Monster muddies are marching through our estuaries and beyond. Put your pots in now and you could be feasting this Easter like Beau.
Spectacular Weather for Easter
With the past week’s windy weather in the rear vision mirror, we can now all look forward to a spell of spectacular weather for the Easter long weekend. Rarely do we get such primo weather for a public holiday period, so no doubt every fisho out there will be chafing at the bit right now, ready to hit the briny on Friday.
Some have already lunched and are miles from home on seas that are just getting flatter by the hour. This morning’s light 10 knot southerly will be as much wind as those folks will see today. At least until the 10-knot sea breeze kicks in around dusk. Even better weather awaits those heading out Friday, Saturday, Sunday and even Monday. Incredibly light winds that will have the sea glassed out and more appealing than ever.
Boat ramps will be chaotic day after day as visiting holidaymakers join the locals in their quests for piscatorial pleasure inshore, offshore and everywhere else a boat or fisho can access. Many will head wide and many will head up the Bruce to depart from ports to our north. All are in for a good time, though there could be delays and frustrations at ramps etc, so keep calm, help your fellow boaties if necessary, and enjoy the brilliant conditions.
Rain won’t be an issue at all this week it seems, and there is some chance that the spell of greet weather might extend well into next week. It’s the last quarter moon phase Easter Monday and tidal flow is quite paltry until a few days thereafter. Nonetheless, make the most of this all-too-rare Easter weather and hit the deep water, areas of normally high current flow or our recovering rivers whilst there is such minimal current, and you are bound to enjoy success in some form.
Quillan Tarr's first fish at Mondy last night was a neat 1m model caught casting a swimbait at targets on Livecope.
Quillan is an instant Livescoping master. He landed his PB Mondy barra of 107cm late last night.
Auland matched his brother's first fish with this fine Mondy metrey late last night - while dad was sleeping. Onya Dave!
Pier Waters Still Dirty
Those heading out to fish from the Urangan Pier can look on in envy as a virtual non-stop procession of boats departs Urangan Harbour this week. Funnily enough, the odd pier-goer might actually catch more than some of the boaties they see zooming past. The waters beneath the pier remain quite dirty, but the small tides and lack of wind will help improve that situation gradually.
There is plenty of baitfish (herring) out along the pier, and a few predators showed day to day to keep those trying their luck in the windy conditions this week entertained. There has been a few half decent bream on the bite, and enough school mackerel to warrant some effort with live herring or a Flasha spoon. The chance of a queenfish, or perhaps some other displaced estuarine predator is possible. Jewfish, salmon, grunter and others could be caught, especially at night. Even if none of those fish turn up, then the chance of hooking a small shark is quite high and likely to offer a few exciting moments to its captors.
The one species most likely to put in an appearance at the pier is the humble old flathead. Live baits deployed just upstream of the pylons during the early flood tide - in either the first channel or out along the slope at the deep end - are a good chance of being scoffed by a decent flatty. Those keener to try lures should opt for soft vibes, or prawn softies (heavily-weighted to contend with the height above water). The autumn run of flatties at the pier and in nearby waters has been extra special this year, courtesy of all the flooding that impacted our creeks and other waters they were forced to evacuate.
Bream have flushed out of our rivers early this year, even though the water temp is still high. Stuart tripped over a few on the flats.
Max put the well-proven 5in Zman Jerkshad to work amongst the longtail schools recently.
Landlubbers Have Options Galore
A lack of wind this weekend will mean landlubbers aren’t constrained as to where they might fish. Yes, our near-shore waters are still a bit dirty in many areas, but that certainly doesn’t mean they are fishless. There was enough whiting caught from the beach end of Urangan Pier and the nearby rock groynes last week to keep a lucky few coming back for more. The neap tides won’t help their efforts this week though, so it will be night sessions or hitting the flats with tiny topwater lures for whiting fans.
Beach-goers might trip over the odd flathead around the other smaller jetties in town. Bust-ups of baitfish in the beach zone will most likely be marauding blue salmon or roaming queenfish. Baitfish showering in a given direction are typically being harassed by speedsters rushing the school. See baitfish showering in a ‘mushroom cloud’ formation and they are being harassed from below, by a flathead most likely.
Those inclined to wade near our rocky foreshores should do so with a little extra caution at present. The dirtier waters hide the presence of critters you really want no contact with. Stonefish are surprisingly common in our rock-strewn waters, and they are often big ones at that. Stingrays are worth avoiding for obvious reasons and so are the mud crabs that are marching all over the joint. Avoid wading too deep and bull sharks will remain a non-issue.
Wandering those waters adjacent to our rocky foreshores might see you connecting to flathead, grunter, blue salmon, bream or baby cod. Work out the best sections of the rocks to fish from and you can possibly add coral trout to your catch. Yes, you can catch them in filthy water. Admittedly, the trout are likely to be mostly undersized, but you might get lucky and find a better model. You had better have your drag set tight enough and your reflexes tuned if you are to win a battle with a solid trout from the stones.
After such a lengthy period of onshore winds, the Booral Flats are likely to really turn it on over the coming week. Offshore winds early, then light winds all day could see you getting amongst serious numbers of whiting and quite a few flathead. Blue salmon are very likely to be cruising the shallows, as are a few threadies. Mud crabs will be both worth avoiding with your tootsies and worth keeping an eye out for in the shallowest of margins. Some will make the effort to put a couple of pots out, whilst others might get lucky by just being there when a big fat muddy wanders by.
Those waters down there off Booral are prime hunting grounds for displaced estuary fish. Those waters were heavily netted for years, but now they are not. A prime fishery awaits anyone that can handle a muddy environment and is wearing appropriate footwear. Serious fish can be caught from the skinniest of water; mud spraying everywhere as they tear through the shallows trying to avoid capture. The early flood tide will suit the more adventurous fishos, particularly when the tides are bigger and the flats drain right out.
Local creek mouths will be popular this week. Flathead, grunter, salmon, bream, whiting and even the odd barra are possible. Exploring the bankside options within our accessible creeks (Eli, O’Regans, Beelbi, and to a lesser extent, Pulgul) can put you in the zone for more of the same species, or maybe even a lingering mangrove jack amongst the plethora of tiny estuary cod. Having a cast net handy will prove worthy too should prawns appear.
For the more experienced, the rocky foreshores of the River Heads peninsula offer access to a host of species. Don’t let the filthy flood waters put you off. The fish have acclimatised and can handle the filth just fine. In fact, some, such as salmon, jewies and barra, revel in it. The only problem at present might be the debris caught in eddies at times. Otherwise, slow-rolling or slashing shallow-diving hardbodies are options for River Heads fishos. This ploy has history, having worked in conditions such as these for eons. A host of soft plastics will be favoured by the modern-day fisho even more perhaps, whilst all and sundry will need to quickly learn the terrain or lure losses will be high.
Kingy Ridgeway caught this impressive bream from a local stream.
When the Ridgeway boys go fishing, they catch fish. Nothing like bream to hone the skills of the young.
Prime Seafood Awaits Inshore Reef Fishos
If you have access to a boat, then you probably skimmed past the boring bits above. It’s off to the wide blue yonder for droves of skippers and their crews this weekend. Many won’t travel far though, and they don’t need to either, as our inshore reefs are fishing quite well post flooding and have plenty to offer those looking for a feed for Easter.
Our excellent run of grassy sweetlip continues unabated. These critters are everywhere and offer the family fisho a very easy feed without burning much fuel. They can be found around the fringes of virtually every reef within our inshore shipping channels, and along the ledges that skirt those channels too. Sweeties are suckers for a host of baits (just about everything really) but keeping it simple and tempting them with well-presented squid baits is hard to beat.
Nannygai and squire will take the very same baits, particularly the more streamlined and natural looking ones. Whole squid pinned in the bum by a single hook for example. There are many reefs giving up a feed of plump little nannies within our shipping channels, and even more a short distance up the bay. They, like the squire, will bite better when there is more run in the tide, so consider an evening session whilst conditions are so good this week.
The gnarlier inshore reef sites are home to a scattering of coral trout and plenty of estuary cod. Some of you might even trip over a school of displaced mangrove jacks or some jewies. The chance of a quality knobby snapper is reasonable, but again, better when the tide gets some sting in it. Our waters have certainly stayed warm for a prolonged period this autumn, so our snapper season proper might be a tad delayed.
Large grunter can turn an okay session into a blinder inshore these days. Just like so many species, they respond better to more run in the tide, but will still feed regardless. Again, evening sessions are probably the ones for sheer numbers at present. Look for grunter anywhere from the channels and ledges of the straits to the various reef systems and rubbly grounds of the southern bay. Quality fish take up temporary residence across the banks from the Burrum to Coongul, and are known to gather in numbers at select sites.
So, daylight sessions jigging soft plastics, soft vibes or slow pitch jigs could be very fruitful inshore. Trolling deep divers is also worth trying, even if all it produces is a few cod. Taking the time to secure live baits will give bait fishos the edge on their dead-baiting compadres, especially for certain species (trout, cod, jacks, jewies for example). Soaking baits into the night or pre-dawn will outscore daytime efforts. Trolling after dark could be even more interesting than daylight, though few will try it.
The blasted sharks are bound to crash the party for many fishos plying our inshore waters this week. The most popular grounds will be the worst, but there is every chance that those grounds will have so many boats on them that you might just be the one avoiding the noahs while those around you feed them. This could be the case for a long list of our inshore hotspots, that include the Roy Rufus arti, Simpson arti, Hardy arti, Channel Hole, Boges Hole, Mickies, Outer Banks and Moon Ledge. All these spots have had less shark issues this summer-autumn than the past couple of years, so we are about to find out if that is just because the weather kept more boats off the water this year.
Pelican Bank is more than just a pretty spot for a swim. Tony had a ball wrangling this solid white-spot from the gin clear waters.
Ethan Green christened his spanky new combo with this fine flattie caught at Eli Lakes.
If All Else Fails – Catch Mackerel
Many of us who are fussy about what we catch, and eat, tend to avoid mackerel like the plague and curse any interaction with the toothy blighters. All the while, mackerel have a following of dedicated fans who absolutely love them. These folks are having a fat time on the bay lately.
Those keen on a feed of school mackerel need travel no further than the NU2, the Simpson arti, the Outer Banks or the reefs off Coongul. The Fairway is bound to attract more schools in the future; be that this week or later. Simply deploying a couple of diving hardbodies out the back and going for a leisurely troll at around 6-8 knots is all it will take to track down a feed of mackerel inshore. Hugging the beacons and wandering through our shipping channels is a worthy tactic, whilst lingering and doing figure-eights or circles around larger reef systems seems prudent too.
Large broad-barred mackerel are also sharing the same waters as the schoolies inshore. Spinning for either species is typically done with Flasha spoons by all the locals, though other metals spun flat-out through the water column can also produce. Spanish mackerel are quite abundant throughout sections of the bay. Avoiding the toxic fish in Platypus Bay sees most spaniard fans heading for the 8 Mile or the Simpson in close, or towards the 25 Fathom Hole or the Gutters in the northern bay. There is probably some over Rooneys way again too.
Tony with a sample of the sort of school mackerel cruising the southern bay at present.
Tri from Fraser Guided Fishing is having no trouble entertaining his clients with such a prolific pelagic population in the bay.
Longtail Tuna Draw a Crowd to Hervey Bay
Without doubt, one species that draws dozens of eager crews to Hervey Bay’s waters these days is the longtail tuna. The bay is absolutely alive with longtails at present, so this Easter will be very special for many visitors. Most efforts have been focussed on Platypus Bay waters of late, due to the onshore nature of the breeze. Those waters will be popular again this week, but the bay’s open waters will get a lot more visitors as the lack of wind offers access.
Not only have the tuna been extra-abundant this autumn, but many of the schools roaming the bay have been doing so without attending bull sharks in tow. This has been a godsend for tuna fans that can send their beloved stickbaits into the fray in lieu of the less costly metal slugs and jighead-rigged jerkshads. Sure, the latter offerings continue to work a treat, but the extra fun that dancing stickies across the surface offers makes for more memorable sessions on the tuna.
Schools of mac tuna are also quite prolific across the bay. Foaming packs of smaller bonito are also here for those that feel like a little scaled-down fun for the kids. Sometimes finding bonnies is a random affair, but you can do things to improve your chances. Try larger reef systems such as the Simpson, or the 6 Mile off Arch Cliffs for example, where masses of smaller herring may be gathered. Otherwise, keep your eyes peeled for extra-white foamy water where the little bonnies are tearing the surface to foam in tight packs. Spin your smaller slugs or plastics past them and they will climb all over them. Drop a bait jig amongst them otherwise, and see if the kids can retrieve it without a tangle (unlikely by the way).
There is also plenty of queenfish up the island, and around the usual inshore hotspots. Smaller tides might see less enthusiasm from queenies around the bay islands, whilst deeper ledges hosting baitfish draw their attention. Certain ledges skirt the fringes of Fraser Island’s western flats, and these ledges are a great place to take a peek. Queenies have been abundant all autumn and remain a constant for many flats fishos, even in coloured waters.
Add the chances of encounters with the bay’s golden trevally population or a fish from a related clan and you have plenty of sports fishing options this weekend. There is a few lonely monster cobia lingering in the northern bay, some big spaniards up that way too, and very likely a few schools of XOS GTs terrorising all smaller organisms flushed out by recent flooding. The latitude where the dirty water is mixed with the clean can be particularly exciting right now.
Longtails kept Hot Reels Charter clients busy during a windy week.
Pink jerkshads are tuna lollies and often brought out when the tuna bust up within range of a Hot Reels charter.
Busy Easter Weekend at Burrum Heads
Burrum Heads will be an incredibly popular location this Easter. As always, the Burrum Heads Amateur Fishing Club is hosting its Easter Fishing Competition. This very popular event will have hundreds of entrants vying for a host of species from waters surrounding Burrum Heads. The ramps will be particularly chaotic no doubt, so consider alternatives if you don’t need to launch up there.
Add the likelihood that a considerable number of crews will be eyeing off Woodgate for another crack at the banana prawns up that way and you can imagine just how busy the ramps will be. The wind has blown onshore and denied anyone the chance to try Woodgate for prawns since the days immediately after the latest Burrum River flooding event. Failed effort up that way then cemented the theory that Woodgate’s prawns are from rivers to its north and not the Burrum.
This weekend’s light offshore breeze and generally light winds will see boats steaming to and fro as they rush to get amongst the bananas off Woodgate. Smaller tides now, will be much more conducive that those monster dark moon tides that saw the failed efforts a few weeks ago. Chances are it will be buckets galore, as is so often the case around Easter, but only those that go initially will know for sure. No doubt the grapevine will be abuzz overnight should the first on the scene score and it will be on for young and old thereafter.
The BHAFC’s fishing comp is bound to be a ripper this year. Awesome weather should see some magnificent fish brought to the weighmasters. The river is giving up mangrove jacks, grunter, flathead and bream, and you don’t even need a boat to catch them. Whiting can be found from nearby beaches and mudflats, and there is any number of sweetlip, trevally and mackerel out in the bay for boaties to catch and weigh in. The muddies have also been on the move up there too, so the best dressed crab should be a hoot. Good luck to all entrants. Have a great time and look out for the photos from this event in next week’s report.
Joe hiding behind yet another victim of his creek exploits.
Let the jenny (female) crabs go if you catch any. Brett sent these barnacle-encrusted cranky girls back to do their thing.
Seafood Banquet Possible Down the Straits
Whilst the Mary River continues to flow fresh, many fishos resort to greener pastures. They could fish the Mary and catch monster barra or some salmon, but favouring the straits is more appealing to most. And why not, with floodwaters now well-mixed and fish well-acclimatised, the host of species on offer down the straits is a who’s who of the estuary scene.
Fraser’s western creeks continue to run fresh. Some more-so than others, so consider what feeds the creek and the size of its catchment and select your next area of effort accordingly. Expect to find many creek fish displaced and lingering along ledges beyond those creeks. Mangrove jacks will shelter and feed along ledges alongside jewfish, salmon, barra, cod and grunter. Some of these predators might re-enter select creeks with the flood tide and the masses of baitfish that ride it in, whilst others will remain beyond and get their fill from all the tucker washed their way with the ebb tide.
Places such as Kingfisher Bay Resort’s jetty host some impressive predators at this time. Jewfish are the most eagerly sought after for many folks, including a growing band of local kids. Flathead are potentially more common again, whilst barra and even a few jacks find themselves temporarily residing amongst the jetties’ pylons. Blue salmon might rock up at Kingfisher, as might mackerel and queenfish. On a good day or night, it can be an exciting place, and one readily accessible by not only those enjoying the resort, but day-trippers hitching a ride over there on the River Heads to Kingfisher barge.
Prawn fans had recent flooding upset the apple cart, so to speak. Quality prawn flushed from the Mary may well be catchable again now, and down the straits is where you might get amongst them. The larger mainland creek systems will be a first port of call for some regulars, all the while scoping for prawn in the channels beyond. Fraser’s western creeks are due to fire too, so you have many options. Some effort with a cast net this weekend could see many folks returning home with a feed of succulent bananas.
You can add crabs to the Easter seafood banquet with some surety. The full moon just passed saw relatively minimal effort from local crabbers, but those that did have a crack hit the motherlode. There have been stories of kids catching multiple full crabs from wharves, and keen crabbers having to throw back several crabs from a short soak. Our waters are sporting some of the biggest muddies we’ve ever seen right now too, as those lucky enough to take home 2 kilo+ (21cm+) crabs can attest.
Muddies like these ones of Beau's are full-as and quite prolific right now. Go get some!
Beau hauled in a very nice feed of whiting over the full moon to go with his mud crabs.
Happy Days Ahead for Offshore Fishos
As much as messing around inshore can appeal, it is the call of the wide blue yonder that will have many crews heading beyond the horizon this weekend. The waters east of Breaksea Spit will be popular. A strong EAC made it challenging out there when the weather allowed access recently. The lack of wind will enable quick access to the deeper waters beyond the continental shelf for deep droppers this week, so waters beyond 200m are bound to receive some effort.
We expect to hear of the usual pearlies, some snapper, plenty of jobbies such as flamies and no shortage of bar cod, when reports filter in next week. Should the shoal country fish as well as it has recently, then quality reef fish from the sweetlip, emperor, jobfish and tuskfish clans are bound to be chilling for the long run home too. Such brilliant weather might even tempt a few of the modern-day offshore fishos to stay out there overnight.
Waters in the vicinity of Lady Elliot and Lady Musgrave Islands will be within range of some larger local boats this week. Taking advantage of the smaller neap tides could see some crews into the reds and nannies on grounds this side of there that are too awash with current to fish at peak phases of the moon. There is bound to be plenty of quality trout and tuskies caught from daytime efforts and some nice red-coloured slabs coming over the gunnels in the darkness. There has been minimal effort up that way for months, so sharks shouldn’t be a hassle (hopefully).
Heading south and crossing the Wide Bay bar will be a riskier option early in the Easter break. Heavy swell to 3m will impact the bar and offshore waters down that way Good Friday, whilst less than 1.5m is expected north of Fraser Island. It will ease day after day as the big Pacific low creating the swell heads south to give the kiwis a touch up. The fishing within 20NM of the bar down south has been exceptional of late. Wait for the swell to ease and it is a great option for lovers of spanish mackerel, snapper, pearl perch, reds and other reefies.
Lochie got amongst the longtails recently. Many say they are quite edible. Surely tastier than a fishing rod.
If you want a little light-hearted fun with the bay's tuna population, you could always jump on board a Hot Reels charter.
Fraser’s Surf Beaches Look Just as Good as the Weather
After finally getting the lowdown on the island scene from a local over there, we can give a little insight into the state of play on Fraser. The cross-island tracks are in excellent condition, or at least the Kingfisher to Eurong track is. Rains followed by graders have improved the roads no end, with only a few waterhole washouts to look out for. The island has been very quiet for months, but that is all about to change.
Beach travel is outstanding and the beach looks like an airstrip in places. You could do a ton if it wasn’t for the 80km/hr speed limit. You will need to use the short and easily-traversed alternative track around Poyungan Rocks for now. You can get through Yidney Rocks at or near low tide, but not high tide.
Let’s hope all tracks remain good after the Easter onslaught of 4WDs. No doubt there will be the usual inexperienced louts who think their 4B is so cool they don’t even need 4WD to get around the island. These are the clowns that dig out every hollow and exaggerate every lump on the island’s tracks. They either lack the knowledge to understand what damage they are doing, or they don’t care, so feel free to enlighten them if you need to.
The waters along the surf beach south of the headlands are a bit dirty. Murky or cloudy if you like. The product of flooding to the south and heavy surf for prolonged periods. Gutters-wise, there are many, and several of them are rippers. The best are low tide gutters, hence the easy travel up high on the beach. There is no weed to be seen anywhere.
North of the headlands, the water is much cleaner. Access past Ngkala Rocks is open again and you can drive all the way to Sandy Cape. The gutter that boaties use to beach-launch north of Waddy Point is relatively user-friendly at present. When lacking swell, a launch in the corner near the headland sees a direct route straight out parallel with the rocks. When the swell is up beyond a metre, deviating north-west is required. The fishing offshore at the Gardiner Banks has been great, with plenty of reefies coming home and the taxman only taking a minimal cut.
Just how the fishing is on the surf side, we cannot tell you. The march flies have backed off at least, so putting in some effort won’t be the challenge it was over past months. There are bound to be catches of dart, whiting and flathead if nothing else over there this week. You would have to suspect numbers of jewfish somewhere along the beach after such a flushing through the Wide Bay Bar. Let’s see if anyone offers any insight after this week.
In the meantime, the locals have been tracking through to Wathumba Creek and scoring some impressive hauls of quality whiting. They haven’t been limiting their efforts to the creek proper either, finding plenty of fish along the beaches of the western side. Something many holidaymakers camping up that way will be happy to take advantage of this week no doubt.
Good luck out there y’all …… Jase
Are you sick of longtail pics yet. Should be some more colourful critters to drool over next week.