Rocky Point Retreat on Baffle Creek

By Paul Chew

A complete family fishing experience...

Over the Easter break a plan was hatched, with good friends Pete and Mel Jones, to try camping and fishing at one of our favourite getaway locations close to home. This trip was going to be during the depths of winter, to an area where we generally camp in autumn or spring. The place is Rocky Point Retreat, located on the banks of the picturesque Baffle Creek, half hour and a bit from Bundaberg in Queensland. Originally set up as an overnight stay for self-contained motor homes and caravans, this kayak and boating mecca now caters for all types of camping setups.

With the Jones' already on their way, we headed up on Friday morning to set up camp, with Kimmy W, one of Jode's (Paul's wife) nursing friends tagging along as the life of the party. We stopped at the local coffee shop on the way to fuel up on caffeine and set off. Only a short way into the drive and Kimmy was ringing us as her SUP was misbehaving on the roof. A quick stop to rectify, another at Bunnings Bundaberg for some kayak straps and we were almost there. It was the longest trip to the camp that we had experienced, but we were in no hurry so just poked along.

Arriving to a warm welcome from Darren and Kati, we were soon set up and sorted with our private luxury ensuite delivered to the campsite. It is a great touch, having your own personal ensuite. We didn't launch the boat Friday as we had to get the fires sorted in the firepits supplied at each site. Abbey also wanted to walk to the point at the campground and get a sunset photo over the water so, with a couple drinks and dogs in tow, we headed up to the point.

Along the way it was great to see lots of kids fishing off the bank and a few had a couple of bream in their buckets to take back for dinner. This is what this place is all about... kids and families enjoying the great Queensland outdoors. When we reached the point there were a couple of lads bait fishing off the bank with some prawns and a simple hook and sinker rig. One of the rods buckled over and after a short scrappy fight a nice mangrove jack of about 40cm slid onto the sand. The guys were stoked and it was good to see a few fish being caught right at the camp.

Unless we head up to Baffle on a 'boys' weekend, fishing generally takes a backseat to all day breakfasts, walks with the dogs and a couple of beers and some good stories around the fire. The plan on Saturday was to pump some yabbies while taking the dogs for a run on a sandbank, coffee, and then take Kimmy for a fish for an hour or two while the girls sorted some lunch and had a coffee.

With the weather on the improve and light winds, Saturday proved a magic day. Although the fishing was slow, with small neap tides, Kimmy managed a flounder on one of my little Okuma LRF rods. It's proving to be a great little rod for bait fishing with yabbies for whiting, bream and flatties. We only stayed out for an hour or so and the call of the campfire was too strong, so we headed back. It was still worth the effort.

More drinks and endless grazing platters, along with a magic sunset over camp, rounded out the afternoon... and well into the night. With over twenty big campfires blazing throughout the grounds, and near zero wind, it was great to see so many families out enjoying the great outdoors. Sunday morning dawned, bright and clear and with fresh coffee brewing and bacon and egg muffins for breakfast. Pete and I devised a plan that included some fishing later in the day.

Kimmy was off on the SUP, with super dog Daisy and we took our pair for a run on the sand, before heading back to camp for some of Abbey's fresh made lemonade scones and jam. I did ask Ab what was the secret to her scones, but just like trying to extract fishing info from her dad Pete, the question was met with just a smile. It's a Jones' thing.

With that taken care of, it was time to head out for a fish, while getting an education from Ab on all of the different species of mangroves in the system, along some impromptu stops to snap photos of a few birds. Did I mention that it's not all about the fishing up there... it's just a wholesome outdoor experience for all of the family.

I didn't really have a Plan B fishing wise, however given that the water was super clear up there I decided to stick with the ZMan Midnight Oil colour, a colour that has been working so well in the Sandy Straits in similar conditions. I had a ZMan 2.5" GrubZ on one spin rod and a 3" Slim SwimZ on the other, with 10lb Platypus Hard Armour FC Leader and 8lb mainline. Keeping it light to get the bite.

Given that we had such small tides and the Baffle system doesn't run too much anyway, I dropped down to a 1/6oz 1/0 TT Lures HeadlockZ jighead, for fishing the three metres of water along the stretch that we had chosen. While I don't keep my eyes glued to the sounder, there wasn't much of note for the first couple of kilometres up the creek, though I was concentrating on Pete and Ab's conversation, learning quite a lot about several of the mangrove species that I generally just drive past. Periodically Pete would get me to back the boat up as a brahminy kite wheeled overhead or an azure kingfisher flitted from branch to branch, presenting a photo opportunity for Abbey. It's so refreshing seeing a teenager out enjoying nature, instead of having her eyes glued to a screen.

We rounded a corner and I started to see a few fish midwater on the sounder, so said to Pete to drop the electric motor. To be honest, I wasn't too confident. It was lunchtime and the wind was blowing pretty hard out of the east. At least the tide was in our favour as it was rising. We started casting, with Pete running a ZMan plastic and receiving a couple hits immediately. Unfortunately, no hook ups.

I was casting the Slim SwimZ but after a few minutes of no interest I changed to the GrubZ. Second cast the little Okuma Helios rod bent over and after a spirited tussle a nice trevally found its way to the boat. A quick photo and back in the water. The plan, with the wind blowing the same way as the tide, was to use the electric motor to keep the nose into the current and just slowly drop back with the tide. We were casting upstream and toward the bank, on a 45 degree angle, hopping the plastic back to the boat and making absolutely sure that it was hitting the bottom, to maximise the chances of a bite.

Pete swapped over to a smaller Slim SwimZ and immediately hooked up, with the shining chrome of a nice tarpon launching out of the water. I love chasing these guys on light line and they have been the saviour of many a quiet day. I wasn't paying a lot of attention, as happens with me, and was fast burning the GrubZ back to the boat when the water a couple metres from the boat erupted. Pete called big barra, however it was a good blue salmon of around 90cm that breached the surface and slashed at the lure, missed and left me a bit shaken.

I missed a trick there, so cast again and the little Helios twitched and I was on! There is some video of me alluding to the fact that this fight wouldn't last long on the light gear, as the fish screamed down the skinny creek. I followed as quickly as I could, with Pete and Ab giggling at my misfortune. I had no confidence that I'd land that fish. After a couple of minutes the fish turned and I felt a glimmer of hope... then it screamed off again! Again it turned and we soon had a net shot. The fish showing itself to be a salmon, but not the one we saw earlier.

It was still a good fish in a skinny creek on light gear, being a bit better than 70cm. I am still hoping that Abbey doesn't have any video of Pete and myself attempting to get this fish into to the net as, considering we do fish together a bit, it was nothing short of a debacle. A minute later and the unluckiest fish in Baffle Creek was in the boat. A couple of quick pics, some "you pair are useless" comments from Abbey and the fish was away and swimming.

Kimmy was heading off, so we headed back to camp and that was about our weekend over, with some great fishing had from the limited time available. A shower overnight to make packing up a little damp but what a great weekend. Cannot wait to do it all over again. Just a great outdoor experience on the banks of Baffle Creek.

Tight Lines
Chewy

Gearing Up
Okuma Red Belly Spin Rods
Okuma Inspira Spin Reels
Okuma LRF Spin Rod
Platypus Pulse X8 Braid - 8lb
Platypus Hard Armour FC Fluorocarbon Leader - 10lb
TT Lures HeadlockZ HD Jigheads
ZMan 2.5" GrubZ
ZMan 2.5" Slim SwimZ
ZMan 3" Slim SwimZ