**CATCH OF THE WEEK **
Jacob Williams with a cracking 138cm spanish mackerel!
Congratulations Jacob, please call into the store to collect your $50 gift card.
Catch of the week winner - Jacob Williams
Inshore & Offshore
As mentioned last week, this time of year presents plenty of opportunities to fish our inshore reefs due to the Westerly winds. Despite the wind swinging South East throughout the day, light winds around dawn and dusk paired with minimal swell has still seen plenty of opportunities to head out the front!
The inshore fishing has continued to impress with better numbers of spanish mackerel being caught along our coast and the action only looks set to improve as the water continues to cool. Trolling hard body lures around current lines, bait schools and pressure edges during the early morning and late afternoon has been the most consistent approach for finding these fish, with those covering ground until they locate the right areas having the best results. For those who prefer to troll baits, a whole garfish or bonito on a Reaper Rig is one of the most reliable methods for targeting these fish, particularly the bigger models which can be a little more selective and will often only commit to a natural looking bait over a hard body lure.
The squid have also been showing up in better numbers this week which is a very exciting development for the coming months. Finding clean water has been the key with early mornings and late afternoons the most productive windows for getting amongst them. Areas with a mix of patchy rock, weed and sand have been the most reliable locations so be sure to have some squid jigs in the kit before heading out. The mulloway have also been a real talking point this week with improving numbers being caught at the Artificial Reef off Elliott Heads and some very solid fish also showing up around the mouth of the Burnett. There have even been reports of some monster black jew getting around the mouth of the Burnett and around the lead poles, not to be confused with mulloway, these are two different species. These black jew are without question one of the hardest fighting fish you can target in our local waters so if they are on your radar be sure to get on the sounder, find them and have some quality live bait ready to present to them. Cobia continue to show up at our common reefs and wrecks in good numbers and remain a reliable and very enjoyable target for those heading out over the coming days. Fingers crossed the weather continues to cooperate and gives us some more opportunities to get out there!
Luke Horner with a cracking 89cm snapper caught inshore
Madison Nortje with a nice school mackerel caught off Burnett Heads
Burnett River
The Burnett has been the centre of attention this week following the Bundaberg Sportsfishing Club's annual Big Bream Shootout held last weekend. It proved to be a tough competition for most with the numbers of fish hard to come by, however the quality was absolutely there with some great fish over 40cm being caught throughout the event. Our very own team members Jordan Stoddart and Zander Magin took out the senior and junior categories respectively, both landing impressive 42cm fish to claim the titles. The key to their success was an ultra finesse approach with super light braided line and fluorocarbon leaders an absolute must. Getting the lure down to the fish as naturally as possible was equally important, whether that was a super light jig head when fishing soft plastics or a super slow roll when working hard bodies along the rock walls and other forms of structure. It is a great reminder that when the bream are being tough, the most finesse presentation is always going to outfish everything else.
Away from the competition the Burnett has continued to produce some really consistent fishing with the grunter and estuary cod along the North Wall being caught on a mix of live bait and fresh dead baits. The blue salmon continue to filter into the system in better numbers each week and the sounder has been the most important tool for locating these schools before dropping a soft vibe through them. These fish are definitley still very patchy, however some cracking fish between 70 and 80cm have been caught around the deep holes at Fairymead. The mulloway sightings around the mouth of the system have been one of the more exciting developments of the week, with reports of some seriously big black jew getting around this area. These fish are notoriously hard to land once hooked so fishing heavy enough gear while still maintaining a natural presentation is a real balancing act. Live bait and patience are your two greatest assets when targeting them!
Ben Hartwig with a monster bream caught in the Burnett
Kolan River
The Kolan has been producing some really enjoyable fishing this week with a great variety of species on offer throughout the system. The flathead have remained a consistent highlight with those trolling small diving hard body lures like the Daiwa Double Clutch 75SP-G along the drop offs and channels during the run out tide continuing to find some impressive fish. Ensuring the lure is occasionally making contact with the bottom as it runs through these areas is the key.
With the building tides leading into the new moon on Monday the 15th of June the afternoon and night time incoming tides this weekend are going to be a fantastic opportunity to target whiting up on the shallow flats and yabbie beds. Getting down to the flats at low tide to pump a good supply of fresh yabbies before the water pushes back in has been the most reliable way to target these fish. Beach worms and pippies are also solid alternatives if yabbies are hard to come by. The bream have also been showing up around the fallen trees at the mouth and along the mangrove lined banks on whole sprat and strips of mullet fillet. Some cracking mangrove jack have also continued to show up on live bait fished around the deeper rock bars and holes up river during the run out tide, with estuary cod and some solid grunter mixed through these same areas too. With the big tides building this week be sure to get the crab pots in for an overnight soak as most of the crab movement is going to be happening on those night time tides!
Matthew Barrett with a quality mulloway caught locally
Elliott River
The Elliott has continued to be a very reliable option this week with a great spread of species available for those getting on the water. The whiting have been showing up in good numbers across the shallow flats and yabbie beds with the building afternoon and night time incoming tides this week shaping up to be a great opportunity to get amongst them. Pumping fresh yabbies at low tide and fishing that incoming tide right through into the night is the formula that has been producing the best results, with the quality of fish after dark consistently better than during daylight hours. Some cracking grunter have also been showing up after dark on the shallows as a very welcome surprise for those targeting the whiting.
The pelagic action in this system has also started to increase with the building tides no doubt helping to push bait around this system which these pelagic fish love. Targeting areas of the river getting hit with current is always a reliable approach, with Dr Mays Island always a great place to try especially for the land based anglers. The flathead have remained consistent throughout the system with 3 to 4 inch curl tail soft plastics in natural colours continuing to be the standout presentation, particularly around the mouth where the clear water has these fish wary of anything that looks unnatural or oversized. Further up river the yellowfin and black bream have been a reliable target along the mangrove lined banks and fallen trees with unweighted whole sprat and strips of mullet fillet the go to baits, while lure anglers keeping things as light and finesse as possible have also been getting some great results on small crab and prawn imitation soft plastics. Some encouraging jack activity has also continued with these fish being caught around the deeper holes and banks on live bait and fresh whole sprat during the run out tide, with estuary cod and solid grunter also mixed through these same areas. With the big night time tides building towards the new moon it is a great time to get the crab pots in for an overnight soak!
Adrian Deanoz with a nice cod caught in the Burnett
Baffle Creek
The Baffle has been ticking along nicely this week with the bread and butter species across the sand flats and drop offs remaining the most consistent action throughout the system. The flathead have been the standout with those covering ground on soft plastics and trolling small diving hard bodies along the drop offs and channels finding the most consistent numbers. The sand flats around Boaga and Winfield have been the most reliable areas with small paddle tail and curl tail soft plastics in natural colours the standout presentations for those working these areas on foot or by boat.
The grunter have been another real feature throughout the system this week with fish showing up from the mouth all the way up through the deeper holes and rock bars towards Pig Island and Oyster Creek. Those bait fishing with live bait, whole sprat and mullet fillet around the deeper structure have been finding the better quality fish while lure anglers working the shallower flats towards the mouth have also been picking up some solid fish. The whiting have been a little scattered but the big afternoon incoming tides building towards the new moon this week are going to create a prime opportunity to target them up on the shallow flats and yabbie beds. Fresh yabbies are always the number one bait however beach worms and pippies are well worth having as a backup. The mangrove jack have slowed with the cooler water but live bait fished on the deep rock bars and holes during the run out tide has still seen some great sized jack caught. With the building night time tides this week the crabbing is also going to be well worth capitalising on, so make sure to get the pots in the water if you are heading to the Baffle!
Jordie Groszmann with a ripper whiting caught during the last full moon
Lake Gregory
After a couple of weeks of some genuinely outstanding bass action the rapid two degree drop in water temperature following the cold snap late last week has put a dampener on the red hot bite. The bass have gone noticeably quiet as they adjust to the sudden change in conditions and most anglers have only been managing a handful of fish per session rather than the red hot numbers we were seeing previously. This is completely normal behaviour given the sudden drop in water temperature and should not last long at all, give these fish a few more days to settle into the cooler water and the bite will no doubt ramp back up again very quickly.
For now the same techniques that have been working over recent weeks are still producing fish for those sticking with it. Slow rolling metal spoons and micro jigs through the schools with the occasional burst of aggressive twitches mixed in has been the most reliable way to trigger bites from fish that are following without fully committing. The Palms Slow Blatt and Oceans Legacy Roven Micro Jig remain the standout lure choices and those using their sounders to locate the schools before making long casts past them and rolling back through have been getting the most consistent results. The late afternoon session continues to be the most productive window with the sunset bite still proving to be a reliable trigger for these fish even in the tougher conditions. Stick with it, the lake will be firing again very soon!
Nelson Philips with a nice 61cm saratoga caught at Lake Gregory
Lake Monduran
The fishing at Lake Monduran continues to reflect the patterns we have been talking about over recent weeks with the behaviour of these barra becoming increasingly predictable for those who have put in the time to understand it. Subtle finesse presentations remain the order of the day with fly lures, jerk tail lures and small paddle tail soft plastics worked on a slow and steady roll continuing to be the most consistent fish catchers. The understated action and minimal entry disturbance of these lures has been exactly what these cautious winter barra have needed to commit to a bite.
Fishing the late afternoon and into the night remains the standout window by a clear margin with the fish becoming significantly more active and easier to present a lure to once the light drops. The angle your lure intercepts a fish at continues to be critical with these fish requiring the lure to come either directly across their face, or on a 45 degree angle. Any lure coming over their back, or directly head on, is a recipe for a spooked fish at the moment. Another thing most anglers fishing the lake recently have noticed is once a fish is following your lure, it has been incredibly hard to trigger a reaction bite. This is because any slight movement imparted into the lure, such as 'strolling' the lure has instantly spooked the fish. Jerk tail soft plastics have still produced bites, however when fished with a slow roll with no rod tip action at all. The best way to trigger a bite has been to get the lure as close to the barra's face without touching it as you can, before ever so slowly working the lure away and increasing the speed as the fish begins to follow, other than that, there isn't much you can do without spooking these fish.
Finding numbers of fish away from the majority of boat traffic is still the most reliable way to find fish which are going to be much more inclined to follow lures and aren't as easily spooked.
Jason with a 115cm Lake Monduran barra caught with Terry Allwood from Flick It Fishing Charters
From the team at Tackle World Bundaberg
Live the Tackle World L.I.F.E - Local Independent Fishing Experts
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