# QLD: Baffle Creek



## krisvander (Aug 3, 2011)

The wife & I took a holiday this past week. Since we just got the kayak, we wanted to go to a place where I could do some saltwater fishing. After some research (and seeing what caravan & camping places were not booked full being school holidays) we were off to Baffle Bob's at Baffle Creek.

Baffle Bob's was about a 6ish hour drive from Brisbane. Just over an hour north of Bundy. It is quite a large estuary system. Even though it is called Baffle Creek, it is quite deceiving. It is a very large river. Baffle Bob's has its own boat ramp and decided to use this as my main entry point. It is about 400 metres from where you camp.

In my research I learned that Baffle Creek is known for three things; 1. Mangrove Jacks 2. Mud Crabs 3. Barramundi. This trip I was after my first mangrove jack and some muddies.

Monday was just setting up camp and planning out my plan of attack in the coming days. Tuesday morning I'm up just before 5am, having a quick breakfast and off to the boat ramp. I decided to try for some live bait, so I threw my cast net out from the ramp. Major snag... I found myself soon in water up to my waste trying to get my net free. I actually ended up with water to my shoulders removing the net from a tree stump with my foot. As I looked around I saw cast net weights all over the ground, which should've been a warning sign. I just had one medium tear which was better than ripping the net in half. Note: DO NOT throw your cast net to the right (west) of the boat ramp concrete slab. As the net was still in working order I threw it a bit more onto the concrete slab and got a few herring.

I loaded up my kayak with three crab pots and put the live herring in my newly made pvc pipe bait holder and off I go. Today I would explore Bottle Creek. Just past the first island from the boat ramp I noticed my Rapala XR-8 lure was not running well so I pulled it in to check for weed to find a flattie the size of the lure hooked on it.

Onward to my crabbing destination just a short way into bottle creek. The pots were easy to throw off and soon I was heading up the river trolling with the XR-8 and a GSR-4 (small deep dive shad). A couple k's up I finally find another fisherman trolling downstream and have a quick chat with him. He was trolling a deep running lure down the middle of the channel as I was running on the sides of the creek. I keep on going a bit more, but with no hits I decide to switch to live herring. Trolling back down I managed to catch up to the other fisho and he had just netted a nice sized golden trevally. Time was running short, so I made my way back to the boat ramp with no more fish.

Upon returning to camp I was greeted by a neighbour who wanted to give me some advice on fishing. He gave me a couple areas that quite a few boats were fishing and catching a few jacks. It was my goal to get a jack thus I kept asking for advice about them. What this guy was saying and what my research was saying was a bit a part. In the morning I would actually avoid the places he mentioned because 1) I don't like fishing in large groups 2) Greater fishing pressure shuts down the fish 3) If everyone was heading to that spot, other jack spots would probably be freed up and I just needed to find them.

*Wednesday*

I planned my course that night for the next morning & at 4:30am I'm excited to head out towards the mouth of Baffle Creek. I get everything in the water and did a quick check on the drag. I was running them tighter since I wanted to make sure a jack couldn't get much slack. My medium rod's drag was NOT working. I quick took it apart and put it back together, still just having line fly off. I quick go get my light rod as a necessity and I'm off. I end up in 50 cm of water and flathead are feeding all around. I start throwing my rapala glass ghost XR-8 and very soon I'm on! After a couple minute battle I had my new personal best flattie in the yak at 60cm. The lure was completely in its mouth. The knot to the lure was just ready to give too. I now know what not to do when I tie the rapala knot as I didn't think it would be much difference, but it almost cost me this fish. It also was hooked in 20cm of water. Tossing the lure around some more I managed another flattie at 44cm. With two fish in the fish bag for dinner, time to move on to look for a jack.

As I kept getting closer to the river mouth, the current was picking up as it was heading toward high tide and also the wind. I decided that it would not be much fun to keep fighting both the tide & wind so I took a left at an island to go back another channel. Baffle Creek at one point splits into three main channels then back to one for the mouth. Finally, after what seemed to be a long paddle to get past this island I turn in for some solace. However, my light rod running a glass ghost XR-10 seemed to be snagged on the corner. I pull on it and it pulls back... Paddling to get away from the mangrove, yet fight this fish was quite the juggling act. When I got it close to the kayak I was surprised to find a flattie, hoping it would be a jack. This flattie goes 58cm, another nice sized one.

Getting into this next channel to work my way back was so relaxing as I was now going with the tide, just cruising along with my lures in tow. I was trying to stay around 2-3 metres deep as I was running a shallow minnow and a deep running minnow. All of a sudden I see my fishfinder light up. I'm new at reading it, so it was either 1) school of baitfish or 2) a downed tree. I thought about bringing the deep runner in, but left it out. As I looked forward to avoid a crab pot float, my light rod with the shallow running xr-10 starts screaming like it snagged. Right away I start to paddle to turn my kayak to go back to the snag when the rod did not keep a solid pull, but started to pull back! I had a fish on! A minute or so into the fight I see a flash of red... could this be it?? Another minute or so I had a beautiful 38cm mangrove jack in my net! I was so pumped to have caught this fish! Goal for the holiday has now been achieved! My light rod is a Shimano Slade 2500FB running with 8lb fireline crystal and a vanish 20lb leader. I kept this fish and to enjoy it for lunch as it was my first jack. I then noticed the leader had some massive abrasion on it as the jack must have made it back in its hole in the sunken tree and the motion of the kayak must've yanked it out.

*Thursday*

Still stoked from catching my first jack, I decided I would now go west of the boat ramp to explore the several islands that were in that direction. However, I would first stop at my flathead spot as they were going crazy again. Managed a 48cm one, that I kept, and also caught a 43cm one that I released.

I had a nice troll around the islands and was surprised to find some massive holes that went at least 11 metres deep then would instantly come to 2 metres deep. Baffle Creek has some interesting rock formations with large slabs of rock that pop out of the bottom of the river floor. I was making some mental notes for potential future trips for cod or jews.

The wind was starting to whip up against me and so I decided I would head back pick up my crab pots and head in for lunch. Once I turned around and was rounding one of the river bends, my light rod again starts to scream. In fact I think the rod tip was touching the water! What just hit the lure, hit HARD. Was it another jack? Was it something else? A big barra? What could it be?? About five minutes later I have a glistening 40cm trevally in my net. I think it is a GT. This is another first for me, so I'm stoked once again.

When I was retreiving my crab pots in a small mangrove channel, I was surprised by a massive sea turtle that surfaced right next to me. The water was only 1.5 metres deep and to see this monolith rise up added a bit of excitement. All three pots had no crabs... just two small bream that were promptly released.

That afternoon my wife & I took a little drive out to Deepwater Creek. She wanted to take some photos of the creek & I brought my light rod and a xr-6 to throw around. At one of the accessible banks off the road I was tossing the lure around to see if I could catch anything. I had no idea what was in this stretch or even if it was fresh or salt. After about 12 casts I start to see large flashing by the lure. Pretty soon something is attacking the lure, but not really getting any hook ups. I had one nice run, but again the hooks were thrown. Determined to get whatever this fish was, I was working the lure pretty good and the fish was going CRAZY trying to get it. Then it happened, a solid hook up. The line is screaming off my reel. I'm tightening the drag trying to get whatever this fish away from the downed timber it was heading for. Success, then it starts to go the other direction toward other timber! It is now jumping out of the water trying to throw the hook! Quite exciting! I yell to my wife to get the net out of the boot. She is fiddling around not being very quick so I made the decision to hoist it up the high bank hoping it wouldn't fall off. As soon as I got it up to me, it jumps off the hook. I grab it and now I see what it truly is. A nice 50cm tarpon! Another first & soooo much fun on light gear. It was promptly released.

A good way to end the fishing for the week as Friday morning we would be packing up camp and on the road back to Brissie.

I would like to go and to especially focus on catching some barra. A couple other kayakers at Baffle Bob's managed to catch a 75cm & 80cm barra. They would've had another around 80cm but it spit the hook right next to their kayak.

-Kris


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## Bream2nv (Jun 19, 2011)

Nice read mate, im heading upto Seventeen Seventy tomorrow. Plan on catching my first Jack also and even my first Barra if im lucky. Will also probably head of-shore if the estuary isn't producing and target some reds & trout. Will post up how i go when i get back.


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## krisvander (Aug 3, 2011)

Have a great time up at 1770. I almost went that far, but the camping parks didn't have much on offer so I went to Baffle Creek.

-Kris


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## spottymac (Aug 29, 2005)

LOOKS LIKE A NICE FISHING SPOT YOU HAVE FOUND KRISVANDER


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## Bream2nv (Jun 19, 2011)

Just got back from a week at 1770. The estuary at 1770 was just way to big for a kayak and there was a considerable lack of snags and very little holes. After 2 fishless days on the estuary i decided to make the 40min drive to baffle creek. Going over the bridge to baffle creek i instantly knew that this was a much better system to fish with plenty of snags and much deeper water. It turned out to be a good move with me landing my very first barra & mangrove jack. I also got a solid GT which was a pb for me & also a nice feed of flathead.


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## spottymac (Aug 29, 2005)

Thanks for the report 
Good to see you got onto some nice fish,


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## krisvander (Aug 3, 2011)

Congrats on the barra! I couldn't pull one out during my time at Baffle. Glad to see you catch some nice fish!

Did your kayak shake a bit when the GT hit? Mine was only 40 cm and I felt a good jolt.

-Kris


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## Bream2nv (Jun 19, 2011)

krisvander said:


> Congrats on the barra! I couldn't pull one out during my time at Baffle. Glad to see you catch some nice fish!
> 
> Did your kayak shake a bit when the GT hit? Mine was only 40 cm and I felt a good jolt.
> 
> -Kris


Thanks mate, the initial hit was along stronger by the mangrove jack and i felt a fairly good jolt but once i turned its head it came up pretty quickly. Although the hit of the GT wasn't as strong the fight was alot better then the jack and even with a fairly tight drag it still took some line.


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## Pestman (Jan 14, 2009)

Baffle is a great place. there are some great beaches to kayak off between Deepwater and Agnes water such as Flat rock. awesome fishing and scenery


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