**CATCH OF THE WEEK **
Tom Martin with a cracking 86cm blue salmon caught in the Burnett.
Congratulations Tom, please call into the store to collect your $50 gift card.
Catch of the week winner - Tom Martin
Inshore & Offshore
After a few weeks of strong winds limiting most anglers to early morning and late afternoon windows, the next few days are shaping up to be a cracking opportunity to get out the front. Better yet, the bigger boats should finally get a proper run out wide too which is news a lot of people have been waiting to hear!
With neap tides this weekend those heading offshore are going to be in a great position to target some of the deeper grounds for red emperor, sweetlip, nannygai, tusk fish and plenty of other quality reef species. Spending time on the sounder and finding small isolated patches of reef or fern that do not get fished regularly will give you a real advantage out there and put you in the best position to avoid the sharks which have unfortunately remained in frustrating numbers despite the dropping water temperature. Drifting and covering ground rather than anchoring on one spot is by far the best way to minimise your encounters with them. The shallower reefs are also well worth a look with the neap tides creating a great opportunity to get right up on top of the reef and cast soft plastics for coral trout, red throat emperor and a great variety of other reef species.
For those sticking to the inshore grounds the mulloway have been in impressive numbers along our coast with the incoming tide proving to be the prime window to target them. Fresh squid or cuttlefish heads have been the standout bait if you can source them so it is well worth keeping an eye out for squid when you are out there. Snapper numbers are also continuing to improve with the Artificial Reef off Elliott Heads producing the best results for now. Fingers crossed this weather window holds through the weekend and gives everyone the chance to get out and make the most of it!
Nelson Philips and Don Patterson with a monster 116cm diamond trevally caught off Bundy
Sean Challis with a nice marlin caught off 1770
Burnett River
The blue salmon have well and truly arrived in the Burnett this week and the Town Reach area is absolutely stacked with fish right now. It is shaping up to be one of the best salmon seasons we have seen in a long time with plenty of fish over 70cm being caught and some absolute brutes well over 80cm being landed throughout the night. These fish have been moving quickly however those who have taken the time to find a pattern to where the schools are travelling and anchored up to intercept them as they move through have been getting some outstanding results. Soft vibes and metal blades have been the standout lures with big long casts and slow deliberate draws of the rod to impart plenty of vibration into the lure getting the most consistent bites.
The bream action has also continued to roll along nicely with some cracking fish being caught towards the mouth along the rock walls. Bait anglers fishing whole sprat or prawns on an extremely light ball sinker or even no sinker at all where the current allows have been doing well, while lure anglers slow rolling a deep diving crank bait tight along the rock walls have also been getting some great results. Reports of monster black jew around the mouth of the system are also continuing to filter through and while getting one to commit to a bite is the real challenge, fresh squid or cuttlefish heads are your best option if you can source them. For the lure anglers an Irukandji Sicario DTF, Irukandji Megaprawn DTF or a well presented soft vibe are all worth throwing at these fish. There have also been plenty of barra found throughout the river with some great numbers of smaller fish being landed, though the bigger models have been considerably fussy. The prawns are also still present in good numbers with the mid to low tide the best time to be throwing the cast net!
Blake Hutchison with a solid Burnett River barra
Kolan River
The Kolan has been producing some really enjoyable fishing this week with a solid variety of species on offer throughout the system. The blue salmon have started to show up in better numbers with the deeper holes and banks up river being the most consistent areas to find them. The schools have been a little scattered at this stage however a few solid concentrations of fish have started appearing in these areas around the mid to low tide. Hopping soft vibes and metal blades through these deeper zones has been the standout approach for getting bites from these fish.
The mangrove jack have also remained consistent for those targeting the right areas. As we have mentioned over the last few weeks these fish have retreated off the shallow edges and are predominantly being found in the deeper water on rock bars and snaggy banks. Anglers fishing with live poddy mullet have been having some great sessions with fish up to 50cm still being caught, and the mid to low tide has again been the prime window for fishing these deeper areas. Out towards the mouth the sand flats have been producing well for those targeting the incoming tide with whiting showing up in good numbers on fresh yabbies, beach worms and pippies across the shallow flats and yabbie beds. As the tide turns and begins to run out, shifting attention to the sandy drop offs and channels surrounding the flats has been a reliable move with flathead and grunter both setting up in these areas and feeding actively as the bait washes through.
Daniel Duncan with a nice mulloway caught locally on a live bait
Elliott River
The Elliott has continued to be a very reliable option this week with a great spread of species chewing throughout the system. The whiting have been showing up in good numbers across the shallow flats and yabbie beds on the incoming tide with fresh yabbies producing the most consistent results, and those fishing into the night have again found the quality of fish noticeably better after dark. Some solid grunter have also been showing up after dark on the shallows as a very welcome by-catch for those targeting the whiting.
The flathead have remained consistent throughout the system with 3 to 4 inch soft plastics in natural colours the standout lures, particularly around the mouth where the clear water has these fish wary of anything that looks unnatural or oversized. The bream have been reliable up river 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 on small crab and prawn imitation soft plastics have also been getting great results. Some jack activity has continued up river around the deeper holes and banks on live bait and fresh whole sprat during the run out tide, with estuary cod and grunter also mixed through these same areas. The pelagic action around the mouth has also been worth keeping an eye on with areas of strong current and pressure edges around Dr Mays Island always worth a few casts for the queenfish and GT that have been showing up when the conditions are right!
Lincoln with a pair of cracking winter jacks
Baffle Creek
The mangrove jack fishing in the Baffle has continued to impress this week with these fish still being caught despite the cooling water temperatures. Live bait fished on the deep rock bars and holes during the run out tide continues to be the most reliable approach for finding these fish. The grunter have also been caught in good numbers with fish spread right throughout the system from the sand flats at the mouth all the way up to the deeper holes and rock bars towards Pig Island and Oyster Creek. The bigger and better quality fish have been coming to those bait fishing with live bait, whole sprat and mullet fillet around the deeper structure up river, while those working the shallower flats towards the mouth with lures have also been picking up some solid fish.
Great numbers of flathead have also been around with these fish being one of the most consistent performers across the system for those willing to cover ground. Trolling small diving hard bodies along the channels and drop offs has been an efficient and very productive way to find the better numbers of fish, particularly for those who are not too familiar with the system and want to cover plenty of ground quickly. For those who prefer to cast, small paddle tail and curl tail soft plastics in natural colours worked across the sand flats around Boaga and Winfield have been getting the most consistent results.
The whiting have also been showing up during the incoming tide across the shallow sand flats and yabbie beds for those who have made the effort to source fresh yabbies before heading out. Beach worms and pippies are also well worth having as a backup as on any given day these fish can show a preference for one bait over another.
Ruby Home with a quality flathead caught in the Baffle
Lake Gregory
After a slow week following the rapid drop in water temperature, the bass at Lake Gregory have started to come back on the chew and the sessions are beginning to improve again. The fish are still spread across the lake in smaller schools out in the deeper water but those taking the time to find them on the sounder and position the boat correctly have been getting some rewarding results.
The same techniques that were working so well a couple of weeks ago are producing fish again with slow rolling metal spoons and micro jigs the standout approach. Getting on the sounder, locating a school, making a long cast past them and doing a simple slow roll back through is still the foundation of the most productive sessions. Throwing in some occasional aggressive twitches to work the lure up in the water column before letting it flutter back down remains a great way to trigger a reaction bite from fish that are following without committing. The late afternoon sessions continue to be the most reliable windows with the sunset bite proving to be the most consistent trigger for getting these fish firing even as conditions continue to settle!
Team member Josh with a quality bass caught on the lake recently
Lake Monduran
The fishing at Lake Monduran has continued along the same patterns we have been reporting on over the last few weeks, and those who have been investing the time after dark have been getting some very impressive results. Wiggle Bay, the North Arm of B, Insane Bay and Hearts Bay have all been holding good numbers of fish throughout the night sessions and are well worth spending some serious time in when the light drops. One of the real advantages of fishing throughout the night is that these barra rise up in the water column making them significantly easier to locate and present a lure to. Although these fish will usually stay higher in the water column throughout the cooler months, we are still seeing these fish push deeper throughout the day so these night time sessions have been the best time to fish the lake.
These fish have remained very spooky over the last few weeks and subtle presentations continue to be the most critical factor in getting bites. Lures with very minimal movement have been the clear winners with super slow rolled Zerek Live Mullets, fly lures and strolling lures all getting their share of bites. Even the Samaki Redic DS80 and DDS90 have been producing when fished with extremely slow and small twitches, just enough to get the lure to move ever so slightly rather than imparting any real action into it. The angle of presentation remains just as important as lure selection with these fish wanting the lure to intercept them either directly across the face or on a 45 degree angle. Any lure coming over their back or directly head on is almost always a recipe for a spooked fish. Once a fish begins to follow, ease the lure away slowly before gradually increasing speed to try and draw that final committed bite. Often times, you will only get 1 or 2 chances at a fish before it either disappears off the screen, or spooks, so be sure to dial in your casting accuracy!
Harry Hardman with a cracking barra caught on the lake recently
From the team at Tackle World Bundaberg
Live the Tackle World L.I.F.E - Local Independent Fishing Experts
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