Mindy's tally of mackerel added to this ripper golden trevally far out-classed skipper Luke's catch last trip.
Better Weather Labour Day Onwards
It has been a very frustrating week for boaties here on the Fraser Coast. Incessant trade winds have denied access to open waters for the whole week, reaching strong wind warning status at times. Luckily, sheltered fishing options abound in our district, so those keen enough still got to wet a line.
The wind is easing gradually, but we are still faced with a 15-20 knot south-easter today that will prevail through the weekend. Saturday looks breezier than Sunday, so think 20 knots Saturday and 15 knots Sunday perhaps. Showers are forecast for Saturday, which will re-dampen the grass still soaking up the 30mm that fell during the week.
Winds are expected to ease dramatically for the Monday Labour Day public holiday and could be almost non-existent through the middle of the working week. No weather forecaster seems capable of accuracy beyond a day or two these days, so you might view longer range forecasts as more of a tease than a promise at this time. If they are indeed right, then the fish offshore will be in jeopardy mid-week.
At least the moon and tides are reliable; the full moon Saturday being the first of two for the month of May. Moderately large tidal flow right now means plenty of movement to excite our piscatorial friends into action. So, seek a sheltered body of water and enjoy what should be a pleasant weekend anywhere other than open waters.
The trout and red-throat come thick and fast at the Swains. Big Cat Reality put the crew on some fine fish last trip.
Cooper enjoyed his first 'strawberry-picking session' on the Fisho's Swains trip.
Pier Fishos Catching Mackerel & Flathead
Windy conditions rarely stop keen pier fishos, so Urangan Pier was the place to be for those seeking a little land-based (should that be pier-based?) fun this week. The herring are still small, and have been tending to linger some days then develop a little temporary wanderlust on other days. When the herring are thick, pelagics such as mackerel, queenfish and trevally have turned up, so those fishos that braved the breeze were rewarded when their timing was right.
Broad-barred mackerel were the most welcome visitor for pier regulars. Fish to 8 kilos were spun-up on Flasha spoons or live-baited with gang-rigged herring. A few schoolies made an appearance, taking a liking to the very same presentations. Whilst GTs have fronted occasionally, so have queenfish and the odd golden trevally, though consistency has been lacking.
Flathead have been welcomed back at the pier and are taking live baits in the first channel. Catching bait in the channel when the tide is low can be an artform many will take time to perfect, so this caper doesn't suit allcomers. The bream are yet to turn up, and may well be late yet again this season. This full moon will see a couple of local pier bream specialists at least sample its waters, hoping to connect with the run of large 'pilot' bream that so often turn up ahead of the main schools to stake their territory. If no joy on the bream front this week, it won't be much longer and they will be here as our waters cool further.
Sharks have been a serious nuisance out at the deep end of the pier lately. Bities big enough to snaffle quality fish mid-battle have been frustrating and very unwelcome, as have the annoying sub-6-foot whalers so often hooked on live baits meant for more appealing quarry. These mid-sized sharks are extremely quick and hard to avoid when spotted heading for your bait or fish. They are a real handful on standard everyday pier-fishing tackle too, so a few folks have endured lengthy battles for little more than its exercise value.
Fisho's staffer, Kealan, is a pier specialist who still sneaks out there when favoured species such as broadies are on the chew.
Chunky whiting like this one of Andrew's are an option over the full moon period.
Full Moon Favourable for Beach Fishos
As boring as beach fishing here in town can be for much of the year, there are periods when a run of fish make the beach scene rather appealing. That can be the early spring run of whiting; post-flood runs of estuarine predators; or the autumn grunter and flathead bite. The full and new moons are often associated with the best bite in all these scenarios, so this weekend is a special one for those keen to mix it with the latest offering.
Look at our beaches and they are pretty featureless compared with sands tormented by strong currents and heavy wave action elsewhere. Undulations and very subtle gutter formations still funnel fish traffic along such shallow and acutely-graded beachscapes, so look for these depth variations and target them early in the flood tide as you fish for large grunter creeping up into the shallows to feed.
Cast lightly-weighted banana prawns, fresh baitfish or small squid out to intercept them if you wish, or offer them a bunch of yabbies if you are convinced the small whiting and bream won't demolish such baits. Fish light, with 15-20lb leaders and you are in the running. The Pialba stretch of beach is a productive one, even though a few stray grunter turn up near Torquay rocks and down Urangan way as well.
Lure fishos may fare better than their bait-fishing neighbours, purely due to their ability to cover more country in search of feeding grunter. Whilst a bait fisho waits for fish to swim by and hopes the pickers haven't stolen his bait beforehand, those armed with lures have already peppered those waters and moved on, confident that they would have hooked an active grunter if there were any there. Small prawn imitation soft plastics will boost that lure fisho's confidence level, as many are well-proven and produce consistently on our grunter.
Flathead can be targeted where rocks meet sand (where grunter also hang out), near foreshore structures or around the creek mouths at either end of town. Heading to Toogoom could see even better numbers of flatties from the creeks out there; be that within the creeks or around the mouths. Be prepared to tangle with blue salmon or queenfish if they happen to turn up, and if you get super lucky, then you might even connect to a beach-run barramundi.
A tasty double if ever there was one. Dane and Kaleb with standard-issue RTE and trout from the latest Fisho's Swains Trip.
Stickbait-munching GTs were a great alternative to the Swains reef fish when the tides were right.
Reef Fishing Options Limited Until Next Week
There has been more opportunity to go for a quick reef fish than the weather forecasts belied this past week. Periods of lighter southerly winds early in the morning offered a keen enough fisho the chance to race out and snatch a feed at dawn before racing home ahead of rising winds hours later.
Most were denied that opportunity sadly though, as daily forecasts insisted on declaring 15-25 knots or similar with no reference at all to time of day. Whatever happened to the old "lighter winds inshore early" or "lighter southerly winds early in the southern bay" phrases that used to accompany forecasts at this time of year. It's a fact of nature that those breeze variations are part of our autumn scene (whilst land and sea temperatures are so similar), so keep this in mind for the future perhaps.
The bigger tides this weekend will favour those keen to try the sheltered waters at Gatakers Bay – Point Vernon. Grunter would be the prime target if it were me, but others might fancy themselves in the hunt for an out-of-season coral trout. A few grassies, a cod or two and maybe blackall might join the fray on a particularly productive patch of reef edge for the bait brigade, and a squire is also possible for those floating before sunrise.
The first winter whiting of the season have been reported from crews that launched at Gatakers Bay. Nothing to brag about, and inconsistent, but a start. Maybe better things to come with the full moon. Mackerel and a few random trevally have been wandering by those waters on and off lately. So, should there be baitfish drawn to the sheltered conditions, then maybe a stray broadie, schoolie or goldie could be hooked. A quick troll with a suitable diving lure capable of 6-8 knots will soon see if they are in the neighbourhood (and will be violently struck by any coral trout it swims past too – even at that speed).
Our reef fish out deeper inshore, and those out wider again, have just enjoyed a week of reprieve from our efforts and the dreadful shark attrition that goes with it. They will be that bit fatter when next you get the chance to have a crack, and that may be anytime from Sunday onwards. No change to the status quo inshore – sweeties galore, plenty of cod and a few trout, grunter in the usual hotspots, plus squire and nannies becoming more common – assuming you can avoid those flaming sharks.
Andrew pulls his weight in coral trout whilst fishing the Swains aboard Big Cat Reality.
Be ready for allcomers when jigging with 'Live Shrimp' at the Swains.
Snapper and Other Options in the Bay
Should the weather indeed come good, then mid-week fishos will scatter across the bay and beyond looking for a feed and the adrenalin rush that comes with such activities these days. Casually winding in hooked fish is a thing of the distant past, as any decent reef fisho just about pops a foo-foo valve every time they hook up and attempt to skull-drag their quarry past the perceived mini versions of jaws so prevalent in our waters. Those heading for the Gutters or Rooneys will suffer the most attrition (like usual) but nowhere is safe, so keep on the trot and minimise the carnage on your favourite spots.
Get there and avoid the noahs, and coral trout, cod, nannies and plenty of sweetlip could be brought home from the Gutters. Nannies, cod, sweeties, squire and grunter more likely over Rooneys way. There are spanish mackerel wandering around the reefs in both areas, so secure one of them when you get the chance.
The tides post full moon (when the weather improves) will see the moon rising mid evening and setting mid-morning. Go try your favoured nannygai hotspots at those times, or target the grunter schools on similar terrain, if you have those options in your repertoire. Maybe look for a snapper while you are at it, if you didn't already do so at dawn or dusk.
A few of us locals would've already been well and truly into the snapper close inshore by this time of year in the past, but shark attrition has destroyed that early season fishery, and few ever bother until May now. The full moon in May has always been a 'special' for experienced local snapper fishos, so there is history that you might be able to repeat if you are lucky.
Try reef and rubble sites in the central, western and southern bay where baitfish are aggregated. It will be herring and pike mostly at this time, with a few yakkas scattered throughout the wider bay area. Prospecting for snapper has never been easier – technique and equipment-wise – even though landing them has never been harder. Please respect the fact that snapper are very slow growing and avoid continuing to fish over grounds where sharks have already intercepted fish. We will be talking up the snapper fishery in coming weeks, so now is your chance to get out and have a crack before the masses.
Get out wide next week and you could be cradling reds like Clayton's if you go far enough to avoid the noahs.
Blackall may not be a sought-after species, but they sure pull hard and offer good sport, eh Aaron.
Windy Weather Means More Bay Tuna
The trade winds were strong enough to keep most sports fishos off the water or somewhere sheltered this past week. Word of tuna schools in the upper straits, cruising the channels that flow past the bay islands, has been repeated rather regularly. Plenty of action within eyesight of Kingfisher Bay Resort has been notable, and seems likely to continue given the plethora of baitfish down that way at present.
Tuna fans accustomed to long runs 'up the island' chasing bust-ups all over Platypus Bay will likely opt to head that way looking for their next fix. Disappointment was palpable when some shared their yarns of fruitless efforts up that way pre-blow a week ago, which was only made worse when they were advised of the tuna numbers closer inshore in the western bay and the straits. Fuel savings were possible then, and may be again.
It is a bit of an unknown of course, but chances are there will be tuna closer to the beach up the island this week due to the persistent south-easterly blow. Baitfish seeking those more sheltered waters, plus the surface predatory tactic of feeding into the wind suggests a return to Platypus Bay is on the cards.
There have been serious numbers of school mackerel up in Platypus Bay of late, so they are a distraction and a handy source of protein for anyone so inclined. Look for them around reef outcrops and gravelly or weedy bottom where baitfish are gathered. Schools of mackerel randomly cruising and feeding in open waters have been reported up there lately too, so be prepared for anything. Spaniards have been harassing bonito schools off Arch Cliffs somewhere too, so they are a sport-only option if you like (no-take in Platypus Bay due to ciguatera poisoning risk).
Schoolies can also be found off the west coast, in the vicinity of Burrum Heads and Woodgate. The Fairway would seem a great place to try too, particularly given the lack of effort all week. Trollers should find some if doing a beacon run, as will anyone keen to spin spoons or other metals. Sadly, those trying to hop softies for snapper and grunter over the reefs will probably find more mackerel than they bargained for, so expect a bit of lure carnage if that is you prospecting those waters.
Ben and his mate had a ball chasing school longtails around the bay.
Josh's GT survived a close encounter with a bitie a couple of weeks ago.
Great Sandy Straits Never More Popular
Some of us might say the best tides are all but passed for select fisheries down the straits, but that just means a differing approach is demanded after this weekend. Look at the tides and decide if you can handle the bugs before committing to low tides at dawn and dusk, particularly if the wind drops right out. Sandflies and mozzies are a nightmare for the unprepared, so grab a can of Bushmans repellent before you even contemplate a change of light assault.
There is excellent fishing on offer through various tracts of the straits. Timing - as always - is everything. The list of species on offer down there is a long one, and it includes barramundi, threadfin salmon, blue salmon, grunter, jewfish, mangrove jacks, flathead, cod, queenfish, trevally and broad-barred mackerel. Add whiting and bream to that long list, as well as a few randoms and the odd reef fish, and the mind boggles at the options.
As Hervey Bay fishos attempt to travel further beyond the local crowds, they run into increasing traffic out of Maroom and other similarly tide-restricted launching points further south. Many creeks that were once home to just you, some pro crabber, the bugs and the odd cunning old fisho are now frequented regularly by new age fishos in boats bristling with the best tech that money can buy. These guys catch fish too and waste little time in unproductive waters, so some are sprung regularly and give away hotspots others may never have found.
With the flats likely to fish well for grunter, salmon and barra once again, the tainted waters of the central straits can be approached a number of ways. Simplest being; rising tide on the flats and up on the shallow shoulders of the creeks, and ebb tide along ledges, in the creek channels and eventually back near the mouth. Vibes and a variety of prawn imitations (large and medium) for all but the last of the ebb, when the jelly prawn is forced from cover and the threadies go nuts in the drains and along the muddiest banks. Hardbodies twitched around, through or over sunken snags and landslips can be fun on a stick for barra fans if their quarry is home, whilst threadies crash tackle any faster moving presentations often enough too.
Cleaner waters of the upper straits are currently home to equal quantities of grunter, the best numbers of queenfish, trevally, mackerel and jewfish. The bay islands merge with those waters and see their fair share of these species (with the exception of the jewies). Kingfisher Bay Resort's jetty is hosting massive schools of baitfish and drawing the attention of plenty of predators. Broadies, flathead and jewfish have all been caught there recently, along with the odd spanish mackerel. Tuna have been busting up beyond casting range mostly, so be prepared for potential closer encounters should you head that way to escape the wind this weekend.
Josh's tagged mangrove jack could reveal some interesting data the next time it is captured.
James and a sample of the sort of grunter you can find close inshore or down the straits at present.
Threadies can be tricked into eating many prawn imitations this time of year, day and night.
Luke broke in the new Daiwa Ryoga - Samaki C-12 combo in a fine way with this big queenie. And he wasn't even trolling!
Rivers Run Hard as Prawns and Crabs Keep Moving
These big tides will race through our rivers creating challenges on one hand and opportunities on the other. Snag-bashing will be challenging for all but the best-skilled of scopers whilst the tide rages, so time your efforts for low tide for less stressful and more productive fishing. Stick to the lower reaches and you will find barra and salmon with enough effort.
In the Mary system, the threadies will be particularly active (and visible) throughout the bottom half of the ebb tide. They will drift downstream in the main channels until the time comes to settle up on their favoured jelly prawn spewing drains and then gorge themselves on those tiniest of morsels. Try to tempt those muddy water low tide threadies with anything other than tiny prawn imitations or small hard vibes whilst they are rounding up jellies and you will suffer the same frustrations as many who have come before you.
The Burrum's population of jacks that aren't mature enough to head reef-bound will be putting on the weight they so desire to get through the upcoming cooler months. They have plenty of fodder in the form of mullet and prawns, so make the most of these 'warmer' times to target them before the chill of winter. Stay downstream in your jack hunt at this time, and mooch back upstream (with them) as the fresh subsides and water quality improves.
Many a mud crab fan will be soaking pots this weekend if not already. There are crabs within our streams and still crabs 'out the front' on the flats. Aggregations of muddies are particularly notable in some pockets of water as local pros bombard hotspots to keep visiting pros and other crabbers off their patch. This full moon will see enhanced mud crab activity, so here's hoping the quality remains as good as it has been and the buck crabs keep coming.
Sand crabbers have the option to sling a few pots in the upper straits, but it is the open waters of the bay where the larger volumes are aggregating. Crab off the Burrum coast is on the move, but doesn't appear to be as big or as prolific as the sandies up in Platypus Bay. Maybe take a cluster of pots on your next tuna chasing mission and bring the family home a feed of sweet sandies. Your bag limit of 20 sand crabs could be a very quick affair if you trip over the motherlode like other crabbers did prior to this blow.
Prawners will be on the hunt for their next feast again this week. The full moon will play havoc with the mature prawns, so river prawn may be the better option in coming days. Whilst Woodgate fired again a week ago, there have been locals in the Burrum sneaking a lovely feed from their pontoons and select backwaters since. The lower reaches of the Mary and Susan Rivers have ample mixed-sized prawn, whilst select creeks down the straits are teeming with them.
So, leave the bad weather of last week in the rear vision mirror and break out the cast nets, the crab pots and the estuary tackle this weekend. Go chase some reefies, or tear around all over the paddock looking for tuna once the winds ease. There is one last fishery left unmentioned in this report (for now), so go do that too if you are inclined, as once word gets out, the race will be on!
It won't be long and big bream like Leo's will be migrating to their winter spawning grounds. You can still find them in the lower reaches of rivers for now.
The 100gm BUKU Flutter Bomb was a stand-out jig for larger coral trout in deeper water at the Swains.
Dane was fully stretched by this beaut dogtooth tuna at the Swains. Bonus fish in waters alive with so many hard-pulling critters.
Dane and Kaleb with a very cool Swains double hook-up.
Good luck out there y'all …… Jase