**CATCH OF THE WEEK **
Steve Davidson with a cracking threadfin salmon caught locally!
Congratulations Steve, please call into the store to collect your $50 gift card.
Catch of the week winner - Steve Davidson
Inshore & Offshore
It was great to finally see a decent weather window open up late last week, though the northerly wind ended up picking up sooner than expected meaning those who got out earlier in the window saw far better conditions than those who waited. By the weekend it had built to 10 to 15 knots making things less than ideal for a lot of boats.
A good number of boats made the run north and fished off 1770 and the reports coming back have been really solid. The shallow reefs were the clear standout with big numbers of quality coral trout and red throat emperor still being caught in these areas. A whole pilchard worked well on bait however the best way to target these fish was hopping Samaki 127mm Live Shrimps in the Golden Carrot or Rock Lobster colours, these lures have been absolutely exceptional in the 10 to 20 metre range. Another great advantage of fishing these shallower areas is the sharks are nowhere near as prevalent as they are in the deeper water. Those who did push deeper found some great fish with spangled emperor, hussar, venus tusk fish along with the odd red emperor and big coral trout all coming from these marks on fresh slab baits or whole squid and cuttlefish, though getting fish past the sharks in the 40 metre range was certainly the most challenging part of the day. Some anglers even pushed out to the start of the shelf where some cracking red emperor, pearl perch and even jobfish were caught. The pelagic action was also solid with great numbers of trevally, cobia and spanish mackerel found in the high current areas around bait schools, with lure anglers finding the most success on these fish and those floating a whole pilchard out the back accounting for some solid spanish around the 10kg mark cruising through.
For the boats who headed off Bundy it was tougher fishing with most reporting good shows on the sounder but bites hard to come by. The consistent pattern though was that anglers fishing very isolated and less pressured ground had considerably better luck with no shark interference and much better quality fish to show for it. The inshore grounds have continued to fish consistently with school mackerel, GT and queenfish all around in good numbers for those chasing pelagics, and some nice sized stripeys and grass sweetlip also being caught along the coast alongside a continued run of mulloway which is always great to see heading into the warmer months.
Reece Whalley with a monster black spot tusk fish and red emperor
Chelsea Dern and her dad Brendon recently got stuck into some great school mackerel off Burnett Heads!
Burnett River
The bream have continued to be a real highlight throughout the Burnett this week with great numbers still being caught across the system. The better quality fish have been coming from the rock walls and rubble patches towards the mouth of the river, though solid numbers of fish around the 30cm mark are also being caught further up river for those targeting them. Fresh prawns and whole sprat have been the two standout baits this week.
The mangrove jack have really started to fire up as the water temperature continues to rise, which is a very exciting development for the months ahead. Most of these fish have been coming from the rock bars with the deeper sections between 2 and 4 metres holding the best numbers, particularly in areas with good current running through them. Live banana prawns have been the holy grail for these fish but for those into their lure fishing, slow rolling deep diving hard body lures along the rock walls has been producing some cracking results. Some nice sized grunter and estuary cod have also been a highlight along the rocky structures towards the mouth during the run out tide, with a soft vibe hopped along the rock walls the standout lure option and strips of mullet fillet and whole prawns the reliable bait choices. The mouth of the river has also seen a nice run of GT this week with these fish being caught at pressure edges and around bait schools, so always keep an eye on the surface for any flickering bait or bust ups when you are on the water. The mulloway action has continued with some nice fish still showing up and fishing into the night seeing these fish more active, though anglers have also been picking them up throughout the day depending on the tide, with prawn imitation soft plastics and soft vibes the standout lure options. And the flathead have been producing some of the best numbers seen from this system in recent years with lure anglers fishing the sand flats and drop offs using prawn imitation soft plastics getting the best results.
Kanoksil Streeter with a cracking 46cm bream caught in the Burnett
Team member Seth Bowden with a nice mulloway caught locally
Kolan River
The Kolan has continued to produce a great spread of species this week with both the summer and winter fishing starting to really come together as the water temperature climbs. The bread and butter species across the sand flats and yabbie beds around Miara have remained very consistent with bream, whiting and flathead all being caught in solid numbers on the incoming tide. Fresh yabbies and beach worms have been the standout baits for the bream and whiting while those casting shallow diving hard bodies and paddle tail soft plastics along the flats have been finding the best numbers of flathead. Those trolling the deeper edges during the run out tide have also been accounting for some quality fish.
The mangrove jack and estuary cod have continued to show up well in the deeper structural areas throughout the system on live bait and whole prawns during the run out tide, and the pelagic action around the mouth has been providing some exciting sessions with queenfish and trevally both showing up around pressure edges and bait schools on the bigger tides. There has even been some good numbers of threadfin salmon being found throughout this system on the shallow sand flats and mud banks up river in the dirtier water. These fish actually have very poor eyesight and rely heavily on their long whiskers to detect tiny vibrations and hunt in low visibility conditions, which means live bait is an exceptional option for targeting them as it gives off the natural vibrations these fish are tuned into. If you prefer lure fishing, slow rolling a 4 to 5 inch prawn imitation soft plastic along the bottom is a firm favourite and a very reliable technique for getting these fish to bite. The crabbing has also been worth capitalising on with some quality bucks still coming from the system for those getting the pots in during the bigger tides.
Tony Green with a solid flathead caught in the Burnett
Elliott River
The Elliott continues to be one of the most diverse and exciting systems on the coast right now with the summer species increasingly making their presence felt as the water warms. In saying this, the bread and butter fishing across the shallow sand flats and yabbie beds has remained strong with whiting and bream both showing up consistently on the incoming tide. A light fluorocarbon leader of around 8 to 10lb is a must in the clear water at the moment and fresh yabbies with a touch of pink or red tubing above the hook has been the most reliable setup, with the night time sessions on the late afternoon incoming tide continuing to produce the better quality fish.
Some encouraging signs of threadfin salmon have started to show up river which is a very promising sign for the summer season ahead. These fish have been found in good concentrations during the run out tide in certain areas and using your sounder or side scan to locate them first is absolutely crucial as they will often only be in very specific locations at a specific stage of the tide. Just like the Kolan, live bait is a great way to target these fish in the dirty water where they are relying on their whiskers to detect prey, while a slow rolled prawn imitation soft plastic along the bottom has also been getting results. The mangrove jack have also started to make their way back onto the mangrove lined edges and snag riddled banks up river as the water temperature continues to rise steadily. Most fish so far have been in that 30 to 40cm range but it will not be too long before the better quality fish start pushing into these shallower areas as the season gets underway. The flathead have also continued to be well spread throughout the system with lure anglers covering ground getting the best results, and the pelagic action around Dr Mays Island has remained consistent for those timing their sessions around the incoming tide.
Lilly Myles with a nice flathead caught locally
Baffle Creek
The Baffle has had a tough week of fishing with the snot weed in this system starting to get out of control, which unfortunately is not a rare occurrence at this time of year. When the system goes through an extended dry period and the water gets super clear and cooler than normal, the conditions are perfect for this weed to take hold, and regardless of whether you are fishing bait or lures it fouls up your presentation very quickly making for a frustrating session.
The key has been finding areas away from the worst of it, which has been challenging but there have been some small pockets around Winfield where you can get away from the bulk of the weed and fish effectively. The jack fishing has started to improve in these cleaner areas with some fish beginning to push back onto the shallower edges, though most are still sitting deep on the rock bars and in the deeper holes. The run out tide has been the prime window for targeting them with live bait and strips of mullet fillet the most effective options, and the estuary cod have been a very welcome by-catch in these same areas. The black bream have also been quite consistent along the mangrove lined banks and edges taking a liking to whole sprat or prawns rigged on a super light running ball sinker. There is plenty of small bait and prawns throughout the system at the moment which is largely a result of the flooding event earlier in the year doing wonders for recruitment throughout the system. Fingers crossed the weather continues to warm consistently over the coming weeks as this will kill off the snot week pretty quickly! And as the bait and prawns feed up and continue to grow, we should be in for another really exciting mangrove jack season in the Baffle.
Daniel Duncan with a high 40cm jack caught in Baffle Creek
Lake Gregory
Lake Gregory is going through a really exciting transitional period at the moment with the northerly winds that have been blowing helping to push the water temperature up steadily, and the result has been more and more fish moving onto the edges and into the shallower areas of the lake. This is shaping up to be a really great few weeks to be on the lake as the warming water, combined with bait being pushed into new areas by the wind, is setting the stage for some very consistent and exciting edge fishing.
As the season progresses watching the wind direction is going to be crucial with each northerly pushing bait and nutrients into new areas of the lake and the bass following right behind them. The deep water bite is still producing fish for those with sounders, however the more subtle presentations have continued to outperform the metal spoons and jigs of winter with strolling jerk shad soft plastics and slow rolled small paddle tail soft plastics getting considerably better results from the schooled up fish in the deeper water. The edge fishing is where the real excitement is building though, and over the next few weeks as the water continues to warm the topwater bite is going to become a very real option during the low light periods for those targeting these fish up in the shallows and around the weed edges.
Team member Josh Mortensen with a nice saratoga caught in the lake recently
Lake Monduran
Lake Monduran is undergoing its own exciting seasonal shift at the moment and the signs are very encouraging for what is shaping up to be a massive season at the dam. There are noticeably more fish being found pushing onto the edges and into shallower, warmer water than we have seen over the last few months, and this trend is only going to become more pronounced over the coming weeks as the water temperature continues to climb and more fish seek out the bait and warmth available in the shallower sections of the lake.
This is actually shaping up to be a really exciting time for those without the latest Live Scope technology to get on the dam, as the fish behaviour is becoming significantly easier to predict as the season transitions. As more northerly winds blow through over the coming weeks and months we will start to see fish following bait and nutrients pushed into windblown bays and points throughout the lake, so using the maps available to you to identify likely areas before you head out is a great way to put yourself in the right spots.
In particular, look for areas where the wind is pushing into a bay with a shallow point directly adjacent to the main river channel, as these are classic locations where fish will push up onto the shallows to feed before quickly retreating back into the safety of deeper water. Casting in these areas means you are intercepting fish when they are most actively looking for a feed, which always gives you a much better chance of a bite. Shallow to mid diving jerk baits will be the go-to lure style for this type of fishing with the Samaki Redic MS80 and DS80 both being standout options in the Grunter, Whitebait and Pink Lady colours. For those who still have Live Scope the early morning remains the prime window with strolling soft plastics continuing to do plenty of damage, and as the fish push shallower these presentations are becoming even more effective as you can impart exactly the right amount of action to match what the fish are responding to on any given day.
Junior team member James Cocking with a monster 117cm barra caught at Lake Monduran
From the team at Tackle World Bundaberg
Live the Tackle World L.I.F.E - Local Independent Fishing Experts
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