Gnaraloo in July
Hey guys
Heading up to Gnaraloo for the first time on the 4th of July for 6 days and was just looking for a bit of info regarding landbased fishing and launching the yaks off the beach there.
Firstly we are staying at the homestead and I was wondering if there were any places to fairly comfortably get out on the kayaks off the beach closest to the homestead (know it's a decent surfing spot) or whether it would be better to just drive them up to the bay. If the bay is the go, roughly how far of a paddle is it to get to any decent fishing? Don't have a sounder so will be more than slighly winging it, will probably do a fair bit of drifting with the sea anchor and tow some lures around.
Secondly what is the landbased fishing like directly below the homestead? Have done a fair bit of research and got a rough idea of spanglies and the likes around the reef but a bit sketchy on the finer details (heaps of info about boat fishing but not much LB). Might make a day trip to some of the nearby cliffs if it seems like a worthwile thing to do.
Are there any patches of water clear of reef and/or rocks near the homestead where it would be ok to chase sharks or other larger game off the beach?
Any and all info is welcome and would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Hutch
Xtreme Coolers
Posts: 725
Date Joined: 02/01/10
Hi Hutch
i am up there at the same time as you are. This will be our tenth year up there. We fish out of a 6.5 metre boat and stay at the homestead.
Best option is to give me a call on 0403978583 and we can have a chat. Look forward to meeting you up there in two weeks.
Dave
Hutch
Posts: 2221
Date Joined: 21/04/13
Sweet, I'll give you a call
Sweet, I'll give you a call this afternoon/evening.
tcarroll
Posts: 265
Date Joined: 17/12/13
Interested in Gnaraloo!
Hi Dave,
How do you go launching 6.5m boat at Gnaraloo?
I am pretty keen to give Gnaraloo a visit but wasn't sure what the beach launching facilities were like so I have ventured to Exmouth the last 3 years instead.
I have a 5.6m Quintrex Classic.
Cheers!
tcarroll
Posts: 265
Date Joined: 17/12/13
Interested in Gnaraloo!
Hi Dave,
How do you go launching 6.5m boat at Gnaraloo?
I am pretty keen to give Gnaraloo a visit but wasn't sure what the beach launching facilities were like so I have ventured to Exmouth the last 3 years instead.
I have a 5.6m Quintrex Classic.
Cheers!
Xtreme Coolers
Posts: 725
Date Joined: 02/01/10
Launching
The beach changes a fair bit and over the years we have experienced the easy and the hard. We always use the grates available for both trailer and car on retrieval. As mentioned, the tides can play an interesting part in it all.
We always set up the grates properly when retrieving, the boys have it down pat while I wait on the boat. when all is set the driver backs up and I drive on in an effort to get out as efficiently as possible. A lot of guys try to rush out and do not put the grates on the trailer often resulting in the trailer sinking down. Realistically, it is quite straight forward with a bit of planning. we have seen some very funny attempts at retrieving there.
You would have no problems with your quintrex. More issues with the track.
Gnaraloo is worth every hassle in my opinion.
Nauti Buoy
Posts: 595
Date Joined: 20/04/09
July
We get there the same day, let's hope the weather is nice.
Xtreme Coolers
Posts: 725
Date Joined: 02/01/10
Nice
Good to see you back again Nauti. Bringing the troops?
I though you boys were heading elsewhere this year. Catch up with you on the 5th. we will not get there until the Sunday.
Bring on the good weather.
Nauti Buoy
Posts: 595
Date Joined: 20/04/09
Dave
Family trip this time, 10 adults and 11 kids beer consumption will be reduced but hopefully the kids can get into some good fish.
See you up there!
johnno67
Posts: 408
Date Joined: 12/03/10
Beach launching
Peice of cake have done it for the last five years have a 24 foot glass boat beach is firm just got to get tides right for the bigger boats .
if your are worried about launching every day just make up a mooring I did it this year for the 1 st time best thing I've done
sea-kem
Posts: 14960
Date Joined: 30/11/09
What did you use for a
What did you use for a mooring Colin?
Love the West!
Paj man
Posts: 360
Date Joined: 16/09/12
I was talking with a bloke
Who snorkels and finds a nice chunk of Limestone in the bay with a hole in it, puts a chain through the hole and runs it up to a couple of floats on good rope. Then uses his anchor as a backup incase the limestone breaks whilst moored. That's what I was going to do but ran out of time.
His boat was a big cat (7-8m from memory).
aka Nick
sea-kem
Posts: 14960
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Are you still up there?
Are you still up there?
Love the West!
Paj man
Posts: 360
Date Joined: 16/09/12
Sunday
Got back Sunday mate, only managed 2 days of fishing but we bagged out on the second day.
aka Nick
dumper
Posts: 1027
Date Joined: 03/04/08
And if anyone is thinking
And if anyone is thinking of taking up makeshift launching mats, make sure you take them home with you. The bay is starting to look like a scrap metal yard
johnno67
Posts: 408
Date Joined: 12/03/10
Hey Andrew
Mate used 5 meteres 20 mm chain and a plough anchor that I bought of gum tree for $30 bucks this makes it a lot easier to lift in and out also drop you pick as we'll guarantee the boat will not move most days the boat was holding on its own anchor not even pulling on the mooring.
buy a little blow up boat and away you go or the other option was some people were swimming to there boat you are only moored in a meter and a half of to two meters of water .
as I mention in a previous post Andrew the track to the bay was crap took me 30 mins to get to the bay and this is where all the damage to the trailer was done
sea-kem
Posts: 14960
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Cheers Col, Will look into
Cheers Col, Will look into it. I guess it comes down to the wind forecast for the week we are there. You're right Dumper, I'm surprised the conservation dept hasn't jumped up and down yet. I take my own ali ramps.
Love the West!
Xtreme Coolers
Posts: 725
Date Joined: 02/01/10
Hi Andy
We moored a few years ago and I could not sleep properly as I did not trust the mooring when the wind got up. One night it really blew and once at the bay we came over the little ridge that allows you to see the bay thinking the boat was not going to be there. Since then, we are very happy to take the boat out every afternoon. We also think it is easier to clean, pack and refuel once out. a hassle on the track, yes but we just take it easy. Worth a try if you are thinking about it. The year we moored we had a 7.8 mtr boat so getting it out every day was a bit hard.
Give you a bell on the weekend.
Dave
sea-kem
Posts: 14960
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Love the West!
carnarvonite
Posts: 8665
Date Joined: 24/07/07
Mooring
Always moored the boats all the 12+ trips up there, either taking a couple of big anchors and setting them up or chaining to one of the wings of a mates professional mooring that was there.
One of the tricks when pulling the boat out is to reverse a foot or two once the boat is on the trailer, this breaks the suction on the wheels and gets them out of the hole allowing you to get momentum up when you go forward.
The track down from the homestead can be improved if you ask the station staff if you can use the drag when you go back and forth to the bay, a couple of runs is usually all that is needed to put the loose stuff back in the corrugations