Fisho’s Weekly Fishing Report – 9th January, 2026

Chris Ross' red tipped the scales at over 12kg. Just one of several fish caught in a torrid session.

A Rather Fishy Start to 2026

A somewhat belated Happy New Year from all the crew at Fisho’s folks. We trust you all enjoyed yourselves over the Xmas break and snuck in a bit of fishing. 

2026 kicked off strongly for retailers like us, with huge numbers of visitors in town and plenty of locals making the most of the better weather when it eventuated. It was absolute chaos at local boat ramps on the better days, with parking facilities falling well-shy of adequate for the mass influx of boaties.

Note: The following was written last night based on the latest weather predictions from BOM and online weather gurus. Vastly different predictions appeared when re-checked this morning. So, read on, but check the latest forecasts as the volume of precipitation and subsequent winds may differ from suggested.

The weather was mixed over the past fortnight, offering a few days out wide or up north on the GBR between bouts of moderate winds that kept boaties closer inshore. There is wild weather on the way it seems, so make the most of coming days if you can. A big blow is possible by this time next week, should the low to our north keep coming our way. The future weather may look a little grim, but hey, you get that in summer in these parts, and we are way better off than the poor buggers battling floodwaters and fires elsewhere.

A moderate easterly to 20 knots is blowing out there on the bay today. Tomorrow should see slightly less, but only just, at 15 knots or so. Saturday offers the nicer of the weekend days, as the prevailing easterly wind is dragging moisture onshore that will mean rain for much of Sunday. Don the wet weather gear and head out into calmer seas dampened by rain and an easing 10-15 knot easterly if you are keen enough. At least parking will not be a problem at the ramp.

Expect plenty of showery rainfall on Monday, and continuing shower activity thereafter. The wind is expected to tend south-easterly by mid-week and strengthen to 20 knots+ for the foreseeable future, so the next few days are the pick of a bad bunch. Tidal flow is very minimal at present as we enter another neap phase courtesy of Sunday’s last quarter. Making tides thereafter will trigger the response we so look forward to from our piscatorial friends, even though the weather might keep us from capitalising. 

Ash Ross trying to keep up with his older brother Chris. The boys got into some ripper reds recently.

The Parr crew fished the Bunker Group off 1770 for a feed of quality reefies like this RTE.

These Fraser Guided Fishing clients had a ball in perfect conditions inshore recently.

The Jasperse family thoroughly enjoyed catching barra at Trinity Island park.

Action Aplenty on Urangan Pier

Local pier regulars had to weave their way through a massive influx of visitors over the past couple of weeks. No doubt there were frustrations, but these times offer locals the chance to show off their fishing prowess to those less tuned-in to the pier fishery. It was on for young and old out there day and night, as the pelagics entertained the daytime crowds and the squid kept folks coming back after dark.

Big spanish mackerel were a highlight recently, and those bruiser GTs continue to trash anyone under-gunned or caught off-guard. Golden trevally have been caught as late as yesterday, and queenfish continue to feature in catches when live squid or pike are offered in lieu of herring. The herring are quite small by the way, but plentiful, so expect increasing pelagic action next week during the making tides.

Decent broad-barred mackerel have been caught from the pier, yet schoolies remain largely absent. A flathead is always a chance on a live bait, but don’t expect numbers this time of year. A few random grunter turned up after dark for those lucky enough to have their bait in the right spot; that bait often being a small live squid.

Pencil squid numbers increased around Xmas, and kept many family fishos entertained in the evening. They were a bit shy over the peak of the full moon, as they should be, but are back in numbers again now. The size is only average, but they are getting bigger. Bag limits of 50 in-possession are easily achievable with quality jigs and the aid of a submersible squid light.

Grunter are on the bite in the bay as well as the straits and our rivers. Jigs are just one way of catching them in deep water.

James & Lennox got stuck into the bass on a recent freshwater mission.

Steve went trolling shallow reef with Luke and scored this fine trout on a Grumpy's Trout Candy.

The Chandler boys enjoyed a fruitful session fishing their home patch at Gatakers Bay.

Very Busy Local Town Beaches

Even an apparent Irukandji scare was insufficient to deter eager swimmers from having fun in our local waters over past weeks. Fishing has to take a backseat to such activities during the peak heat of the day, but dawn and dusk offer beach fishos a crack at their quarry. Grunter featured in local catches recently, as did sharks, fun-sized (mostly undersized) whiting for the kids and the odd stray flathead or schools of small dart.

Out away from the hustle and bustle of town, the long stretch of Dundowran Beach was the place to be for whiting fishos. Last weekend’s full moon had the whiting on the chew out there for a few days prior, and a good feed of plump ‘ting was in the offing. Add a couple of flathead from O’Regans and Beelbi Creeks and quite a few locals enjoyed a summer feast of fresh seafood.

Kids wandering our local creek systems soon found how prolific baby estuary cod are upstream. Some connected to mangrove jacks, but not all were able to land them in the skinny snag-filled waters. A few stray whiting made their way into the creeks with the peak of the moon, but otherwise, it was just random flathead catches and the ever-present hungry little tiddlers that kept the kids busy.

River Heads has been ultra-busy of late, with not only the boat ramp carpark overflowing, but lots of keen fishos fishing from the shore. Passing threadfin salmon are what those in the know should be targeting, though any spawning barra in the area copped an inappropriate flogging too it seems. Low tide efforts with baits can produce grunter for those familiar with their movements, otherwise, it is estuary cod and the chance of a salmon that draws a summer crowd at the heads.

Braithe was absolutely stoked when he caught this ripper flatty. Great fish young man.

Lou has been catching a variety of fish from the Booral foreshores, including flatties and this 94cm queenie.

Young Leo enjoyed success chasing flatties locally. Well done young fella.

Big jacks eat big lures as well as small lures, as Hilly can attest.

Summer Reefies on the Chew Inshore

Anyone tuned in to our inshore reef fishery will know that coral trout, estuary cod and grassy sweetlip are the mainstays for most fishos. Blackall also bite well, but they are not on everyone’s hit list. Grunter are a major target species for many at present, and will be even more-so when the wet season rains arrive (very soon it seems).

So, continue to target coral trout with live baits or jigged lures on the deeper reefs when the tide is right and you will score. Estuary cod bycatch is pretty much a given, as are encounters with the dreaded noahs arks. The sharks are that bad that they are systematically destroying all forms of life on some reef sites, so make sure you move on if they are active on your chosen hotspots.

The grassies are prolific, as they are most summers. They love a feed of fresh squid and are revelling in the abundance of pencillies migrating through our inshore waters at present. Nannygai will be turning up very soon too, as they move in to predate on the abundances of summer. Both squid and a flush of prawn from wet season rains will draw decent nannies right in close, so keep that in mind for future forays.

Trollers plunging their ultra-deep divers to the bottom in our shipping channels and along Fraser’s western ledges are catching estuary cod quite consistently. They might rather be catching trout, but the generally slow nature of deeper water trolling means more cod than trout. Sped-up presentations over shallower reef typically sees nothing but coral trout (or maybe mackerel), with very few if any cod caught. Slow down and the cod will have a crack, as might grunter or small reefies with the word ‘perch’ in their name.

Chasing squid has been a major part of most folks’ day in the southern bay and northern straits. Catching your bag limit of 50 is easy enough, then you can put them to use as bait or chill them for tucker at home. Dropping paternoster-rigged micro squid jigs to the sea floor and jigging them is child’s play, and a great way to entertain the young ones. Remember though, to always be on the look-out for tangled jigs, as the squid will ignore all offerings on board if even only one rig is tangled. A quick retrieve and untangle before redeployment is a must, and will keep your drift producing.

Brett Bartlett picked up this fine inshore trout. These fish will be on the chew big time for the next couple of months.

Ace claimed this trout, but Luke had to help him wind it in.

Another species for Luke trolling Grumpy's Trout Candies. This blubberlip was hooked in the back and released unharmed.

Leon displaying the class of grassy sweetlip you can catch close inshore in summer.

Reef Fish Out Wide Get Another Reprieve

A break in the breeze saw a few local crews hit the Bruce for ports further north recently. Some were rewarded handsomely with wondrous catches of quality red emperor and stacks of coral trout. A much better return for effort than trips late spring when coral spawn negatively impacted the fishing up on the GBR. 1770 ramp was chaos and it was virtually an Uber-ride back to the ramp from where some poor folks had to park apparently. The locals must love that scene!

The recent full moon was surrounded by great weather, so long runs out wide were the go for many boaties. Unfortunately, the sharks were relentless in many areas from the Gutters and Rooneys all the way out to beyond Breaksea Spit. For those that managed to avoid the bities offshore, there were reds in the offing, so long as you could manage the raging current.

Those that headed for the Gutters found the sharks just as bad as ever along the prominent ledges. It was a wise move on the part of some skippers to go in search of smaller, more isolated ‘life’ away from the usual hotspots, where quality coral trout, cod, tuskfish, sweetlip and other reefies were quickly hauled aboard without any interference from the taxman.

Over Rooneys way, it has been sweetlip, nannygai, big grunter and cod that have featured in catches anywhere the sharks were avoidable. Mackerel and trevally made for some fun for those into their trolling or jigging too, but the sharks proved not to be too fussy over that way in general. 

With the weather denying access to the wider grounds for what might be a couple of weeks, an option thereafter is to hit select reefs in the northern bay before anyone else and see if any stray reds or big nannies moved in during the blow. It used to be a ‘thing’ eons ago, and may still apply. It is first-in best-dressed in this scenario, as big aggressive fish such as reds and nannies will bite first and be either taken by a fisho or a noah. Rock up late and those fish are gone ‘til the next major blow or migratory movement.

Chris Beddows enjoyed a shark-free trip out near the Gutters by fishing smaller isolated outcrops away from the main ledges.

Alicia Beddows loved catching reefies such as this cute tusk fish, particularly in such primo conditions without shark issues.

Brett's disappointment must've been palpable when this red came up undersized.

Tony's new year inshore popping session was a ripper; catching 8 GTs like this one, plus a high-flying shark that luckily shed the lure after many jumps.

Spotties Finally Arrived to Ring In the New Year

After a pretty abysmal start to the spotted mackerel season due to incessant northerly winds, these prolific toothy speedsters have finally graced us with their presence. New Year’s Eve saw numbers of spotties caught from the northern bay, and they have been a regular feature in various forms ever since.

Onshore winds saw the spotties move further into Platypus Bay, where they turned up off Wathumba and Arch Cliffs. Some folks reported small schools here and there, whilst other folks said they found masses of fish. Most were happy with the size of the spotties, averaging 70cm or so, and pretty much all and sundry scored a bag limit once they found them.

Sharks played havoc around some schools of spotties, as they did around the vast schools of tuna. Mac tuna numbers swelled in recent weeks, but are supposedly a little less prolific right now. School longtails turned up in small numbers in the wider expanses of the bay, whilst a few also made their way over to Platypus. No word of inshore marlin at all, with only the big blues offshore over the shelf keeping any game fishos keen.

Spanish mackerel are scattered across the bay. You can find them in the far northern bay and you can find a few extra-large fish much closer inshore. Those fishing for other species on local shipwrecks and other artificial reefs might encounter XOS spaniards randomly; most likely when they take a swipe at a fish being retrieved to the boat.

The same tactics are even more frequently deployed by big GTs that haunt the very same reef structures as well as local ledges this time of year. Bust-ups will be common, particularly for those live baiting for reefies. It isn’t always sharks devouring the fish you are retrieving after all (but fair to say it is most of the time).

Michael Reader found some goldies on a recent bay mission.

Spanish mackerel are suckers for trolled Reaper Rigs. You won't even have to drive far to find big ones at present.

Mick with the class of spanish mackerel that cruise right inshore this time of year. Think twice about eating spaniards this big though folks.

Tony was ecstatic to catch his first ever tuna. Thanks to his mate and gun local fisho, Dean Abbott.

Estuary Fish Will Respond to Inbound Rains

Avoiding the summer holiday crowds is nigh-on impossible in these parts, even in what you might think are remote backwaters of the straits. Good fishing is on offer down there at present, that could see you mixing it with anything from pelagics like queenfish and trevally to various estuarine predators and even a few stray reef fish. No straits trip will be manageable without appropriate insect repellent, so ensure you have some Bushmans on board or consider a Thermacell for dedicated evening sessions.

Threadfin salmon are the main target species for law-abiding straits and river fishos, where soft vibes can be deployed over fish spotted on scanners as you cruise a favoured waterway. The tides will be favourable for such endeavours next week, even if the weather is not. Schools of grunter can be found within creeks as well as within feeder channels. Smaller soft vibes will entice them, but soft plastic prawns are truly hard to beat.

Those keen to pit their skill against the local mangrove jacks are in for some torrid sessions this week potentially. Inclement weather can be a bite trigger to a fish with big eyes that avoids direct sunlight. Our waters are warm and the jacks are biting especially well, so head into one of Fraser’s western creeks or a mainland creek down the straits and you should do well. You don’t need to be in there for dawn or dusk suffering the bugs, but if you are, then you could be in for a champagne session.

Josh Downing has been catching jacks and threadies from a local stream.

Mark Whitford was one of many fishos into the jacks over the Xmas break.

Rivers Alive with Life and Ready for Future Flooding

Both the Mary and Burrum river systems are alive with boat traffic of late, but they are also alive with fish life and crustaceans. The Mary enjoyed a subtle barely-notable flow of water from upstream at Xmas time, whilst the Susan shed excess water from localised rains quite quickly. Both rivers are in a prime state right now, with summer flooding likely in the near future.

With potentially 200mm for the catchments being lauded by the BOM etc, our estuarine fish will be responding to the change in climate and feeding quite intensely. Making tides will aid such a feast, so expect great things from the threadies and the grunter. The barra will be hyperactive too, but of course they are off the hit list until the end of the month, so no-one will be targeting them!

The Burrum’s jack population will be in feast-mode as well as beast-mode, as the rivers’ biggest and baddest consider downstream movements with future rains. The Burrum and its three feeder streams are all in a prime state, giving up threadies, flathead, grunter, cod, and of course, jacks. The greasy prawns are already on the move, en-masse in some stretches, so they know something is coming.

Crabbers are catching muddies despite the extra effort from visiting recreational and professional crabbers. Quality is apparently quite good, with full bucks just as common if not more-so than ‘B-graders’. Crab pot theft has been rife, particularly down the straits. Do what you can to protect your crabs and your pots, and make sure you shame the so and so’s if you catch them in the act by taking photos of them and their boat and referring them to Fisheries.

As if pot theft wasn’t a bad enough issue, you might also have to contend with the attention of sharks if you are sand crabbing in the bay. Bigger tides like the recent full moon’s saw the sandies on the move close inshore once again, but what might have been better hauls fell short due to bull sharks etc chomping into pots to get to fish baits.

Here’s hoping 2026 is a massive one for you fishos, full of new PBs and exciting times on the water with family and friends. Stay safe and be kind to others over the remainder of the holiday period, whilst making the most of the better weather at a time when big deluges and prolonged periods of strong trade winds can impact our world.

Good luck out there y’all …… Jase