Steep Point
Submitted by Deckie on Tue, 2017-03-21 21:26
Hi folks, just wondering who is heading to Steep Point in May.
I know bellyfish is heading up there in April, so i will be keeping an eye on here for updates.
I will post any info i get on track conditions, flies etc, so if anyone else can post it would be appreciated.
____________________________________________________________________________
Cheers & Stay safe
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
I will be there between 30
I will be there between 30 april and 6 may. At wellard.
Fish! HARD!
Deckie
Posts: 1296
Date Joined: 03/04/09
Leave some tips.
Leave some tips in the sand, we are at Wellard from 13th May. Lol
Cheers & Stay safe
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
Fish! HARD!
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
Hey deckie Plenty of squid
Hey deckie
Plenty of squid in the small patches of weed in front of wellard in about 1.5m of water.
We had a great afternoon caught about a dozen in 20 minutes. They were attacking the jigs only a metre or two from the boat!
I was using a bronzie coloured jig until i lost it on a snag.
Fish! HARD!
Happy Hooker
Posts: 305
Date Joined: 12/11/08
Will be at Dirk Hartog doing LB trip
Between 23rd April to 6 May staying at Urchin Point, can let you know track condition.....and the flies (last trip was really really bad.... sun up to sun down living in head net and the March flies were biting hard).
Hopefully can get some idea of track conditions for when we go up beforehand either from fellow FW / Ranger or Keiran.
Deckie
Posts: 1296
Date Joined: 03/04/09
I agree.
There is nothing worse than drinking your beer through a fly net. That was the case when we were there 2 years ago.
Hope the track will be ok, look forward to your report, we will also contact Dicko ( the ranger) for an update.
Cheers & Stay safe
Doc
Posts: 691
Date Joined: 29/05/16
Ain't that the truth.
Ain't that the truth.
Stax
Posts: 582
Date Joined: 05/02/10
We are there from 16th May
We are there from 16th May of a week. Up on the rocks, maybe see you there.
Stax
Deckie
Posts: 1296
Date Joined: 03/04/09
Look for ya.
Look for ya on the way past, i hope.
Had a track report out of Useless Loop yesterday and its not good.
Apparently there is large potholes in the road before the sand stretch to about 20 - 30cm deep.
Hope they fix it up soon as the truckies into the loop are complaining.
Here's hoping.
Cheers & Stay safe
Gmonster
Posts: 18
Date Joined: 21/04/12
We are there from 22nd to
We are there from 22nd to 29th of May.
Have to get report from you Stax.
I want a GT.
ranmar850
Posts: 2702
Date Joined: 12/08/12
Flies shouldn't be excessive.
They were very bad all along the Midewest at that time, but there are hardly any here at the moment.
Rob b
Posts: 211
Date Joined: 04/02/13
The old man is on the grader
The old man is on the grader on the useless loop road at the moment re sheeting a section or repairing he comes back into Denham on Sundays for his day off I can call him on Sunday and get a update next week for you all.
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
Does he only do the road as
Does he only do the road as far as useless loop, or the track out to steep point as well?
Fish! HARD!
Rob b
Posts: 211
Date Joined: 04/02/13
I am not sure, will ask him
I am not sure, will ask him on Sunday.
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
I suspect not because i
I suspect not because i think the track is under dpaw control and the road would be shire control.
Fish! HARD!
Rob b
Posts: 211
Date Joined: 04/02/13
The old man is on the grader
The old man is on the grader on the useless loop road at the moment re sheeting a section or repairing he comes back into Denham on Sundays for his day off I can call him on Sunday and get a update next week for you all.
Deckie
Posts: 1296
Date Joined: 03/04/09
Thanx.
Thanx Rob, appreciate it. Any updates are good to get.
Cheers & Stay safe
Rob b
Posts: 211
Date Joined: 04/02/13
Just spoke to dad he said
Just spoke to dad he said the useless loop road is good not great, he said it already becoming corrigated in parts it just crap material it good why it wet and mixed but once dry and traffic has it for a bit it deteriorate quickly they don't go to steep point just until the colvet up there somewhere. He will be working on the road for the next week then that's it until late April.
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
Fish! HARD!
Deckie
Posts: 1296
Date Joined: 03/04/09
Thanx.
Thanx for that Rob, I hope it will still be in reasonable condition for mid May.
Cheers & Stay safe
no fish
Posts: 8
Date Joined: 09/12/14
over night on the track
where is the best place to camp on the roadside or track side the night before hitting the track proper in the morning,willbe just rolling out a cuppla swags cheers guys
Belly Fish
Posts: 499
Date Joined: 09/03/12
Rest area
There is a rest area right near the Useless Loop turnoff. We always sleep there for the night. In the morning, the boat crews head to Denham to launch (around 130kms) and cars head down the Useless Loop road. Works well, as the cars get in first (assuming the track is ok) and start setting the camp up. We'll be there Saturday night 22nd April. You won't miss us as there will be 4 * 7.5m boats and 4 other cars.
randall df223
Posts: 6454
Date Joined: 08/08/11
Free camp at murchison river
Free camp at murchison river crossing
Fish! HARD!
dano83
Posts: 790
Date Joined: 25/05/12
The causeway isn't bad it's
The causeway isn't bad it's just before where you let tyres down,just tuck up out the way so people can still get through
nicksta711
Posts: 56
Date Joined: 07/07/15
Just got back from DHI.track
Just got back from DHI.
track into steep had some horrendous corrugations. the car and tinny copped a hammering. lots of big potholes to catch you off guard when coming over a crest at speed. on the way back it seemed slightly better.
no flies at all. very strong southerly winds all day. water on the west side of dirk was green and stirred up and no pelagics around what so ever. spoke to some guys at the oven on the way back and they had a bad week on the pelagics too.
the east protected side was a snapper/emperor/cod bonanza!
Deckie
Posts: 1296
Date Joined: 03/04/09
Thanks
Thanks for the report nicksta. I heard the track was in bad condition, but its good to get the word from someone who has just experienced it.
Hope ya didnt get any damage to the car or tinnie.
Even better news about the flies. Haha.
Maybe they are staying away & gathering numbers until i head up there. Grrrr
Again thanx for the report.
Cheers & Stay safe
no fish
Posts: 8
Date Joined: 09/12/14
track
was on the phone to pam this morning she was saying the start of the track till after the fourth hill was absolute shit (her words)then sections of bad corrugations and the track would probably not receive any maintenance before we arrive on the 8th of may one good thing she said though was useloop road was getting graded as we spoke also as rob b has said so hopefully there will be some flat sections and not all bone jarring corrugations should make for an interesting drive for our first time too the point
nicksta711
Posts: 56
Date Joined: 07/07/15
The first section of
The first section of corrugations aren't bad as the sweet spot for going over them was about 80km/hr. Just has some sections where you could go no faster that 10km/hr as they threw you around.
They were grading the road up to the tamala station turn off so that bit was fine. Just make sure you put rubber or something between ratchet straps and contact points. We had several straps rub through.
Deckie
Posts: 1296
Date Joined: 03/04/09
Reports.
Just wondering if anyone has an up to date report on the road & track into steep point.
Or any word on the repairs. Thanks.
Cheers & Stay safe
Happy Hooker
Posts: 305
Date Joined: 12/11/08
Steep Point Track and Flies report anyone ?
I can deal with the track....more interested in flies report.....!! Driving up Sunday and getting barged to DHI so any update greatly appreciated .
dano83
Posts: 790
Date Joined: 25/05/12
All the best Michael, hope
All the best Michael, hope you get onto a few!
Happy Hooker
Posts: 305
Date Joined: 12/11/08
Cheers Daniel
Will do our best....wont be from lack of trying.But it will beat the crap out of being at work that's for sure.
bellony
Posts: 94
Date Joined: 27/01/10
Just returned from
Just returned from DHI.
Useless Loop rd is as good as it gets. Steep track is as bad as it gets. Dunes going in are very chopped up and soft, most vehicles down to about 14lb. Coming out just chopped up but not so soft. Rest of track is very corrugated. Fair few broken trailer stories being told.
Flies and mossies are thick as unless your in the wind. Guessing Urchin Pt wont have such a bad mossie problem as camps on the East side. DHI is currently visited by DPaW rangers a couple of times a week so make sure you follow the rules.
Deckie
Posts: 1296
Date Joined: 03/04/09
Thanx bellony.
I guess that meens it can only get better. Lol
Forever the optomist hey haha.
Not good about the insects but i hope you got some fish in the box to help forget that part of the trip.
Thx again....
Cheers & Stay safe
Belly Fish
Posts: 499
Date Joined: 09/03/12
Windy
We are scheduled to leave Saturday for a week, but from what I can see weather wise flies won't be a problem....we will have 20 knots of breeze in our face constantly
Deckie
Posts: 1296
Date Joined: 03/04/09
Easterlies.
Hope the wind drops down a bit for ya Belly.
Looks like a strong Easterly coming in mid next week, hope this dont bring more of the little annoying buggers in.
Good luck, keep us posted....
Cheers & Stay safe
Happy Hooker
Posts: 305
Date Joined: 12/11/08
Cheers Bellony
Appreciate update . We spoke with Shire and they said they graded the road just before Easter.
Looks like I will be drinking my beer through a friggin head net again for 14 days....better buy a spare.
How did you go fishing wise ?
Belly Fish
Posts: 499
Date Joined: 09/03/12
Just got back
Hi Deckie,
Just got back yesterday, having spent 8 days at Shelter Bay.
We had 5 boats and 20 odd people go from Ocean Reef Sea Sports Club. We stayed in Easter camp.
What we do is team up in fours per boat, with 2 travelling with the boat, and 2 with a box trailer. We travel to the parking bay just on the Useless Loop turnoff for an overnight stay, then in the morning the car/box trailer guys head off to shelter bay by road, and the car/boat head to Denham to launch and travel across by sea (26nm).
I was in the boat crew, so can only speak about the road condition from what the road guys said. Basically the corrugation was pretty bad. Tin Hill was easy, but there was a hill just before it (not sure if its named) that was a bit difficult. All in all, not too bad.
It was pretty windy while we were there, so flies/mozzies weren't too bad....certainly not as bad as last year. Anzac Day blew very hard, probably 30 knots, so we didn't fish that day, but otherwise we got out every day, albeit a bit rough. Fishing was great.....Red Emperor, Pearl Perch, Spangled Emperor, Baldchin etc. Sharks were bad, so we had to move around a bit. Got quite a few Cobia and at times had quite a few of them just hanging around the boat.
If you want to see Sharks, just head out from Shelter Bay until you hit 8m deep, stop the boat and leave the engine running...doing this we had up to 12 big ones come to the boat expecting to be fed.
Cheers
Belly
Deckie
Posts: 1296
Date Joined: 03/04/09
Thanx.
Thanks for the update Belly, I have heard that about the sharks. 8m would put you about in the channel where everyone dumps their filleting scraps (grrrr) so that is where the sharks know there will be a feed I guess.
I am surprised you got everyone in Easter Camp, must have been bulging at the seams. Haha.
We stayed there two years ago on the west end with two camp trilers & it was a little squeezy.
The track sounds ok from what you are saying, I know the road is bad but they are suppose to be running a grader over it very soon.
Sounds like you got a good variety of species, not sure if we will do as good concidering we are taking in a 4m tinnie. If the winds drop we may venture out a bit but for now we will be hanging around the Fault Line, Monkey Rock & Surf Point.
Phil told me you were due back so I was keen to see if you reported anything.
Hope you can get some pics up to brag about.
Cheers for that, appreciate it.
Cheers & Stay safe
Happy Hooker
Posts: 305
Date Joined: 12/11/08
Steep point track report
Just got back Saturday night. useless loop rd track is ok until you get to the bridge to let down your tyres, from then on gets very corrrugated and a few pot holes here and there so expect to get shaken. The hill has been chopped up badly with a lot of boats and trailers being dragged up it so make sure you let your tyres down again when you get to the base before you start to try to go up. When we went down it we were happy we weren't going up it, anything with low clearance is going to bottom out ....once you are up top all is pretty good from then on.
We were at urchin pt at dhi for 12 days and stuff all flies , a few mozzies at night but nothing to worry about. Total opposite to last trip. If anyone's staying there no water in tanks at back .
Wind was pumping easterly and guys at block were ballooning not sure if they got anything but we could see splashing out so fish were there ( we just bottom bashed from cliffs/ rocks). Swell was up and down but nothing to stop us fishing each day, there were quite a few boats out and about on last few days around lighthouse etc so seas were good, not sure how swell is panning out now.....
Deckie
Posts: 1296
Date Joined: 03/04/09
Thanks.
Thanx for the update HH, sounds like it will be a task getting up the first hill.
Looks like a bit of rain hitting there mid week so maybe that will settle it down a little.
Sounds like my old bones are gunna be rattled a bit on the corrugations, but like you said lower pressures in the tyres should help out with that.
Good to hear about the flies, at least we may have the true taste of the beer this year without the filtering through a fly net. Haha.
Again thanks for the info & I hope you managed to get amongst a few fish.
Cheers Rob
Cheers & Stay safe
dano83
Posts: 790
Date Joined: 25/05/12
Thanks for the heads
Thanks for the heads up.
thats a shame about the tank do you know if it is broken or just empty?
Happy Hooker
Posts: 305
Date Joined: 12/11/08
Not broken mate
Just bone dry .
Deckie
Posts: 1296
Date Joined: 03/04/09
Early start.
Heading off in the morning for the trip, last minute check of the weather has prompted me to slip in another bottle of Jack Daniels. Haha
Hope to catch up with others who will be there & wish everyone heading away a safe trip.
Good luck.
Cheers & Stay safe