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Hardwicke Bay Landbased Tips


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Alright guys and girls,

 

I have just been told by friends that I'm heading down to the Foot in late July, with homebase in Hardwicke Bay. Now I have searched through the forum and figure I will hit Point Turton most nights for squid, snook, gar, tommies, etc. But I was wondering where to head if I want some good beach/rock action with salmon or sweep, etc? I have previously been to Brown's a few times and had mixed success in the early morning with lures and hit the rocks at Stenhouse for tommies and rockfish.

 

Just after some tips for landbased action down the foot, mostly locations where I can catch something.

 

Cheers fellow S&Hookers,

Leigh

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Rocks pretty well from Corny Pt thru to Pt Annie. Have a bit of a reccie if you've the time & find a nice platform with some depth.

Funnily enough generally caught more impressive drummer and only small sweep thru here.

 

Corny point - rock,nice holes west from the lighthouse

Berry Bay - beach, rocks north & south. I like the rocks to the Sth more, depends on swell.

Point Annie - beach & rocks (can be a nice little gutter up against the rocks directly south of the pt)

Dust Hole - long surf beach, good walk  & cast option.

 

Berry & Dust Hole can hold some good gutters, DH usually better as it's a higher energy beach but longer steps down to beach! Both much closer to Hardwicke than Browns.

 

Gleesons is 4wd unless you're up for a bit of a walk (dirt but 2wd-able untill you need to cut thru the dunes). Some deep sand thru the dunes & along the beach side. Much more energy & beach structure towards the northern end. Never fished it, was a reccie mission when nothing was on the chew.

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Thanks guys,

 

Pretty much exactly the type of info I'm after Underpants. Hopefully I can pin a few rockfish that give a nice fight such as drummer. If not I'll hit some salmon along the foot with Browns being a kind-of last resort. Being winter, surely there'll be some salmon running along the Foot.

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Browns should be your first option man I've been three times in last few months and smashed them everytime

 

Nice to fish different places and that but it's a fairly sure bet for me atm, fish past the lagoon start casting from the first breakers after it. Been lucky with the swell everytime it's been flat as so mayb that helps there

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Thanks Pauly,

 

I've had success in previous years fishing at first light until mid-morning and then move to other beaches and hit nothing. Last time was 1.5kg fish schooled up at the rocky point at the end of the beach by dolphins. Great fun on 6lb braid and 2-4kg rods. Just hoping to get into a school of salmon somewhere down the foot but it's around 1.5 hours to get to Brown's from Hardwicke, so just looking at shorter options.

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Yer that's still a fair old drive... I remember reading about a place near Cape Elizabeth think it might be the 'shed' or something, have a look through the old threads might be able to find it. Not sure if it's accessible without a 4wd and if its better fishin off the boat there but might be worth having a read thru the old stuff

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And dont overlook Hardwicke Bay itself. It might look rather flat & featureless, there be rays in those shallows if that's your thing. Anywhere where there's a bit of a hole or gutter will do.

 

Get a nice high tide after dusk, chuck the bait out, rod in holder & sit down in the deck chair, few beers. Right in front of the shack too!

 

Each to their own but id rather be doing that than rooting 'round on the Turton jetty and having to drive back. Turton Tavern's pretty good tho.

 

I have also been bitten off 3 times in a row right in front of the Corney Pt boat ramp one june night, wading in the shallows after a big blow. Seems the sharks must have followed the big winter KGs in close to shore, was barley above knee deep.

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Cheers guys, when I fish off the rocks, the burley starts to flow and I'll see what comes along.

 

Also is there any chance of getting eagle rays off the beach at Hardwicke or towards Flaherty? Never tried for rays before but have suitable gear.

 

S**t yeah, tho ive only dicked around and caught doggies & banjos, around Corney Pt & just west of Turton. All similar 'looking' areas tho.... tidal sandy shallows out to the weed line.

 

Rays love cruising those tidal flats esp once its dark on a high tide.

 

From a quick reccie at Hardwicke at low tide once, there are plenty of shallow gutter systems channeling into the shore

 

Hot tip would be:

  • Suss out a nice looking gutter/hole etc at low tide
  • Wade out to your chosen spot on the rising tide around dusk with an onion bag with some frozen burley blocks (decent sized ones so they dont melt too fast), anchor with a brick and attach a float with a glow stick. Then you know where to cast once its dark!
  • Chuck out the big rod for rays (have some wire trace options for any toothy ones) stick it in your holder, sit back and drink beer (or whatever's your poison).
  • No need to cast it to the moon either, just near that glow stick.
  • 2nd light rod to target smaller stuff (KGs will come in here and get big that time of year) while you wait for the big rod to go off. It will!
  • Fingers crossed sea lice arnt around. Demolish bait in 10-15mins.
  • Pick up your burley stuff the next morning.

 

Did the above burley (i think 2-3 2lt blocks of mixed goodness) idea chasing mullet one May, just west of Turton towards Pt Souter. Mullet came in around dusk and were thick, getting a fish a cast. As it became dark the rays came in. Heaps of them!

 

Had a bunch of big smoothies going spastic over the burley bag, smashing out of the water  & all sorts of smaller rays. Became impossible to catch mullet as they were too excited and took anything, even the tiniest bit of cockle on a #8 baitholder!

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Absolutely the rays love Hardwicke bay. I borrowed a little rowboat off the owner of some holiday units in Turton once, paddled about 50/100m off shore and could have easily bagged on Garfish, Salmon around 30cm, tommies and squid easily if I had the time and concentrated on all of them.  I also caught a few BIG sweep off the turton jetty, until one took drag and wrapped me around a pylon...  Also saw about 4 or 5 average rays and a real monster in the two hours I was out there.

If you start around high and fish the outgoing tide I reckon you'd have a good chance of getting a feed.

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