Many anglers find themselves in a position where they feel they are missing out on a huge chunk of what great fishing this state has to offer because they don’t own a boat.

It can be very frustrating to come home from a land-based assault empty-handed while others around have bagged out after a big trip into the bay. Not having a vessel can limit your target species and how often you catch them to an extent. However, clued-in fishers will know that just because you don’t have a boat, doesn’t mean you can’t tangle with some of the bigger bay and ocean going fish this part of the world has on offer. In fact, given the right conditions and a little bit of know how, the land-based anglers can sometimes leave boaties scratching their heads!

A great way to get at some fantastic fish without a boat is by taking one of the many public barges and ferries into the islands of South East Queensland and fishing them on foot. This ‘island hopping’ is cheap, easy and it can yield some surprising results. The methods outlined in this article can also be applied to other parts of our coast.

Successful island hopping doesn’t come without good preparation, and there’s a few key things to remember when taking the barge or ferry with your fishing gear in tow.

Your gear needs to be packed so that it’s suitable for travel on a barge, so this gives multi-piece rods and backpacks an advantage. Packing a variety of gear and trying to be versatile can pay off, but knowing your target species and the terrain you’ll be fishing allows you to pack smart - we’ll get to that later.

Some islands are big enough so that they offer bus services while others do not and you have to walk to your next fishing spot. If you intend to walk a fair distance, it’s wise not to over pack, or you’ll be lugging around unnecessary weight all day. Some islands have car barge services, and this again gives the angler the luxury of mobility, but these services are often expensive and an angler without a boat is usually in that position because they don’t have a lot of money to throw around. Some services even offer public transport to and from the barge terminal, so you may not even need a car at all!

Information regarding timetables and barge or ferry services of your chosen island can all be found on the Internet.

Before you plan to fish your chosen island, it’s smart to do a bit of research about the island, particularly stuff that relates to the fishing.

By looking at maps of the island, you can determine likely fish-holding spots, find access points, plan a route around the island and also get a general idea for the sorts of terrain you’ll be tackling. Make sure you’re up to date with the ever-changing green and no-go zones littered throughout the bay – a fine from Fisheries will make for a real downer.

The best place to start your search for info is online. If you’re lucky, someone may have fished your island recently and blabbed about it – it’s amazing what you’ll find on forums. Asking staff at a local tackle store can also see you pointed in the right direction, and obviously anyone who has fished the island is a valuable source of knowledge.

Whatever you opt for, make sure you do some sort of research. It can be the difference between nutting out a very unsung, under-exploited fishery or going in blind and coming home empty-handed. It also allows you to organise your gear adequately and pack smart, making travel not only easier for you, but for the people who have to stow your gear in transit.

Of course, all this theory will only get you so far. The only real way to find out what to expect is to get out and go fishing!

Barge and ferry services are run from the mainland out to Macleay, Karragarra, Russel, Lamb, Coochiemudlo, Stradbroke and Moreton islands in Moreton Bay, so this gives an angler a fair few options. There are obviously options outside of the Brisbane region and the same principals being discussed can be taken north, give or take a few crocs!

As some of these islands are quite sizeable, it leaves no doubt that you could fish for weeks on end and never fish the same piece of water twice. Just as the size of each island varies, so too do the species you’ll encounter and the terrain you’ll catch them in. Islands with open beach sides such as both Stradbroke islands and Moreton Island are the most talked about. Irrespective of the fishing you do, these larger islands will have something you’ll enjoy concentrating your efforts on as a land-based angler. One day you could be catching trevally, snapper, flathead and squid on the bay side, the next you could be collecting pipis for trophy dart off the beach and spotting barrel-class kingfish from the rocks. Sometimes, fish considered only catchable by boat like mac and longtail tuna, various mackerel species, larger trevally and kingfish come within easy reach of a land-based angler! Be on the lookout.

The larger islands have many places to stay and camping options are also available if you want to save money. These larger islands offer the most of all the bay islands, but don’t be fooled; the humble, unassuming inner bay islands can turn the fishing on like a light!

While the inner bay islands can’t offer you any beach or rock hopping options, they can offer you access to some fantastic estuarine fishing, including some of the best squid fishing in Queensland! The smaller islands like Macleay, Karragarra, Lamb, Russel and Coochiemudlo islands are all accessible by barge.

For those who love throwing lures at flathead, bream, snapper, mulloway and other much-loved estuarine species, the inner bay islands have much to offer. With a variety of sand, weed beds, rocky banks and rubble patches, they are known to house a plethora of bay-going species. Despite being somewhat limited in options, there is usually something you can settle on and fish for. As mentioned, the squid fishery around these small islands can be fantastic in the cooler months, and any island hopper should carry a selection of their favourite jigs.

Even though the islands are small, most have permanent residents and therefore places to stay if that’s your plan. Most are small enough to walk across in minutes and mobility is rarely an issue where it sometimes might be on the larger islands.

The main attraction for me about these islands is how cheaply they can be accessed without your own boat. You could be fishing on Russel Island, receive intel from a mate at Karragarra who’s catching some stonking flatties and you could be there within half an hour with a swipe of your go-card! You might even be casting squid jigs from Manly or Cleveland with no luck because of dirty water; a $10 note and a quick trip over to North Straddie might just save the day!

The islands of Moreton Bay offer some great alternative options to the generally over-fished mainland and are more than reachable to young anglers without a lot of dough up their sleeves. Anyone looking to try something a little different and experience some line-burning, land-based action should delve into the unsung world of island hopping!

Barge and ferry info