CATCH OF THE WEEK
Makayla Heffron with a cracking golden trevally caught off Elliott Heads!
Congratulations Makayla, please call into the store to collect your $50 gift card.
Catch of the week winner - Makayla Heffron
The annual snapper and pearl perch closed season runs from the 15th of July through to the 15th of August inclusive. This means you are unable to target, or keep either of these species during this time.
Inshore & Offshore
Last weekend and into the early part of this week provided some great opportunities to get out the front with minimal swell and light winds giving both the bigger boats and the smaller vessels a chance to get amongst it. The offshore grounds did prove to be tougher than usual with a lot of anglers attributing this to the new moon on Tuesday night, however plenty of people still managed to put together a solid feed despite the more challenging conditions.
Fresh bait was absolutely the key out wide with those taking the time to slab up fresh hussar or secure live bait having a clear advantage over everyone else. The gutters east off Bundy produced good numbers of grass sweetlip, venus tusk fish and plenty of hussar, while those willing to push out to the more isolated grounds in the 30 to 40 metre range were finding some quality red emperor and large mouth nannygai. Around the tide turn with fresh flesh baits or whole squid and cuttlefish was the prime window for these deeper fish. The cobia action has remained absolutely red hot with these fish showing up just about everywhere at the moment and eating almost anything thrown at them, though the local wrecks have continued to hold the best concentrations. Good numbers of mackerel have also been found out wide around the gutters, wrecks and reefs like the Warrego's and Heralds Patch with most fish sitting around the 10kg mark which are great fun on light gear. Trolling hard body lures during the early morning and late afternoon has been a very reliable approach, while rigging up whole baits like big garfish or bonito on a Reaper Rig has been the go to for those chasing the bigger models. A handy tip when bottom fishing around mackerel is to always have a whole pilchard floating out the back on a set of gang hooks with no weight, you never know when one of these fish is going to come cruising through!
Our inshore grounds are fishing exceptionally well at the moment with plenty of bait scattered along the coast keeping the pelagic action red hot. Great numbers of queenfish, golden trevally and various other trevally species have all been caught with the Artificial Reef off Elliott Heads a standout location along with any rocky outcrops along the coast where there is current and bait present. Small jerk shad soft plastics, vibes and prawn imitation lures have all been working well with the key being to find the bait, match your jig head to the depth and current and work the lure erratically once it is in the zone. These fish have been very eager to eat so when you find them it does not take long to get amongst them! The mulloway action has also continued along the coast with land based anglers in particular getting amongst some solid fish during the early morning and late afternoon sessions. Prawn soft plastics like the Samaki 127mm Live Shrimp have been a standout lure option while fresh whole cuttlefish or squid have been the pick of the bait choices. Timing the tide correctly is the key with these fish regardless of where you are fishing, and the turn of the tide is always a reliable little window worth being on the water for!
Lewis Ogle with a quality red throat emperor
Ruben Taylor with a stonka red
Burnett River
The Burnett is firing on all cylinders at the moment and has been one of the most consistent and enjoyable systems to fish throughout this winter season. The bream have been a real standout with good numbers of quality fish over 40cm still being caught consistently towards the mouth of the river. The rock walls and rubbly patches around the mouth have been the prime locations with lure anglers slow rolling deep diving hard body lures tight along the walls and hopping small prawn, crab or curl tail soft plastics across the rubble patches getting the most consistent results on the better quality fish. For those who prefer bait fishing, whole sprat or chook gut fished with an extremely light sinker or even no sinker at all has been a very reliable approach with the key being to let that bait drift down through the water column as slowly and naturally as possible, as that is when these bream will commit to a bite.
The prawning around Strathdees has also been absolutely exceptional over the last few weeks with some great quality prawn being caught in good numbers. Targeting these areas towards the bottom of the run out tide and through the slack water around the turn has been the prime window with the prawns most concentrated in these areas during this stage of the tide. The blue salmon have also been ticking along nicely with these fish showing up on the first push of the incoming tide up on the shallow sand flats through the Town Reach area, and timing your session around this window has been the key to finding them consistently. There have even been some encouraging signs of barra around despite the cooler water temperatures with these fish chewing around tide turns predominantly on live bait, so if you can secure some quality livies it is well worth having a go. The grunter have also been a consistent feature with the sand flats and drop offs around Kirbys Wall along with the rocky outcrops around Strathdees and Fairymead all producing some nice fish on strips of mullet fillet, whole prawns and whole sprat. Small curl tail soft plastics and soft vibes have been the standout lure options for those targeting them. And with the big tides continuing to get the mud crabs on the move it is absolutely worth getting the pots in!
Mal Steele with a nice barra caught in the Burnett River
Kolan River
The Kolan has been producing some really solid fishing this week across a great range of species and is well worth a visit for those looking to get out over the coming days. The flathead have been a real highlight with some great fish between 45 and 60cm being caught along the shallow sand flats and surrounding drop offs throughout the system. These fish have been quite spread out so covering ground has been the most important factor in finding the better numbers, and those who understand how to read a sand flat and identify pressure edges and small undulations in the bottom have been able to find fish in closer proximity to each other. Small curl tail soft plastics in natural colours and shallow diving hard body lures worked on a twitch and pause retrieve have both been very effective presentations for these fish.
The bread and butter action across the sand flats and yabbie beds has remained consistent on the incoming tide with bream, whiting and grunter all being caught in good numbers for those getting up onto the shallows with fresh yabbies. The whiting have been particularly active during this window with the prime time being that first push of the incoming tide across the shallow flats and yabbie banks, and while numbers have not been as good as previous seasons there are still some quality fish around for those putting in the effort. As the tide turns and the water begins to recede, switching focus to the deeper drop offs and holes has been the reliable move with the fish retreating off the flats and congregating in these deeper areas. Strips of mullet fillet, whole sprat and whole prawns rigged on a simple running ball sinker have been the standout baits in the deeper water, particularly for the bigger grunter that have been found around Booyan Bridge and up Yandaran Creek.
Surprisingly the mangrove jack have continued to show up in this system despite the cooler conditions with reports of some nice fish up to 50cm being caught around the deeper rock bars and snaggy banks. Live bait remains the standout option with strips of mullet fillet a very close and reliable second. The crabbing has also been producing some quality bucks throughout the system so it is well worth throwing a few pots in while you are out there!
Blake Hutchison with a solid barra
Elliott River
The Elliott saw a significant increase in boat traffic over the school holidays with plenty of people getting out and enjoying this system, which is always great to see. Those who got up early or stayed out late consistently had the best of it as this river does fish at its best with minimal pressure and those willing to make the effort to beat the crowds were well rewarded.
The pelagic action around the mouth has been an absolute highlight this week with the bigger tides no doubt playing a big role in getting these fish fired up and active. Golden trevally, small GT, big eye trevally, queenfish and even some school mackerel have all been showing up around the mouth of this system with Dr Mays Island being the standout location. The top of the incoming tide has been the prime window with these fish pushing right up into the river and targeting any pressure edges throughout the system. Keeping an eye out for diving birds and surface bust ups is always a reliable way to find these fish quickly, however positioning yourself on pressure edges during the right stage of the tide will put you in the right areas. Small jerk shad soft plastics, vibes and prawn imitation lures worked with plenty of pace and erratic action have been the most effective presentations. Both yellowfin and black bream have also been showing up well throughout the system with the yellowfin predominantly found on the sand flats at the mouth on fresh yabbies and beach worms, while the black bream have been more prevalent up river along the mangrove lined banks. Some cracking whiting have also been caught on the shallow sand flats around the mouth during the incoming tide with topwater lures worked quickly across the surface to imitate a fleeing prawn being one of the most enjoyable and effective ways to target them.
Further up river the deeper holes have been producing some quality estuary cod and solid grunter on whole sprat and whole prawns, and a couple of mangrove jack have also shown up in these deeper sections catching a few anglers off guard which is always a welcome surprise. Some local anglers pushing right up the system have even been finding threadfin salmon in the deeper holes using side scan and Live Scope technology to locate them. These fish have been hugging the bottom, targeting them around a tide turn with small prawn imitation soft plastics slow rolled along the bottom has been the most reliable way to get a bite from them.
Steve with a nice 65cm flathead caught in the Elliott River
Baffle Creek
Just like our other local systems, the Baffle saw an increase in boat traffic over the school holidays and those who made the effort to get up early or stay out late found the better fishing away from the main crowd. The pelagic action around the mouth has been strong this week with small GT and queenfish showing up and harassing bait balls in areas of strong current and around any pressure edges. Getting up on the sand flats during the incoming tide and casting small soft plastics and topwater lures into any surface activity has been a very enjoyable and productive approach for these fish.
The flathead have been another real standout throughout the system this week with good numbers of fish being caught across the sand flats during the incoming tide and retreating into the deeper holes and drop offs as the water runs out. Covering ground has been the key to finding the better concentrations of fish with lure anglers consistently outfishing bait anglers as a result. With the water clearing up nicely through winter, lighter line and a more natural presentation has been making a noticeable difference to catch rates. Natural coloured lures in bloodworm, motor oil and prawn colours have all been working well and dropping down to a 10 or 12lb fluorocarbon leader is well worth considering in these cleaner conditions. When fishing the shallow sand flats keep your jig head as light as possible with a 1/6 or 1/8oz being ideal, only going slightly heavier when targeting the deeper areas and drop offs to keep that lure looking natural in the water column.
The mangrove jack and bigger grunter have continued to show up around the deeper rock bars and snaggy banks with live bait proving to be the most effective option by a clear margin and strips of mullet fillet a reliable alternative when live bait is hard to come by.
Casey Howard with a ripper flathead measuring 86cm
Lake Gregory
Lake Gregory has continued to produce some consistent results this week with good numbers of bass still being found in the deeper sections of the lake. Getting these fish to bite can be a challenge at times but the late afternoon session remains the most reliable window with these fish becoming noticeably more active and willing to eat during this period. Those casting metal lures and micro jigs have been doing well with the key being to make long casts to cover as much ground as possible. Letting the lure hit the bottom and then slow rolling with one or two pauses throughout the retrieve before letting it sink back down is all that is needed, and adding in the occasional aggressive twitch to trigger a reaction bite from any fish that are following without committing has also been a very effective approach.
For those running Live Scope technology, using small jerk shad soft plastics and strolling them with subtle rod tip movements right in front of the fish's face has been an incredibly effective technique, particularly with the lake seeing more fishing pressure recently and the fish becoming a little more cautious as a result. For those without a sounder the edges of the lake during the early morning and late afternoon are still well worth targeting. Slow rolled deep diving crank baits along the deeper edges and through the timber have been working well along with small paddle tail soft plastics and finesse style lures, and pushing right up into the timber bays has also been producing some nice fish for those willing to explore these areas.
Nelson Philips with a big bass caught locally
Lake Monduran
The early morning and late afternoons continue to be one of the most reliable windows on Lake Monduran at the moment with these barra sitting high in the water column during the first and last few hours of daylight. As the sun climbs higher these fish have been pushing progressively deeper which makes things considerably more difficult, so focusing efforts before the sun gets up and again in the late afternoon right through into the night has been the game plan producing the most consistent results. Finding sheltered bays with minimal wind and limited boat traffic away from the main river channels has been a key factor in locating fish that are more willing to eat, and with the low boat traffic that winter brings to the dam there are plenty of these areas to explore.
Approach and presentation angle have been more important than lure selection again this week with a lot of fish being spooked before a lure even gets close to them. Getting the boat positioned correctly so that casts can be made well past the fish and the lure brought across their nose has been absolutely critical. A lure coming directly at a fish or passing over its shoulder is almost always a recipe for a spooked fish at the moment. Getting the lure down to the depth of the fish before it even knows the lure is there has also been the key difference between getting a reaction and spooking a fish.
Once a fish does show interest and begins to turn on the lure, ever so slowly working the lure away and then gradually increasing pace as the fish commits to following is the most reliable way to trigger that final bite. Lures with minimal action continue to dominate with Zerek Live Mullets, Rapala Crush City Freeloaders, Raid Super Fish Rollers and fly lures all getting their share of bites, while on certain days hard body lures worked with a dead slow roll or even held completely still in the water column have also been proving their worth!
Tom Martin with a quality barra caught locally
From the team at Tackle World Bundaberg
Live the Tackle World L.I.F.E - Local Independent Fishing Experts
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