# NSW: 26/9 - 3/10 Crowdy Head.



## keza (Mar 6, 2007)

*WARNING: this report contains bugger all fish !*










A week or so ago I spent a week with the family up at Crowdy Head just chilling out and getting in a bit of fishing.

We hired a little place and my wife 2 kids and our dog all squeezed in and it sort of looked like we fitted until I packed the fishing gear. It wasn't my fault. There was rods for the kayak, rods for the beach and break-wall, rods for the wharf and of course the kids rods because they aren't allowed to touch mine (not totally true).










The place was just what we needed, no shops, pubs, traffic and hardly any people although we did see some on the second day. The harbour looked fantastic with plenty of spots for the kids to fish no matter which way the wind came from.

The sea was a bit rough when we arrived which was good because it meant I didn't want to rush straight off on the kayak.

So the first day we settled in and the kids and I did a bit of fishing off the wharf. The fist day ended up being our best off the wharf with a couple of bream coming home for the plate. Other species caught off the wharf included yakkas, tailor, trevally and what I presume is an eel tail catfish (I have another name for them but my kids might read this), this one however was yellow.










On the monday the weather looked good and I was up in the dark and gone before the sun came up.
This trip was a bit of a recce as I haven't fished the area before and was keen to see if the area was as fishy as it looked from the the shore. I picked up a bonito on the way out and things were looking up. Unfortunately that was about as good as it got. The huge number of fish traps were a pain in the arse once the wind came up and all the spots that looked very fishy were devoid of any fish life. After about 4 hrs I cut my losses and headed back in.










I was amazed that I hadn't caught anything as the sea life seemed abundant from the harbour. We managed to see whales, dolphins, a turtle and a seal that was sheltering in the harbour over the week we were there (more about him later).

It seemed I needed to change tactics so on wednesday I set out with a different plan. I headed off up the beach trolling a HB and a plastic trying to pick up a tailor from the back of the waves. Hmmm this didn't seem to be working either so after a quick look at the gps I decided the conditions were good enough for a paddle out to Giles Shoal. I saw a few fish on the surface and threw a metal at them but still nothing was interested. I could see some action and splashing in another area but on approach it turned out to be a pretty big shark so I veered off and hoped he wouldn't follow. I could now see some birds circling in the distance and headed out there as quickly as I could. There were a huge amount of birds and it turned out that they were circling a large seal that was splashing around and making a hell of a commotion. After seeing the shark this wasn't the stealthy approach to fishing that I was looking for so I headed over to the Shoal and tried for snapper on the bottom.










At last the line is peeling off the reel and I'm thinking that today I could be able to keep the wife away from the co op. I wasn't to happy went a 45cm kingy joined me on the yak. A red rock cod was the only other guest to come aboard for the day. 
I had a long slog home so I trolled back with not a touch on the whole journey. 15 kms and I was knackered.










OK, so my next trip out needed some thought, as I was determined to get some fish. 
The boats seemed to be catching a few flathead but that would mean getting out to the deeper water. After a quick conversation with myself I agreed to head straight off shore and try for some flatties.
The next morning was perfect weather for it so off I went. The wife had said she wasn't happy about it, the dog was behaving funny when I left, so now i was starting to get nervous. I logged the Harrington marine rescue number into my phone just to be safe.










I had a few marks to check on the way out and had a lot of fish showing on the sounder but couldn't entice anything but bloody rock cod. If I had of known I was going to catch so many I would have started keeping them but I kept thinking this surely has to be the last one. At about 5kms out from the headland I finally left reef and hit the sand. Unfortunately my secretary had obviously given the flathead a different date and I seemed to be there on my own.










Looking back at the land was starting to make me feel tied so after a bit more rejection from the flathead I decided to start the 6k paddle back in. There is something about whales coming up between me and land that always makes it seem further but it is always exhilarating. The way back still felt fishy with the odd fish coming to the surface but still nothing hitting either my trolled lures of metals I threw at them. I came across a big school of something below me but did't have any jigs with me so I dropped down a 30g metal and jigged that up. First drop and I was on, the fish wasn't large but hey it was a fish or was it ? up pops a 30cm yakka, great ! I had to travel back with a bit of speed so I couldn't decorate him and drop him back down. I also couldn't find the school again which was a shame as I sure there was something bigger there.









You can just see the land in the distance.

I arrived back at the harbour to be greeted by my daughter fishing off the break-wall, she was quick to tell me how many fish she had caught in fact she had been doing that over the radio the whole time I had been out on the water. You can see the seal on the rock to the right of her.



















This was the end of the kayak for me on this trip I had sort of given up and the weather then closed in anyway.

Back to the seal. Our dog had been infatuated with the seal since the day we arrived, we couldn't work out whether he wanted to play with it or eat it but in view of the fact that his tail never stopped wagging and sat there watching it and crying but never barking we decided his intentions were honorable and we didn't worry about them too much. This was his favourite position in all of Crowdy head and you can see from the next pic that he only felt love for the seal.



















So on the day before we left we walked to the end of the break-wall to watch an amazing display of wales and a pod of dolphins whilst the dog got up on his rock with a bag of pop corn and watched the seal. 
As the wales moved off I turned around to check on the dog and was hit with panic as I saw his rock was empty, we quickly looked over the wall but there was no sign of him or the seal, we then ran back to the ocean side and spotted him swimming out to sea followed his mate the seal. Oh crap ! I climbed down on the outside of the break-wall and called him but as the waves came in he was swept backwards. It didn't look good for a while but between his swimming and my stretching we finally managed to get him up on the rocks between waves. He just looked gutted that we had stopped him playing with his new friend.

Back to the fishing, the kids and I tried about 3 nights off the break-wall, the first was plagued by the yellow fish in the picture below, the second by pike and yes I did send out a live one under a float but at 40cm maybe I was asking a bit much and the third was the night of the small tailor.
The kids loved it and we all had a great time.



















Ok I may as well throw in the snake story as it is a classic dad moment.

Driving back to Crowdy from Diamond Head along the dirt road I had to swerve off the road to avoid a snake, at over 2 metres long he had taken up most of it. I then decided to reverse up and have a look at it. It was actually alive and just slowly crossing the road. It was a sort of olivey brown with small diamonds that were quite spaced out.
I had this thought in the back of my mind that maybe I should grab a large stick and try to flick it off the road so it didn't get run over, so first I thought I would drive up closer and get a better look. So with the window down I got as close as I could which was apparently too close as the snake reared up and struck at the car, luckily the 4WD was a bit high for him and he didn't make it to the window. Needless to say the window was up pretty damn fast and the snake was left to cough up some road dust.


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## garmac (Oct 5, 2008)

Great report Kerry.
Great pics! Seen dolphins and turtles but no whales or seals (or sharks!)

I was up there last Jan with the family but didn't take my yak :? Great launch spot.
I fished with my son from those rocks where you dog is in the pic. Got bonito and Yakka, and got spooled using fresh slab of bonito :evil: lots of fun - very fishy area, at that time anyway.

Must go there again.

Cheers


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## garyp (May 30, 2008)

Great photos!


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## Squidder (Sep 2, 2005)

Great photos Keza - that yellow catfish is a cobbler, and believe it or not is one of the tastiest fish in the sea (commands a premium price at the fish markets)


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## keza (Mar 6, 2007)

Squidder said:


> Great photos Keza - that yellow catfish is a cobbler, and believe it or not is one of the tastiest fish in the sea (commands a premium price at the fish markets)


BUGGER


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## Davey G (Jan 15, 2006)

good thing you dont pedal a hobie with legs like that (2nd photo)..

great report Kerry - lots of paddling for not much result. I know the feeling.

your dog is a beauty.


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## keza (Mar 6, 2007)

Davey G said:


> good thing you dont pedal a hobie with legs like that (2nd photo)..


I usually stand while I paddle but no one notices


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## Southerly (Apr 20, 2007)

Great story Keza, shame the fishies refused to play.

David


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## mrwalker (Feb 23, 2009)

really enjoyed your report, thanks for that, especially the unrequited love story, very funny. I have friends with a daschund who is besotted with dolphins and will run up and down a riverbank all day waiting for them to appear! cheers, Dave.


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## Wrassemagnet (Oct 17, 2007)

Great report Kerry, really enjoyed it. I had the same thought as Davey with the second photo too LOL. You need to stop throwing back the cod, they are a quality feed and are obviously attracted to you although I would stop short of kissing one if I were you...

Good onya, see you round.


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## jokinna (Mar 2, 2010)

great report keza! awesome photos as expected!

seems like you got all the good weather. my yak only got wet from the rain. the wind was too strong, the waves were too big, the rain didnt stop :lol: :lol: :lol: took the yak for nothing. so i fished at the beach for a lotsa manning point salmon. glad i took me tarp ;-) and the trip home on monday... traffic jams for 30km, joy.

gee you paddle a few kms offshore :shock:

cheers 
jok


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## grant ashwell (Apr 24, 2007)

Beaut report Kerry and you certainly put in a big effort. There are so many crayfish pots under the cliffs aren't there. I think it would be a battle to not get cut off if hooked up. I used to go a bit further around to avoid them. There is also a big cave that holds lots of Mulloway at times. I was in the harbour entrance once when large yellowfin tuna came in and out but ignored my Raider.
This is my home base but I gave up a couple of years ago and that is why I drive up to SWR.
I think I have met your carpet snake before because I use the old mining road regularly on my way to beach fish for tailor. Good holiday spot for the family and pleased that everyone had a good time.

regards

Grant


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## wopfish (Dec 4, 2006)

Nice dog - why didnt you go shark fishing


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## MrX (Feb 7, 2008)

Nice one Kerry. Good illustration of why the joy yak "fishing" isn't all about the "catching".


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

jokinna said:


> gee you paddle a few kms offshore


X2 :shock: :shock: I felt nervous just looking at the photos, 1k does it for me without company.


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## Zed (Sep 18, 2006)

One of the better "bugger-all" reports I've read. 2nded on the dog. Beautiful.

I was on my MTB recently slogging up a long climb and saw a small snake crossing the dirt road. I knew it wasn't a rattler immediately, but I wanted an ID. So I kept my slow pace and intersected its course w/ mine. As I passed it, it struck at my back tire, and it was all of 12" long.
Real tough gopher snakes around here.

Sorry about the threadjack. Thanks for taking the time to report.


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## johnny (Aug 12, 2007)

very pretty area..within striking distance of many spots...i too found it a hard nut to crack-well fished by locals


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## avayak (May 23, 2007)

Lovely humour Kerry. I find it hard fishing out of my local area when on hols too. You threw everything at it though, good effort. Maybe your next holiday should be at Seaworld your dog would love the seal show.


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## Ado (Mar 31, 2008)

Brilliant Keza. Your pictures are awesome as always, and you've excelled with the written report. Thanks for the time and effort.

It's tragic, but dogs often drown trying to swim with dolphins and seals. They just want to play. The ocean is a great playground, but can be more hazardous to dogs than we think.


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## YoYo1983 (Oct 10, 2010)

Great trip report mate!! And definitely some awesome pics!!!
I will certainly be keeping an eye out for some more of your reports!


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