on orders over $125With strong winds predicted all week, again we will be restricted to impoundments, estuaries, rivers and creeks. With that being said, there are fish to be found in the protected waterways.
A recent trip to the saltwater side of the Kolan River produced a good haul of quality bream with most fish well over the 30cm mark. Try fishing close to the mangrove overhangs with the fallen timber providing excellent cover for the odd barra and mangrove jack. You will be surprised to know that on the dropping tide, prawns were in good numbers along the banks, especially around the small creek mouths. They were only good live bait size, but they grow quickly.
The upper fresh side of the Kolan has been producing good sessions of barra, but be prepared to put in a lot of casts for one fish. You can be lucky and target an area that has plenty of structure and pull a barra out. Keep throwing that suspending lure and if there is a barra around, it will eventually strike at it.
The Burnett River has continued to fish better and better. Grunter are everywhere, and good sized fish as well. Try any of your rock bar areas, flicking a favourite soft plastic, especially right on the break of dawn. You will also pick up some quality estuary cod which fight hard on light gear.
Threadfin king salmon are around as well cruising the deeper holes and around the bridge pylons. Live bait is a must to catch these fantastic sports fish, especially 80cm+ specimens. In the same area you will pick up jewfish – live bait for these as well.
Don’t be afraid to troll deeper areas with a deep diving lure for a flathead. Flatties will lay in ambush waiting for potential prey and if your lure is going past, then they will take a swipe at it.
My favourite system, the Elliott River is producing good runs of big bream at the moment, in the deeper gutters and channels. A favourite soft plastic, hard-bodied lure or even a peeled prawn will do the trick. They seem to be in plague numbers, so if you are after a good session on light tackle, then I suggest you go bream fishing. There are still flathead around and they seem to be hanging together as well. A recent trip to the Elliott sand bars produced seven flathead in one small area. Try fishing either tides, run-in/run-out, and target the shallow sand bars out of the wind if you can.
If you are into fishing some of the local impoundments such as Isis, then an early morning session with some surface lures is the thing. The bass have been absolutely nailing anything flicked around early in the mornings.
Tight lines,
Brett Robinson
Green Acorn