**CATCH OF THE WEEK **
Jaden Bond with a 112cm barra caught locally!
Congratulations Jaden, please call into the store to collect your $50 gift card.
Catch of the week winner - Jaden Bond
Inshore & Offshore
After a few weeks of very frustrating weather it was great to finally see a small window open up earlier this week with both Tuesday and Wednesday providing some decent conditions for boats to get out the front. Even a few of the bigger boats managed to make the run wide which was a welcome change!
The cobia around our local wrecks inshore have continued to show up in exceptional numbers and these fish are being encountered just about everywhere at the moment, with even some of the bigger boats heading wide running into them out on the offshore grounds. As always these fish are not particularly fussy and will eat most offerings put in front of them, but a soft plastic or soft vibe worked down through the water column has been particularly effective. The dawn and dusk windows have been the prime bite times so getting on the water early or staying out into the late afternoon has been the key to maximising your chances. The inshore reefs have also been producing some great grass sweetlip and stripeys with the Artificial off Elliott Heads being the standout location, though some nice fish have also been caught off Burnett Heads around the 2 Mile reef and various other patches. The low light periods have again been the most productive window so it is well worth timing your sessions accordingly.
For the bigger boats that made the run wide the Warrego's, Heralds Patch and the bottom end of the Bunker Group around Fitzroy, Bulb and Lady Musgrave have all been producing some exceptional coral trout and red throat emperor fishing right up on the shallows. Floating baits down naturally with a super slow sink rate has been the most effective bait approach for these fish, while lure anglers have been doing very well on 1/2oz to 1oz jig heads rigged with Samaki or similar jerk shad soft plastics in the 5 to 7 inch range. Bright colours have been the standout with oranges, pinks and reds or anything with high contrast UV working exceptionally well on these reef flats. Those fishing the deeper grounds east off Bundy in the 28 to 40 metre range have continued to find good numbers of grass sweetlip, spangled emperor, venus tusk fish, hussar, cod and numerous other quality reef species. Drifting to cover ground and find isolated fern patches and rubble rather than anchoring has not only produced the better quality fish but has also helped minimise shark encounters which have been frustrating some anglers. Fresh whole squid, cuttlefish and pilchards have all been reliable baits with hussar fillet and other fresh slab baits also proving very effective, and always rig on a set of gang hooks to keep the presentation as natural as possible. For those targeting the deeper marks around the 40 metre range for large mouth nannygai and red emperor, the tide turn has been absolutely critical with that hour either side of the slack water consistently producing the better quality fish on the deeper isolated ground. The spanish mackerel season has been a little quiet this year however better numbers of fish in the 10 to 15kg range have been showing up on some of the wider grounds around the gutters east off Bundy and the Warrego's, Heralds Patch and around the Bunker Group for those heading north off 1770. Trolling hard body lures and fresh whole garfish or bonito on a Reaper Rig have been the most consistent methods, and always worth having an unweighted pilchard floating out the back of the boat if there are any signs of mackerel or bait around a mark. It is great to finally see some better weather and fingers crossed we get a few more opportunities before the summer season kicks into gear!
Don Patterson with a monster 130cm cobia caught off Burnett Heads
Ky Burke with a nice mulloway caught locally
Burnett River
The bream fishing in the Burnett has been absolutely on fire and continues to be the highlight of this system week after week throughout this winter season. Some incredible fish well over 40cm have been caught this week with a few fish even nudging that impressive 45cm mark, and the numbers of quality fish between 35 and 40cm has also been very encouraging. The better fish have predominantly been coming from the rock walls and rubbly bottom towards the mouth of the system with fresh whole prawns and whole sprat the standout baits. The key is rigging these baits on as light a ball sinker as possible so the bait drifts down through the water column in the most natural way possible, with casting up current and letting the bait drift back along the rock wall being a very reliable and effective technique. For the lure anglers slow rolling small deep diving hard body crank baits along the rock walls has been one of the most consistent methods, along with small curl tail or prawn imitation soft plastics rigged on a light jig head.
The big news out of the Burnett this week has been some exciting barra activity with local angler Jayden Bond landing a cracking 112cm fish from the river, proving that putting in the time and targeting these fish correctly will eventually get you results. Plenty of smaller fish in the 60 to 70cm range have also been caught which is a great sign of things to come from this system. A lot of these fish have been found schooled up in the deeper areas throughout the river and targeting them during the low light periods of dawn and dusk, particularly if a tide turn lines up at the same time, has been the most reliable approach for getting a bite. Soft vibes and prawn imitation soft plastics have been the standout lures.
The flathead have also been producing some great results throughout the system with lure anglers casting soft plastics and jerk bait hard bodies along the shallow sand flats and drop offs during the bottom half of the run out tide getting the best numbers. Tofts Rocks and Splitters Creek have been the standout locations for numbers of fish while the deeper water around Talon Bridge, the channels around Kirbys Wall and along the North Wall towards the mouth have been producing the bigger and better quality fish. The prawns are also still very thick in the system and well worth targeting towards the bottom of the tide!
David and his sons Ted and Joe managed a cracking haul of bream on fresh prawns, David's bream went 38cm whilst his boys managed to clip him with a pair of 40cm bream!
Kolan River
The Kolan has had another great week of fishing with a really impressive mix of both winter and summer species keeping things very exciting. The bread and butter fishing along the shallow sand flats has again been a real standout with bream, whiting and flathead all being caught in good numbers particularly towards the mouth of the system around Miara and the yabbie beds. Fresh yabbies and beach worms have been the standout baits for the bream and whiting on the incoming tide, and for the flathead those casting shallow diving hard bodies and paddle tail soft plastics along the sand flats have been getting the best results. Even those trolling along the deeper edges during the run out tide have been finding some quality fish up around the 50cm mark which is always a great way to cover ground efficiently. There has also been some exciting pelagic action around the mouth of the system with small queenfish and trevally harassing bait schools on the bigger tides during the push of the incoming tide. Pressure edges and areas where the bait is congregating have been the most reliable locations to find these fish, and always keep an eye out for any surface bust ups or flickering bait as these are an obvious sign worth casting at.
The summer species have really started to show themselves again in the Kolan which is very exciting. Mangrove jack have begun to be caught in better numbers with live bait and bigger dead baits like strips of mullet fillet and large herring prawns proving the most effective option in the deeper areas during the run out tide. Rock bars, deep holes and snaggy banks have been the prime locations for these fish and for the lure anglers fishing hard body lures like the Samaki Redic or Jackall Squirrel along these same structures has been a great approach, along with prawn imitation lures rigged weedless and bounced through the deeper snags. Some good numbers of barra have also started to show up throughout this system again with fish being found both around the mouth and up river in the deeper holes of Yandaran Creek and around Booyan Bridge. Getting these fish to commit to a bite has been very challenging but targeting them around a tide turn, a barometric pressure change or a moon rise or moon set are all reliable little windows that can trigger these fish into feeding. The crabbing has also been very consistent over the last few weeks so it is well worth getting the pots in during the bigger tides and leaving them overnight for the best results!
Jayden Pashley with a nice bream
Elliott River
The shallow sand flats and yabbie beds have again been the most consistent producers in the Elliott this week with some nice numbers of whiting and bream being caught on the incoming tide. With the water in this system as crystal clear as it is at the moment a light fluorocarbon leader of around 8 to 10lb is an absolute must, and adding some pink or red tubing or beads directly above the hook has been helping convert bites from the fussier fish particularly on the whiting. Fishing into the night has seen the better quality whiting caught so if you can time your session to have a nice incoming tide during the late afternoon and through into the night you are putting yourself in the best possible position.
The pelagic action around Dr Mays Island and the mouth of the system has also continued to fire with land based anglers fishing off the rocky headland doing particularly well on small metal lures and topwater lures. The flathead have been another consistent performer throughout the system though these fish have been very spread out, meaning those covering ground on lures have had a clear advantage over bait anglers in finding the better numbers.
Something a little different worth talking about this week is the fishing at Kinkuna Beach just south of the Elliott River which has been producing some fantastic whiting recently. Driving along the beach and finding a nice gutter is the key with the incoming tide being particularly productive as fresh bait and nutrients flood into these gutters and draw the fish in. Fresh beach worms have been an exceptional bait off the beach lately and while they are certainly a challenge to collect they are well worth the effort, with dart and flathead also very much on the cards alongside the whiting when using a simple running ball sinker rig with a beach worm.
Brendon Dern found plenty of whiting recently with fresh beach worms doing the damage
Baffle Creek
The flathead have been the standout species across the Baffle this week with some great numbers being caught along the sand flats and yabbie banks towards the mouth around Boaga and Winfield. Lure anglers casting soft plastics along the shallow flats have been getting the best results with the clear winter water making a more finesse curl tail presentation in natural colours like bloodworm the standout option over larger or brighter lures. The incoming tide towards the mouth has been the most productive window for these fish while those fishing further up river around Pig Island and beyond have found the run out tide more productive as these fish drop off into the deeper water and channels.
The bream have also been very consistent along the mangrove lined banks with both yellowfin and black bream being caught in the same areas. Whole sprat and strips of mullet fillet fished with a light ball sinker and allowed to drift naturally through the water column has been the most reliable approach in areas like Duck Creek, Bottle Creek and the main channels, and it is always worth remembering that in these same areas you are in with a good shot at flathead, cod, trevally and numerous other species as a very welcome by-catch. The grunter have been a feature in this system with most fish being caught up river around Pig Island and Winfield on live bait, strips of mullet fillet and whole prawns, with the incoming tide seeing fish up on the shallow flats and the run out tide pushing them back into the deeper channels. The whiting have also been showing up in better numbers with fishing into the night on the late afternoon incoming tide producing the best results on fresh yabbies and beach worms.
The mangrove jack have also started to heat back up again with more fish being caught from the deeper rock bars, snaggy banks and holes. Live bait remains the most effective option with strips of mullet fillet a reliable second, and for the lure anglers getting a prawn imitation soft plastic rigged weedless right into the snags and bouncing it through the structure has been the best approach for finding these fish sitting deep. As the water continues to warm we should see these jacks move back to the shallower edges which will make for some very exciting fishing in the weeks ahead!
Steve Davidson with a quality jack caught locally
Lake Gregory
Lake Gregory continues to produce some really enjoyable fishing with the deep water schools still holding good numbers of bass for those targeting them with sounders. An interesting shift has occurred this week though with the more finesse presentations starting to outperform the metal jigs and spoons that have been dominant throughout winter. Small jerk tail and paddle tail soft plastics have been getting far more bites from these schooled up fish than anything else, which makes a lot of sense as these fish have now seen plenty of lures over the winter season and a more subtle approach has been the key to getting them to commit.
The edge bite is also really starting to take off which is an exciting and somewhat early development heading into the warmer months. Some great sized fish have been caught working the edges of the lake with the key being accurate casts into the back of weed pockets and working lures around the weed towers and drop offs in the slightly deeper water surrounding the structure. These fish pull incredibly hard when hooked in the timber and shallow weed and are as fun as fishing gets on light gear! Topwater lures have even started to get some attention from fish right up in the timber bays during the early mornings and late afternoons which is a very promising sign of what is to come. Over the next few weeks as the water begins to warm we could be in for a cracking early season topwater bite at the lake, so watch this space!
Nelson Philips with a nice bass caught at the lake
Lake Monduran
Lake Monduran has had another quality few weeks of fishing with plenty of fish over the magic metre mark hitting the deck for those putting in consistent time on the water. It is certainly not easy fishing up at the dam at the moment but it has been very consistent in that those who have figured out a pattern over the winter season are getting some truly impressive results with multiple quality fish per session becoming a regular occurrence.
With the water crystal clear at the moment stealth is of the utmost importance and it cannot be overstated. Long casts well beyond the fish, minimal noise, finesse lures and a quiet approach are all absolutely critical right now. Strolling lures and fly lures are the two clear standout options on the lake at the moment with a simple slow and steady wind being the foundation of the most effective retrieve. Getting the lure to intercept the fish at the right angle is critical with the lure needing to come right past the fish's nose rather than over its back or directly head on. As the fish shows interest in the lure the key is to very gradually increase the speed of the retrieve as the fish begins to follow, continuing to build that pace as the fish commits more and more. One of the most important things to understand at the moment is to work that lure all the way back to the boat as a lot of fish are biting in those final metres right alongside the boat, and even continuing to sweep and drag the rod tip as the lure leaves the water has been triggering bites from fish that are still following right at the surface.
The early morning has emerged as the most productive window on the dam right now with the barra noticeably more active and inclined to feed during those first few hours of daylight. The late afternoon into the night also remains a reliable window but if you had to pick one time to be on the water, that early morning session is where the best fishing has been happening. For those heading to the lake without Live Scope, now is actually a really exciting time to be making the trip as the water temperature is starting to creep back up and over the coming weeks we should see more and more fish moving onto the weed beds, shallow points and windblown bays where lures like the Zerek Live Mullet, Samaki Redic, Jackall Squirrel will become a lot more effective. And fingers crossed we are in for another cracking topwater season at the lake this year, where topwater frog lures and unweighted paddle tails soft plastics will be the standouts.
Team member Josh Mortensen with a cracking Lake Monduran barra he caught recently!
From the team at Tackle World Bundaberg
Live the Tackle World L.I.F.E - Local Independent Fishing Experts
Liked this report? You can read our others here
