Fishing Mackay’s Estuaries

Mackay sits at the meeting point of Queensland’s northern and southern fisheries, making it a bit of a hotspot for us anglers! Though when fishing these creeks and estuaries, your bread and butter species come into play. Bream, Flathead and Queenfish are prolific… but if you’re bang on with the tides, you have a chance of a Barra as well.

Though another species you can get on the livies after the fish has belted them is a big old mud crab… and that’s exactly what happened to us! Does it get any more Tropical North Queensland? A Barra and muddy in one hit!

If you haven’t fished the Mackay region before, it pays to head out with a guide like Jason. There are islands among these estuaries that you can play around, though some of them you’ve got to be aware of — they are green zones, so make sure you know where you’re at. Mackay also has the biggest tidal variation on the east coast of Australia. It can range from 6-6.5 metres down to 0, so if you don’t know your way around, a guide will help with that. And with greater movement in these estuaries, this means you’re more likely to get a few nibbles on your bait — maybe even a bi-catch.

So if you’re keen to check out Mackay’s estuaries like we did, then hook up with Jason from Inshore Fishing Mackay. In terms of gear, also check out BCF instore and online — their team will be happy to help with the light gear you’ll need. And if you’re just visiting the region, the perfect place to base yourself is Mackay Mantra. We were truly spoilt, and you will be too!

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