on orders over $125Well, it’s that time of the year again. Now we’re into December, it feels like summer is well and truly here, with high daytime temperatures and the chance of thunderstorms most afternoons.
The bigger boats that headed off shore last weekend all reported boating some quality reef fish. I’ve seen photos of some nice snapper, coral trout, sweetlip and large cod all caught out from Bundaberg last weekend. Unfortunately the weather was not as good as forecast and most boats did not travel much further than fifteen miles due to the rough conditions.
This weekend’s offshore forecast doesn’t look too flash either, with a fresh south-easterly change predicted.
By all reports the Burnett River has seen some nice muddies caught this past week. The prawns that fired up around the Port last weekend are still there, but a little patchy and the fishing is still producing some top quality grunter. There are enough late season bream, massive flathead and enough three-tooth jew and northern whiting to keep everyone amused.
Once again the anglers chasing the iconic mangrove jack have also been doing well. Some hot spots to try for a jack would be the top reaches of Splitters Creek, Austoft Rocks, the Tallon Bridge pylons, the hot water outlet at Millaquin Mill and any of the rock walls down to the mouth. All hold good numbers of mangrove jack.
The Kolan and Elliott rivers are also fishing well. Both systems are starting to produce good quality mud crabs leading up to Christmas. With both rivers having large amounts of shallow sand flats, this is the perfect habitat for the summer whiting and flathead which have been caught in good numbers.
On the freshwater scene, Lake Monduran is starting to go from strength to strength. I am regularly in contact with all of the guides on the dam and people staying at the park at Monduran, and it seems that good numbers of barra are being caught every day. Casting suspending hard body lures and large soft plastics has been working well. Trolling big hard body lures in the main basin is another option with a 107cm barra caught and a couple of others hooked during this past week.
Finally, congratulations to the Bundy boys who fished in the Barra Tour in the dams up north last week. Both teams fished extremely well with Rick Napier and Dustin Sippel taking out second place in the Angler of the Year after all the rounds.
Fish with confidence,
Dale Smith
Green Acorn