**CATCH OF THE WEEK **
Matt Arnold with a 78cm bar cheek coral trout caught inshore
Congratulations Matt, please call into the store to collect your $50 gift card.
Catch of the week winner - Matt Arnold
Inshore & Offshore
This weekend sees the annual MRQ Family Fishing Classic kick off and the weather gods have certainly done their part with an absolute pearler of a day on the cards for tomorrow to get things underway! The competition runs from 6am Friday through to 11am Sunday and with the recent form of our inshore and offshore grounds we are in for a cracking event. There will no doubt be plenty of boats making the run wide in search of some trophy fish across the major competition categories including cobia, coral trout, mackerel, red emperor, snapper, sweetlip, tuna and tusk fish.
The shallow reefs off 1770 and some of the reefs off Bundy have been producing great fishing with coral trout, red throat emperor and numerous species of cod the standout captures for those fishing up on top of the reef. Hopping soft plastics along the reef is a really effective way to cover ground and find the better quality fish, while whole pilchards, squid or fresh flesh baits rigged on gang hooks are always a solid option for those who prefer bait fishing. The deeper grounds above 35 metres have also been producing some great signs of big red emperor, nannygai, sweetlip and tusk fish with most of these fish being caught around a tide turn or by those able to fish into the night. Fresh baits have been best out wide with big flesh baits and fresh squid or cuttlefish the standouts, and for those who enjoy jigging the neap tides have been creating some great opportunities to work jigs and even soft vibes through these deeper areas.
The inshore grounds have also been in top form and this weekend will see plenty of activity from the smaller boats. The cobia numbers this year are up there with the best we have seen with some cracking fish well over 20kg still being caught around the Leads at Burnett Heads and the closer wrecks. The mackerel have continued to show up right along our coast with school mackerel the most prevalent however some nice spanish have also been found on the slightly wider grounds, with trolling fresh baits during the low light periods the most reliable approach for these fish. The snapper action has been a little quiet this year however the sunrise and sunset bite windows are producing the best results for those timing their sessions correctly. Lightly weighted jerk shads or prawn soft plastics in bright orange colours have been the standout lure options while whole pilchards and squid on a light running ball sinker rig is always a very reliable bait approach for these fish. Good luck to everyone competing this weekend!
Stefano Deanoz with a nice golden trevally caught inshore
Leyton Johnson with a cracking large mouth nannygai which measured 88cm!
Burnett River
The Burnett has had another great week of fishing with plenty of variety on offer throughout the system. The bream have remained on the chew with most of the quality fish still being caught towards the mouth along the rock walls and rubble patches. Lure anglers slow rolling small deep diving hard body lures tight along the rock walls and working curl tail soft plastics across the rubble patches have been consistently finding the better quality fish around 40cm and over. For those fishing bait, whole sprat or chook gut rigged on a light ball sinker has been working a treat on these fish.
An interesting development this week has been the presence of good numbers of grey mackerel in the river with the big full moon tides clearly pushing these fish up into the system. Plenty of lure anglers have been running into these fish while trolling hard body lures or fishing soft plastics around the main channels and areas of strong current and bait. When running lighter leaders, you do need a bit of luck to hook these fish in the right area, but if you do it is one cracking fight on the light gear!
The blue salmon action has eased off a little this week with numbers harder to come by than the red hot sessions of a couple of weeks ago, however fish are still being caught through the Town Reach area and in the deep holes at Fairymead with the bottom of the tide being the ideal time to be positioned in these areas. Soft vibes and metal blades on a lift and pause retrieve or a fast steady wind to trigger a reaction bite have remained the standout techniques. And for those keen on a fresh feed of mud crab, the crabbing this year has been one of the best we have seen in recent memory so make sure you are getting the pots in and taking advantage of it!
Don Patterson with a monster 83cm blue salmon caught in the Burnett
Kolan River
The Kolan has continued to produce some great variety this week and is fishing at a very high standard right now. The grunter have remained the standout fish in this system with these fish being found across a wide range of locations depending on the stage of the tide. The shallow sand flats and yabbie beds have been productive during the first half of the incoming tide with fresh yabbies the standout bait, while the rock bars, deeper channels and drop offs have been the place to be during the last half of the run out tide as these fish move into the deeper water in search of bait washing off the shallows. Strips of mullet fillet and whole sprat have been the most reliable baits in these deeper areas, and for the lure anglers soft vibes worked slowly along the bottom and curl tail soft plastics over the shallows have both been getting consistent results.
The full moon tides this week have also stirred up some exciting pelagic action throughout the system with small to medium sized GT and queenfish being found harassing schools of bait in good numbers. Targeting areas of strong current and pressure edges has been the most reliable way to locate these fish with topwater lures and small soft plastics both working well when the fish are pushing bait to the surface. Some great flathead and mangrove jack have also continued to show up throughout the system with the jack in particular responding well to live bait fished on the rock bars and deep snaggy banks up river and up Yandaran Creek during the run out tide. The crabbing has also been very solid off the back of the big full moon tides with plenty of quality bucks on the move, so it is well worth getting the pots in if you can.
Seth Johnstone with a massive 43cm bream!
Elliott River
The Elliott has continued to fire on all cylinders this week and the arrival of the full moon on Tuesday has made a noticeable difference to the quality and consistency of fishing throughout the system. The whiting in particular have really come on the chew with the afternoon incoming tide producing some great numbers of fish across the shallow flats and yabbie beds. Fresh yabbies remain the number one bait and those who have put the effort in to pump a good supply before the tide comes in have been very well rewarded, with the better quality fish showing up consistently in these areas during this afternoon window.
The pelagic action around the mouth has again been a highlight with queenfish and GT continuing to show up around Dr Mays Island and other areas of strong current on the incoming tide. Topwater lures and small metals worked with plenty of pace and erratic action have been the most effective approach for these fish and they remain a cracking option for land based anglers. Further up river the jack, estuary cod and grunter have all been showing up in the deeper holes and banks with live bait and fresh dead bait the most consistent approach, while the bread and butter species across the shallows have continued to provide some really enjoyable sessions during the incoming tide. The crabbing has also been absolutely red hot due to the full moon tides this week so make sure the pots are in the water if you are heading out to this system!
Taj Harris with a monster flathead caught locally
Baffle Creek
The big full moon tides this week have really fired up the fishing in the Baffle and made for some exceptional sessions for those prepared to get out and fish throughout the night. The incoming tide after dark has been a real standout with solid numbers of grunter and whiting coming up onto the sand flats and yabbie beds and feeding. Fishing these areas right through the night has consistently produced better quality fish than the daytime sessions with fresh yabbies the standout bait across both species. The flathead numbers have also improved this week with some quality fish being caught on the sand flats and drop offs around the mouth of this system. With the cleaner water this time of year going to a lighter leader and a natural coloured soft plastic is a good idea.
The mangrove jack have continued to show up in the deeper sections of the system. Live bait and fresh dead baits fished on the rock bars and snaggy banks during the run out tide has seen the best results. The blue salmon have again provided a surprise with a few more cracking fish well into the 80cm mark being reported from the deeper areas around Winfield and Pig Island for those fishing live bait, and a soft vibe hopped along the bottom remains the go to for lure anglers targeting these fish. The yellowfin and black bream have also remained consistent with the yabbie beds and fallen trees near the mouth producing the best yellowfin numbers while the black bream have been found up river along the mangrove lined banks on lightly weighted whole sprat. And with the big full moon tides getting plenty of crabs on the move this week it is well worth throwing the pots in for an overnight soak!
Oscar Wales & Daniel Duncan with a cracking feed of jacks and a stonka whiting
Lake Gregory
As predicted the first full moon of the winter season has made a very noticeable difference at Lake Gregory this week with these bass becoming a lot more active and feeding compared to what we have seen over the last couple of weeks. Those running Live Scope have been doing particularly well with good schools of fish located out in the deeper water and responding very well to strolling soft plastics worked slowly through the schools. For those without live sonar, metal spoons and micro jigs have also continued to produce with the same approach of long casts past the school and a slow steady roll back through them accounting for some quality fish during the late afternoon bite window which remains the most productive session of the day.
Some anglers have also been finding good numbers of fish in the tight timber country and shallower weed beds. Slow rolling crank baits and small paddle tail soft plastics through these areas has been working really well and is a great option for those who prefer to fish the edges rather than hunting schools in the open water.
Cameron Ostrofski with a solid bass caught locally
Lake Monduran
The barra at Lake Monduran have been incredibly spooky over the last week and getting a bite has required an extremely considered and subtle approach. The most important thing that has separated those getting bites from those spooking fish has been cast placement. Getting the lure to land well away from the fish and working it in extremely slowly is absolutely critical at the moment. And ensuring your cast angle gets the lure to come across the fishes face rather than directly head on, or over its shoulders is just as important. A simple slow roll from that point is all that is needed with any movement that is even slightly too erratic immediately spooking these cautious winter barra. For those fishing Samaki Redics, an incredibly subtle twitch that barely moves the lure has been enough to trigger a bite from a fish, any more action than that and they are gone.
Fishing shallow diving timber lures through the night and first thing in the morning has also been getting some good reactions from these fish, again with a dead slow roll being the foundation of the retrieve and as little rod tip action as possible. One of the more reliable bite windows this week has been the early morning moon set, and when this coincides with the sunrise it creates a cracking little period where these fish are noticeably more willing to commit to a lure without following it all the way to the boat just to turn away. Plenty of areas throughout the lake are holding good numbers of fish, finding areas well away from boat traffic that are holding a few fish will greatly improve your chances of one of these fish biting. Just be sure to be incredibly stealthy with your approach!
Team member Mason with another quality Mondy barra caught last weekend
From the team at Tackle World Bundaberg
Live the Tackle World L.I.F.E - Local Independent Fishing Experts
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