**CATCH OF THE WEEK **

Koa with a nice estuary cod he caught recently

Congratulations Koa, please call into the store to collect your $50 gift card.

Catch of the week winner - Koa 

How good was that weather window last weekend! After what felt like an eternity of watching the SE blow, we finally got the break we had all been waiting for and the timing could not have been better with the school holidays in full swing. Plenty of families and keen anglers made the most of it and by all reports the fish did not disappoint!

Those who made the run wide were well and truly rewarded with some quality boxes coming back to the ramp. The reefs north of Bundaberg were the standout destination with the Warrego's, 5 Degree and the Bunker Group off 1770 all firing up nicely. Coral trout, red throat emperor and numerous types of cod were the most common captures with whole pilchards on a gang hook proving to be the standout bait alongside a nicely presented bright coloured soft plastic. With the small tides getting up on top of the reefs worked best as opposed to fishing the edges which we would typically recommend during stronger current. For the boats that headed east off Bundy the fishing was a little tougher, however the tide turn around 10am opened up a cracking bite window that saw most anglers get their esky sorted. The ground between Lady Elliott and Fraser Island was where the real quality fish were found with big venus tusk fish, red emperor, coral trout and some massive grass sweetlip all falling to anglers drifting and covering plenty of ground with big flesh baits or whole squid.

For those who fished our inshore grounds it is shaping up to be a very exciting winter season along our coast. The Spanish mackerel have come right in close with anglers trolling whole gar during the early mornings and late afternoons getting amongst some quality fish around the metre mark/10kg in weight, and as the water continues to cool we should see the bigger models push in with fish over 30kg caught along our coast every year. The longtail tuna have also been showing up in great numbers with schools scattered along the coastline, and some monster mac tuna have been providing plenty of action for the keen sport fishers. The snapper were a little quiet this time around with only a few reports of fish caught on some ground further offshore, however over the next four to eight weeks we fully expect these fish to push right in close so keep an eye out!

Andrew Bond with a solid queenfish caught off Elliott Heads

Bailey Prince with a pair of solid red emperor 

Burnett River

The Burnett continues to show steady signs of improvement this week with the mouth of the system cleaning up really nicely, particularly during the run in tide. While the upper reaches are still carrying a significant amount of dirty water, plenty of salinity has pushed up river and the fishing has started to rebound in a very encouraging way. The rock walls around the mouth have been the most consistent producers with good flathead, estuary cod and grunter all responding well to strips of mullet fillet and whole sprat. Some quality bream have also been found working these same rock walls with smaller baits naturally presented getting the best results from these finicky fish.

For those willing to push slightly further up river into the dirtier water, the rock walls are well worth investigating for estuary cod and mangrove jack as the salinity continues to creep upstream. Even the Town Reach area has started to produce the goods despite still being very dirty, with some quality barra being both sounded up and caught by those targeting them on the tide turn. A well presented prawn imitation soft plastic or soft vibe hopped along the bottom has been getting the bites from these fish. The outlook for this system over the coming weeks is very exciting and we cannot wait to see it continue to clean up!

Grace with a 25cm whiting caught on a beach worm 

Kolan River

It is great to see so many families and avid anglers out enjoying the Kolan these school holidays, this system has some brilliant camping options and it has been wonderful to see so many people making the most of them. The system has continued its impressive rebound this week and the fishing has been reflecting that with some very quality fish being caught across the board. The building tides this week have done a great job of pushing bait throughout the system and getting cleaner water further up river, and the fish have responded.

The sand flats along the incoming tide have continued to produce quality grunter, flathead and whiting with fresh yabbies pumped at low tide the key to getting the best results on the whiting, while whole sprat, prawns and strips of mullet fillet have been the preferred options for the flathead and grunter. As the tide turns and runs out, shifting off the flats and targeting the drop offs and deeper channels has been the reliable move with these fish retreating into the deeper water as the tide drains. The jack fishing has been another real highlight this week with any rock bars and snaggy banks getting hit with current being prime ambush points. Lure anglers skip casting lightly weighted soft plastics into the structure have been getting some great results while bait anglers soaking live poddy mullet on rock walls and big fallen trees have also been very well rewarded. The barra at the mouth have continued to show up in good numbers for those running LiveScope or sidescan with most fish sitting around the 60 to 70cm mark, fantastic eating size and they sure know how to fight! Don't forget the crab pots either as the building tides have the crabs well and truly on the move.

Ian Green with a quality grunter caught in the Kolan 

Elliott River

The Elliott is absolutely firing right now and continues to be one of the most exciting systems to fish at the moment. The building tides this week have stirred up the pelagic action around the mouth with solid numbers of GT and queenfish being caught, particularly by the land based anglers fishing off Dr Mays Island who have been having a ball on light gear. The flats fishing has also remained strong with flathead and grunter feeding actively up on the shallows during the run in tide before retreating to the drop offs and deeper channels as the water runs back out. The whiting have also been showing up in good numbers this week and getting more consistent by the day as the tides increase.

The summer species continue to be a major highlight throughout this system despite the cooling temperatures, and it is a real sign of just how healthy the Elliott is fishing right now that mangrove jack, barramundi and threadfin salmon are all being caught regularly in the one system. Anglers using their sounders to locate barra and threadfin in the deeper holes have had a clear advantage but knowing where to look first helps enormously. Any deep hole that also has a rock bar, fallen timber or mangrove edges holding bait is always your first port of call, and focusing efforts around the tide change with fresh or live bait will dramatically increase your conversion rate. The jack fishing has been particularly good for lure anglers working up river with the incoming tide and back out on the run out, with skip casting lightly weighted soft plastics tight into the mangrove lined banks producing some excellent sessions. Any rock bars, fallen trees or pressure edges are always worth a few extra casts each time you pass them!

Taine Orme with a cracking barra caught locally 

Baffle Creek

The Baffle always draws a great crowd during the school holidays and this year is no different with the camping spots along the river banks filling up nicely. This system has actually cleaned up surprisingly fast, and the building tides this week have done their part in pushing cleaner water further up river. While the upper sections are still carrying some colour, the areas around Winfield and down to the mouth are well and truly ready to fish and producing some really impressive results!

The jack fishing has really fired up this week with the building tides creating plenty of current driven pressure points that these fish absolutely love to ambush from. Covering ground has been the key for lure anglers with those working banks and skipping soft plastics into structure getting the best numbers, while bait anglers targeting big rock bars, large fallen trees and super snaggy banks have been finding some of the better quality fish pushing close to the 50cm mark. Fresh strips of mullet fillet and live poddy mullet have been the standout baits. Grunter have also been a real highlight with these fish thriving in the slightly dirty but salty water. The sand flats and drop offs have been productive during the incoming tide while rock bars have also been holding fish during the last of the run out. Whole sprat and strips of mullet fillet have again been the go to baits.

As a bonus the building tides have also fired up some exciting pelagic action with smaller GT and queenfish busting up bait and prawns along the river banks, particularly around the mouth in areas of strong current like Middle Channel. These fish push up river with the incoming tide and when a school gets going it is some of the best fun you can have on light gear. Always keep a rod rigged with a small soft plastic ready to go because when these fish turn on you want to be able to cast at them immediately!

Tom Martin with a solid mangrove jack 

Lake Gregory

The cooler mornings we are having are definitely getting these bass schooled up in the deeper sections of the lake. As mentioned last week team member Josh has had some cracking sessions at the lake recently and has found that the schooled fished have responded very well to hard vibe lures such as a Jackall TN60 in the rattle variant.

For those heading out to the lake this weekend, following the wind is one of the simplest and most reliable strategies you can use regardless of whether you have a sounder or not. Any bays, points or banks that have been receiving consistent wind pressure are where the bait gets pushed and where the bass will be sitting. Keeping an eye out for birds working on or around the edges of the lake is another great sign that bait is present in an area and well worth investigating with a few casts.

For those running a sounder, winter is when that technology really pays for itself. As these bass school up tighter the ability to locate exactly where they are sitting and make sure every cast is going through them makes an enormous difference. That said the lake is fishing well enough at the moment that those without electronics are also having great sessions by simply reading the conditions and putting themselves in the right areas!

Nelson Philips with a chunk of a bass caught locally 

Lake Monduran

As we touched on in last week's report the transition into winter at Monduran is something every barra angler should be excited about rather than deterred by. The perception that these fish shut down in the colder months has been well and truly debunked over the last few years and if anything winter is shaping up to be one of the most rewarding times to be on the dam. The cooler water has these barra already sitting higher in the water column, making them dramatically easier to locate and present a lure to. As the water continues to cool we are only going to see this more consistently throughout the entire lake. Do not let the cooler weather keep you off the water because there are some seriously good sessions waiting for those willing to get out there over the coming four to eight weeks!

The school holidays have seen boat traffic on the lake increase noticeably this week and plenty of great sessions have been had by those making the trip up. The late afternoon and night continues to be the most productive window with these fish rising right up in the water column as the light drops and becoming much easier to find and get an accurate cast to them. Anglers fishing these late afternoon and night sessions have been finding that the bite time has been short and sharp, so putting yourself in an area where there are better numbers of fish is going to be your best bet. If you aren't seeing the numbers, it is probably worth a move as you could miss the window. Slow rolled shallow diving hard body lures have produced some great reactions over the last few weeks, with these lures being extremely effective late into the night. And as always strolling style lures have continued to catch their fair share of fish, with the versatility of these lures being a major factor in their success. 

The early morning topwater bite has also not completely switched off yet, with a few local anglers still getting some cracking results right at first light. This style of fishing requires a high level of stealth as these fish are sitting super shallow and will spook very easily at any unnatural sounds, so take your time getting into position and keep noise to an absolute minimum.

Team member Karl Eliason with a nice barra caught locally
from his kayak