bathurst bay

Picked up a nice sized one last year with a landing net. Saw him swimming by and thought .. you'll do me, so wandered in to knee deep CLEAR water and hey presto.

Cheers

Have been there twice back in 2000 and 2001. With about 5 nets we were catching on average 10 (males) a day and good size on the first trip. On the second trip there was a pro crabber moored off shore and he had about 150 pots in and it was slim pickings that year. Definately take pots, just be careful if you go up any of the estrys as we saw 2 crocs and considering the creek was only about 5m wide it was a bit close for my liking reaching out and pulling in pots. Good luck and enjoy the trip.

Cheers,
Hughesy

Plenty of good fishing coral trout, cod, trolling on the reef . the reef is about 50-100 meters of the beach . You can nearly hit it at low tide pretty easy to find.
mackeral baracuda are plentiful too. Mud crabs are pretty easy to get too just use pots up the creeks. oysters there are great too. Bathurst Bay is a great spot to relax & do some serious fishing. I could have stayed a month or more it was a beautiful place

Boshie

Crab Sauce Recipe:

1 cup kecup manis (Malaysian sweet soy sauce available at most supermarkets or any asian store), 4 or 5 chopped hot chillies, 1 cup soy sauce and 3-4 chopped spring onions. Combine all ingredients except onions in a pan, bring to boill and then simmer till reduced to half the volume.Add the spring onions and pour over crab cooked whichever way you prefer.
This sauce is great for all types of seafood too, especially prawns. Enjoy!!

Hi Boshie
You talk about reef just off the beach,are you in the bay looking towards Cape Melville, &Bathurst Headland,the Muck river,how far from where you camp,I have not fished the bay only the headland &rivers to the north,no name creek,marriott,normanby,I might try the bay, after fishing the headland this year,depending how the headland fishes,any more information on the bay much appreciated.
Thanks Friar

hopefull,
The last 3 years in August the crabs have been very few or non existant. Last year we took the pots out (10) after 3 days of baiting them up for 1 small buck. Maybe by August the place has been cleaned out. I can remember in the late nineties that there were crabs aplenty. I still take four collapsible pots and give them a try, you never know.
Cheers,
Bros.

Is the Bathurst Bay U refer to at Bathurst Is or elsewhere? I may be up there some time!

If the month hasnt got an R in it there wont be many around.

All the best
Eric

Meggs,
We were at beautiful downtown Bathurst Bay. The reef mentioned is probably the one that runs roughly half way along the beach from the Cape Melville end towards the west. You know the one where the two radial engines stick up on at low tide. If you use a little poetic license you will be able to place it.. Would i lead you astray?
Cheers,
Bros.

Austravel,
It always pays to take a few pots (rectangular collapsible $12 ones) if you like crab. You never know when they are there.
I see you are going to Ninian Bay. Have you been there before, and if not reply to this and i can help. We are going to Bathurst Bay in early August, all things being equal. I come from Gladstone CQ.
As far as i know you do not require a permit for Bathurst Heads. IMHO.
Cheers,
Bros.