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| Burrum Heads | | Print | |
| Monday, 01 October 2007 | |||||
Page 1 of 3 Kayak fishing options aplenty Sunset over Burrum Heads As far as kayak fishing destinations go, it's pretty hard to look past the Burrum river. And as far as ideal places to base yourself for a kayak fishing-fest holiday, the Burrum Heads Beachfront tourist park is pretty much impossible to overlook. Positioned right at the river mouth, or Burrum Heads, as it's known, access to the northern stretch of Hervey Bay is a mere few minutes paddle away. Access to the river itself is as simple as it gets: just select one of the boat ramps to launch from (there are three of them within relative arms reach - one that looks suspisciously made for kayaks and canoes) and away you go. It's not often that weather will prove a showstopper for kayak fishing at Burrum Heads. Strong easterly winds combined with an outgoing tide will generally make for uncomfortably choppy conditions, however.  Count on catching a Flatty or two Kayak Fishing Around BURRUM HEADSDue to it's accomodating proximity to the river and bay, depending on your tastes or weather, there are numerous options on the table at Burrum Heads. Flathead is probably the most likely of catches around the river mouth, with large specimens caught regularly - often right out front of the tourist park itself. It's worthwhile inspecting the beach flats at low tide, which reveals some large crevices left behind by Flatties that were resting up during the high tide.  Fringefin Trevally caught near the channel edge close to the tourist park Downstream of the mouth a myriad of potential fishing spots reveal themselves, many of them only really accessible by canoe or kayak at lower tides. Depending on how far you are willing to go (playing the tides would be a good idea) Gregory river might be worth a visit and may just produce a nice Jack or two (look for deep holes and rocky edges). Even further downstream there is a stretch of deep water just south of Buxton that is known for holding Jacks and Barramundi. Almost anywhere between there and the river mouth could produce Flathead or Salmon (Threadfin or Bluefin). You never know your luck in a big river system.  Spotty Mackeral caught near the beacon markers The fishing possibilities are just as interesting amongst and beyond the Burrum river heads as well. Mackeral of various species are commonly caught (Spotties being the most likely) as well as Queenfish, Golden Trevally and Tuna. Whilst visiting Burrum Heads the local Bakery owner told me that he'd hooked onto a Black Marlin in the heads vecinity, yet few people believed him. I had no trouble believing him, however, because the very same day I saw one leap out of the water. Although I failed to hook up to any of them, I also spotted an active school of Yellowfin Tuna (3 days in a row) that were rounding up baitfish. Given time and determination, the Burrum river heads is a very likely destination to hook up to that monster pelagic. Make sure your rigs are well tied and line tough enough to deal with them, however, because some of the fish you might encounter here could very well give you a very serious challenge. To the south of the heads is a long stretch of beach that is well known for producing Whiting in numbers. This area can be reached easily by kayak, regardless of the tide conditions. Loggerhead turtles and Dugongs are frequently found here as well, so if you're a happy-snapper, be sure to have your camera ready.  Nice Golden Trevally, caught on the opposite side of the river Summary Photo courtesy of Greg Fenech Although I was never cautioned about them, it's not out of the realm of possibility to have an encounter with a crocodile in the Burrum river - particularly further downstream. However improbable, it is definately possible, so if you venture down into one of the many creeks and see the telltale indentation of what looks like may have been left by a croc (as opposed to a rather large Flathead), it might be a good idea to head back out into more open water. The images below are coutesy of the Phil and Marilyn Neill, managers of the Burrum Heads Beachfront Tourist Park. It is worth mentioning that an annual fishing tournament is held at the Tourist Park each Easter. The details of which are: The Burrum Heads Easter Fishing Classic will be held between Good Friday 21st March) to Easter Monday (24th March). It is a popular and worthwhile community event and attracts entrants from throughout Queensland and Interstate. Last year there were 1339 entries and lots of prizes with the major prize being a boat/motor on a registered trailer with all accessories included. Good Friday is sign on and catch & release. Sat/Sunday catch & release & dead weight. The Live Weigh-In, "Catch & Release", helps promote fish sustainability in the river system. In 2007 there were 174 live fish weighed in, and the hourly release from the holding tanks was extremely popular with the crowd. For more information Gloria Smith from the Burrum Heads Amateur Fishing Club can be contacted on 07 4129 5330
 Queenfish, caught near outer most boat ramp  Flathead like this aren't uncommon at Burrum Heads |
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