Guide to Breaksea Spit

Break Sea Spit is one of locations where you need to get everything right because of the vast distance you will cover just getting there and when it all comes together; it can be one of the best places you will have ever fished.

The options are endless from throwing poppers around the shoals for big GT’s to bottom bashing the vast reef systems just east of the spit for every reef species imaginable to trolling the drop offs for Black Marlin, Wahoo, Mahi Mahi and the list goes on.

When considering a trip to the top end of Fraser Island you need to be aware of weather forecasts and fuel usage of your boat.
There are no quick fixes up there especially if you intend to explore this area as you are beyond the reach of most day-trippers and help may not get there quickly.

There are a few options for getting there but my favourite launching place is Urangan Boat Harbour, excellent ramp and good parking, where you can get bait, ice and fuel from the marina shops and nearby ice works.

Most Trips would start out with a rough plan like this, leave home on the sunshine coast around lunch launch the boat travel 30 nautical miles north to Rooney Point, which becomes our overnight stop ready to head out in the early hours after a few beers and a good night’s sleep it’s a good place to get some live bait around the drop offs or out to Red Ned just a couple of miles away.

Just before sun up we would head either for the 13 mile crossing which is as it says about 13 miles north from the tip of sandy cape where you can cross safely most of the time without having to deal with breaking waves. Some of the more experienced skippers cross at the 4 mile or up close to the shoreline off the cape itself.

I have tried both and don’t recommend either due to a couple of bad experiences , if you know the swell is very small or even flat it can still be tricky as the tidal flow there is huge and pressure waves form easily.

The other option is to travel NW from Rooney point and fish the grounds about 35nm north, you have to go that far to get out of the green Zone, here you will find deeper water 50-60m areas that hold all sorts of big fish including the prized Red Emperor.

The grounds north and west of here have you sneaking into the Lady Elliot Island reef systems and produce great fish including Red Throat, Trout and Nannygai, you need to remember you are now about 40 nm from Rooney point so planning your trips with a tail wind on your way back is a good idea.

Also when fishing these northern grounds and you intend to camp back at Rooney point for the evening make sure that the tide and wind are with you as an outgoing tide ripping out of the bay into a Northeaster is not pleasant at all as the waves start standing up with about 15miles still to go making it slow and wet.

If you are thinking of doing the trip you will be rewarded for your efforts, summer time offers great pelagic action including black marlin, wahoo, mackerel, tuna, dolphin fish and big green job fish just trolling the shallows on the ocean side of the spit in 20-30m of water.

Winter has the better traveling conditions without the unexpected storms but I have been all year round and enjoyed a multitude of Reef species every trip.

Some good starter marks can be found on the fish and boat web site

Enjoy

Peter ford