We receive dozens of fishing Hervey Bay related messages per week from new & returning visitors to the Fraser Coast. Mostly through our social channels. Asking for advice about what species of fish are currently being caught, places to fish including gps & reef marks. Techniques to use & recommended lures & tackle. Even questions about where to launch a boat, boat ramp facilities & what the weather is doing. Also questions about where to be careful on the water & which local tackle stores to visit.
Check Out Our Free Hervey Bay GPS Marks Page
This page is aimed at answering quite a few of those questions. While we have tried to provide as much information about fishing Hervey Bay & Fraser Island as we can. We also realise that we are only just scraping the surface.
If you can not find what you are looking for. There is a lot more information in our BLOG & of course on our YouTube Channel.
Where to Start
First of all, not everyone who visits the Fraser Coast owns a boat. Nor do some boat owners bring their boat with them while holidaying. Luckily we are gifted with a number of brilliant land based fishing options for the beginner through to the seasoned angler.
While many of the beaches along Hervey Bay’s shoreline or rocky points around areas such as Point Vernon are great fishing locations. The most iconic land based fishing location would have to be the Urangan Pier.
The Pier
Stretching 868m, it is one of the longest remaining piers in Australia. A number of deep channels pass under the pier as you make your way to the very end. Which provides access to one of the deep water channels feeding the Great Sandy Strait. The range of species caught from the pier is diverse, from 25kg+ GT’s, tuna, flathead, snapper, jew, bream, squid, down to the humble whiting. There is plenty on offer to keep any angler interested.
Some Key Locations
Located around 100m from the pier is the Anglers Den, a small family owned & operated tackle store. Given this stores close proximity to the pier the Anglers Den has to be your first stop prior to heading out onto the pier for a fish. The Anglers Den also offers a range of Pacific Harvest & Tweed baits, all the tackle you could possibly need for a day’s fishing. They even hire out beginner kits. Which include; a rod, reel, bucket & knife, absolutely perfect for those people wanting to give fishing a go for the first time.
If you are holidaying without your boat or are looking to get stuck into some serious sports fishing there are a couple of other options. You could hire a boat from the Boat Club or Boabs Boat Hire . Then head out on your own. Or to save time you can make a booking with one of the local fishing guides. Who will know exactly where to take you & show you exactly how to catch, potentially, that fish of a lifetime.
Have Your Own Boat?
For those people lucky enough to own & be holidaying with their own boat. Either for the first time visiting Hervey Bay or a return visitor. We highly recommend stopping in & saying g’day to the staff at Fisho’s Tackleworld. Heck give them a call while planning your trip. Located at 59 Torquay Rd, the team there hold a massive range of stock, knowledge & expertise. They even provide weekly fishing Hervey Bay reports through their Facebook page & through the local channel 7 news.
One of the topics you will more than likely discuss while visiting either the Anglers Den or Fisho’s Tackleworld will be which boat ramp to launch from.
Launching A Boat
The Urangan marina is the largest boat launching facility on the Fraser Coast. Featuring a eight lane boat ramp, two pontoons & a sizable car park dedicated to trailer parking. It is protected by a large rock wall, which makes launching your boat quick, easy & safe. Its location makes it the ideal launching site if you are planning on fishing any of the inner reefs & the western side of Fraser Island. Or if you wish to slip across to Kingfisher Bay Resort for lunch.
Check out our complete guide to Fraser Coast Boat Ramps – Here.
There is also a boat ramp at Gatakers Bay on the western side of Point Vernon. My recommendation however, is to only use this ramp if you are an experienced boat owner. It is dual lane, quite narrow & the car park is quite small. While it does provide quick access to a number of inner reef locations between Burrum Heads & Point Vernon. It can be a little tricky getting in & out of the ramp. As the channel leading to the ramp is very narrow, lined with rocks & almost inaccessible at low tide.
Further South
If fishing further south in the Great Sandy Strait is your thing. Even heading into the Mary River to chase barramundi or threadfin salmon, then the River Heads boat ramp is probably your best bet.
There are two ramps at River Heads, a narrow single lane ramp on the eastern side of the car park & a dual lane ramp on the more protected western side. There are other single & dual lane boat ramps located at the townships throughout the Great Sandy Strait.
Safety
Regardless of which ramp you decide to launch from, please ensure you log on with the local volunteer marine rescue once you are on the water. Volunteer Marine Rescue Hervey Bay (VMRHB) have fully trained radio operators monitoring VHF channels 16, 73 (local area) & 22 (north of Fairway Beacon) & for 27 MHz channels 88 & 91. The radio room operates daily from 0600 to 1800 hours. With afterhours coverage provided by VTS Gladstone who monitor channel 16 for emergencies only.
Time To Start Fishing Hervey Bay
Okay, so you have planned your epic fishing Hervey Bay trip & stopped in or given one of the local tackle stores a call. You have identified your launching site. You even remembered to put the bung in, logged on with VMRHB & are now ready to find the fish.
For a first timer fishing the waters of Hervey Bay, the task can seem quite daunting. The expanse of water you are confronted with is literally immense. Hopefully the following will provide you with a good starting point.
Woody Island
Let us launch from the Urangan marina & head north. Within a few minutes you will be passing Woody Island. Which, along its eastern side, provides a large number of artificial reefs. These are well sheltered from any strong winds from the south. During winter snapper & coral trout are regularly found throughout these artificial reefs. During the warmer months, sweet lip, nannygai & golden trevally are just a few of the species on offer.
We recommend you spend time with a good quality sounder scouting this area. Be aware of the tides & moon phase & be prepared for some fast moving current. Anchoring can prove difficult as during the big tides the water rips through the deeper channels between Big Woody Island and K’Gari – Fraser Island.
Heading North
If you are heading further north, you will need to keep an eye on your chart. As around Pelican Bank there is a maze of shallow sand banks. Keeping to the eastern side of Pelican Bank is your best bet. You will soon find yourself in the vicinity of Moon Point on K’Gari – Fraser Island. Throughout this area there are a number of shallow reefs & rock ledges. These locations are productive all year round. There are also a number of creeks spilling into the bay. Fishing these creek mouths generally results in some nice flathead, bream, whiting & even the occasional dart filling your esky.
Continuing north from Moon Point, you enter into Platypus Bay. This is a huge expanse of water littered with areas of reef, gravel patches & deep holes. There are simply too many potential fishing locations to mention on this page.
Check Out Our Free Hervey Bay GPS Marks Page
Carry Enough Fuel
The point we would make about Platypus Bay, is to be aware of the distances involved and ensure you are carrying enough fuel. A run from the Urangan Marina to Wathumba Creek. Which is about two thirds of the way up into Platypus Bay can take a good hour. If your target destination is Rooney’s Point you can add another 20 to 30 minutes.
For those people willing to cover the distance & who have the fuel to burn then Rooney’s Point does offer some fantastic fishing. Especially during the warmer months. With baby black marlin & big cobia regularly visiting that part of the world.
Closer Options
If you decide to launch from River Heads you have two options. Either head west into the Mary River system or east towards Fraser Island & areas such as Ungowa & Deep Creek.
Whatever you do, don’t overlook a number of the rock ledges located only a few hundred metres from the River Heads boat ramp. These are well marked on charts & regularly hold large barramundi & threadfin salmon. Trolling lures at the turn of the tide does seem to be the best time to target these rocky ledges.
If you decide to head east towards Fraser Island & then turn south towards Ungowa & Deep Creek. We recommend you have a good sound around any of the creek mouths that you come across. Finding the ledges where the creeks spill into the main channel is always worth the effort. With many of them holding queenfish, grunter, salmon & my favourite, the humble flathead.
Wrap Up
Remember, preparation is the key & ultimately good preparation will save you time on the water. Either go with a local if you can or seek local knowledge. The best places for this are the local tackle stores. Know your tides & weather as the water moving in the channels between Big Woody Island and Fraser Island can really stand up. If the tide is pushing against some wind it can be quite dangerous. Carry extra fuel, especially if you are planning on exploring Platypus Bay.
Always log on with VMRHB, it could save your life.
Do not forget that our Blog & YouTube Channel contains lots more information to help you with your fishing Hervey Bay adventure. You can find it here.