No points for guessing where Luke and crew scored this great feed of large banana prawns.
Incredibly Cold Start to Winter
Struth! What a cold week we have just endured. A chill in the air was expected with the south-wester drawing cold air up from the southern land mass, but 4C in Hervey Bay in early June? Now, that was cold!
The lack of clouds has added to the chill factor overnight, yet made for quite comfortable conditions outside out of the breeze. More of the same is expected this weekend, with lighter winds tending more onshore as the working week unfolds.
Today’s 10-15 knot south-wester is expected to strengthen overnight, then drop out after sun-up Saturday morning. Expect a mere 10 knots from the south if you fail to greet the dawn, with similar light winds turning south-easterly for the afternoon session. Sunday should be a carbon copy, if not slightly better again, without the pre-dawn south-wester. Zero chance of rain, but decidedly chilly - this weekend is looking like a ripper!
The early working week starts out brilliantly, then the onshore breeze starts to build gradually day by day. 10 knots from the south Monday; 10-15 knots from the south, then south-east Tuesday; 15 knots from the south-east mid-week; then potentially 20 knot onshore trade winds thereafter. The clouds will build as the winds tend more onshore, raising our evening temperatures and returning us to milder conditions. Yay!
The full moon crossed our sky Wednesday night, so the moon is waning again now and the tidal flow diminishing on a daily basis. This might see the tides lose appeal; back side of the moon and all, yet the major cold snap could override other factors when it comes to triggering a bite from our winter-loving species. We can only hope.
Wayne and his mate with a couple of big bucks caught in the chill of winter.
Brownie plucked some tremendous trout from the waters off Turkey Beach recently.
Yet another big bar-cheek for John, proving the run to Turkey Beach is worth the effort.
Who Wants to See Torquay Caravan Park Demolished?
Before getting into the fishing report, it is timely to re-raise the issue regarding the proposed redevelopment of the existing Torquay Caravan Park on the Esplanade. This much-loved little council-owned facility has been a landmark on our beachfront for eons, and has true heritage value for oodles of families that shared happy times within its surrounds year after year, sometimes generation after generation.
Community consultation by way of recent, and (I imagine) future meetings will ensure council gives due consideration to its options. The caravan park is a working, profitable asset of council that returns a sound dollar to the ratepayers’ coffers. Yet one alternative being explored - to create “open space with basic facilities or a premium playground or recreational hub” that will actually cost council (and ultimately ratepayers) for development and maintenance – appears to be gaining momentum.
You cannot blame locals (and regular returning visitors that flock to the Torquay Caravan Park) from being suspicious regarding redevelopment of this park. Guarantees that there are no neighbouring developments poised to benefit from demolition and a resurrection as parklands or playgrounds would alleviate many concerns. Redevelopment works to enhance the existing facilities, whilst still maintaining an affordable option for caravan and camping families would be easily justifiable, and profitable.
Council is proposing rate rises once again, yet they are considering destruction of an asset that makes them serious money. If our Fraser Coast Regional Council really wants to spend money to improve Hervey Bay’s infrastructure and improve the lives of ratepayers and our thousands of visitors, then how about expansion of the totally inadequate boat trailer parking facilities at our local boat ramps? Just check out Gatakers Bay ramp at present – a total quagmire at low tide!
Millions of dollars are allocated to the tourism and development arm of council for the purpose of drawing in extra tourists for the benefit of local businesses - and its working, bigtime! Incredible residential and population growth post-COViD, coupled with the successful growth in tourism has left our boat ramp facilities and associated parking spaces seriously wanting. Lots more boaties + same numbers of carparks = chaos and frustration. Just take a look anytime we have a long weekend or holiday with decent weather for boating.
We’ve seen promotional draft plans for developments that would address these issues raised on past occasions – just before we need to vote for council elections. Then, they fade into obscurity once again, with zero action undertaken. Plans for developments to benefit the boating and fishing public may not be up for consideration now, but they certainly should be.
In the meantime, have your say if you are opposed to trashing the Torquay Caravan Park, by dropping into Fisho’s and signing the petition on our counter. If you prefer, then click the link below and add your name that way. Unless you are for it, then don’t stand back and ignore it!
https://www.change.org/p/save-torquay-caravan-park-hervey-bay-from-closure
Click on the link above to register your name in a petition against the demolition of Torquay Caravan Park, or drop in and sign the hardcopy version at Fishos.
Herring Disappear from Pier as Bream Arrive
Anyway, on with the fishing report. Urangan Pier’s herring population has performed a disappearing act in recent days. Local pier regulars believe this mass movement to be due to the attention of schools of mac tuna that rocked up a few days ago and tore the herring a new one.
Schools of marauding tuna, performing raid after raid on the hapless herring pushed them from their usual comfort zone between the pylons out into open water. They will return at some stage no doubt, but for now, the typically reliable bait source is amiss. There are large pike lurking beneath the pier in the usual spots, so there are live bait options for those chasing flathead, cod or jewfish, but pretty much no herring.
Pier catches this past week have been limited to mac tuna, flathead and bream in recent days, whilst there were mackerel caught a week ago. Bream fans are happy to see the return of the bream on queue with the full moon and this major cold snap. We alluded to it last week, after schools were noted headed that way along the beaches west of town.
A lack of herring is going to upset the apple cart for pier regulars. They are accustomed to catching herring for bait, then slabbing or butterflying them for bream baits. Frozen alternatives will have to suffice for some, though you could consider pike fillets as reasonable bait. It certainly works a treat on bream targeted at Pt Vernon in a berley trail.
Some of you might consider lure fishing options in lieu of bait whilst the herring are absent. The usual candidates, such as Cranka Crabs, small jerkshads and grub-tails, shrimp patterns and tiny vibes or blades are all worth a try. Those bream that have just arrived at the pier have swum some miles and they are hungry. They are also yet to become lure or hook shy (as they will in coming weeks) so act now to trick a few before they get too cunning.
It was disappointing to hear a group of teenagers tell us about a guy they observed catch and kill a 90cm flathead on the pier this week. He stashed it to sneak it away later, while trying to catch another one nearly as big. He failed to do so, or otherwise two prime breeders, well above the legal maximum size would have met their demise that day. A grubby act, you will agree, and one that should raise the ire of any onlooker. Voice your opinion or step in if you are the ‘alpha’ in such a scenario, or perhaps give Qld Fisheries a call.
Restoration works on Urangan Pier are scheduled to finish 20th June, apparently.
Cam was chuffed with this fine red from a recent trip out wide.
Campbell was happy hauling in plump red throats like these. Find them offshore or up on the GBR, but not in Hervey Bay waters.
Shore-based Options Now the Chill Has Arrived
No-one could shed any light on the prawn kill along Dundowran Beach last week, so the mystery and conjecture are all we have. Prawn movements can excite many fish into action along our beaches and stream verges, so keep your eyes peeled and get amongst the action if you see major predation unfolding.
In the meantime, you can wander our local beaches and try your hand at a little whiting fishing. The passing of the full moon sees the prime tides behind us for now, but there is still enough tidal movement for this weekend. The Booral Flats offer those unafraid to get their boots muddy a crack at whiting and flathead down there. The offshore breeze forming perfect conditions with the big flood tides.
Otherwise, a few flicks around our local creek mouths might tempt a flathead or five, as might a little attention to Torquay Rocks, the groynes, or the fringes of the harbour walls. Blue salmon remain a target for those traversing the rocks from Pialba to Eli Creek – for now. Those waters are quite clear now, and just as likely to host schools of small GTs and queenfish in the near future instead.
Make sure you have squid jigs in your arsenal if wandering our rocky foreshores these days. A little effort in the right bays or along the right points at the right time might see you intercept a few tiger squid. Ensuring you have jigs on hand will mean no disappointment if you trip over some unexpectedly either.
River Heads land-based fishos will be focussing their attention on jewfish over coming weeks. Blue salmon are quite prolific in the Mary system right now, so they too are a very handy sports fish for anyone keen to flick lures along the rocky peninsula. Blues certainly aren’t fussy fish, savouring so many artificial presentations I dare not list them all here. Simply said, long slender shallow divers, vibes, or softies of some kind will be their undoing if you are there at the right time.
Land-based bream fishos will have plenty to cheer about in coming weeks. Urangan Harbour will host plenty, the rocky foreshores from Pialba to Gatakers Bay will come alive with masses of fish, and the River Heads peninsula will have its moments too. Burrum Heads locals have been revelling in the return of numbers up their way now that netting has been reduced, so expect good catches at times along the foreshores and the ramp rock wall out there too.
Dan's Rapala Long Cast topwater stickbait was too tempting for this Hervey Bay queenie.
Golden trevally are great fun for sports fishos like Lucy and widely spread throughout the southern bay and Platypus Bay.
Cold Snap a Game-Changer for our Estuaries
Water temperatures are plummeting all around the Fraser Coast this week, and that is significant for estuary fishos in particular. Mangrove jacks just became a lot more challenging to tempt, and our barramundi will be less enthusiastic now than they were recently. Not that they won’t bite – just that you will need more patience, more cunning perhaps, and your timing will need to be spot on.
The Burrum’s barra population is copping plenty of attention. Live baiters have been sending large live banana prawns down to fish they’ve found on their sounders and catching lots. Sadly, some (certainly not all) of these folks don’t share the ethics of the masses these days and a sad number of large breeders have taken their last ever bait.
It will be interesting to see if the winter run of giant trevally and queenfish return to the Burrum system this year. Now that they no longer have to run the gauntlet of nets, past hopes tend towards expectation. When these little river GTs inter-mingle with the queenies it creates a fun fishery that all the family can enjoy. It is yet to unfold, but by late winter, should they arrive, you can have a ball on the Burrum system catching both species in numbers.
In the meantime, blue salmon might offer some sport, as might the odd school of threadies or a patch of jewfish. Whiting were pursued over the full moon in the usual manner no doubt, and the continued run of flathead in the lower-mid reaches continues to impress even a few locals.
Really impressive however, is the tremendous run of bream in the Burrum right now. Large numbers of fish can be caught one after the other. A light, but constant, berley trail will help keep them nearby and interested, and lightly-weighted baits will bring them undone. Opt for lures if you prefer and you could have a ball. There are swags of fish in the high-thirties to keep you on your toes and the chance of 40cm+ fish is always on the cards.
We are not aware of any tailor up that way as yet. Too early by past history. They too will be another species set to cause havoc in the Burrum system this year without nets stopping their progress. Something to look forward to for tailor fans up there. School mackerel have been running raids on baitfish in the Burrum Heads area of late, even coming within casting distance of the boat ramps at times. Clearing water might see even more in the future, or perhaps a few big queenies hell-bent on hammering the pike.
Plenty of folks are catching blue salmon in the Mary system, whilst far fewer are finding any threadies. Wintertime threadies can be cagey and lurk in deeper holes for extended periods, but they are still worth some effort. So too the barra. They won’t be easy to tempt all the time, so focus your efforts on prime stages of the tides when the moon is right, and be patient and persistent.
Flathead numbers will swell in the Mary from now on. You can find them in the lower reaches, right through to a few miles upstream. Shallow flats draining into small rivulets are prime terrain, as are the fringes of rock bars, gravel beds and (for now) the plethora of drains that pour ebb tide waters from beneath the mangrove forest. As it gets colder, sunnier positions will gain favour and the flats fishery will be in full swing.
A little effort chasing jewfish at River Heads or South Head could prove fruitful. Live baiting is key to success for most bait fishos, whilst those favouring lures will usually tend towards soft vibes and large prawn imitation softies. Trollers aren’t left out when it comes to jewies either, and they might enjoy the estuary cod and blue salmon bycatch. Fraser’s western ledges are also prime jewfish habitat and bound to get plenty of attention this winter.
Dennis picked up a handy feed of sizeable Burrum bream this week. A fish that is in great numbers up there nowadays.
Dan had a fun day out with Jacko. Both were surprised to catch 'small' threadies in dirtied waters created by westerly winds.
Jack catches plenty of threadies when he wanders local estuarine waters. The cold of winter won't stop him getting a few either.
Unprecedented Absence of Snapper
Never in my 25 years of fishing in Hervey Bay have I ever heard of such a lack of snapper in the southern bay as we are suffering this season. Yes, the summer warmth was prolonged into autumn, and the water temperature remained higher than usual, but these factors are only part of the bigger picture. Shorter days and longer nights trigger migratory movements just as much as temperature variations, if not more. Those factors occurred, as they do, yet no snapper arrived inshore.
I hinted at my concerns regarding potential snapper fishing success inshore in westerly winds in last week’s report if you noticed. Not thinking for a moment that the results would be so distinctly negative. Even if the Roy Rufus snapper are turned off by a westerly, the fish out towards the Outer Banks or Moon, in waters more exposed to wave action, usually fish okay. Not so this week apparently.
A few squire to 50cm or so can be found, and even the odd fish bettering 60cm, but the schools of larger snapper have been notably absent so far this season. Not for a lack of effort it seems, as many fishos have been out there trying. Some claimed to have hooked fish that were sharked, yet goldies caught in the same waters were left unmolested.
Just writing these words right now, I cannot shake the feeling that there are snapper schools on the way, if not already here somewhere and avoiding capture (or declaration of said capture more likely). Surely, there will be snapper caught inshore this week. If not, then we need to reassess the future of the species in Hervey Bay waters. There is ample fodder, hordes in some areas, so tucker is not an issue. We all know the sharks are, but have they been so devastating that they have destroyed genetic memory of part of the biomass and impacted the overall migratory movements of our snapper?
Think about it. If you were to kill off all the big fish in a given area, and do so consistently for years on end, then would there come a time when the genetic memory of those fish is lost altogether? Do the schools that migrate to a selection of reefs only visit those reefs each year (like families consistently returning to the same caravan park each and every summer holiday)? Or do they cross boundaries and wander off to grounds unknown because they follow schools of bait along a different path (akin to families trying a new holiday spot because of some ads they saw perhaps)?
Whatever the case, we can only hope on a late run of snapper - and be assured there will be one. This week or later, there will be one (and hopefully several more). So, keep trying, keep bouncing softies through the water column past any arches you see around reefs laden with baitfish. Success will come. Spread your area of catchment if you like, and try a few trolls past the same reefs or through nearby channels. Go for the deepest divers – you know the ones – and slow down to 2-3 knots or so to tempt the snapper.
Voltage coloured Daiwa Baitjunkie Jerkshads were a hit with the big snapper off the Wide Bay bar yesterday. Kealan with a beauty.
Glen needed his mate's help to hoist this 1.5m cobia aloft.
Mackerel and Reefies Keeping Inshore Fishos Entertained
Southern bay snapper fishos are doing it tough on the snapper front, yet some are enjoying the bycatch while they persist. Golden trevally schools have taken up station around the usual artificial reef structures, so whilst definitely a second fiddle to a snapper, they are at least some consolation. Not so much in the tucker department, but good fun for sports fishos.
Grunter catches over the full moon were expected to peak, and the nannies put on a decent bite for those that fished baits into the early moon-lit hours of darkness. Some decent coral trout were caught inshore, which is indicative of at least some spots unattended by sharks. Estuary cod bit well too when the tide was slack. Both cod and trout will be a lot more lethargic with further temperature drops, so catch them while you can. The same goes for the sweeties. There will be less of them inshore now, but at least the ones you find will be of good size.
Those flaming school mackerel have been a real nuisance for budding snapper fishos. Bite-offs are commonplace, and ever-frustrating. The Simpson arti has been plagued with schools at times, whilst the Roy Rufus and other reefs in our shipping channels have hosted their share. The Fairway was a mackerel hotspot momentarily last week, and the 6 Mile off Arch Cliffs was alive with them. There are schoolies cruising the channels of the straits too, so your lures aren’t safe anywhere it seems.
Mackerel fans get out there and do the rest of us a favour. Catch the schoolies the reef and snapper fishos are trying to avoid and everyone will be happy. Catch some broadies too if you like. They are in good numbers inshore at the various artificial reef sites, Boges Hole and over the shallower fringing reefs nearby. It is prime time for them to linger in the skinniest of waters now, so look out for them when squidding or fishing for other critters on the flats.
The remarkable run of spanish mackerel continues. Best numbers remain in the northern bay, yet spaniards can be found all the way into the northern straits. The Arch Cliffs 6 Mile remains a hotspot for spaniards, and the grounds within or surrounding the 25 Fathom Hole are hosting some too. Trollers, stickbaiters and live baiters alike are all having their way with the spaniards, whilst plenty of other folks are encountering them accidentally.
Those of you chasing a feed of winter whiting need go no further than Gatakers Bay. A good feed is on offer within a mile of the coastline. Parking or drifting too close to the reef edge has failed to produce for some, raising little more than rubbish fish. When you find the patch, you might want to check your Marine Parks app on your phone to see if you are fishing in the yellow zone or not. This will determine how many hooks you can use etc.
Golden trevally are making a comeback in southern bay waters. Find them in all sizes from the flats to the artificial reefs and elsewhere.
You only need ultra-light tackle to target tiger squid. They are great fun, great eating and primo bait as well.
Tough Bite at the Gutters in Westerly Winds
It might have been me that coined the phrase “north-west glass-out” years ago to excuse the poor afternoon bite we experienced in such glamour conditions at the Gutters when a light north-wester dropped out to glassy conditions. A similar scenario unfolded up that way over the weekend, yet not a total shut-down as witnessed so many times in the past. The bite was tough, but persistence paid off apparently.
Spanish mackerel were caught, as were a few cobia. Neither fish being on the hitlist for the dedicated reef fishos, but action nonetheless when times are tough. Coral trout took a little encouragement to bite, with live baits out-fishing lures for some crews. The grassies and estuary cod bit okay, but don’t they always. Some found a few tuskies by fishing the fringes of the reefs, and particularly solid nannies were caught further north.
Squirey snapper came on the chew for those that hung into the evening. Fish in the 60cm+ range were welcomed aboard when the sharks were avoidable. There are apparently masses of baitfish out at the Gutters at present. Good news for future snapper pursuits in that area. Not so good if you are not a fan of trevally. Colder waters and baitfish are the two triggers that will draw huge schools of various trevally to the Gutters, so expect some impressive sounder shows on future trips.
Rob Fox put his Daiwa Seaborg electric reel and Venom rod to work on the nannygai and caught some rippers.
Daytime reef jacks are not common, yet Rob tempted this one with a Nomad Vertrex soft vibe.
Seafood Platters Featuring Prawns, Crabs and Calamari
Reports from sand crabbers have been mixed of late. Some say they are struggling off the Burrum coast, whilst others are doing just fine closer to Toogoom and Gatakers Bay. 8-10 metres of water has been producing sandies in the south-western bay it seems, but pot placement has been crucial. A shift of a mere 50 metres laterally being the difference between no crabs and a good haul for one crabber. Efforts up in Platypus Bay have been more rewarding, even though the westerly made for tough boating this week.
On the prawn scene, it was full steam ahead at Woodgate again last weekend. The run that shot through over the preceding darks was soon forgotten about when net ropes rattled under the tirade of large bananas rushing into top pockets. Classy, clean ocean-going prawn so easy to clean and delicious to devour. Light westerlies since have certainly seen more folks visit those grounds, though how they have fared we cannot offer.
The Burrum’s prawns are still feeding the locals out there. Deeper holes hosting the bigger prawn. It’s hard to get a handle on the prawn scene down the Mary. Most of the effort has been elsewhere. There is prawn in there, somewhere, and they will ‘pop’. The mid-winter Mary River prawn fishery is an interesting one that could unfold yet this season. You might need an extension to your cast net rope to get amongst the best of them though.
Chasing squid was a popular pastime last week. The westerlies offer prime conditions, and clearer waters that ever. It is scary to think how many crews visit each and every squidding hotspot on a daily basis these days, so you might want to think outside the box a little if you aren’t a fan of competition on the water. Squid can be caught beyond the perceived realm, so try alternatives if you can’t beat the crowds to them otherwise.
Sporting a 'dolphin-like' action in the water, the spanky new Daiwa Emeraldas Amorous Joint squid jigs have pipped former top-sellers in Japan.
Just in time for our prime tiger squid season - give the new Daiwa Emeraldas Amorous Joint squid jigs a try and get the edge on your competition.
Make sure you have squid jigs on board in Hervey Bay in winter. Dedicate some time to chasing them and add calamari to the seafood banquet.
Offshore Fishos Smashing It in Rainbow Comp
Maybe part of the reason our snapper season is so poor here in the bay so far this season is that they are all down off the Wide Bay bar. The offshore scene has been insane down there of late, and snapper are leading the charge in close. Excellent numbers of snapper, large and small, can be found on various reef systems not that far off the coast, along with handy numbers of prime spaniards, fat pearlies, grassy sweetlip and big cod.
The Rainbow Beach Family Fishing Classic has been underway for the past week, and concludes this Saturday. A week-long comp like this is a huge drawcard for fishos from all over, and the weather has been fairly kind this year too. A little extra westerly and a residual swell might have kept things exciting some days, but all in all they have had a blinder.
There is a picture hereabouts of the Rainbow comp’s leader board one day this week. It will be interesting to see just how much the names and numbers change as the comp is wound up. Good luck to all of you down there; we look forward to seeing how huge the fish were that took home the final prizes.
Good luck out there y’all …… Jase
Kealan caught this big AJ off the Wide Bay bar yesterday on the Voltage coloured Daiwa Baitjunkie Jerkshad exclusive to Fisho's Tackle World.
The Rainbow Beach Family Fishing Classic leader board tells the story as of day 4.