# Pioneer River Mackay



## gouldy (Jan 19, 2012)

Hi All, Im a beginner kayaker and was wondering where the best spot in the pioneer river would be to go. I was thinking of going upstream launching from the Maraju-Yakapari road paddling upstream with the incoming tide and coming back with the outgoing tide.

What tides are best to do this and when before the high tide should i be launching. Im not sure of the tide time variation that far upstream.

Any help and info or better spots to try would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks


----------



## billpatt (Apr 12, 2010)

It will be just a matter of keeping an eye on the trip section and going out with one of the Mackay boys.

You have plenty of options with Flatties on any sand banks, barra, jacks and cod along the rock walls, pillions and any deep holes, queenies at the mouth, and whiting along the shallow sections near town beach.
Or you can go up to Dumbleton and target Jacks, barra and cod, (keeping in mind the closed session for barra).

just keep in mind the big tides when you first start paddling can be a bugger, so best to go with a buddy until you are confident.


----------



## bungy (Jan 1, 2008)

Hi ya Gouldy
There are plenty of great fishing spots up in the Pioneer and out towards the mouth. However i would suggest that if you are a beginner i would not go up towards dumbleton unless you have a buddy.
Reason being that there are plenty of rocks just under the surface also depending on the tide a couple of fast flowing sections that flow over rocks and can make the clack valve wink even to an experienced yaker.
I would stick to the shallows like out towards the mouth/sand flats for the first few trips until you get used to your fishing kayak.Just bear in mind that at the moment we have massive tides and even as wide as the Pioneer is it will roar in/out and make a trip from hell if you do not plan your trip.
As for up towards Dumbleton the tides are 1.5 hours difference to out towards the mouth and at times all over the place up that way.There are quite a few fellow AKFF yakers in Mackay that go out on a regular basis either up a creek or out off shore. 
As Billpatt has mentioned Buddy up for a few trips and keep an eye out on the tides also watch the Fishing Trip section.

PS..I will endeavor to have another Meet & Greet in February some time and get most of us together for some snags on the barby and a few cleansing ales.

Cheers

Stevo


----------



## bundyboy (Sep 6, 2009)

Have a search around on the forum...been quite a few trips up that way and no doubt there will be more to come as well. Most of us usually post up in the trip section if we are planning to head out somewhere (and trip report section when we actually catch sometime) as I found tagging along with others to be the best way to learn the ropes.

As for the 'best' spot in the Pioneer River...I'm not sure as we all have our favourites. When fishing that upper section of the Pioneer most usually launch somewhere near where you mentioned but it (like anywhere) has its hazards - shallow and very rocky in places combined with strong tidal currents can make navigation tricky at times, ever more so when water clarity is poor. I usually like to go up there on the smaller tides and while it is a good idea in theory to be going with the tide, making it easier to paddle, this makes it harder to avoid obstacles - something to keep in mind anyways especially with the amount of rocks up that way. I think one of the guys said that the tide up there is roughly 2hrs different but last time I was up there I recon it was a bit more than that even, might even depend on how big the tide is. The rocky nature of the river can make tides up there deceptive at times though.

The Pioneer can be fished just about anywhere within paddling distance of a suitable launch and with the tidal range here in Mackay being above average the River St boat ramp provides access to quite a bit of the lower part of the river and even the islands just out off the mouth. There are many different species to be caught in the Pioneer so keep us updated on how you go.


----------



## Slide (Oct 25, 2007)

Gouldy,

Wait for a trip with Bungy, he is the Pioneer River fish whisperer. Barra, Jacks, Queenies, Flatties, Whiting, Tarpon and Bream all caught on a silver stiffy minnow.


----------



## gouldy (Jan 19, 2012)

Thanks for the info guys for my first trip I might just go from the ramp at the end of river street on the last hr of the run out tide and head towards the mouth then I can follow the tide back in. Will wait for some better tides tho as they are a bit crazy at the moment.


----------

