Flick-It Charters skipper, Terry Allwood, captured this great image of a Mondy barra
Lighter Winds After a Blowy Easter
There has been plenty going on fishing-wise over the past fortnight in the absence of our usual weekly fishing report. Generally, the weather was fairly typical of early autumn, with more wind than we would prefer, especially over the Easter long weekend just gone.
You would have felt the change in the air recently (drier with cooler nights), and although we are enjoying a burst of warmer conditions right now, we can all look forward to cooler autumnal weather in coming weeks. Fantastic days and nights with minimal breeze post-Easter have been both cruel to those returning to work and a blessing for those without that burden. The immediate future looks mixed, but there are some great opportunities in the blend.
It's a ripper day on the water today, with a light onshore easterly below 10 knots. That zephyr will tend more north-easterly Saturday morning, whilst still remaining ultra-light. A subtle north-wester is expected Saturday afternoon, but even that won't strengthen until after sundown. 15 knots of northerly overnight might raise a few bumps on the bay Sunday before the breeze tends westerly and eases through the morning. Saturday is definitely the go for open water exploits, whilst Sunday looks sensational for activities along the west coast or closer inshore.
With the full moon passed a week ago and today's last quarter phase and its associated neap tides dominant, there is currently minimal tidal flow. Making tides hereafter will see the tidal range grow daily under a waning moon, so happy times ahead for those targeting a range of species in select local fisheries.
Andrew Faulkner is justifiably proud of this ripper salty caught locally.
Where's that blue salmon going Stuart - in the crab pot or in ya belly!
Pier Fishery Improving Gradually
Since our last report, the waters flowing beneath Urangan Pier have cleaned-up dramatically. The fishing has been fairly lack lustre, generally speaking, and you can thank the movements of baitfish for that. The herring don't seem to want to take up permanent residence at this time, so there are periods when baitfish are semi-abundant and times when they are scarce.
This unreliable bait supply not only frustrates those relying on same for live baits, but also means the herrings' predators are less inclined to linger. There have been random fish caught from both the estuarine and pelagic clans, though queenfish, small jewies, sharks and other vermin have been the main culprits pulling any string.
The queenies have been fairly small, with the odd fish to 95cm. Most of the jewies have been undersized throw-backs, though the odd keeper has been landed after dark. Flathead have been scarcer than expected, and grunter and salmon catches have been very random if at all. A few sharks created a degree of excitement; the large hammerhead caught this week being the most exciting.
Some years we are talking about pier bream at Easter time, but not this year. Cool changes and another moon will see them roll in most likely, but only if there is sufficient tucker there to sustain a mass spawning population. If the herring return in numbers, then expect a good bream season. The recent flush of freshwater through our creeks and rivers puts the bream fishery in good stead. We just need the other factors to align now.
Some loser vandal kids destroyed the green navigational beacon at the deep end of the pier one night about a fortnight ago. The vandalism was reported to the authorities and the beacon has since been re-installed. Luckily for all involved, there were no marine incidents of vessels crashing into the pier when the beacon was absent. Imagine how popular those kids would be if their beloved pier had to be closed off to repair damage caused by their pathetic actions!
Deej caught this fine thready on an Irukandji Megaprawn.
Staff member, Jacko, proving that he can catch fish other than flathead.
Whiting Fans Favour Topwater Along Our Beaches
Our town beaches were quite busy with holidaymakers of all types over Easter. The wind wasn't favourable, but the moon was. Urangan's beaches were most productive for those armed with ultra-light tackle and tiny topwater lures as they targeted plump whiting cruising that strip. Some enjoyed the envious gaze of nearby bait fishos who failed to catch anywhere near the numbers subdued on tiny poppers and stickbaits.
The gradient of a beach can be a dictating factor when it comes to whiting on topwater. Look at our beaches and you will soon see the subtle differences here and there. When the tide is out, the beachscape is generally flat and shallow, though when the tide is high, the sharper gradient means too much water for topwater enthusiasts to shine. Some time in between will often be prime time, where the water is shallow enough, yet the scene still invites whiting to linger and feed.
Even whiting that aren't actively feeding will chase down a good topwater presentation. Possibly thinking that cheeky prawn or yabby they witness fleeing across the surface has some gall. Post-flood times such as these create fantastic opportunities for whiting (and bream etc) to feed on displaced prawns and jelly prawn alike. Bigger tides than these right now (closer to the next new moon) will see a repeat of past topwater action somewhere.
Apart from the odd grunter or flathead capture or a few small sharks and other vermin, our town beaches have been rather quiet. Some got lucky and happened onto queenfish terrorising displaced baitfish on occasion recently, and a few blue salmon showed up, but nothing we would claim is consistent.
This barra demanded some fancy rod work from Master Brewer to extract from heavy timber.
Ruby Boshammer displays the sort of grunter you can catch from numerous locations in the bay and the straits.
No Marine Fisheries Safe from Sharks
Unless you are fishing above a dam wall these days, chances are you are going to encounter sharks. It seems nowhere is safe since recent flooding, as bull sharks in particular terrorise all and sundry from the shallowest margins to the deepest inshore reefs.
Beach fishos have had issues with sharks taking both hooked fish and their baits. Boaties are being hounded pretty much everywhere, from right up the smallest creeks to the wide-open waters of the bay. Sharks are eating tuna, mackerel and even cobia out in the bay. They are systematically taxing our reef fish catches more efficiently than Albo's mob, and now, they are even swiping whiting and flathead in water so shallow they nearly beach themselves in the process.
Kids are getting about showing videos of sharks following them while they are spearfishing, which is quite daunting. Some of these kids are as bullet-proof as the rest of us thought we were at that age, so here's hoping they can avoid future issues with sharks showing such extra-aggressive behaviour. Trollers report having sharks snatch their lures, making for messy releases at best, whilst anyone trying to live bait our streams is struggling to keep a bait in the water without attention from the bulls.
Crabbers are constantly having their pots torn open by sharks. They are at their worst in the southern bay and the open bay when chasing sandies, but mud crabbers are having issues on the flats and near the creek mouths too. Whilst quite rare, the odd bull shark has munched on a top pocket full of prawns and small sharks tearing through cast nets is becoming more common, so even prawners aren't excluded from the growing menace.
Consider the fact that during "pupping season" the female bull sharks are capable of birthing up to 14 live pups and the picture is scary. Try and guess how many mature bulls there are in the bay and surrounds these days. Now, halve that number and multiply it by say 10. Whatever number you came up with, it is downright scary! Of course, there won't be a 100% survival rate in any case (the sharks will predate on most pups), but the numbers on any 'census' of our shark population is only heading in one direction – up!
Read the rest of this report with the above in mind, and please do what you can to reduce the impact of shark depredation on our fisheries. These critters have already reduced our possible reef fish catches so dramatically that many folks don't even bother this time of year. Perhaps we locals are a little lucky that the weather was so windy over Easter, otherwise the damage to our reef fish population would've been extra-disastrous.
Jack Puxty has caught some great fish recently, including this nice threadfin salmon.
Jack caught this magnificent black jew recently and added it to a growing list of impressive captures.
Latest Reports from Our Reef Fisheries
Gatakers Bay and the Point Vernon reefs were popular over Easter, primarily due to the sheltered nature of those waters. Mixed results were shared, which saw catches of estuary cod exceed coral trout, whilst sweetlip and grunter featured in catches for some folks. The full moon bite was okay, but it seems like better weather has produced a substantially improved bite since.
School mackerel have been taking trolled lures around Gatakers Bay and schools are also showing up off the Burrum coast. Chances are you will encounter schoolies between Woodgate and Urangan, whether you like it or not. Maybe try the beacons out in the shipping channel for a quick spin, or just hug the west coast if mackerel are on your hit list.
The deeper inshore reefs dotted throughout our inshore shipping channels are alive with fish, but just as alive with sharks unfortunately. If you can avoid the noahs, then you might slip a coral trout and a few cod into the esky, or maybe a run of sweeties. No doubt more will be wasted than enjoyed, so keep mobile and use lures more-so than baits if you can.
Nannygai are on the bite out in the wider expanses of the open bay. Isolated reefs unknown to the masses are the true hotspots for these tasty battlers. Nannies moving closer inshore to gorge on the prawn, baitfish and squid displaced by wet season rains will become more prevalent in coming weeks. Lucky be those that can find a few of the plump little pink parcels of goodness without any noahs above.
At least one crew found a handy patch of snapper on a recent trip in less-than-ideal conditions up the bay one night recently. The first fish threatened the 70cm mark and was welcomed aboard, but the next couple of beauties hooked never made it that far. The skipper rightly moved off in disgust before doing any more damage and then failed to find fish elsewhere without the taxman present.
Those that made their way to the Gutters in recent days found the coral trout chewing quite well. They suffered the attention of the noahs, as you can well imagine, but enough shifts and keeping mobile produced a feed. Grassy sweetlip, cod and nannies were also caught, along with a few school mackerel. No word from offshore recently, and with the swell still up out there, those that make it beyond the spit won't have too much traffic to worry about.
Mindy enjoyed a day trolling Gatakers Bay with Luke and picked up this nice schoolie on a Samaki Redic.
This beaut grunter Mindy caught trolling wasn't as big as the one that got away.
Tuna Action Aplenty in Platypus Bay
Sharks aside, Hervey Bay's longtail tuna fishery is bringing plenty of joy to family fishos keen on a little high-speed sportfishing. They haven't been too hard to find on the good days; lurking off Wathumba and Station Hill if not further south. Most of the tuna caught have been school fish of modest size, which is almost a good thing when there are so many sharks about.
The longtails have made their way well into the upper straits of late, and have been a feature off Kingfisher Bay and the southern sector of the bay islands. They can be ultra-flighty when cruising our inshore shipping channels sometimes, though getting a hook-up has been as simple as getting close enough and tossing a slug into the melee for some crews lately. The making tides this week should see more of their brethren ride the tides inshore, so go for a spin and save the fuel you would've otherwise burned up Platypus way if you find that appealing.
Try for queenfish and golden trevally around the bay islands, Fraser's western ledges or its flats while you are in that part of the bay. You can have a ball chasing pelagics in pretty skinny water, or jig them the depths. Lean towards topwater offerings and add extra excitement either way.
A stray cobia or two has been reported in Platypus Bay waters, with one rather sizeable model falling victim to the men in grey suits boatside. Spaniards are scattered across the open waters of the bay and likely anywhere there is sufficient bait to sustain them. The Fairway, Simpson arti and 6 Mile probably offer the best inshore spaniard options without burning too much fuel. Oh, and be ready for anything, as the local that hooked a marlin off Coongul a couple of weeks ago will tell you. Sadly, he had it subdued, then he stuffed up at the last moment and it swum off without evidence. Without doubt, that fish will remain embedded in his memory forever.
Ben found spanish mackerel in glamour conditions recently.
Luke's catch of mackerel and estuary cod from Gatakers Bay and the Samaki Redic that did the damage.
Great Sandy Straits Fishing Well
Part of our world that benefits immediately post-flooding is the myriads of creeks, islands and channels of the Great Sandy Straits. Various tracts of that region have been fishing particularly well of late, from the reefy ledges and sunken reefs to the creeks and the vast featureless flats. If you are keen on estuarine predators and are deterred by muddy waters in our rivers, then the straits is the destination for you.
Many barramundi have been caught over the past couple of weeks, both small and large. Fishing for barra on the flats has been productive, as it usually is post-flood, and some rather memorable sessions have unfolded for those in the know. This current spike in temperature, combined with making tides, can only mean a continuation of the barra bite, so make the most of it before the chill sets in.
Threadfin and blue salmon are also well-represented down the straits. You will find the threadies predating on prawns and other small morsels in skinny muddy water and around ebbing drains at times, and holing up in deeper water at other times. The blues will find you (like it or not) and being so highly mobile can turn up anywhere. Trollers have ample options to mix it with salmon, barra and maybe even jacks and jewies if they can troll the right waters without hooking too many cod.
Good catches of grunter can be made from select creeks, from the flats when the tide is high, and along the fringes of Fraser's western ledges. They can school-up on certain shallow reef outcrops down there too, which makes for excellent fishing, so long as the dreaded green toads don't share the same terrain.
Cleanest water down the straits is hugging the deeper channels of the eastern side, yet the water quality all round is fine. Think queenies, little GTs and goldies in the cleaner waters and your other estuary predators in the coloured stuff. There is ample tucker on offer down there, from jelly prawn through various prawn sizes, to mullet and all the odds and sods (like pony fish, glassies, mud herring, yorkies, herring and so on). The fishing will peak before some of the predators make their move back upriver, so seize the opportunity now or miss out.
The waters of the straits are free of gill nets thanks to legislation passed last year. Many can bear witness to the almost immediate improvement in virtually all aspects of the fishery down there since, and the future looks extra-bright. Albeit with one shadow we can all do without that was discovered recently, and that is illegal gillnetting. Incidences were reported to Fisheries when netters were sprung in the wee hours of the morning, and any further incidences must also be reported. Be mindful, and sic the boys in blue onto them if you trip over such activity.
Charles with a nice barra from the Great Sandy Straits.
Jacko got amongst the threadies and grunter during a recent trip down the straits.
Burrum Heads Easter Classic Results
The Burrum Heads Amateur Fishing Club ran their popular family-oriented Easter Classic last weekend and were quite happy with a good roll-up of competitors in rather windy conditions. 347 entrants, both adult and junior, vied for the many prizes for heaviest of species (and runners-up) in a hotly contested comp that saw many quality fish brought to the weighmaster.
The Burrum river system produced the majority of captures in winds that struggled to stay under 20 knots. The fishing was quite good, and the festivities just as good, as kids and their families enjoyed the many fun activities synonymous with a well-run comp such as this. With space constraints limiting us in this report, you can check out all the comp results via the club's website when they upload the data in a couple of days' time.
Fish weighed alive and destined for release at the Burrum Heads Easter Classic.
It's all about the kids and family fishos at the Burrum Heads Easter Classic.
Woodgate Prawns and Crabs Galore
The Easter full moon saw the banana prawns turn up in massive numbers off Woodgate Beach, as so often happens. The pros were the first to brave the onshore weather and were soon joined by an ever-growing crowd of hungry prawners. They must've been fair hanging on when the winds were up that weekend, and are no doubt relishing the much more acceptable conditions up there right now.
The prawns aren't big, by Woodgate standards, but they are shiny and super crunchy all the same. Bucket limits have been a matter of a couple of casts for those on the best patches, so it has been a pretty quick affair to race up, bag-out and head home happy. Excessive catches will always be a part of this scene, so Fisheries has been on the job. Remember everyone, you are allowed a 10-litre bucket if alone, or a boat limit of double that if there are two or more people on board. This is a possession limit (like all of our limits) so what is at home tallies with what you have on board.
No doubt the Woodgate banana prawn bonanza will continue on and off for the next month or two. The best flood down the Burnett in some time has assured us of that. In the meantime, there are medium-sized prawns galore in the vicinity of River Heads and further down the straits. After such a promising start to the season that was followed by a minor flood, we will all be fattening up on crispy fresh banana prawns in coming weeks.
Many a prawn feast has been supplemented by succulent mud crab meat too lately, as our local crab fishery went from strength to strength this summer-autumn. Catches in some areas have supposedly started to wane a little in recent days, but that should not be any surprise when the folks telling us that took bag limit after bag limit from those waters in recent weeks.
So, if you are a seafood fan, then you must relish the immediate future. Prawns, crabs and fish now, and squid on the way. All at a time when the weather is generally improved and more favourable. Now is a great time to be out there fishing our waters, and it would be positive vibes all round – if it wasn't for those darn sharks!
They taste better if you cook 'em first Leo. The banana prawns are on the move and can be found from Woodgate to the Straits.
Leo got to feast on both mud crab and banana prawns this week. Great times for local seafood lovers.
Good luck out there y'all …… Jase