Bush 'n Beach Fishing Magazine Location reports & tips for fishing, boating, camping, kayaking, 4WDing in Queensland and Northern NSW
Inshore Fishing
The Inshore fishing has continued to produce some cracking fish in the small weather windows we have been seeing. In particular we are seeing good numbers of grunter and grass sweetlip caught with some big jewfish hanging around these fish as well as a late seasoned snapper.
The grunter and grass sweetlip have been commonly caught on fresh squid and live yakka or slimey mackerel. Casting curl tail and jerk tail soft plastics is also a great way to target these fish. Make sure your lure is coming in contact with the bottom regularly during your retrieve, this is crucial for getting the bites.
The snapper, and jewfish have been caught in similar areas to these sweetlip and grunter with the 2 mile reef off Bargara and the Artificial reef off Elliott Heads being the two standout reefs holding good numbers of these fish. Sounding around the structure to find fish is a good way to put you ahead of most, as these fish aren’t always sitting on the structure but more so around bait. Soft vibes like a Nomad 110mm Squidtrex or a Samaki 125mm/30g Vibelicious are deadly lures for all of these fish, but a nicely presented curl tail soft plastic will also get the bites! If you are into bait fishing a live bait is definitely the way to go for these two species.
Offshore
The last few months have seen the reefs off Bundaberg and reefs North out off 1770 and Turkey Beach fish incredibly well. Plenty of trophy fish have been caught, and although the weather has not allowed us to head out this week we will have more opportunities to come so stay prepared!
One of the most prized fish you can catch on our outer reefs is the mighty red emperor. If you are chasing these fish big flesh baits are always high on a red’s menu, live bait and whole squid and cuttlefish are also great options. Fishing for reds with slow pitch jigs is also a very effective way to target them, the depth of water and current are the deciding factors on what weight jig to run however 80g-150g jigs will cover most of the applications. Generally fishing reefs in around 40m of water and more will put you in with a good chance at finding one of these fish.
Plenty of sweetlip, tusk fish, emperors, trout and hussar have also been caught on all of the common reefs. Fishing the pressure edged side is the go when fishing offshore. This is because all of the bait will be stacked on that edge and the feeding predatory fish will not be far away. So whichever side of the reef is getting hit with current you should be fishing on that side, majority of the time anyway. Whole squid, pilchards and flesh baits have all had their success, ensuring to have some variety of bait on board is always a great idea.
Burnett River
With the warmer weather and the increase in water temp we have seen the Burnett’s summer species such as barra, jack, cod and even threadfin salmon come on the chew! The barra and threadies have been in great numbers in the town reach area however having a good quality sounder is crucial for targeting these fish. Fishing these schools of fish around the change in tide has been working well.
Soft vibes and slow rolled soft plastics have been the lures of choice for most so far. We have also continued to see good numbers of big flathead and grunter caught around the rock bars all throughout the river but in particular towards the mouth of the system. Whole sprat and prawns have been the standout baits to be using. The prawns in the Burnett have also been thick towards the mouth of the river in the deep water. Plenty of people having been getting their bag with a quality top pocket cast net.
Kolan River
The Kolan has continued to produce some cracking grunter, flathead and bream this week with the go to technique definitely being fishing the sand flats and drop offs with a mix of mullet fillet and fresh yabbies. These fish have been on the chew all throughout the tide however the start of the incoming has seen more bites especially on the shallow flats and yabbie beds.
Small topwater lures worked along the shallows during the incoming tide has got some awesome whiting and bream action as well as the odd flathead having a go as well. If you are fishing the Kolan having a look upriver around the rock bars or up Yanny creek is definitely a good idea as the summer species are starting to fire up especially during the run out tide! Mullet fillet or whole sprat has worked great in the dirtier water, but a well presented live bait is sure to get a bite as well.
Elliott River
The Elliott is still fishing great at the moment, we are currently seeing a great mix of summer and winter species on the chew. Fishing the sand flats around the mouth of the river has seen good numbers of flathead, bream, whiting and grunter caught on fresh yabbies and beach worms. Fishing the deeper channels and drop offs with whole sprat has caught some of the bigger flathead and grunter which have been patrolling the deeper areas.
Up river along the rock bars and deep banks has started to see some really good quality mangrove jack caught on a mix of live baits, flesh baits and lures. For now the run out tide has been the best time to be on the water chasing these fish, however you can certainly catch a jack at any time of the tide! Some big barra are also in good numbers in this system in the deep holes and along deeper banks. Live bait has by far been the key to getting these fish to bite.
Baffle Creek
The Baffle is fishing well with the shallow flats and drop offs in the cleaner water towards the mouth holding some quality fish. We have seen fresh yabbies doing the trick on the sand flats on species like flathead, bream, whiting, and big grunter! The incoming tide and the start of the run out have been the prime times to target these fish. Flicking some small soft plastics and hardbodies has also paid off especially during the run out tide as the water dirties.
The mouth of the river has also seen good numbers of queenfish and trevally on the move as they follow schools of bait being pushed up river. Twitching some small soft plastics around structure which is getting hit with the current has been the most effective way to target these pelagic fish. Whole sprat floated out has also worked well, be sure to keep the sinker as light as you can, sometimes even running no sinker is the way to go depending on the amount of current. Good sized grunter and jack have also been found feeding hard during the run out tide up river in the dirty water, mullet fillet and whole sprat have been the two baits doing the damage.
Lake Monduran
Things are shaping up for a great few weeks at Lake Monduran, there is fish all throughout the dam and with the water temp on a steady rise more and more fish are biting. With the 25th Anniversary of the Tackle World Bundaberg Lake Monduran Family Fishing Classic inbound for the 19th and 20th of October it is shaping up to be the best one yet! The dam is producing fish all over however with the Northerly change estimated to come through in the next day or 2 Bird Bay, the South Arm of B, White Rock and even in the Main Basin will all be good places worth a look.
Throwing lures along shallow points and working them out to around 15 feet of water is where most of the fish are being caught. Slow rolling soft plastics and swimbaits has been very effective, the new Fishcraft DR Shads and the trusty Zerek Live Mullet have got the bites. If you are wanting to use hardbodies the Samaki Redic DS80’s are the perfect lure for this application and they just simply catch fish!
CATCH OF THE WEEK
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From the team at Tackle World Bundaberg
Live the Tackle World L.I.F.E – Local Independent Fishing Experts
