Croajingolong NP/Thurra River

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The Professor
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Croajingolong NP/Thurra River

Post by The Professor » Tue Jan 01, 2019 2:32 pm

Hi all

I'm heading out to camp at Thurra River quite soon. I don't have a surf rod and my current set-up is a 2.45m rod, 4-6kg, and reel size is (line capacity kg/m): 5/350, 6/310, 8/220. Will also be taking my two kids, with set-ups similar to mine but a bit smaller.

Sounds like fishing in the estuary will be the go for me, but interested to hear what you think the highest-percentage options will be in there in terms of fish species to target and required tackle etc.

Any suggestions/insight appreciated!

Thanks
Prof

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Windknot
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Re: Croajingolong NP/Thurra River

Post by Windknot » Tue Jan 01, 2019 3:37 pm

Your rod would probably be great for casting lures off the rocks or the beach for salmon or tailor, but it's a bit too heavy for estuary fishing unless you're targeting mulloway or really big duskies. The perfect bream outfit is something like a 7 foot, 1-3kg rod combined with a 2000 size reel loaded with 4lb braid and leaders. I would be targeting bream, with the strong possibility of catching some big dusky flathead as a by-catch. I would take a good variety of soft plastic lures and jig heads. Kids love fishing with lures as they're always doing something, rather than just sitting there soaking a bait and getting bored quickly. Good luck at the Thurra. I've never been there, but I'd love to get in there one day.

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Re: Croajingolong NP/Thurra River

Post by benders » Tue Jan 01, 2019 5:19 pm

It’s a been about three years since I went there but it was great fun. The estuary is not really good for fishing (in my opinion) bit I am happy to be proven otherwise. Where the river (more of a creek) meets the sea is where I went. We were camped near the river and as soon as I noticed the river dropping it meant it was open to the sea and the fish were on. Tailor and salmon with only a short cast needed. Baits on the bottom we’re getting smashed by crabs but I managed a few feeds from spinning with simple metal lures. Good fun.

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Re: Croajingolong NP/Thurra River

Post by benders » Tue Jan 01, 2019 5:32 pm

And watch out for snakes. Quite a few around when I went which was about now.

The Professor
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Re: Croajingolong NP/Thurra River

Post by The Professor » Tue Jan 01, 2019 6:43 pm

Thanks for the great advice, benders and Windknot. Much appreciated. Will let you know how I go!

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Re: Croajingolong NP/Thurra River

Post by The Professor » Mon Jan 14, 2019 7:13 pm

Back from a great trip. Staying at Thurra made it a little harder for fishing as I didn't have a surf rod so had to do a 45-min walk to Mueller River along the beach to fish. However, did that a couple of times and pulled in plenty of just-undersized bream, which was fine and good fun. Also a great intro to fishing for the kids –- bites as soon as you cast out, plenty of room to move so they could practice casting without fear of collecting a passer-by and hundreds of small fish visible at the water's edge.

The Thurra and Mueller rivers are both not open to the sea at the moment. The Thurra is about twice as deep as is usually is apparently. So when one of them breaks through, I imagine it'll be game on at the mouth, with all those fish and river nutrients flowing out into the sea as world-class burley!

Incredible place in general. Will definitely go back and will have a bit more knowledge to better prepare for fishing there.

Also, to benders' point about snakes, none sited till the weather heated up late last week, and then 4 red-bellied blacks within 24 hours. But they're everywhere, obviously -- just gotta be careful where you tread!

The Professor
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Re: Croajingolong NP/Thurra River

Post by The Professor » Mon Jan 14, 2019 7:16 pm

Also, while fishing at Mueller there were sporadic episodes of fish jumping a good foot out of the water. To my untrained eye I think they would've been Tailer? Tried casting a lure out to where they were jumping a couple of times but no luck. Anyway, again good for the kids to see!

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Re: Croajingolong NP/Thurra River

Post by Lightningx » Mon Jan 14, 2019 7:17 pm

Sounds like it was a fun trip. Nice :thumbsup:

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Re: Croajingolong NP/Thurra River

Post by mazman » Mon Jan 14, 2019 8:01 pm

Nicely done, a lot of the systems in that area are closed and backed up currently. The jumping fish were most likely poddy mullet.
Youtube channel:Hawkesy Fishing

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