The South wall of the Mackay Harbour is a landmark fishing location with plenty trying their luck from this great location throughout the year. When the trade winds are at their peak you’ll find protection from the wall by either fishing the mouth of the harbour or during a spell of Northerlies the Southern side. Either way, much the same species will be encountered just a cast from the rocks.
Good fish are also taken on the inside of the wall but
watch the steep climb down.
Avoid using great lumps of lead to aid your cast. Generally a full spool of line regardless of reel design will allow you to cast out suitable baits like prawn, pilchard and squid with very little added weight.
The ability for your bait to wash around and look as natural as possible will definitely increase your chances of hooking onto something. The rocks can be slippery, especially as the tide falls. Big fish are common from the rocks. Mackerel, tuna, trevally, jew and cobia are all often too big for a landing net so a gaff around four feet as a minimum is a handy edition to your arsenal.
Strong Sou’ Easterlies don’t affect fishing from the
wall which offers plenty of protection.
If you are not that well prepared you will probably find a few generous helpers if you hook onto something large. Plenty of fish can be lost in the last crucial stages of the battle so look for a good area to secure your fish.
Other species caught from the rocks include trout, grunter, slatey bream (painted sweetlip) and queenfish. For a quieter spot try heading along the beach adjacent to the north wall. Trevally and snub nosed dart frequent the area and will fall for a bunch of yabbies. During bigger tides mackerel also come in close enough to be caught from the beach.
Mack tuna feed at tremendous speed so their bait
needs to be presented in the same manner.
Tip > “Match the Hatch” is a descriptive term used initially by fly fisherman in southern states deciding on what pattern to use when chasing brown and rainbow trout. The process is equally effective when fast feeding fish are chasing tiny whitebait. A pilchard cast into the fray may go un-noticed while a small metal baitfish profile retrieved at similar speed to the fleeing fish will often get attention.
Get There > Head down Harbour Road and turn into Ron Searle Drive. Go straight through the roundabout to head out onto the wall.
The Gear
Type of Fishing > Bottom Bait or Lure/Bait Casting.
Bait Types > Pillie on Gangs very popular. Cut pilchard, prawn or flesh baits on the bottom.
Peak Periods > Early Morning. Good for mackerel when wind is N to NE.
Best Tides - Larger Tides.
Tackle > Longer rods & 10kg threadlines for long casts. High Speed reels for lure casting.
