Crabbing and Reef Fishing around Seisia?

[rehab]

Hi all, new to the forum, looks great and hope you can help me out with a couple of questions

Im travelling to Seisia in the first week of May, driving up from Sydney, will be there for four weeks

We are hiring the boats from bullys for the whole time, and want to do some crabbing and also do some reef fishing around seisia?

Can anyone recommend some good reefs around the area, and is there good crabbing around seisia or do you need to head to the rivers?

Cheers
Rob

[yetti]

gday rehab,

crabbing is a chance around the rocky headlands on the NPA, though the rivers will be better. The mouth of the Larrydinya and Patterson Ck would be good starting points. crabbing up here in May-Aug is not the greatest but you will get the odd one. the old addage, "crabbing is best in the months with an R" still applies up here.

as for reefs, all the islands have fringing reef around them. cheryl and bully are excellent hosts, and you'll find them very helpful with local knowledge. the bluewater fishing up here doesn't fish like southern waters, so be sure to listen to what cheryl and bully have to say.

hope that helps. if you really do it tough get a charter for a day or two. May 2009 was crap in the first week due to a late 11 inches of rain, but from the 10th on it was a cracker month on the bite....well it was for meanyway!!!!

enjoy your trip and good luck,

cheers,
BAT

[rehab]

Thanks very much for that, thats a bit of a disappointment, I had visions of eating chilli mud crab every night! but never mind, I know just being up there will be compensation enough, and I am sure we will find the odd fish or two as well.

Cheryl and Bully have been really helpful as well, so Im sure they will point us in the right direction

Cheers
Rob

[ant]

Hi Rob,
Being in the marketing game I am keen to know how you found out about Rob and Cheryl.

As Bat has said, they are a great couple and certainly make sure that their guests are well looked after.

[rehab]

Hi Rob,
Being in the marketing game I am keen to know how you found out about Rob and Cheryl.

As Bat has said, they are a great couple and certainly make sure that their guests are well looked after.

Hi Ant,

I was searching google for "boat hire cape york" and they were number one in the listings. We had been in two minds whether we would try to tow our boats up there or not, but when we found them, we couldnt believe it was available up there.

Initially we booked accom with them as well but then the majority of the groupd decided we wanted to stay around Seisia so we could check the wharf out and chat to the locals etc - so we booked at Seisia but we are still getting the boats through them.

I did ring up one local charter fellow who (being very nice about it mind you) refused to take us out on a charter as he didnt want "out of towners being shown all the spots and then sitting on them all the next day with his paying customers".

I can sort of understand his point but imagine if every operator in Sydney did that, they would all be out of business quick smart, and I thought there would be plenty of fish to go around up there.

Even more surprising was that the rate was $800 for the day, but he still knocked it back!

Anyway, I am sure we will be able to struggle through ourselves, and we booked the trip in conjunction with Cheryl and Bully who gave us the best tide times, our whole trip was planned around the tide times

(Sorry for the off topic reply)

Cheers
Rob

[ant]

Thanks Rob,
Seems like that guide had a little more money than sense as he could have taken your money and not shown you all the hot spots!!

Rest assured that Rob (Bully) and Cheryl will point you in the right direction.

[yetti]

I did ring up one local charter fellow who (being very nice about it mind you) refused to take us out on a charter as he didnt want "out of towners being shown all the spots and then sitting on them all the next day with his paying customers".
Even more surprising was that the rate was $800 for the day, but he still knocked it back!



Wasn't me!!!! I'll fish anyone....even Ant!!

[rehab]

Wasn't me!!!! I'll fish anyone....even Ant!!

Would you be interested in a one day charter in the first week of May sometime? How do the tides look around there?

[geoffjy]

I have crabbed the Jackey Jackey all year round and its very rare i dont come back with at least one crab. The months Bat mentioned are when the crabs are close to being full of meat. To have the best chance of getting crabs you have to put some effort into it in the form of checking and rebiating pots every hour, changing spots etc. If your prepared to put in the effort you can almost guarantee yourself some crabs.

[yetti]

gday rehab,

i'd be happy to take you on a charter. if your keen drop e a line some time, 07 40691395. As for the tides for macs they look good till the 4th, where 5th - 8th looks better for bottom fishing.

Back to the crabs, sorry to sound negative, was just trying to be honest, but you can still get crabs in the winter mths its just a hell of a lot harder. No doubt geoff knows more about this, with his wealth of experience in the last 30 yrs, as i certainly don't get crabs every time i try.

cheers mate
BAT

[geoffjy]

Back to the crabs, sorry to sound negative, was just trying to be honest, but you can still get crabs in the winter mths its just a hell of a lot harder. No doubt geoff knows more about this, with his wealth of experience in the last 30 yrs, as i certainly don't get crabs every time i try.

cheers mate
BAT

You will notice that I only mentioned about the crabbing in the Jackey Jackey. I havnt crabbed Patterson, larradyna or the rocky headlands you mentioned for a few years so can't comment although I'm sure you would get good crabs there at times. I actually picked up two good muddies from that creek to the right of you just by walking the flats.

I have only been up here for 20 years not 30. Geeze, I'm not that old.:)

[rehab]

Ah bugger, thought we would be walking along the backs of the muddies!

On another note, I am coming up in about six weeks now, I checked RACQ and the road is still closed everywhere, how is it looking for the end of April do you think?

Its a long drive!

Cheers
Rob

[geoffjy]

Hard to say. You know how impossible it is to predict the weather in recent years. If it the weather stays the way it has been the road should be open. Fines apply for people that are not locals and insurance is void when the roads are open to locals only.

[rehab]

Fines apply for people that are not locals and insurance is void when the roads are open to locals only.

I had no idea about this. Can you tell me who is the authority / how official openings / closures are announced?

Is that the RACQ website I visited?

[geoffjy]

99% of the time police will let you know that the road is closed and not to travel any further. They have the ability to fine people if they wished.

As to who decides if the roads are open or closed, i'm not sure. Possibly Main Roads.

[rehab]

No worries, Ill make sure I speak to the Police up in Bamaga before we start the long drive!

(do I need to call ALL the relevant stations on the way up, or will the ones up at Bamaga / Seisia be enough you think?)

Also, on another unrelated note - Im an Ambo in NSW and wanted to catch up with the ambos up that way - is there a permanent ambulance station up there? (wanted to see if there were any jobs up that way - I would love to move up there!)

[loxsmith]

Ah bugger, thought we would be walking along the backs of the muddies!

On another note, I am coming up in about six weeks now, I checked RACQ and the road is still closed everywhere, how is it looking for the end of April do you think?

Its a long drive!

Cheers
Rob

Hey Rob heres another good site for road conditions http://www.exploroz.com/Roads/Default.aspx?s=QLD

Glen

[geoffjy]

There is a permanent ambo station up here in Bamaga. I will send you a pm with a name and contact details tomorrow.

I would also ring Coen police station. I got pulled up in April last year by Coen police and told to go no further. It wasn't until I showed them the address on my drivers licence to prove that I was a local. They then let me continue on.

[loxsmith]

What sort of baits are people using in the crab pots? It's normally mullet down here but that could be a pain for me to carry and keep reasonably fresh. Road Kill maybe???

[plucker]

I have tried virtually everything and it all seems to work to some degree as long as it is fresh.
Fish frames, and roo bones are more common. Queenfish and trevally have worked well, and there should be a few around.
I would say that for your sake you could use the frames from your catch and change them every few hours if possible, when you check and move the pots.

I move safety pots every hour and change baits every 2 hours. Hard work but it is worth it to sit around the camp fire at night eating mud crab.

[ant]

I use fresh fish frames where possible. I have also heard that chicken frames work well too.

Put my pots in on Sunday up here for 2 hours and got 18 big bucks. That was all I needed. Just finished the last one this afternoon.