Kayaking
OLD
Surface paradise at Hays Inlet BRISBANE
Mathew Fenton
As a local to the Redcliffe Peninsula, Hays Inlet has become one of my regular haunts these past couple of years. It continues to produce on most occasions, weather permitting. For anyone that has researched the area or travelled via the bridges to Redcliffe, the first thing you will notice is the large channel that runs north up from the Houghton Highway and Ted Smout bridges and past the now called Hornibrook Pier. The channel runs up into Kedron Brook and the green zone, which is signed. Another large feature that stood out to me the first time seeing it was the large sandbanks
Hays Inlet on a glassy day. Days like this are a surface fisher’s dream. Every little slurp, bump or nudge on the lure can be seen and heard.
A nice sized bream caught on the flats close to the bridges using a Bent Minnow. and weed beds that are exposed during low tide. There are also hundreds of metres of mangrove banks that can be fished during high tide. The area can be accessed from a few different launch spots depending on tides, weather and location. Main launch spot is Pelican Park at Clontarf, which if you’re an early bird, has plenty of parking for single cars with no trailers. Pelican Park offers a double ramp with a small sand patch either side, plus toilets. If launching from here, it is a couple of hundred metre paddle/pedal or motor until hitting the bridges. When travelling under the bridges be aware it does get a little choppy under there and, on a few occasions, I nearly had to change by undies, shorts and leggings. Dolhes Rocks ramp is another option if you’re up for a trek. And there’s also a tiny ramp at the end of 50
MARCH 2022
Haysmouth Parade if you don’t mind trekking over the flats. With large tides you will find some strong currents in the channels, so if heading out prepare yourself to move with the tides. On a few occasions I’ve noticed kayakers struggling to get back to the ramp, which I try and avoid if possible. I enjoy targeting flathead up here, but I’m constantly getting distracted by all the surface action and I find myself throwing poppers, splash prawns and bent minnows most of the morning. The MMD Splash Prawn is a favourite of mine. The lure casts well and you can execute different retrieves with ease. My main target species
A fat 38cm bream pulled out from under the mangroves. lately has been trevally on surface and the area hasn’t disappointed. Once the high tide has pushed in, these fish seem to just switch on. Following the
and when I eventually cast at them got no strike. You will find plenty of whiting on the sand flats during the low tide. Plenty of little tackers, but
Patrick Hinds landing a nice high 36cm trevally in his new kayak. Pat was using the 95mm MMD Splash Prawn.
The author with a nice little trevally caught on a MMD Splash Prawn. These fish put up a great fight, no matter the size.
mullet schools seems to work the best so far. Or if you’re lucky, have a school bust up right in front of you. This happened to me, and all I could do was babble around, tangle rods
occasionally you can entice a larger model to have a slurp. For whiting I find replacing the stock treble with assist hooks increases the hook percentage, and lure tangle.
