Team member Josh with a mac tuna, these fish would only eat tiny lures which replicated the bait fish they were feeding on. The Arma Anchovy range of metal lures got the job done.

Bundaberg – weekly fishing report

November 16, 2023

Inshore fishing

With the last of the reef closures done and dusted for the year we are now able to get out and fish the reefs as soon as there is another weather window. The inshore reefs have been fishing very well with a heap of pelagic’s such as spanish mackerel and school mackerel being the standout fish being caught.

Trolling gar and hard body lures first light in the mornings has definitely been the standout technique to get the bite from the spanish mackerel. With the schoolies fast retrieving 50g Flasha spoons vertically off the bottom has been killing it.

Some very big queenfish have been caught on the pressure edges around the 4mile and artificial off Elliott Heads as well as around the Leads at Burnett Heads. Topwater lures like poppers or stickbaits are really effective for these fish but make sure to find the bait, this has been the key to finding the quality fish.

Offshore fishing

When the weather has permitted we have also seen the offshore fishing turning it on for us! Plenty of red emperor, coral trout and grassy sweet lip have been getting caught. Using pilchards and live bait has been doing the trick for the trouty’s and grassy sweetlip.

Big flesh baits has been doing the trick for the reds with mullet and tuna fillets being the go to. If you’re more into lure fishing using prawn imitation lures such as Samaki Golden Carrots has been doing the trick. Some monster cobia have been around the wrecks and any big drop offs and ledges along the reef edge.

Big flesh baits or whole squid and cuttlefish have been super effective on these fish. Small jigs and soft plastics are also a great way to target these cobia for the lure fishos. Remember to always make the most out of the tide changes out there, one hour either side of the tide surely can put some fish on your deck.

Brenton Catasti with a ripper 77cm flathead.

Burnett River

The Burnett is fishing really well again this week. Great numbers of flathead, cod and grunter are being caught around the rock walls with whole prawns or prawn imitation soft plastics being the stand out baits.

The better quality fish have come from areas with a bit of current so sand bars and drop offs as well as the rock walls during a run out tide are great places to try. With the warm weather the water temp is rising which has led to some cracking sized jack being caught around the rock walls and fallen trees. Live baits and strips of mullet fillet have been the go to baits for these jack, fishing into the night has also worked great especially for the better quality fish.

Bryce Dugdell with a pair of quality flathead.

Elliott River

The Elliott River is fishing very well at the moment. This river is offering some great variety with species like cod, jack and big grunter coming on the chew. These fish have been caught mainly from the deep holes and rock bars on whole prawns and sprat or soft plastics rigged weed less to get into the structure.

The sand bars and yabbie beds in this river are also great places to soak a bait especially during the incoming tide. Good numbers of flathead are around as well as some quality bream and grunter. As the tide runs off these flats flicking the drop offs will put you in with a great shot at some cracking flathead and grunter as they chase the bait coming off with the tide.

Jack Sullivan with a big jack caught land based.

Baffle Creek

Although the Baffle has had quite a lot of snot weed in it the fishing has been really good. Finding areas away from the weed has definitely worked well for a lot of people. Great sized flathead and grunter have been on the sand flats especially towards the mouth of the river, these fish have been right up in the shallows during the run in tide and on the drop offs as the tide runs out.

Small hardbody lures like a Daiwa Double Clutch and curl tail soft plastics twitched over the flats have got the bite from these fish. Topwater lures worked along the shallows have also been really effective and this will keep you from catching a lot of the weed that has been getting around.

The snags at the mouth of the river have also seen some big trevally and queenfish schools hanging around them during the incoming tide. Small soft plastics like Zman 3 inch Minnows hopped around the trees has been very effective. The creeks and rock bars have definitely seen more jack being caught with live baits being by far the most effective option.

Jason with his first ever mangrove jack! This fish measured 55cm which is an absolute cracking fish, well done mate.

Kolan River

The Kolan is having another great week of fishing. Good numbers of flathead, grunter, trevally and queenfish have been around this week. Fishing the top of the incoming tide over the sand flats and the drop offs as the tide begins to run out are a great way to find these species.

The snags at the mouth of the river have been holding plenty of bait and the pelagic fish have been feeding on them as the tide runs. Flicking soft plastics around the edges of the structure has worked well on these pelagic fish.

Up river around the rock bars and in the deep holes has seen good numbers of jack caught on whole live or dead baits like prawns, sprat and poddy mullet. The run out tide has been the best time to target these fish, finding a good amount of bait hanging in a deep hole or along a rock bar is a great place to start.

Lake Gregory

Lake Gregory is fishing really well again this week with multiple bass nudging the 50cm mark being caught. Fishing the edges of the dam with topwater lures in the low light periods has definitely seen some great results. Using topwater lures always gets some insane surface strikes and this is what makes this style of fishing so addictive!

As the sun gets higher in the sky the fish have been moving deeper so small paddle tail soft plastics and small suspending hardbody lures have worked great. When fishing hardbody lures for these bass ensure to give the lure enough time to sit still after a couple of erratic twitches, this is when the bass usually bite!

Team member Josh showing off a stud of a barra, fish this size are about average at the moment!

Lake Monduran

Lake Monduran has absolutely been turning it on lately and this week is no different. Some monster barra well over the magic metre mark are being caught all throughout the dam. These fish have been feeding hard during the bite windows, these short bite times can change your session on the dam drastically.

Being on fish during these bite windows is definitely a great idea to capitalize on the opportunity and get some fish in the boat. Lucky Craft 78XD pointers and Jackall Squirrel 79SP’s have been the two jerk baits getting most of the bites. Swimbait lures like the Molix 120’s or Berkley Shimma Pro Rigs have also accounted for some very big fish this week. Fishing areas of the dam that have been getting hit by the wind will be key!

CATCH OF THE WEEK

If you would like your catch photos published to be in the running for a $50 gift card every week, email your details and photos of local catches only to accounts@tackleworldbundy.com.au

From the team at Tackle World Bundaberg
Live the Tackle World L.I.F.E – Local Independent Fishing Experts

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