a 52cm Scorpion.
Paddle about 200 metres and similar hit & run to the jack on the Scorpion. This bugger pulled me into overhanging mangroves very quickly and the hooks pulled.
On the paddle back down stream C&R several more flathead, kept one more for the bag, check on the cod, still alive and strong, released him.
All up for the days trip, I kept one jack and two flathead. I lost count on the number of flathead, grunter and small trevally I released. My best estimate is around a dozen lizards, 5 or 6 grunter and 8 or 10 flathead oh, and a cod. This would easily qualify as my best ever days lure fishing and I can't wait to get back up there.
A couple of piccies.
