Page 51 - Bush 'n Beach Fishing mag

Ryan Stimson has spent a heap of time guring out local barramundi and it’s paid off with cracking results.
Plenty on offer for Central FQueensland anglers
OR all varieties of angler, Central Queensland cov-
Gladstone Region
by GARY CHURCHWARD
ers most of your fish- ing options, goals and needs.
has become a fantastic fishery and one of the best for consistent large fish.
larly produces good numbers and size.
Central Queensland runs from Gladstone in the south to Mackay in the north and covers about 500km of coast- line.
Hard to believe, I re- cently read an article by John Boon who caught metre long barra as by- catch when targeting threadfin salmon.
Gladstone also holds good barramundi in its rivers, creeks and into the harbour.
Thread n salmon in the Fitzroy River are only get- ting bigger and this one ate a 4” Z-Man DieZel MinnowZ.
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With many locations reachable only via sea, most areas are virtually untapped.
This was awesome news and – the fact that many of the best fish come from rocks in the middle of town on a consistent basis – is a great indication that the area has so much going for it.
The many creeks and headlands covering the coastline up and down the region, will all hold barra.
Here’s a breakdown of what CQ has to offer in fish species and where you are most likely to find them.
There are a few stocked impoundments that regularly produce great fish and as a bo- nus you can score the odd saratoga or sooty grunter.
The iconic barramun- di is likely the prime sought-after estuary species in the region.
It doesn’t matter if you like trolling lures, soaking a bait, flick- ing at shallow timber or fishing the many deeper drop-offs and rock piles, the Fitzroy has something to suit everyone’sfishingstyle.
Impoundments are a good option during the closed season – which starts November 1 – or when the weather isn’t quite right for hitting the salt.
Central Queensland has a great natural pop- ulation of barra, which is only getting better with the introduction of net-free zones in Rock- hampton and Mackay.
Personally, it would be hard to go past Rockhampton and the Fitzroy River system to target barra.
While barramundi can be caught through- out most of the region, Rockhampton’s Fitzroy River into Port Alma www.bnb shing.com.au
The Pioneer River running through Mac- kay also has a fantastic barra fishery and regu-
Threadfin salmon
* continued P52
Bush ’n Beach Fishing, October 2020 – Page 51