Philip Perry with a monster coral trout caught off Bundy!

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

Catch of the week winner - Philip Perry

Inshore & Offshore

Team member Corey with a big queenfish caught off Elliott Heads

Luca Felesina with a nice golden trevally caught inshore

Anthony McRae with a cracking 80cm flathead caught and released

The Kolan has continued to fish well this week and the grunter have been the standout fish with some seriously impressive size and numbers being caught throughout the system. These fish have been spread across a range of locations depending on the tide, however the last half of the run out tide has consistently been the prime window with the bigger grunter patrolling sand drop offs and rock bars as the current funnels bait through. Live bait, mullet fillet and whole sprat fished on a simple running ball sinker rig have all been doing the damage, and for the lure anglers a soft vibe in the deeper water or a prawn imitation soft plastic hopped along the bottom have both been very reliable options for getting bites from these fish.

The flathead have also continued to show up well on the shallow sand flats for those covering ground with lures on the incoming tide. Getting up onto the flats and prospecting with a soft plastic or shallow diving hard body is a very efficient way to find numbers of these fish, and as the tide turns and the water begins to recede, switching focus to the slightly deeper drop offs and sand undulations on the flats is where the bigger models tend to position themselves to ambush bait washing off. The whiting have picked up a little this week with some anglers having good sessions on fresh yabbies, chook gut and beach worms, though numbers are still not quite where we would hope to see them at this time of year. Having a few different bait options on hand is always a smart move as these fish can be quite fussy at times. Leading into the full moon next week there will be some big night time tides building so get the crab pots ready as that is going to be a great opportunity to get amongst the mud crabs!

Coen Herwig with a stonka 42cm bream

The Elliott has had a great run of pelagic action over the last week with some incredible bite windows for those in the right place at the right time. Big queenfish well over the metre mark, small GT and even school mackerel have all been caught in this system with most of the action happening around Dr Mays Island towards the top of the incoming tide. Positioning yourself in areas of strong current is always the most reliable strategy for intercepting these pelagic's as they move through, and finding bait balls in these areas can help hold the fish in the zone for longer when conditions line up. A few whispers of small tailor showing up in these same areas is also an encouraging sign with small metal lures retrieved quickly the go to for targeting these fish.

The flathead fishing has also been a real highlight with some monster fish being caught from the shallows despite the crystal clear water. These fish appear to have switched focus onto the summer whiting that are around so upsizing your bait or lure presentation has been paying off, with fish well into the 80cm range being caught from this system at the moment. It is a great time to get up onto the shallows and do some big long casts prospecting for these fish. Speaking of whiting, some quality fish over the 30cm mark have been coming from the shallow flats and yabbie banks on fresh yabbies with the super clear water making a natural presentation more important than ever. Adding some pink tubing or beads directly above your long shank hook has been a great little trick particularly when fishing into the night as these whiting love a touch of colour. With the big tides building towards the full moon next week the crabbing in this system has been solid so it is well worth getting the pots in!

Steve Rattray with a nice lizard caught in the Burnett

The Baffle has had a really solid week of fishing with the mangrove jack and grunter being the clear standouts throughout the system. The jack in particular have been in great form with these fish smashing live bait presented near heavy structure during the last of the run out tide. Any of the rock bars throughout this river are well worth targeting during this window and the results have been excellent for those doing so. For the lure anglers a slow rolled paddle tail or a prawn imitation lure retrieved slowly through the same areas has been very effective alternatives when live bait is hard to come by. With the cooler water fishing these deeper structures is important this time of year as these jack sit deeper and are generally a bit lethargic.

The grunter have been well and truly on the chew throughout the system with the mouth area consistently being the most productive location. Slow rolling paddle tail or curl tail soft plastics across the shallow sand flats, particularly over spots with yabbie beds or fallen trees, has been getting some really good results on these fish. Plenty of flathead have also been around this week with the majority of fish being caught across the shallow sand flats and drop offs around the mouth and around Winfield and Pig Island on soft plastics. Covering ground has been the key to finding the better concentrations of fish in these areas. Some cracking whiting have also been showing up on the incoming tide so make sure the whiting rods are packed and fresh yabbies are on hand before heading out. Just like all of our other systems right now the Baffle is also producing some quality mud crabs so it is well worth getting the pots in for an overnight soak with the big tides building towards the full moon next week!

Theo Kartalli with a nice 44cm mangrove jack

The very average weather over the last week has had a noticeable impact on the fishing at Lake Gregory with the unsettled conditions shutting the bass down. These fish are quite sensitive to rapid changes in the environment and the strong south easterly winds have not done the bite any favours. The good news is that with better weather on the way these fish should come back on the chew fairly quickly once things settle down, and with the water temperature continuing to drop the deep water bite will only continue to improve in the weeks ahead as winter really takes hold and these bass get more and more accustomed to the cooler conditions.

When the fish have been willing to bite the same techniques that have been working over recent weeks have remained the most reliable. Locating schools of fish on the sounder and making long casts past the fish, then slow rolling metal spoons and micro jigs back through them with the occasional aggressive twitch mixed in has been the foundation of the better sessions. The late afternoon bite window has continued to be the most consistent trigger for getting these fish going even in the tougher conditions. For those fishing without a sounder, working the timber bay and edges during the early morning and late afternoon with deep diving crank baits and small paddle tail soft plastics has also been producing fish. Once this weather settles the lake is going to fire back up and these fish will have had a few days rest with minimal pressure on them, so it is well worth getting on the water as soon as conditions improve.

Team member Max Harris and mate Caylen Burke had a great session on the Lake recently, landing well into the double digits and plenty of fishing in the mid 40cm range

The fishing at Lake Monduran has remained consistent for those putting in the time over the last week, though getting a bite has continued to be one of the more challenging aspects of fishing this lake through winter. The early morning window continues to be the most reliable period with these fish sitting high in the water column during the first few hours of daylight and considerably more approachable than throughout the day. As the sun climbs these fish push progressively deeper making them very difficult to target effectively, so focusing efforts in that early morning window before the sun gets up and again in the late afternoon right through into the night has been the most consistent game plan.

The number of fish following lures all the way to the boat without committing has been one of the more frustrating aspects of fishing the dam at the moment. These fish are clearly showing interest and following, but getting them to bite in those final metres has been extremely difficult. A couple of techniques have been making a real difference when fish are nosing the lure right at the boat. Very slowly lifting the lure out of the water as if the bait is trying to escape can trigger a reaction bite from fish that have been glued to the lure but refusing to eat, as that sudden sense of the bait escaping is often enough to get them to bite. Doing slow circles or figure eights with the rod tip, particularly when using fly lures or strolling soft plastics, has also been a very effective way to keep the lure in front of the fish for longer and give them another look at it before they turn away. Lures with minimal action continue to dominate with Zerek Live Mullets, Rapala Crush City Freeloaders, Raid Super Fish Rollers and fly lures all accounting for fish. Finding sheltered bays with minimal boat traffic and calm conditions away from the main river channels continues to be the best starting point for locating fish that are more willing to commit, and Wiggle Bay, White Rock, Jacks and the back of North Arm have been the most consistent locations over the last week!

Nathan Sutton with a quality Lake Monduran barra

Live the Tackle World L.I.F.E - Local Independent Fishing Experts

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