Scott Welch scored some ripper reds after a trip up the Bruce and out to the GBR.
Anzac Day Looking Just as Good as Easter
No doubt you were all impressed with the incredible weather over the Easter long weekend. It was simply brilliant, with ultra-light winds and mostly clear skies for days on end. Don’t bother putting the boat away now either, as the Anzac Day long weekend looks almost as good – with even better tides!
This morning’s 10 knot+ southerly will continue to enhance the chill-factor ever so slightly. That will be the strongest breeze until a spell of northerly kicks in Saturday evening. Brilliant weather Anzac Day, and even better on Saturday. Very light winds both days, being mostly southerly early, swinging to the south-east Friday afternoon and north-east Saturday afternoon. Showers are possible, yet quite insignificant.
The whole of next week looks great at this stage, and maybe even beyond. Very light winds early in the working week, are a chance of prevailing right through the week. Brilliant! Even the tides are favourable this weekend, as they build towards the new moon on Monday. There will be a lot of tidal flow associated with this new moon, with highs peaking at 4.13m from lows bottoming out at 0.47m. Beware the big tides if unfamiliar with our waters and time your efforts to coincide with tide changes when fishing areas of high current flow.
Kooky made the right decision to leave his run up north late and scored big-time on the reds.
Jett is no slouch when you put him amongst the reef fish out wide. This is just one of 20 reds that had the esky overflowing.
Just part of a haul of 20 reds that filled eskies for Kooky's crew. Balin and his uncle in the midst of a red hot bite
Urangan Pier Access Restricted Again
As much as the boating conditions appealed to the masses, alas, not everyone has access to a boat. The good old Urangan Pier saved the day for a swag of fishos that enjoyed the fishing in improving water quality. Not everyone was successful, yet family fishos had fun entertaining the littler kids with the tiddlers whilst a bit of action happened around them.
There were a few mackerel caught from the deep end, and some nice flathead from the first channel and the slope near the end. Plenty of bait is gathered beneath, so the pier might draw extra action this week as the making tides start to peak. Don’t be surprised to find more mackerel and perhaps a few visiting queenfish. Interactions with displaced estuarine predators remains a possibility whilst the pier’s waters remain stained.
Sadly, for pier regulars and future visitors, the deep end of the pier will be closed off again this week to enable restoration works to continue. It has very likely already been gated-off out near the end. I guess we should be thankful that council and the contractors had the foresight to put restoration works on hold for the Easter school holidays. Pier regulars and many visitors are undoubtedly grateful.
Whilst the pier was busy with fishos and sight-seers, our town beaches were at times even busier. There were a few whiting and garfish caught from the Torquay and Urangan stretches, and a few scattered flathead here and there. Generally-speaking, our beaches offered a bit of family fun more-so that a feed. The odd shovel-nosed shark and a couple of bitier versions offered sport for bait fishos after dark, in a lack-lustre beach bite that can be blamed on the
neap tides.
Better tides this week will offer more excitement for whiting and gar fishos, and for those looking for larger quarry. Flatties will be more active around creek mouths and flats on the perimeters of town, whilst grunter might put in an appearance over the darks along Pt Vernon, Pialba or Urangan foreshores. The Booral Flats will offer very good fishing for those that can handle the mudflat scene down there, with anything from whiting and flatties to grunter and salmon possible.
Stefan Hebe caught some fine fish over Easter that included this bream. flathead, cod and mackerel.
The Green boys had a great time at Mondy, catching barra like this 110cm beauty.
Sheer Chaos at Our Boat Ramps Over Easter
Many locals missed the opportunity to fish our waters this Easter as they had no intention of mixing it with the incredible convoy of boats that descended on our boat ramps. Chaos ensued at every ramp facility locally, as Hervey Bay and ports further north were inundated with holidaymakers escaping the limited opportunities heavy offshore swells affected to our south.
Urangan Harbour was insane! Boat trailers were parked so far away their owners must’ve considered calling a cab to get back to the ramp. Lengthy delays ensued as so many folks had such a long haul just to get back to their vehicles, then found themselves in long queues of traffic trying to get to the ramps. All the while, their boats left idle or unattended denying others access to the pontoons to do the same. Getting up early to beat the crowds was only partially better, as oodles of others had the same game plan.
Adding insult to injury (so to speak), some poor buggers even had to face fines for their apparently inappropriate parking efforts. Council parking inspectors and the local fuzz objected to cars and trailers being parked illegally by folks that were obviously incredibly frustrated and just trying to park within cooee of where they left their boats. Ramp chaos wasn’t limited to Urangan, as Gatakers Bay and River Heads boat ramp carparks were overflowing daily, and the Burrum Heads facilities were maxed-out too.
Obviously, Hervey Bay’s boating infrastructure has been found wanting once again, so let’s hope our governors are taking note of this all-too-familiar scenario. They are only too happy to promote Hervey Bay to the world and seek to increase visitor numbers at every opportunity, but don’t seem willing to offer any real advances in facilities to cater for the extra influx of visiting boaties. Is there anything planned for future expansion of existing boat ramps and carparks?
Before climbing down off the soapbox, let me ask you to consider another local issue. There are developers eying off the Torquay Caravan Park with a view to demolishing this much-cherished facility on the esplanade at Torquay. This council-owned park has much heritage amongst family groups that have enjoyed return visits for eons. Many visitors get to experience affordable beach-front camping within a town setting close to shops etc, that seem to be disappearing elsewhere for the sake of the big dollar alternatives so appealing to councils and developers. If you feel strongly enough about retaining this icon of the Hervey Bay beach-scape, then drop in to our store and add your signature to the petition raised to combat this redevelopment.
Adam Marshall wasn’t left out when the reds came on the chew over Easter.
Logan went deep dropping with Commercial Chaos last weekend and put the electrics to work in the depths.
Luke Hislop shared in the tremendous haul of reds that were caught over Easter.
Inshore Reefs Fished Well Until the Tidal Flow Eased
A good bite ensured plenty of inshore reef fishos took home the spoils of their efforts for the Easter seafood banquet. That was, until the tides dropped right off with the passing of the ‘last quarter’ half-moon. Some folks took on the crowds day after day while the weather was so brilliant, and a common observation was how good the bite was prior to Sunday, and then how poor it was for the next couple of days.
The usual reef species turned it on for those that knew how to catch them. There were small numbers of coral trout and big numbers of estuary cod hooked. Grassy sweetlip were ever-abundant and chewed vigorously when there was any run in the meagre tidal flow. Night sessions added quality and quantity to catches under brilliant starry skies with bonus light shows from the Lyrid meteor shower.
Blackall really bit well. Some enjoyed that bite, whilst others found it frustrating. Catching nannygai was possible, though they weren’t as aggressive inshore as they might have been with more sting in the tide. We haven’t heard of too many squire, or any snapper, but would not be surprised to see catches of squire and the odd knobby this weekend. The sharks went from bad to atrocious (as expected) on many inshore reef sites this week. Extra boating and fishing effort won’t help that issue, particularly over the darks.
Grunter catches from deeper inshore reefs were best after dark last week. A better bite can be anticipated from this species this week as they respond to the extra tidal flow and feeding opportunities the new moon brings. Sites across ‘the banks’, off the Burrum, and around the bay islands will join Fraser’s western ledges and other grounds down the straits as grunter-producers this week.
Water quality inshore is improving dramatically. The neaps settled a lot of suspended silt that will become unsettled again over these upcoming springs. This will be most notable in areas fed by our vast inshore mudflats and areas immediately beyond the Mary River mouth. The effects of the recent Mary River flooding and its resultant ‘twisted tides’ inshore are history. Those effects were short-lived as the peak floodwaters passed through relatively quickly. Beyond the banks, the waters of Hervey Bay are very clear and inviting.
Lochie Litzow put the prawns to work on the local trout over Easter.
There is plenty of schoolies out in the bay if you want to get amongst them.
There are swags of spanish mackerel in the bay, so go have some fun with stick baits or get your troll on.
Longtail Tuna Action Peaked Then Restarted
Almost akin to the response of the inshore reefies, the bay’s prolific pelagic population went nuts whilst the full moon tides diminished on approach of the last quarter phase. Many holidaymakers had a ball catching big numbers of tuna all over the bay for a couple of days once the weather settled, then all went quiet, apparently. So, if you were one of those folks unlucky enough to kick off your weekend’s tuna hunt a little too late, then don’t feel bad about the lack of action because you weren’t alone.
If you were cruising the waters just off Pt Vernon on Good Friday then you would’ve seen masses of tuna tearing the local baitfish a new one. Many folks enjoyed multiple captures for their spinning and stick-baiting sessions, with some scoring up to a couple of dozen longtails for their efforts. This scene was repeated across the bay to the east and up the bay to the north as well.
Those favouring stick-baits had fun with certain tuna schools, but not all. The type of prey being harassed is obviously the primary determining factor to success with a given lure profile. Metal slugs proved fruitless in some cases too, so the ever-faithful pink 5-inch jerkshads rigged on heavy jig heads were enlisted to keep the action flowing. Enough tuna fans returned after their sessions claiming that these were the be-all-and-end-all to suggest you should never go tuna fishing without some.
Tuna galore was the word Good Friday and Easter Saturday. Then, quite the opposite Easter Sunday and Monday. The fall of the tiniest of the neap tides destroyed the bite and less tuna were visibly feeding. Those that were became inherently less interested in lures of any kind too apparently, so it was tough times for many tuna fishos those days.
Making tides since then have turned them back on again and they are on the move. There are schools of longtails working their way down into the stained waters of the straits at present, with plenty of fish last reported working the deeper channels between the bay islands, and down Kingfisher Bay way. Even more schools continue to roam the open waters of the bay, so this weekend will be a very special one for longtail tuna fans.
Sean and Tahn enjoyed the weather and spent many days chasing longtails.
Lucy caught her first ever longtail last week, and it was a beauty too.
Calvin found the longtails receptive to his lures in a total glass-out.
No Shortage of Other Pelagics in the Bay
Whilst devoted tuna fans tear about chasing surface bust-ups, plenty of others focus their pelagic pursuits on sub-surface missiles like mackerel. Given the substantial number of spanish mackerel in Hervey Bay waters at present, this species alone has featured in many catches from the northern bay all the way in to the banks. Some claim that anywhere they found any significant schools of baitfish, they found spaniards. Given their bag limit of one (boat limit of two), many had to move on looking for quarry they could add to the seafood basket for Easter.
School mackerel were once such target species, and they were found quite close inshore, not far north of Woody Island. Numbers of them took spoons, trolled lures and live baits at reef sites across the banks and gave anyone not sporting suitable leader or gangs etc a hiding at the Fairway. Expect some lateral movement from the schoolies this week, and don’t be surprised if they migrate further down the shipping channels.
Large broad-barred mackerel continue to terrorise our inshore baitfish and this week’s most reliable reports have come from repeat sessions at the Outer banks and the NU2 shipwreck. There are bound to be plenty of broadies elsewhere, astounding their captors with their lack of energy once hooked. Unlike their cousins, broadies can be lazy slugs quite often, putting on a burst of energy and then falling victim to good rod work quite quickly. Luckily their average size lately makes up for their lack of fight.
The northern bay is still home to a number of cobia. Some are quite large, but we are yet to see any pics of the true monsters so often prevalent in spring. Schools of cobia can often be quite mixed, size-wise, and some of these schools have made their way further south into the bay. Drawn in, perhaps, by the latest run of sand crabs. Great sport those cobes, yet easily subdued fish if you know how to take it easy on them. Regular readers will recall plenty of past tips on battling big cobes, so I won’t repeat that again now.
If you are keen on tangling with a few queenfish, then get your gear ready and hit the bay this week. The massive new moon tides will have them amped-up and raging, whilst they bombard many shallower inshore reef edges, ledges and the like. The bay islands will be popular amongst regular queenfish fans, as will the fringes of Fraser’s western flats, a few of its deeper ledges, and the flats of the south-western bay.
Jack & Ashley had some exciting moments when they got amongst the bay's spanish mackerel.
Big broadies are a feature of our inshore fishery at present.
Cooper got a workout on a variety of pelagics that included this chunky broadie.
Nathan got amongst the spaniards last weekend on stick baits. They will be all fired up this weekend with even more current.
Northern Bay Reefs Alive with Sharks
Glamour weather saw a veritable flotilla of boats heading for the northern bay, primarily the Southern and Northern Gutters. Many of those crews came home with a good feed of prime reef fish for Easter, but few managed to avoid the dreaded noahs that have plagued those waters for years. Horror stories of regular visitors claiming they only brought back a percentage of the fish hooked are very hard to listen to. A few of last weekend’s gutters fishos gave it a crack purely because it’s been left alone recently. Some of them scored a decent feed too.
Sadly, the lack of effort up there due to weather constraints recently failed to see the noahs move on. Now that there will be a relatively sustained run of boat traffic ringing the dinner bell, the situation can only get worse. So, if you got lucky, and scored some plump trouties, nannies and other mixed reef fish, then great. Perhaps consider alternatives over the dark of the moon in particular if you are in anyway concerned about wastage and our negative impact on the future of those reef systems. At least give the known grounds a wide berth and seek out smaller, more isolated outcrops that other boats and the sharks that home in on them haven’t found. A couple of hours effort scanning can be more fruitful than hour after hour getting taxed consistently.
Braithe hauled in this large grassy amongst a string of other reef fish.
Big spangos might not be sought-after but they sure pull hard and look good. Braithe with a ripper.
Cameron was one of many fishos to get amongst the coral trout over Easter.
Red Fish Bit Well Up North and Offshore
Giving the bay a miss by driving beyond it in your boat or heading up the Bruce to ports further north proved a very wise decision for many locals over Easter. The GBR gave up excellent catches of its most sought-after reef species, and in good numbers and excellent size. 1770 was particularly popular, creating its own issues with ramp chaos and parking tickets for inappropriate parking. Turkey Beach departure was popular too, as was the longer haul up to Rosslyn Bay, Yeppoon.
Bag limits of fat coral trout were readily achievable in waters barely 10 metres deep right out to beyond 35m. Big numbers of red emperor were caught by heading deeper, with some boats even scoring their bag limit of these most impressive fish. Nannies featured further north in particular, whilst the red throats bit well on the hard reef as did the tuskies and pretty much every other reefy in attendance. Heading deeper added to the haul in awesome conditions, seeing a variety of jobfish chilling for the long haul back to the ramp.
The swell upset a lot offshore fishos that headed for Breaksea Spit Good Friday, standing the waves up on the bar and scaring the daylights out of a few skippers and crew. Smart moves were made by a couple that saw them steer north instead of east and burn a little extra fuel for a wicked return of reef fish. Again, big reds featured, and in some cases in serious numbers. Sharks were an issue, but not everywhere.
The swell eased quickly north of Fraser over ensuing days and the bite remained good, as it does when triggered by a decent ground swell. The current over the shelf east of Breaksea was minimal, so deep dropping efforts were rewarded handsomely. Masses of bar cod were caught, some large, some not so. Pearl perch were apparently hard to avoid in depths sub-250m. Hard to fathom how pearlies are considered a pest, but perhaps they could be viewed as such once limits are reached if filling eskies is the mission. And eskies got filled too, quite often by a mix of jobfish species, including the more photogenic flamies and rubies along with rosies and iron-jaw. It was a great bite out deep, yet one some crews won’t have to worry about for a while after bringing home the motherlode.
Deej with what the sharks let him have from what would've been a 1m blue-spot from offshore.
Glamour weather and trout galore was the scene for many fishos that headed north.
Heading for a port to our north paid off handsomely for Scott Welch and crew.
Flats Fishery Appeals Over the Darks
Big spring tides will flood our vast inshore flats and drain them every bit as quickly. This means enhanced feeding opportunities for fodder species that gain access to grounds not inundated by recent neaps. This also means more prey for predatory species focussed on those very same fodder species. This weekend’s dark of the moon will offer flats fishos special opportunities in waters that are recovering from recent flooding.
Fly fishos might be a tad precious about the discoloured waters too close to the Mary River’s influence, but other fishos won’t be deterred at all. Indeed, that very stain that might make a target hard to spot for swoffers, means cover and confidence for larger species uninclined to venture into water that skinny when its clearer.
If you seek clear water then head for Moon Point and steer up the island. Linger in the area and you might find yourself amongst the elbow-slapper whiting that were caught there this time last week. Better still, if whiting appeal, then venture eastwards into the gutter systems that feed and drain the flats and move up into the creeks with the tide and the whiting. Make sure you have arsenal on board to get amongst the flathead and grunter you might encounter taking such measures, and chuck something at cruising golden trevally or queenfish should you feel inclined.
Head far enough south from there and you could find yourself amongst more of the same, bream too, and perhaps schools of blue and threadfin salmon. Barramundi might also make an appearance on select flats adjacent to creek systems if the right baitfish or some prawns are in the area. Prawn imitation lures should always be rigged on at least one outfit for this caper, whilst you mess about with other softies, shallow divers, blades and perhaps topwater.
The channels, islands and creeks of the Great Sandy Straits will come alive this week, as so many fish displaced from recent flooding continue their feeding spree if not inclined to return to their mother Mary. Fish such as barra, threadies, blues, flathead, grunter and jacks could share waters with queenfish, trevally, whiting and bream. Ample options over some of the best tides in some of the most primo conditions of the year.
This will be a prime weekend to get amongst the queenies while the big tide is raging.
Tri from Fraser Guided Fishing continues to put his clients onto the goldies, amongst others from the big run of pelagics in the bay.
Stay Out of Our Green Zones!
Reports from fishos returning from their adventures this week have included quite a few comments about others spotted blatantly fishing in our green zones. This is not on! Those green zones were declared to protect biodiversity and select ecosystems so that our other waters can flourish and be repopulated by creatures that enjoyed their protection (well, that’s the theory anyway).
We locals are not permitted to fish them, nor is anyone else. Yet here we are, in this day and age, being told that numerous (not just one or two) boats were breaking the law and drift fishing, trolling, spearing, and even fishing at anchor within our green zones. Such activity was noted at - but probably not limited to – the top of Woody Island, along Little Woody Island, at Boon Boon Rocks, behind Duck Island and at Turkey Island. In daylight too mind you.
If we are being told in a Tackle Shop, is the same being said to the authorities that should be out there doing something about it? Its Marine Parks’ jurisdiction, yet they are obviously under-funded as they are so rarely on scene and offenders get away with their incursions way too often. I know we aren’t a nation of dobbers, I ain’t either, but this crap has been going on for way too long. No doubt some folks are enjoying the spoils of their pillage right now while the rest of you law abiding fishos do the right thing.
There is zero excuse for fishing our green zones. A very simple, free Marine Parks app you can download on your phone will clarify the boundaries for you very easily. Download it now if you are reading this and intend on boating or fishing our waters for the first time in the future – please.
Alastair got amongst the snapper off D.I.
Double Island Point Fishing Charters has been smashing the reef fish offshore down south.
The jobfish clan were well-represented in big hauls from the deep when Double Island Point Fishing Charters headed wide.
Awesome Weather Boosted Burrum Heads Easter Fishing Comp
The annual Easter Fishing Competition hosted by the Burrum Heads Amateur Fishing Club has been run and won. Awesome weather saw a great turn out for the event, and a stack of fish brought to the weighmasters. Like always, this year’s event was a family-focussed affair that saw all the kids having a great time, while their kin enjoyed themselves immensely too. Here’s a few stats for the record:
For the Juniors:
- 75 bream weighed in (64 alive, 11 dead)
- 35 whiting weighed in (20 alive, 15 dead)
- 11 flathead weighed in (live weigh only)
Congrats to Parker Higgins and CJ Higgins (brother and sister) who took out heaviest flathead and heaviest bream respectively. Parker also scored the runner-up bream, and CJ runner-up whiting. Lily palmer picked up the runner-up flathead and Zac Onoprienko the heaviest whiting.
For the seniors:
- 115 bream weighed in (100 alive, 15 dead) Heaviest – Russell Smith
- 48 whiting weighed in (34 alive, 14 dead) Heaviest – John Brown
- 20 flathead weighed in (live weigh only) Heaviest – Stacey Sim
- 14 grunter weight in (5 alive, 9 dead) Heaviest – James Palmer
- 12 mackerel weighed in (dead) Heaviest – Don McTaggert
- 11 grassy sweetlip weighed in (dead) Heaviest – James Palmer
- 13 mangrove jack weighed in (10 alive, 3 dead) Heaviest – Glen Blakeney
- 5 trevally weighed in (dead) Heaviest – Adrian Reynolds
This should equate to 71% of fish weighed in being released alive.
In addition, there were 90 mud crabs and 48 sand crabs brought to the weighmasters. There were 365 entrants in total, comprising 220 seniors and 145 juniors (90 boys, 55 girls).
The comp results suggest there is a very good run of bream in the lower Burrum and surrounds at present. More whiting and grunter would’ve featured if Easter fell on the springs instead of the neaps (like it usually does). With so many fished released alive, there must be a few fish cruising the waters at the heads with sore lips.
Glen Blakeney had a ball at the BHAFC Easter Comp and took out the top prize for mangrove jack with this plump 49cm model.
The kids had fun and scored some great prizes during the Burrum Heads Fishing Comp.
The winning weights from the BHAFC Easter Fishing Comp.
Mary Still Dirty but Improving
Cooler conditions and improving water quality saw some folks try their luck in the Mary River system over Easter. Not before someone with a back-hoe removed a large tree washed up on the River Heads boat ramp though, apparently. There were good barra caught, and the threadies are starting to make a comeback. Large and small will take advantage of this week’s spring tides to predate on prey flushed from the drains and smaller creeks, so it will be a very different scene to last weekend.
The boat ramp next to Lamington Bridge in Maryborough is missing its pontoon at present by the way. Removed by council hopefully and not washed away. From what I could gather whilst driving across the bridge, the ramp isn’t closed, with just the pylons remaining to support anyone launching into the strong current (correct me if I am wrong). The water remains filthy and fresh up there, but that doesn’t mean it is devoid of fish.
Crabbers have focussed their efforts well down stream of late, and beyond the river proper too. Talk from some is that the fantastic run of muddies died off as Easter dawned. Supposedly due to the cool change – apparently (?). Burrum Heads comp crabbers might wish to dispute that claim.
The sandies on the other hand have really fired up again, and many a gourmet crab fan has been out getting their share. The back of the full moon tides saw a few caught right in close in a few metres of water. Issues with small sharks getting into crab pots has been a thing, unsurprisingly. Bigger sand crab numbers can be found out in the bay. There are plenty to be found up in Platypus Bay and bag limits are achievable.
Fisho’s Tackle World will be closed for Anzac Day tomorrow out of respect for our diggers, so get in today if you need ice, bait or more tackle for the ripper long weekend ahead.
Good luck out there y’all …… Jase
The Chandler boys enjoyed a great day out on a Hot Reels charter.
It was a competitive day aboard Hot Reels when the Chandler boys joined dad for a charter.
Not to be out done, dad Doug got his share of quality reefies aboard Hot Reels fishing with his boys.