Bush 'n Beach Fishing Magazine Location reports & tips for fishing, boating, camping, kayaking, 4WDing in Queensland and Northern NSW
With cyclone swell pounding the SE QLD coastline the offshore scene was put on hold. The Noosa Bar has seen 6-8 foot swell hitting straight on which should see the channel move and hopefully open things up. All the rain we had in the middle of the week in combination with post full moon tides saw the river get a good flush out too. This means when things calm down the quality of fishing should drastically improve. For the meantime if you are an offshore angler you can check all your safety gear and get prepared for the inevitable drop in swell. Be sure all hooks are extra sharp and wire rigs are pre-tied and you are good to go. Pre swell a few boats did head out and picked up some solid sweetlip and a few coral trout off Sunshine Reef. If there is one thing the reef fish love it’s a big downpour and jump in swell! Try slow fall jigs like the Palms slow blatt oval on the reefs as these stand out with plenty of vibration to really fire the fish up. Baits on paternosters or chickos reef rig will be dynamite once the seas calm down. Use a pilchard on the lower gang hook and a squid on the upper single dropper for best results.
Surf and rock fishing is also very much on hold given the swell. If you are looking to go off the rocks be sure you go with a friend and never take your eyes off the sea as big sneaker sets do roll in. For safety reasons a low profile life jacket is something worth inventing in as they are so slim you almost forget you have it on so come and check out he range. Once the swell drops the surf fishing will also improve with many new gutters formed and with various creeks now spilling it will be worth a shot especially next week as we press toward a now moon phase.
The Noosa River has seen some great mangrove jack captures and flathead coming on various lure and bait options. These two fish will still feed pretty hard during big runs of freshwater so fishing is still very much worth doing during this time. For lure anglers it’s all about prawn profile plastics and lures with a lot of vibration. If wanting to try a prawn then the new Chasebaits heavy flick prawns are flying off the pegs as well as smaller Zerek and gladiator prawns. If using bait then the best would have to be live bait. This is the time of year when owning a cast net really pays off. If you need help throwing one be sure to stop off and ask us how. Have a look around Noosa Sound, Noosa Dog beach and the river mouth during lower tidal flow time of high to low tide. As long as the prawns are around, the great mangrove jack captures will continue.
Freshwater may be quieter with Borumba and Lake MacDonald now sitting at over 100% capacity and both spilling. Borumba has now risen 3 meters in a couple of weeks so this sudden drop of water will see a temperature drop but this will soon balance out and see the fish feeding hard. Both dams will also be murky so now is the time for heavier soft vibes, blades and tail spinners. Using sounders is important as fish become acquainted with new areas previously high and dry. Surface fishing with frogs will also be a great option and the Chasebaits bobbin frog is sure to be a killer choice as are the new cicadas. Look for any water entering these waterways as fish will often sit in the path of this water and feed off anything brought down. As always be quiet on the water and be sure to become familiar with the new layout and plot your track to come back to the ramp safely.
Now for all the latest information log onto www.fishingnoosa.com.au for up to date bar and fishing reports, don’t forget to drop into Davo’s Tackle World, Davo’s Boating and Outdoors in Noosa and Davo’s Northshore Bait & Tackle in Marcoola for all the right equipment, bait and advice to get you catching. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and remember Tight Lines and Bent Spines!
