**CATCH OF THE WEEK **
Ryder Eyears with a ripper 45cm jack caught whilst trolling for flathead!
Congratulations Ryder, please call into the store to collect your $50 gift card.
Catch of the week winner - Ryder Eyears
Inshore & Offshore
It has been a really enjoyable couple of weeks on the water with light westerly winds both morning and afternoon providing calm seas and minimal swell for those keen to get out and fish our inshore reefs. Plenty of opportunities have presented themselves and those who have been watching the forecast closely have been well rewarded for their efforts.
There has been a great amount of bait inshore with yakka and slimy mackerel getting very thick along our coast at this time of year, and the pelagic action has reflected that with mackerel, trevally and queenfish all being caught in good numbers across various areas. For those targeting spanish, the early morning and late afternoon sessions have been the most productive with these fish rising in the water column during the low light periods and feeding a lot more aggressively. Trolling hard body lures around ground holding bait and working the current lines along our coast has been paying off consistently, and if you can rig a whole garfish or bonito on a Reaper Rig your chances improve even further. A very exciting development this week has been the arrival of squid along our coast! Some keen early risers have already got amongst some solid numbers with areas holding a mix of patchy rock, weed and sand being the most reliable locations to try. Early morning and late afternoon has been the prime time for these squid so it is well worth having some squid jigs in the tackle box before heading out.
For those bottom fishing, quality grass sweetlip and some great sized stripeys have continued to come from our common reefs and wrecks with the Artificial off Elliott Heads being the standout mark. The snapper have also started to show themselves at our common inshore marks with the cold snap earlier this week appearing to have triggered some great activity from these fish, something a lot of local anglers have been eagerly waiting for! Those fishing out a little wider have continued to find plenty of cobia around heavy structure with these fish eating just about anything presented to them. The next week or so is looking fairly average at this stage however the westerly winds first thing in the morning can be slow to build so the first light window may still provide some opportunities for those watching the weather closely!
Nugget with a cracking 80cm coral trout
Morghan with his first ever spanish mackerel
Burnett River
The Burnett continues to be in exceptional form and is producing some of the best winter fishing we have seen on this system in recent years. The bream remain the headline act with lure anglers who have really dialled in their approach continuing to land some impressive fish along the rock walls throughout the system. Slow rolling deep diving hard bodies tight along the base of the rock walls has remained one of the most effective techniques while fishing small blades and vibes through the mid water column has also been accounting for some cracking fish. On the slower days when the bite is a little tougher, switching to a small crab or prawn imitation lure rigged as lightly as possible to achieve that super slow and natural sink rate has been a very reliable way to tempt these bigger and more finicky fish into biting. Grunter and estuary cod have also been showing up in great numbers along the North Wall in particular with live bait the most effective option for both species.
The blue salmon are continuing to filter into the system which is always one of the most anticipated developments of the winter season. The whispers of fish being caught are getting louder by the week and it will not be long before these fish are well and truly here in numbers. Getting on the sounder and locating these schools is the most effective approach and once you find them a soft vibe hopped steadily through the school is the classic go to technique. The mulloway have also continued to show up and generate a lot of excitement amongst local anglers, with live bait remaining the standout approach. It is well worth investing the time to secure some quality live bait before heading out if one of these fish is on your wish list this weekend.
Don Patterson with a 43cm Burnett River bream
Kolan River
The Kolan has had a really impressive week of fishing with some great variety on offer for those spending time on this system. The bread and butter action has been exceptional as expected at this time of year with some monster flathead, quality bream and great numbers of whiting all being caught throughout the river.
The flathead have been the real talking point this week with some serious fish being caught by those trolling small hard body lures along the drop offs and channels during the run out tide and getting up onto the flats at the top of the tide. The key with this approach is ensuring your lure is running at the right depth, occasionally making contact with the bottom is exactly what you want as it triggers the reaction from these fish. The Daiwa Double Clutch 75SP-G is a fantastic all round option for this style of fishing and well worth having in the tackle box. The bream have also been showing up well with most of the quality fish coming from around the fallen trees at the mouth and along the shallow mangrove lined banks on whole sprat and strips of mullet fillet. For the whiting, fishing the very start of the incoming tide as the water pushes up onto the shallow flats and yabbie beds has been the most reliable approach with fresh yabbies, beach worms and pippies all producing solid results. There have also been a few quality fish caught on topwater lures during those low light incoming tides which is always an exciting and very enjoyable way to target them.
Surprisingly the mangrove jack have continued to show up for those willing to fish the deeper structure up river. Rock bars and deep holes with fallen timber have been the prime locations with live bait or fresh dead bait getting the best results during the run out tide. The mud crabbing has also been solid for those leaving pots in overnight so it is well worth throwing a few in if you can.
Gary Barton with a cracking flathead caught in the Kolan River
Elliott River
The Elliott has had another solid week of fishing with the bread and butter species well and truly the main attraction throughout the system. The whiting have been showing up in great numbers across the shallow flats and yabbie beds during the incoming tide with fresh yabbies, beach worms and pippies all producing consistent results. Those fishing into the night have had the best of it with the quality of fish after dark noticeably better, and some really good sized grunter have also been showing up after dark on the shallows proving to be a very welcome surprise on the whiting gear! The yellowfin and black bream have been another highlight with these fish found up river along the mangrove lined banks and fallen trees on unweighted whole sprat or strips of mullet fillet. For the lure anglers small crab, prawn or curl tail soft plastics rigged as lightly as possible for that slow natural sink rate have been the standout options.
The flathead have also been showing up in good numbers throughout the system, moving up onto the shallows during the incoming tide before retreating into the deeper channels and drop offs as the water runs out. Small curl tail soft plastics in natural colours have been the standout presentation with these fish appearing less inclined to commit to bigger lures at the moment, particularly around the mouth where the water is clearer. Further up river some nice mangrove jack up to 45cm have also been caught around the deeper holes and banks on live bait or fresh whole sprat, with estuary cod and some quality grunter also mixed through these areas. The run out tide has been the prime window for this style of fishing as all of the bait and fish retreat off the edges and concentrate into the deeper water making them much easier to locate and target.
Simon Hinton with a ripper 39cm bream which ate a live sprat
Baffle Creek
The Baffle has continued to fish well this week and like our other systems this time of year it is very much all about the bread and butter species. The sand flats and drop offs have been the backbone of most sessions with those covering ground finding the most consistent action. For those who are not too familiar with this system, trolling small diving hard body lures along the sand flats and drop offs is a fantastic way to cover ground and find where the fish are sitting. Some quality flathead and even the odd small GT and queenfish have been caught this week using this approach which is always a fun bonus! For those who prefer to cast, small paddle tail and curl tail soft plastics in natural colours have been the most effective option on the flathead with the sand flats around Boaga and Winfield producing the most reliable results as the water continues to clean up.
The whiting have been a little quiet so far this year but schools of fish have been coming on the chew at times and those in the right place during the right stage of the tide have managed some quality fish. Fishing the very first push of the incoming tide across the shallow sand flats and yabbie beds that are getting hit with current has been the most reliable approach, and having fresh yabbies on hand will significantly improve your chances. The great thing about this style of fishing is you are always a shot at a wide variety of species as flathead, grunter, bream and dart will all happily eat a fresh yabbie when they come across one. The mangrove jack action has slowed as expected with the cooler water however those timing their session to coincide with a morning incoming tide have found these fish up in the shallows warming up and ambushing bait. Otherwise live bait fished on deep rock bars, steep banks and holes with fallen timber has been the most consistent approach with live poddy mullet and prawns the standouts, though a fresh whole sprat is also well worth trying particularly when the bite is slow.
Shane Leather with a ripper mangrove jack
Lake Gregory
Lake Gregory continues to fire on all cylinders and is without question fishing at its absolute best right now. The schools of bass have been well and truly settled into their winter pattern in the deeper water and the quality of fish being caught has been outstanding with plenty of bass over 40cm and up to 50cm being landed on a regular basis. This is genuinely one of the best times of the entire year to be fishing this lake and those who have been getting out there have been experiencing some cracking sessions.
The go to presentations continue to be metal lures with the Palms Slow Blatt and Oceans Legacy Roven Micro Jig 10g both being standout options. Getting on the sounder to locate the better concentrations of fish, then doing long casts past the schools and doing a simple slow roll back through them has been all that is needed to land some quality fish. Occasionally adding some erratic twitches to jig the lure up in the water column before letting it flutter back down is a great way to trigger a reaction bite from any bass that may be following without committing. While the late afternoon bite remains the most reliable and productive window, these fish have really started to come on the chew throughout the day so do not be put off getting on the water earlier as there are plenty of fish to be caught across all hours right now!
Team member Karl and his son Hugo with a 50cm bass caught in Lake Gregory
Lake Monduran
The fishing at Lake Monduran continues to evolve as we push deeper into winter and the changes in fish behaviour over the last few weeks have been very noticeable for those spending consistent time on the dam. These barra have become increasingly wary and getting a bite has required a much more considered and subtle approach than what was working earlier in the season. Fly lures, strolling lures and Zerek Live Mullets have been the weapons of choice with a slow and steady roll the foundation of the retrieve. The natural and understated action these lures produce combined with the minimal noise and splash they create on entry has been the winning formula for getting these cautious fish to commit.
The timing of the bite has been one of the more interesting talking points over the last few weeks. Despite the cooler water a lot of fish are still pushing deep through the middle of the day making for very tough fishing during these hours. Getting on the water in the late afternoon, locating good numbers of fish and then covering ground as the light fades and fishing well into the night has been when the majority of the action has taken place. Presentation angle has been absolutely critical with these fish needing the lure to come almost directly to their nose before showing any real interest. Once a fish begins to show interest. easing the lure away slowly and then building the retrieve speed gradually is the most reliable way to edge them into a committed bite.
For those without live sonar, finding areas sheltered from the wind and away from heavy boat traffic has been a very worthwhile starting point. Weed edges sitting alongside a deep channel have been consistently productive in these conditions as they give the barra exactly what they are after right now, a shallow ambush zone with the security of deep water close by. These spots are well worth spending some time on and are a great option for those looking to get amongst some fish without the need for live scope technology!
Junior team member Max with a quality Lake Monduran barra
From the team at Tackle World Bundaberg
Live the Tackle World L.I.F.E - Local Independent Fishing Experts
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