Jarrad 'Bonesy' Rodgers with a spanish mackerel he caught from his kayak. Photo: fishingnoosa.com.au

Take advantage of every bite window on Sunny Coast

February 6, 2020

With the new moon behind us we saw a solid bite window pre-moon phase. The building tides and storms that were building up saw the Noosa River come alive after dark with mangrove jacks making the most of the low light hunting conditions. Offshore we saw a better early morning bite window and strong currents prevailed. As things headed toward the weekend the early mornings saw light weather windows and low tides. Unfortunately the low tides saw any bigger boats struggle with crossing, however the new channel is letting most head offshore which is a welcome sight once the tide fills a bit.

Out wide DI had Aj’s, nannygai, emperor, cobia, longtail tuna, tusk fish, smaller pan sized snapper and pearl perch to name a few. The currents were stronger but the end result was worth it. It appears the sharks are not as problematic which is a great sign. Out here heavier paternoster rigs are used. With these 60-80lb rigs it can be worth having a loop of lighter mono which breaks should your

In closer Sunshine provided the goods with spotty and Spanish mackerel. These fish taken on trolled lures, dead baits and of course the humble gang hooked pilchard. When currents allow if the bite is slow create a light but steady burley trail as mackerel and cobia will soon hone in and find you.

If wanting to find the pelagics there is no need to be out on first light for the bite window as the birds will lead the way. Try starting your search in Laguna bay and watch which direction the bulk are flying as you have only 2 options. Heading north toward DI and staying in close around the 15-20m line will still let you see the back of any breakers as often the fish hunt along this line. If you head south try heading down toward Castaways as this is often a great place to find spotties. Be sure to have a few rods pre-rigged with a Arma radico slug and have one rigged with a short length of 44lb Mason wire as there is nothing worse than missing a bite window due to being bitten off.

In the Noosa River various prawn and paddle tail soft plastics have been getting the bites after dark when worked slowly during lighter tidal flow on heavier 3/4oz jigheads. If you haven’t tried them take a look at the Berkley power bait hollow belly plastics. These have a thick tail that sends out a lot of vibration. If you want to use these around rocks then try using an owner beast weighted weedless hook. These let you cast with confidence around structure and not get snagged up. A great point to remember when fishing at night is that you can use a heavier leader. Take a look at dogtooth fluorocarbon in 30-40lb which will help put the brakes on otherwise unstoppable fish.

Away from the heavy cover where the jacks hang out then around the river mouth and the sandy flats of the dog beach, sand bags and of course on the northern side of the river and frying pan we have seen catches of sizeable flathead and whiting. Around the sunken trees you can expect to find bigger bream and maybe a smaller jack or two. With the last of the high tide and start in the run out tide you will see the river water at its cleanest after the rains. This clean water is often a trigger for fish to feed so take a look at tide times when planning to fish a certain area.

Freshwater also saw a boost pre moon and even with numbers of boaties on the water for Australia day Borumba saw good numbers of bass and a few solid saratoga get caught. These fish generally come during the quieter times so be sure to be on the water during first and last light. The surface activity has slowed after the rains and we have seen most fish succumbing to a well presented hard body. The smaller Lucky Craft pointer 65mm and Bassday Sugadeep 70mm are great options to turn to. Lake MacDonald is a lot higher now and the ramps are safe to use. With the influx of cooler rain water the fish are found in tighter schools during the daytime hours when the water has more sun on it and warms up. If fishing low light around the edges try matching the hatch and check out the Tiemco soft shell cicada as the cicadas are in full song.

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!