How's this for 'golden trevally bycatch' for young Lewis. A magnificent 76cm snapper on plastic in brilliant conditions close inshore.
Sensational School Holiday Weather
We have been blessed with terrific weather for the first week of the Qld school holiday break. Very typical spring weather in fact, with light northerly sea breezes finishing off days that started out with minimal breeze and quite often, glassed-out seas.
The second week looks just as good as the first, even though the north wind might ramp up a little mid-week. This morning’s light northerly zephyr will build strength during this afternoon, but to no more than 15 knots. The weekend looks tremendous, with light northerlies to 10 knots both days. Obviously, this air from our north is warming our part of the world somewhat, whilst the afternoon north-easterly sea-breeze keeps conditions mild and ultra-pleasant here on the Fraser Coast.
Light and variable winds are likely for the start of the working week. The chance of a shower builds as the atmosphere becomes more unstable, but no weather gurus seem keen to forecast any precipitation as yet, other than a potential shower or two Sunday. Make plans for longer-range boating escapades early next week as a stiffer northerly breeze might make such offshore forays less appealing later.
Having just passed the spring equinox on Tuesday, we can look forward to more noticeably longer days and shorter nights. The new moon is behind us now too, so the moon is waxing and tidal flow diminishing daily. This cycle will turn around again as we pass the first quarter cycle next Tuesday and the tides begin to ‘make’ once again. Happy days for those that love their estuary and lake fishing thereafter.
Support from local sponsors enables the WBHFC to offer a wonderful mix of quality prizes for an event that is getting bigger & better year by year.
Party time at Woodgate! This year's WBHFC was a resounding success with a sell-out crowd of 850 competitors.
Dane from Fisho's was on hand to help out at Woodgate, and taught many kids how to throw a cast net.
Woodgate Beach Hotel Fishing Classic Results
A capacity turn-out of 850 entrants revelled in the great weather and wonderful atmosphere at Woodgate Beach last weekend, when the Woodgate Beach Hotel Fishing Classic was run over three days, Friday to Sunday. Competitors came from all over Qld, from the Gold Coast to Mackay. Over $120,000 in prizes were handed out, courtesy of the Classic’s many generous sponsors, including Fisho’s Tackle World.
As always, Saturday was the big fun day of the comp, as the major onshore events for the kids unfolded and all members of the family joined in the fun. There were cast net throwing lessons, a casting accuracy competition and some rather hilarious races. The entertainment was constant and everyone had a ball.
Given the good weather, competitors in larger vessels were able to get out fairly wide, which saw the likes of red emperor, nannygai, cobia, sweetlip, tuskfish and mahi mahi all brought to the weighmaster. The bay’s inshore waters turned it on with swags of school mackerel weighed-in as well as other species.
The weighmaster was also kept busy with fish from the Burrum River system and other smaller nearby estuaries. Whiting, bream, flathead, grunter and mangrove jack were joined by estuary cod, some chunky mud crabs and a couple of barra, so whoever had the job of updating the leader board had a fair task on their hands.
All-in-all, this latest Woodgate Beach Hotel Fishing Classic was deemed a roaring success, and many of this year’s entrants will be lining up for next year’s event. Mark your calendar and get in quick if you wish to partake in 2026, as capped numbers mean disappointment for those not quick off the mark to register.
Al Mahony and crew with the winning red and a big nannygai weighed in at Woodgate. Ripper fish boys!
Ray, Riley and Paris weighed in reds and coronation trout from offshore to put them amongst the prize winners at Woodgate.
Ray Paranihi took out champion overall angler at the WBHFC. Well done Ray.
The adult winners from the Woodgate Beach Hotel Fishing Classic.
The Cadets caught some magnificent fish during the Woodgate Beach Hotel Fishing Classic. Overall winner was CJ Higgins.
Toogoom’s Sensational Family Fishing Comp is Up and Running
Having already kicked-off this morning, it’s not too late to enter in Toogoom Fishing Club’s “Sensational Family Fishing Comp”. This fun family-focussed competition will be run over the three days from today, Friday 26th, to Sunday 27th.
There is a swag of very cool prizes up for grabs; from cash to a holiday or a bay cruise, as well as fishing tackle, bikes and kayaks. Raffles are a major part of this fund-raising event and you can only improve your chances of walking away with some goodies via your small contributions at the event.
Mud crab races and a photo competition add to the fun and enhance the appeal for the kids after they’ve spent some time fishing, and hopefully brought potential prize-winning fish to the weighmasters. The weather looks particularly brilliant for the duration of this comp, so we expect to be hearing of plenty of quality captures and eager competition for the major prizes. Good luck to all who enter; we know you will have a great time.
Race out to Toogoom and enter the kids in the Toogoom Fishing Club's annual comp. Fun times assured and the chance to win many prizes.
Junior Whiting Fishing Comp on this Saturday
Hervey Bay Amateur Fishing Club’s 5th Annual Junior Whiting Fishing Competition is on this Saturday at Lower Dayman Park in Urangan. It’s only a brief event, run from 8am to 12 noon, but it’s a beauty for the kids, and a great way to introduce them to fishing for whiting.
Capped at 100 entrants, this comp is already booked out. No doubt there will be 100 very excited kids casting a line for whiting Saturday morning, all armed with a free tackle box. Registration was free for those that got in early enough, and there are some very nice prizes on offer. Good luck kids – you are bound to have a ball.
Ben enjoyed his recent Mondy session catching big barra such as this one.
Mark with an example of the average barra Mondy fishos are catching these days.
Urangan Pier Turns it on for School Holidays
As so often happens during the September school holidays, the waters beneath Urangan Pier have come alive with pelagic species, and the kids are getting amongst them. Good numbers of broad-barred mackerel in the 3-5 kilo range are joined by plenty of school mackerel, the odd longtail tuna and occasional stray queenfish, as they predate on the abundant herring harbouring around the pier’s pylons.
The mackerel turned up in numbers last weekend during the making tides pre-new moon and have been quite consistent since. Bigger pelagics are a chance, depending on the prevailing tides, so be prepared for anything should you be venturing out there soon. It’s been all about the pelagics this week, with no word of flathead or bream and a surprisingly small number of whiting.
Whiting have been spotted “blinking” in the shallows of the sandbank, as they roll back and forth just milling about waiting for their next chance to feed. Schools were spotted heading for Torquay just off the beach recently too, so no doubt there have been some decent catches from the Torquay to Urangan strip, even if the pier failed to fire.
Holidaymakers enjoying the casual fishing along our town foreshores have reported modest catches of whiting, yet we still seem to be missing out on the expected motherlode that this time of year typically offers. The whiting remain most abundant over along the western shores of Fraser Island, and seem reluctant to venture ‘into town’ in the usual mass numbers. Neap tides will see enthusiasm wane from whiting fishos, but the days prior to the next full moon will see many keen whiting fans trying their luck once again.
Jewfish can be either a target species or cool bycatch. This one came from a recent Saltwater Playground Charter.
Big nannies look so cool fresh from the water. Make the effort to take a good shot of fish of this calibre for lasting memories.
Boaties Bagging a Feed Inshore
Even if you haven’t been out there, you can imagine just how busy our waterways have been these school holidays. Urangan Harbour’s carpark has been virtually 3 parts full on weekdays, so be patient and efficient this weekend. Crews of larger vessels will be looking to head wide, though plenty will stay close inshore in smaller craft and chase a feed of reef fish and mackerel.
Snapper are failing to excite anyone lately, even though some quality specimens were caught last week. The darks turned it on at a couple of inshore snapper hotspots, but not all fish hooked were landed. The dreaded noah’s arks have crashed the party on the arti (Roy Rufus) and elsewhere.
Mobile fishos accustomed to running from sharks have faired quite well on the likes of grassy sweetlip, blackall and estuary cod. The quality of the sweeties seems a bit better than expected for this time of year, probably thanks to a milder winter meaning more fish lingered and flourished in the abundance of tucker the past wet season deposited.
Those trying to work out our waters might consider trolling tactics for future inshore endeavours. Many visiting anglers fail to score due to their lack of familiarity, and not knowing how to anchor, spot-lock or drift by what are quite small and isolated reefs in Hervey Bay. Tossing an ultra-deep diving lure out the back and slow-trolling it through waters you are prospecting for reef and fish can be very productive.
Classic Dr Evil lures have a major following of fishos that have enjoyed consistent success on cod, coral trout and snapper inshore. These lures say they dive to “20 feet plus” on the packaging, yet trolled 40m behind you at a couple of knots running with the tide can see these lures crash bottom in 36 feet of water. Just right for probing the depths along many ledges lining the western shores of Fraser, not to mention local artificial reef sites etc. This is just one of many lures that we stock at Fisho’s that could see your day of misery turn bright and productive, yet it remains the most popular, and the go-to for those starting out.
The Brown boys got into the sweetlip on a recent trip. These fish are a fantastic species for family fishos to target from now on.
You can still find snapper in the bay. There will be some close inshore, but many more in the central & northern bay.
Mackerel Mayhem in the Bay
They were a tad late in arriving, but when the mackerel decided to turn up, they did so in droves. The making tides that ebbed and flowed prior to the new moon saw a huge biomass of school mackerel spread throughout southern bay waters. From Woodgate to Urangan, and from The Fairway to Coongul, and all points in between, there has been a mass influx of mackerel that has delighted their fans and fed many families this week.
Flasha spoon sales are peaking once again, as the more energetic fishos out there go spinning for schoolies. Trollers are revelling in the abundance too, swimming their favourite divers or trolling spoons past one school or another. Keeping it ultra-simple and soaking gang-rigged pillies has accounted for plenty, as has drifting whole squid down the water column.
In general, the schoolies have been abundant and of quite a decent average size. There are still undersized fish demanding careful release, but they are outnumbered by keepers. Places like the Burrum 8 Mile have been a veritable parking lot some days apparently, as you can imagine the Fairway and the Simpson would have also been. Escaping the attention of mackerel has been a real challenge for those fishos trying to present lures or live baits to snapper and other reef fish, and that situation is not going to improve any time soon.
Broad-barred mackerel have joined the fray and they too are schooling over some of our inshore reef systems. Less-inclined to bite you off than schoolies, the broadies are often brought to the boat as bycatch rather than just a length of frayed leader. Look for them close inshore from the various shallow reefs fringing the bay islands to the beacons and the artificial reefs.
Just to prove once again that the fish fail to read the rule book; there have been reports of spotted mackerel being caught in the western bay this week. Doubting such captures as someone mistaking the identity of their mackerel were soon allayed as photographic evidence indeed confirmed the fish as spotties, not schoolies. Two months early, and probably just a random event, but welcome nonetheless.
School mackerel are in plague proportions in the southern bay. Take the kids out and get them amongst these speedsters and they will have a ball.
Tri from Fraser Guided Fishing has been putting clients onto big goldies on jigs on a regular basis.
Cobia Gathering in the Northern Bay
Reefs in the northern bay such as The Gutters, the 25 Fathom Hole and the reefs off Rooneys have all been hosting increasing numbers of cobia this week. They really bit well over the darks and continue to do so. Cobes from small school fish sub-10 kilos to true giants well over 30 kilos can be found, and at times in packs so thick they even look exhausting to observers watching them cruise by.
Be prepared for a dire battle if you are yet to hook your first cobia. Good rod work and a reasonable drag setting will soon tame them on even tackle that seems under-gunned. Take your time and be patient, then be ready for all hell to break loose if you dare stick a gaff in them. They roll violently, and are widely-known for snapping and stealing gaffs, so consider just bringing them boatside for a happy snap and a snip-off release if you don’t need to kill them. The largest cobes are very cool critters that are fond of cruising up and eye-balling you before making a lunge for any well-presented bait you offer them – a very cool visual experience the kids won’t forget in a hurry.
Those same reefs the cobes are hanging around are also hosting the usual northern bay reefies. You might find a couple of reds, but it will be more likely coral trout, cod, sweetlip, nannygai, tusk fish and snapper. Issues with sharks can be expected anywhere well known, so do the right thing and leave such areas and go find fresh ground the minute they turn up. We locals are often dismayed at how many of our fish are wasted as they meet their demise at the jaws of sharks when the weather is so good during holiday periods. Here’s hoping everyone out there is sensible and doesn’t park-up on the pick feeding the beasts.
Saltwater Playground Charters continue to catch cobia regularly, and will do so for some time to come.
Peter Ferris straining to hold his new PB 152cm cobia aloft prior to release. A tough fish caught on a tough reel - being his Daiwa Free Swimmer 10000.
Cobia are quite prolific in the northern bay. Fish of all sizes are taking live baits and various lures regularly.
Strong Current a Game-Changer Offshore
Whispers of increasing current along the continental shelf north-east of Fraser a couple of weeks ago weren’t shared widely, so many folks found out for themselves last weekend. The dark of the moon failed to return the best results from the shelf or beyond as raging currents to 4 knots made bottom fishing very challenging. There were quality deep water reef fish caught deep-dropping, but only by utilising extra weights and backing-up when necessary.
The shoal country was also very challenging for bottom-bashers, but remained fishable for brief periods when wind and tide allowed. Reds featured in catches, but so too did venus tuskfish (a reliable sign you are drifting away from the best of the hard reef). Amberjack, snapper and pelagic species proved easier to tempt than the bottom-hugging species offshore this week, in what some crews have described as a ‘tough bite’.
The shallowest of the shoal country and Spit Bommie turned it on for topwater fishos tossing stickies and poppers for giant trevally and spanish mackerel in the roaring current. Yellowfin tuna also trilled trollers working wider over the shelf and some of those caught hit the 40-kilo mark again this week. Smallish mahi mahi also tuned up with the current and have been caught at the FAD off the southern end of Fraser.
The FADs normally positioned to the north of Fraser remain missing in action. Fisheries Qld is working on redeployment, but it is the improved GPS tracking system that is causing delays. Word from the man in the know is that we should see our FADs back some time later in October. That will be great news for offshore fishos that like to dance with the dollies.
This mass of water pouring fast from the tropics will have the game fishos excited. This belt of current conveys marlin of all types and sizes south and means great things for our offshore game fishery. Expect things to really heat up offshore in coming weeks as dedicated game fishing crews go on the hunt for black, blue and striped marlin along the shelf.
Sailfish and baby black marlin are also anticipated in shallower waters offshore, and eventually in the northern extremities of the bay. This week, a customer happened to hook a little black off Rooneys somewhere, but failed to stay connected. October is just around the corner, and that is the time when the inshore marlin fleet gets its game on, so expect plenty of news (good or bad) on that front in future fishing reports.
The GTs were on the rampage when Saltwater Playground Charters hit the shallow shoal country off Breaksea Spit.
'GT Buster' hitched a ride with Saltwater Playground Charters and hooked into the GTs east of Breaksea Spit.
Gary and son Jimmy got stuck into the reds on their recent 1770 reef trip.
Lots of Fish Either Side of Fraser Island
Not surprisingly, reports of numbers of spanish mackerel invading the surf gutters of Fraser Island have made the grapevine this week. Tailor numbers have been amassing in recent weeks, so the spaniards haven’t been too far away, and must’ve decided the darks were the tides to push in close and predate on the tailor. Quality fish too, some of those beach-caught spaniards; so, gear up accordingly and see if you have what it takes to land a spaniard from the sand. Trust me, it is a special experience that you won’t forget in a hurry.
Chatter regarding tailor has varied over the past week. From stories of oodles of choppers and a few better greenbacks, to a fairly dismal bite closer to the new moon did the rounds. The island is extra-busy at present, and as any experienced surf fisho will know, headlights and gutters close to lots of traffic can mean shy fish or fish reluctant to move in to feed. The coming week should be interesting as light northerlies impact the island’s surf scene.
The annual two-month closure that denies fishos the chance to fish Fraser’s headlands concludes at the end of this month. Many will make the effort to trapse their way out along the rocks to select ledges and platforms so they can spin for tailor and spaniards etc. Given the fish that have been so centrally-located either side of the headlands in recent weeks, this season-opener should be a ripper.
Sneaking over to the western side of Fraser has paid dividends for those camped on the island of late. When the tides are right (bigger), there have been hordes of whiting to be caught, as well as plenty of flathead and bream. From Wathumba Creek to Moon Creek, the whiting have been quite abundant, and we all know there are plenty further south from there as well.
The baitfish are mooching their way back upstream into the creeks lining either side of the Great Sandy Straits, as they are in our mainland river systems. This augers well for estuary fishos keen to tap into the very exciting barra, salmon and jack fisheries that are about to explode onto the local scene. Exciting times are instore for river fishos, so now is the time to get amongst the fish before the crowds become any more of an issue.
Good luck out there y’all …… Jase
Mick managed the current offshore for a couple of reds like this after a trolling session on the yellowfin and spaniards.
There's still plenty of big yellowfin offshore. With the current racing south, the marlin will be next to turn up.