Fisho's Weekly Fishing Report – 24th July, 2026

Grunter are still mooching about inshore and are a fun fish on the flats. James with a recent capture.

It's Cooler but Still Not Cold

Strong winds buffeted our coastline last week, that denied boaties access to open waters until a couple of days ago. That blow cranked to gale force offshore and carried an inherent wind chill factor, yet somehow, our mild Fraser Coast winter continues unabated.

Excellent conditions yesterday were all too brief, as the breeze stiffened a little this morning. Nothing dramatic, at around 10-15 knots from the south to south-west initially, before tending south-easterly and building to 20 knots late this afternoon. This mini-blow will only be short-lived, and our weekend weather will get better with time.

Sleep in Saturday and you will avoid the worst of the breeze. It might try and blow 20 knots south to south-easterly in the northern bay early whilst maybe 15 knots inshore. It will ease gradually throughout the day without quite dropping to 10 knots. Much better Sunday, with sub-10 knot variables, kicking off from the south then tending easterly later. It should be mostly sunny, with the very slight chance of a passing shower Saturday.

Those avoiding work early next week will enjoy the best it has to offer. Following a lovely back-to-work Monday, the breeze will remain light into mid-week. A building south-easter is expected by week's end suggesting you make the most of this weekend as the following one may not be so flash.

Enjoy the clear skies and the warming glow of the fast-waxing moon too. It will be full come Thursday, so you can consider the building tides until then as primo for many fisheries. These mild conditions cannot last forever either, so relish the current conditions, as it could get decidedly cooler in a week or so's time.

Archie Caswell's Bunker Group long-nosed emperor is a catch he can brag about for some time.

Blake Caswell hauled this coronation trout from a reef in the Bunker Group recently.

Pulse of Whales Arrived During the Blow

Whilst sane fishos were tucked-up out of the wind during this latest big blow, whale-watch operators were taking on the chop up in Platypus Bay when manageable. Those that braved the wind were rewarded with spectacular shows from the humpbacks not far up the island. A big pulse of whales has arrived in the bay, and they really turn on the aerials when it is windy.

Interestingly, a rare visitor from down south also arrived up the island this week. Spotted by multiple commercial whale watch operators just north of Arch Cliffs sunning itself on the beach, was a New Zealand fur seal. Presumed lost during its own migratory travels, the seal appears to be recovering from wounds attributable to a shark or a propeller, and was probably resting there out of the prevailing wind slop elsewhere.

Maybe not as welcome a sight for a fisho or beachgoer, was the 12ft+ tiger shark seen cruising a stretch of Platypus Bay beach in very little water. Hunting that poor seal perhaps? Who knows. There are some XOS bities in our waters at this time; such as the great whites reported offshore and north of Fraser recently.

Boaties wandering the waters of the bay should take extra care and keep a constant lookout for whales in coming weeks and months. A couple of these leviathans have been spotted in as little as five metres of water along the Platypus Bay beachfront lately, so even the island-hugging run home has its risks.

Stay a steady course when out in open waters and avoid steering wildly all over the place, particularly at night. You can only trust that the whales will avoid you if they can; made harder if your course is haphazard. Collisions with vessels have increased with whale numbers in recent years, naturally, so let's all hope this winter-spring whale season is an incident free one.

Wounded and well off course, this NZ fur seal is an unexpected visitor to Hervey Bay waters.

Logan Baker holding a fine red emperor caught out wide a couple of weeks ago.

Portholes Beneath Urangan Pier Impressing No-one

Okay, so the heading seemed cute, but the 'portholes' being referred to are a variety of herring. The 'southern herring' I believe. Not the favoured bait of Urangan Pier regulars, and seemingly not a drawcard for passing fish either. The pier has been very quiet this week, fish-wise, even during the making tides.

The lack of 'greenback' herring might be blamed for the lack of pelagic activity, but the big blow could be a culprit too. Whatever the case, it has been mostly the humble bream that have entertained pier fishos in recent days. Tides building to a full moon next week should see bream activity crescendo, so there is some solace in that for those willing to down the heavier tackle in favour of the light stuff.

Someone might get lucky and catch a jewfish under this week's moon if the lunar peak triggers them to hunt beneath the pier. Catching livies and deploying them will still work as it always has, but you have so many (let's say) cooler ways of catching jewies these days. Soft vibes, large prawn imitations and select paddle-tailed softies are just some of the artificial offerings you might tempt your next one with. Effective and fun, with extra bragging rights no doubt.

Hordes of trevally are feasting on the incredible biomass of baitfish in the bay this winter.

Just in case anyone out there hasn't seen a photo of Jackson with a flathead...

Landlubbers Have a Better Chance This Week

Beach-goers have been limited by weather recently, like the rest of us. Those that made some effort out Toogoom way were rewarded with a feed of whiting apparently, so that might be the way to head in coming days. The full moon tides will have the whiting biting well. All you need to do is find them.

Weed beds are showing positive signs of recovery out there Burrum side of Toogoom too apparently. A great thing for the future health of the area and potentially the longer-term sustainment of fish such as whiting and bream. It will be interesting to see how well our inshore weed beds recover now that commercial netting activity is reduced. Fish numbers have certainly improved; of that there is no doubt.

Try a creek bank or the verges near the mouth if looking for some shore-based action this week. Flatties will be the main target for some, whilst others may be keener on whiting or bream. Queenfish were a viable target out Toogoom way recently, though appear harder to find at present. Squid enjoyed a brief reprieve from their pursuers (us) during the blow, so you might even find a school or two of those cheeky critters tucked up somewhere clear, shallow and structure-filled this week.

Wandering the rocky foreshores between Pialba and Gatakers Bay will put you within casting distance of plenty of bream. Tailor could turn up too, particularly if there are schools of baitfish lingering nearshore after sheltering from the big blow. It could be a conundrum perhaps. If limited to one rod for mobility, then ultra-finesse for the bream or something a tad chunkier for the tailor? Maybe an intermediate outfit that will skull-drag the bream away from the coral, that is capable of launching a tailor lure some distance, is the ticket.

The Booral Flats could be interesting during periods of light wind next week. The bigger full moon tides will have forage and predatory fish mooching into incredibly shallow water with the rising tide. Whiting, bream, flathead and blue salmon are the most likely candidates for some mudflat action down there. Bream, flathead, blues and maybe a jewfish being potential targets further south at River Heads, where tailor are also likely to kick it up a gear as the full moon approaches.

Lou scored this Booral Flats blue salmon during a change of light session down there not long ago.

Six keepers from four pots for Addie Priala. Muddies will be on the menu again this full moon.

Snapper Season Closure Shifts Inshore Focus

Law-abiding conscientious fishos will be doing their best to avoid interactions with our snapper now that they are off limits. Snapper, along with pearl perch, cannot be targeted or retained during this month-long closure, that concludes at midnight 15th August.

This means that inshore fishos chasing a feed of reef fish will have to settle for grassy sweetlip, cod, nannygai and coral trout. Blackall will provide action on soft natural baits such as squid, prawns and strip baits, whilst grunter could feature in catches a little way up the bay closer to the full moon.

You are probably going to hook snapper or squire if you are soaking baits or working lures around the usual hotspots. Do them and the future of the bay snapper fishery a favour and release them immediately unharmed. That is, assuming you actually land them with so many sharks still haunting most of the recognised inshore hotspots.

Maybe give the inshore reefs a spell and consider some of the other excellent piscatorial pursuits you can take advantage of this time of year. There is plenty of fun to be had with pelagics such as trevally and queenfish close inshore, and there are schools of longtail tuna up the island. Schools of tuna to 15kg or so have been busting up on surface baitfish amongst the whales this week apparently.

Our tiger squid population copped a caning this winter, as always nowadays, but efforts post-blow could be more rewarding than pre-blow. No doubt a few have moved into the usual haunts, and it will be first in best inked this weekend. There is always the bread 'n' butter species otherwise, if you find them appealing. They are all just about to peak, so there is no better time than now to get amongst them.

Whiting schools will be creeping up into the skinniest of water with the rising tides under a rising moon this week. A yabby/bloodworm soaking fest that typically sees local aficionados bag out with little hassle. The same schools will be forced to retreat when the tides dictate too, so a second opportunity presents itself during the last of the ebb. It is at such times that those folks dancing tiny topwater offerings across the outflows from the flats and creeks can be seen hooking up cast after cast.

Bream schools gathered for their annual spawn can be found milling around numerous rocky outcrops. The same schools often leave that cover behind to mooch up onto the nearby flats like the whiting, so they too offer excellent topwater action in very skinny water. Stick to the rocks and target them en masse or got hunting for trophies on the fringes of the schools. Bream are only bream, I know, and hardly as exciting as many of our other local species, but they still offer a very appealing way to while away the hours and days waiting for snapper season to re-open.

Lukas Taranto and a big black-spot tuskfish he shot recently.

Head for the northern bay when the weather settles and you could be posing with trout like this one of Lukas'.

Full Moon Fun in the Great Sandy Straits

Chasing whiting and bream down the straits has plenty of appeal, but you have many other alternatives down there too. It is flathead season now, and they are pretty easy to find. Head for Fraser's western fringe and work the ebbing tides around drains where water races off the flats. Flathead will be lying in ambush, facing into the receding tide, awaiting their next meal.

Enjoy the ebb tide bite while it lasts, then intercept them again as they reposition for the early flood tide. This bite period can be the most aggressive, but both a great. If not satiated and still needing a flatty fix, then move up along the mangrove lines as the tide is topping out and sight-fish to flathead you spot up in the clear shallows. Blind cast along similar terrain if not clear enough, and keep on the move to find concentrations of fish.

Some pretty cool bycatch is possible whilst hunting flathead. Grunter are one species that favour certain flats and creeks, whilst salmon can soon have your drag squealing deeper down the straits. You might connect to trevally, queenfish, blue salmon or even threadies in some locales, so be prepared for anything. Avoid the green toads and the tailor if they show up as they won't do your flathead lure collection any favours.

Spend some time chasing threadfin salmon during the build-up to the full moon and you can give your heavier estuary tackle a workout. You might even get to sight-fish some in clear waters at times, even though they will likely prove challenging to tempt in that scenario. Resort to vibes and prawn imitations in deeper waters and present them to fish you can clearly see on your sounder. Hit the drains for the last of the ebb as well and you've covered all the thready bases.

Add wintertime barra pursuits and maybe a little jewfish hunting, and your day down the straits will be a full one. That is without mentioning the grunter you could be chasing, or the queenies and blue salmon up on the flats. The Great Sandy Straits is a wondrous fishery at any time, but this time of year is extra special. You could witness monsters mauling mullet or be sight casting to cheeky squid; the options are endless.

Scott caught this massive 85cm flathead during the recent HBFC comp. A fish too big to be weighed in that was released unharmed.

Taka with bream bycatch that you could be targeting with finesse tackle this winter.

Fraser Island Pounded by Massive Swell

Word from local fishos visiting Fraser prior to this latest blow was of flat wide beaches, hard sand tracks, extra-easy travel and little to hinder the pursuit of a feed of fish. There was a bit of weed suspending in certain gutters up north, but it was only minimal and the gutters were largely fishable.

Efforts to find any decent tailor up towards and beyond the headlands were not rewarded. Tailor were at best scarce according to our latest correspondent. Resorting to alternative species was more productive, as some very nice tarwhine joined a procession of quite decent dart in entertaining and feeding folks camping at Orchid Beach.

The surf fishing might not have been so bragworthy, but the chance to get out offshore off Waddy just before the blow made up for the lack of action on the sand. Tractor launching into a rather insignificant excuse for a gutter north of the headland was easy enough with minimal swell. Once out on the reef, a great haul of mixed bottom dwellers that included multiple venus tuskfish and coronation trout aplenty were slipped into a fast-filling esky with very little tax paid to the sharks.

And thereafter came the blow. Howling southerly winds turned south-easterly in time, gouging the sands from the beach as massive swells rolled in one after the other. Our intrepid fishos called it early on their visit and made for home along a fast-disappearing beach.

Swell surging up the beach left little more than a skinny passage for vehicles even at low tide. Travel beyond the optimum low tide period was effectively denied. Rocks exposed and gutters were negated as the residual swell continued to batter the surf side of the island.

Fraser's surf scene recovers very quickly from weather events of this nature, and benefits in its own way too. It will be very interesting to hear how the gutters shape up in coming weeks, and if the hint of weed that has been a little threatening lately dissipates as we would hope. Stay tuned for updates as the annual tailor season nears and the peace and quiet the locals cherish so much is lost to the roar of 4WDs north-bound on their latest island adventure.

Good luck out there y'all …… Jase