Fisho's Weekly Fishing Report – 30th October, 2026

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Welcome Back Sunshine

After what has been a remarkably wet week for the Fraser Coast and surrounding Queensland districts, it is pleasing to see the sun shining bright and the humidity levels plummeting. It won't stay sunny and dry for too long next week though folks, so make the most of what looks like a ripper weekend ahead.

Today's 10-15 knot east to south-easterly is expected to ease around dawn Saturday morning, offering primo conditions for frustrated boaties keen to hit the bay and beyond. An easterly below 10 knots Saturday will tend more north-easterly that afternoon but remain light. Rising early Sunday will ensure you enjoy the best on offer for the bay; being a light northerly to 10 knots, before the breeze picks up a little that afternoon.

Those eyeing the weather offshore will see a brief window open Saturday into Sunday for the waters north of Sandy Cape. A gentle breeze around 10 knots, that starts from the north-east Saturday and tends more northerly into Sunday, is bound to entice a few crews offshore. Even more-so given the minimal swell below a metre. Bottom bashers may well be out-numbered by game fishos, and all and sundry will learn how strong the southbound EAC is flowing once they get out there.

Things get a bit messy again Monday into the working week, as stiffening northerly winds and an unstable air mass build energy for another cloud burst. Our chances of a few showers and possible storms seem strongest for Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday or Thursday, with a slighter chance a little beforehand.

The moon is waning since the full moon last Monday, so tidal flow will be diminishing daily until after the half moon of next Monday's last quarter phase. Building tides thereafter will hold all the usual appeal to we fishos, even if the associated weather does not. Do not waste this weekend folks!

A swollen Mary River pumping millions of litres of dirty freshwater our way.

If you've been monitoring the SST Charts then you would have noticed the colour changing recently - marlin time!

Game-Changing Rains Have Left Their Mark

Mid-spring is a fantastic time of year here in Queensland, and a period many of us cherish dearly. Storms and a few showers are expected as increasingly unstable troughs pass through, but this period is generally quite dry. Not so in 2026 it happens, as our whole district (and beyond) has been soaked with excellent rainfall from showers and a few lively storms.

Various levels of flooding have impacted areas beyond our region, whilst localised minor flooding has added to run-off Hervey Bay-bound from our local river catchments. Warnings of water coming down the Mary made the news and had emergency services and council on their toes, which came as somewhat of a surprise to us here on the coast. Select bridges were closed temporarily over both the Mary and the Burrum, but all are open again.

I haven't gone all forensic on the stats, yet assume there must've been seriously heavy isolated falls to trigger the warnings. The subsequent result of same may very well have been responsible for that fast-moving surge of floodwater days later that lit up social media after it was reported off Kingfisher Bay Resort. A dramatic pulse that would've been rather exciting from within the confines of the river, no doubt.

Soaking rain of up to 150mm over a few days was the pre-cursor to heavier falls that subsequently over-topped Lenthalls Dam and sent a decent fresh down the Burrum. That flow met with the slightly swollen Cherwell River's excess (and very likely some from the Isis and Gregory) and charged downstream, pushing chocolate brown filth out beyond Burrum Heads. Gone in an instant was that perfect mid-spring pristine river scene upstream teaming with barra, jacks, grunter and threadies etc, that has triggered a massive movement of fish and the fodder they were up there feasting on.

The same can be said of the Mary system. It too was gleaming, with all-too-rare clean clear water, that was hosting ever-increasing numbers of prime threadfin salmon, barramundi and grunter. All too quickly, that whole scene has morphed into a filthy brown mess, that will deny a certain level of lure fishing for all of us. As welcome as rains such as these always are as far as the environment goes, maybe we can be forgiven for a little selfishness when we look on longingly at opportunities lost.

A major upside to this weather event that cannot be overstated is the fact that it has saved us from what was a glaringly obvious major bushfire risk. Our previously parched landscape was topped with masses of fuel in the form of dry grasses and undergrowth that could not be selectively back-burned due to just how dry it was and the lack of issued permits. A disaster averted perhaps, and another lucky escape heading into our storm season.

In time, our shallowest inshore reefs will benefit from these rains, where coral trout gather alongside increased numbers of estuary cod. Grassy sweetlip will revel in the stained waters and take the very same baits you might be offering to the grunter you can so rightly expect to find post-flooding. The major plumes of brown water haven't reached too far beyond the rivers and the straits as yet (still well south and west of 'the banks'), but they will.

Little sharks will be a serious pest in the shallows, whilst their bigger brethren break hearts and test the will of those folks fishing deeper reefs systems. Stained waters will deny spearfishos the visibility they so desire in some waters, whilst regular fishos revel in the renewed abundance.

School mackerel so plentiful pre-flooding are still here in the bay. Those that were terrorising the baitfish in our river mouths have obviously retreated, most likely joining their comrades somewhere beyond the influence of filthy water. There are still schoolies being caught not far from Gatakers Bay apparently, so there, the Fairway, and across 'the banks' would be sound places to start your next search.

Lake Lenthalls went over bigtime. All this water has already raged past Burrum Heads and the river is running pure fresh.

Water pouring over the last weir on the Burrum after recent heavy rains.

Beach Fishos Benefit from the Rains

Whilst pelagic-loving pier fishos may well lament the influx of dirtier waters, those that prefer the sand between their toes have just enjoyed a boost to their fishery. Overflows from our town lakes and from our streetscape poured across the beach from the usual outflow points which created their own brief opportunities, but it was the overall soaking elsewhere and subsequent minor flooding that saw substantial numbers of fish arrive along our town beaches.

The full moon tides triggered a very productive bite from whiting that gathered in quite good numbers. The best reports seemed centred on Torquay, with even the usually lack lustre Torquay Jetty proving to be a hotspot for whiting fans. Whiting are still being caught from Urangan to Pialba, and decent catches are being made in the daylight now that the water is no longer clear.

Foraging for similar tucker plus select larger morsels has been a notable run of grunter along our beachfront. Not all are bigger grunter over the 50cm mark, but their numbers have been impressing a few folks. Smaller barely legal fish have been most prolific, demanding a measure from those that are happy to take home a fish yielding very little flesh for its size.

We boaties might scoff at the thought of keeping grunter as small as the 40cm minimum size allows (particularly those that apply self-imposed 50cm minimums). We enjoy the luxury of sourcing bigger fish year-round by following their migratory habits, whilst those limited to beach fishing and the like that are used to gathering a modest feed of whiting or bream revel in the current abundance. Good luck to you all; may your grunter just get bigger and bigger.

The tides are not improving for grunter hunters, yet the fish are there, so go have a crack if you get the chance. Soak a yabby or a prawn ideally, or even a squid or strip of herring if you must. Fish light, with heavier leader than you would use for whiting or bream (say 15lb or so). Fish the early incoming tide where water is creeping up into a subtle gutter, or adjacent to rocky areas or other man-made structures. Grunter will mooch into ridiculously shallow water at times, particularly in discoloured water.

Target them with small soft plastics for a ton more fun if you have the right tackle. Small prawn imitations are very hard to beat, as are the you-beaut yabby imitations adorning the walls of Fisho's these days. Mess with tiny hard bodies, or even micro shore-jigs if you feel like experimenting. The current scenario offers you such options. Come better tides again with the next new moon, you might get to tangle with a better class of grunter. Truly, you are always in with a chance of hooking fish bettering the 60cm mark post rains such as we've just had.

Masses of mullet have already been flushed from our creeks and rivers and many have moved in along our town beaches. Predators have followed, that have included the likes of flathead, salmon and queenfish. Sharks are a given, and they have already been terrorising the mullet. Small bities around the 5-6-foot range have been observed crash-tackling the mullet forcing them into the shallowest margins. Needless to say, wading deeper into waters getting dirtier by the day should be done ultra-cautiously.

Obviously, there will be flathead taking up station at prime ambush points along our beaches after being flushed from our local creeks. Some will linger nearby beyond those creek mouths, making them pretty easy targets for a wandering fisho armed with a light flick rod and some lures. Baitfish movements and water quality will dictate where the better numbers settle for the time being, so be observant and mobile and spot-hop until you discover their whereabouts.

If you want to catch snapper this time of year, then a trip aboard Double Island Point Fishing Charters is the go.

Big grassies feature in Double Island Point Fishing Charter catches when they fish in close.

Follow the Exodus Beyond our Rivers

I wrote last week's report based on the potential of further rains, offering a few examples of what you could have capitalised on if you were keen enough to fish in the wet. Some did, and were rewarded with captures from local pondages, due to good timing and a willingness to take on uncomfortable conditions. That very brief window of opportunity may now have closed, but you will get another crack at it come future rain events. You won't (better not) be catching barra until next February, but you can try your luck with the other species.

You can well imagine a mass exodus of fish, both predator and prey, from our major rivers as well as our creek systems. Flooding has been well-short of major, but still substantial, so waters beyond our streams are gradually coming alive with displaced estuarine species galore.

Urangan Pier is well-known for its pelagic fishery amongst others, and is now a platform from which you can expect to catch a few random estuary species. Waters growing dirtier and dirtier with the encroaching outflows from the Mary River plus local run-off deter most pelagics and will very likely force the herring etc to make a move too. All the same, such a structure is a major drawcard for any passing piscatorial traffic, so you will just have to shift your focus to keep catching fish if the pier is your favoured go-to hotspot.

Think passing threadfin salmon joined by occasional schools of blue salmon, along with increasingly common grunter. You can still fish for them with live herring if you wish (and can catch any), or you can offer them the likes of prawns, yabbies, mullet or squid. Predators displaced from their usual hunting grounds will consider alternative tucker when in new territory, albeit briefly, so some folks might enjoy rather surprising captures in coming days and weeks.

Broad-barred mackerel will withstand a degree of discoloured water, but won't linger if their favoured food sources vacate. So too, our queenfish, that are quite partial to an alternative feed of mullet or whiting. Water quality will dictate your chances of encounters with either in coming days/weeks, whilst your chances just improved dramatically when it comes to jewfish.

Nocturnal fishing activity will undoubtedly increase on Urangan Pier soon, as it does at this time of year regardless of flooding. Bull shark numbers are likely to spike, as more and more of these nasties join the handful that are already causing havoc. Some folks might continue to fish for whiting; others for grunter, salmon or jewies and some for the sporty big tarpon that show up at this time. Some will be out there with other intentions, which I blatantly refuse to write about here or even hint at.

Fish the flats beyond our little local creeks for displaced estuary predators as well as whiting. Salinity and water quality will dictate success, so be prepared to fish when those waters aren't pure fresh. The Booral Flats offer massive opportunities to landlubbers who can wander out and mix it with all sorts of former river dwellers. Threadies, blue salmon, grunter, flathead and whiting can be expected down that way, so it can be tricky working out how heavy your tackle should be on a given day. Tend lighter (say 4 kilo or so), but carry a mix of leaders and lures is my suggestion.

Buck mud crabs will be cranky and on the move, as they have been forced from their upstream lairs by the freshwater. Their mood will improve when they find the jennies receptive to their approaches. Good catches were reported over the full moon period by those that braved the weather, and improved ongoing catches can be expected from now on.

There were scattered quality banana prawns doing their best to avoid the sambos and barra well upstream before the fresh, so they will either run or go to ground and let the fresh wash over them. A brief, yet bountiful, burst of prawns is on the cards if you happen to be 'johnny on the spot' when and if they wash past the heads. Something not lost on land-based prawn fans that keep an eye out for such events at both River Heads and Burrum Heads.

One very sad result of this flooding will be the boost it gives to those mongrel tilapia so infested in every other pocket of freshwater in our district. Vast schools of the pests are spreading the scourge as you read this and making their way into differing waters usually restricted by salinity. Their run will be brief, until the next flood, and the next. Hard to believe there are people in our country stupid enough to release these things on purpose, leaving us with such an unwelcome legacy.

Deej caught this little thready weeks before recent flooding. These fish will be best targeted in the straits and beyond our rivers now.

Riley McLeod took a spell from game fishing and headed to Mondy to catch barra like this one.

Barramundi Season is About to Close

This latest weather event has created amazing opportunities to tangle with our barramundi population beyond their usual realm in our rivers and creeks. Time is fast running out for you to do so though, as come midnight this Saturday night, they are off limits for three months.

No longer will you be able to target or keep barramundi in any waters salt or fresh, apart from those waters ponded above the dam walls of our stocked impoundments. This annual closure has been in place for decades and can be thanked for the fact that Queensland enjoys such a wonderful barramundi fishery today. Without the closure, spawning barra would be harvested en-masse when they are at their most vulnerable and gathered in big numbers.

Come Sunday, you will not be permitted to target barra in our local pondages, our creeks, our rivers or along our beaches. Doing the right thing and shifting your focus to other species can be your way of doing your bit to sustain and hopefully grow our barra biomass into the future. Gillnetting has been restricted dramatically in these parts, and we are already reaping the benefits. It is up to us now to do our part.

Accidental captures are possible of course, yet the chances of same can be dramatically reduced purely due to the incredible technology that so many fishos enjoy today. Live scopers in particular will be able to sweep a spot and easily identify the barramundi they need to avoid, as can those of us sporting simple side scanning tech. I know, I know, I am being naïve with that last statement, but continue to live in hope that all fishos will one day respect these rules and leave spawning barramundi alone.

And spawn they will now, given these substantial rains. They were not gathered downstream in spawning aggregations when the rains arrived, but you can bet the desire to do so has been a driving force for them since. This isn't even our wet season as yet, just the build-up, so imagine how many barra could be propagated this season if good flooding rains come this summer.

Jobbies and knobbies are always welcomed aboard Double Island Point Fishing Charters.

Happy Double Island Point Fishing Charter clients with a brace of fine offshore knobbies.

Marlin Beckon in Platypus Bay & Beyond

As soon as the wet weather passed, a handful of super-eager sports fishos headed for the sheltered waters of Platypus Bay hoping to find the juvenile black marlin so many are keen on this season. A couple of cute little blacks were caught too, offering hope to those that will follow this weekend.

Water quality up that way has not been impacted by recent flooding, apart from the obvious limited stains released from Fraser's creeks. Marlin captures tapered off since the great little run over the last new moon, but that was due purely to inclement weather and a lack of effort. It will be on like donkey kong this weekend, and potentially a little congested up the island should catches be restricted to a given body of water.

Ample scope to wander away from the crowds is there for those in more capable vessels, so head beyond Rooneys if the traffic is too much further south. To date, all captures have been from deeper waters beyond the flats up there, but that could change anytime, water quality permitting. This weekend will be very telling as to how our 2026 will unfold, so stay tuned for updates next week.

The Hervey Bay Game Fishing Club's biggest annual tournament is on the following weekend, so make the most of this one without all the extra effort and boats such an event will draw. The offshore scene is ripe for the picking too, from the potential close-in light tackle fisheries off the 13 mile, over the Sandy Cape Shoals and at the zero mile, to the wondrous heavy tackle fishery out wider along the shelf.

Bigger blacks, monster blues and potentially striped marlin are all possible offshore in waters picking up pace and temperature in a south-bound East Australian Current. Suss out the latest Sea Surface Temperature charts and you will notice that tongue of water pouring down past Fraser Island changing colour as it warms and speeds up. Hitching a ride south are more than just marlin, with yellowfin tuna and mahi mahi joining the feast in those baitfish-rich waters.

Excellent game and sports fishing can be anticipated offshore in coming weeks. Sailfish that have been remarkably elusive in recent years might make an appearance (we hope), and join the spanish mackerel, cobia and giant trevally over the shoal country. Add the potential for an El Nino-inspired red hot inshore juvie black marlin bite and Hervey Bay and the Fraser Coast is a fantastic place to be this spring.

Good luck out there y'all …… Jase