Popular fishing show Creek to Coast has paid the Bundaberg Region a visit with local operators saying it's already paying dividends for visitor numbers.
Presenter Scott Hillier teamed up with BCF Bundaberg in early November to film the episode which explored Bargara and Baffle Creek as well as some offshore fishing.
Luke Truant from Truansea Charters took the team offshore and said the national exposure through the series had already paid off.
The show went to air on Saturday and before it had even finished he was receiving calls for charter bookings.
“I took two full boats from out of town travellers that are coming through in the next week or so,” Luke said.
“It was awesome exposure for the region.”
While the weather conditions weren’t ideal for the filming and Luke said he would never have normally taken a charter out, he said they managed to catch some good fish.
“It was great to have them out on the boat.
“They were a really good crew.
“The fishing was good, we only fished for two hours.”
Scotty also enjoyed a spot of fishing in the Baffle.
“The amount of bait in the system is ridiculous,” Scotty said to the camera.
“What a beautiful big system here.
“Good current, there’s bait everywhere.
“Fisherman’s dream.”
Creek to Coast boosts Bargara tourism numbers
In the region “for a week of camping, cooking and of course fishing” Bargara Beach Caravan Park was the home base.
Manager Ray Timperley said it was excellent to have the crew from Creek to Coast stay with him for five days.
“They were outstanding,” Ray said.
He too can testify that the episode has already boosted tourism numbers for the region, receiving calls one day after it went to air.
The out of town visitors were keen to see the region as soon as possible, with some staying at the park this week and a number of bookings which were able to be fit in over the Christmas holidays.
“It worked a lot quicker than I was actually expecting.”
Ray said the entire region would benefit from the Creek to Coast visit thanks to the flow on effect created by increased visitor numbers.
