Bundaberg – weekly report

Inshore/Offshore

After over a week of rough conditions the offshore fisho’s are no doubt craving a trip out wide to fill their esky’s and stretch their arms. With the next few days looking promising for now plenty of anglers are hoping to finally make this a reality. Keep a close eye on the weather report as it can change overnight, but fingers crossed it stays good and we see plenty of fish caught. The last few weeks has seen our offshore reefs fish very well for big bottom fish like coral trout, red emperor, sweetlip, tusk fish and some monster cobia when the weather has allowed. These fish have been chewing on big flesh baits rigged on one of Buku’s Hybrid Bait Rigs which has been a game changer for our offshore fishing. Big bommies and steep ledges has been where most of these fish have been found with isolated structure off main sections of reef holding most of the bigger fish. For the lure fisho’s the go to has been the Samaki Live Shrimp in the Golden Carrot colour paired with a 7/0 28gram jig head…big trout just can’t help themselves! If you are heading out this weekend, the 15 Mile, Northern Gutter and the Southern Gutter will all be great places to be for a lot of the common species. If the weather permits reefs towards Lady Elliott Island have been fishing well for big trout, tusk fish and sweetlip.

 

The recent influx of bait pushed into our inshore reefs has got the predatory species on the chew. From pelagic’s like trevally, tuna and queenfish, bottom fish like coral trout, tusk fish and sweetlip as well as our good mates the spanish and school mackerel all being caught along our coast. Anchoring at the front of reef structures where the current is hitting the edge of the reef has worked great. Most of these fish have been caught in these areas on a range of baits and lures, the standout method has definitely been small flesh baits like strips of mullet fillet. For the lure fisher, prawn imitation lures or soft vibes have worked extremely well when targeting bottom fish along our inshore waters with natural structure holding most fish. Trolling garfish or deep diving hardbody lures has worked best on the school mackerel which have been plentiful at the moment, the leads at Burnett Heads has been the place to be.

Burnett River

This weeks big tides has helped push a lot of cleaner water into the mouth of the Burnett which has done wonders for the fishing. A lot of bait has been pushed right up against the rock walls at the mouth and the predatory fish have been feeding on them. Using big flesh baits thrown right in close to the rock walls around the top of the tide has been the go. Plenty of big cod have been caught along with trevally and flathead not being far away. Some solid mangrove jack have also been caught with live baits managing to get some of the bigger models especially in the late afternoon. Venturing further down the river with the incoming tide has paid off for anglers with structure getting hit hard with current being the place to be. Throwing your baits in this current and in the back eddy created has been working well on a range of species. These bigger tides have got the crabs on the move so throwing the pots in with big baits will definitely put you in with a great shot of a healthy feed of mud crab.

Elliott River

With the Elliott being a smaller river system we have seen it clear up quickly and has been fishing well with most of our bread and butter species being caught. Flathead, bream and whiting have been up in the shallow water during the incoming tide, freshly pumped yabbies have worked best on these fish. Some good sized pelagic fish like trevally and queenfish have headed into the river on the incoming tide and have followed the bait has they get pushed up river. Hopping small soft plastics around the bait balls has worked really as the predators identify this as a fleeing bait fish and it stands out from the rest. Some of the deep holes have also been a great place to be this week with plenty of variety coming out of the deeper water. Up river has continued to see great numbers of crabs caught so it is definitely worth putting the pots in over the coming days.

Baffle Creek

The Baffle has had another impressive week of fishing with plenty of variety for anglers on the water this week. The species being caught most have been big flathead, trevally, queenfish, cod, mangrove jack and the odd barramundi mixed in as well. Anchoring up in creeks along deeper banks lined with mangroves or other forms of structure has been where most of these fish have been caught. Plenty of the lure anglers have done very well on deep diving hardbody lures in a gold colour, either cast at structure or trolled along the deep banks. For the bait fisho’s using whole prawns or strips of mullet fillet have been the go. Although the middle to upper stretches of the Baffle are very fresh some great quality fish have been caught along deep rock bars. Using your sounder to locate some of these rock bars is a great way to find spots not everyone knows about, sending down some live baits has been the go with some big cod and jacks on the chew. With the big tides this week we have seen great numbers of mud crabs being caught, it is a great time to throw the pots in whilst the tides are still relatively high.

Kolan River

Same as the Burnett the Kolan has benefited a lot from the big tides which has pushed a lot of cleaner and salty water back into the mouth of the river. Fishing around the top of the tide has still been the go whilst the water is at it’s cleanest and the fish have been feeding up in the shallower water. Some good sized dusky flathead have been caught on shallow sand flats with the incoming tide helping these fish become more confident and feed along yabbie beds as they fill with water. Matching the hatch with fresh yabbies as bait or small lures that imitate a yabbie has been working very well in this shallow water. Although clearing up, the water is still murky compared to usual so using a stronger smelling bait like mullet fillet has been dynamite during the run out tide. Fishing with big chunks or strips cast along deeper section of the river or right onto rock bars and into fallen trees has worked well. Some mangrove jack have started to feed especially when the barometric pressure is on the rise however plenty of big cod and flathead have been eager regardless of the weather. The crabs in this system have been on the move with the big tides doing anglers plenty of favours. Similar to last week, using large flesh baits or fish frames as bait and throwing them up in creeks has worked best. If you are able to, leaving the pots in overnight has got best results.

Local Beaches

This week has seen our local beaches continuing to fish really well and providing anglers with a great alternative fishing method whilst our rivers need time to clear up. Norval Park Beach and Rules Beach have continued to be the standout beaches with plenty of deep gutters scattered along them. Fishing the incoming tide has seen some solid whiting, dart and bream caught on fresh yabbies. Some solid flathead and trevally have also been common catches with the run out tide seeming to be best for these fish. Using strips or chunks of mullet fillet has worked best on the bigger flathead and trevally that have been around. Having a few pilchards is a great option as some quality tailor are still being caught. If a school of tailor does come through whilst you have your baits out, throwing some small metal lures like the Arma Anchovy past there school and winding it through them quickly is a great way to target these fish. Once again when fishing our beaches we would recommend you go for an explore along the beach to find some areas that get less fishing pressure.

Lake Monduran

Last weekend was the time to be fishing the lake with some cracking barra being caught on a range of techniques. Whilst the wind did change from a northerly to a south easterly for most of the week we still saw some great fishing from the dam. Fishing bays and points that constantly get wind blown onto them from numerous directions is definitely what has been helping anglers find feeding fish. This week has seen the barometric pressure decreasing and some slighter cooler conditions making these barra a little timid. Plenty of fish have still been in common locations however haven’t been on the chew like the previous week. Having a quality sounder has been very helpful in locating the fish over the last few week’s especially when the wind changes and you are fishing a new location. Using the app ‘Windy’ is a great tool which has helped a lot of people find some quality barra. This app shows you exactly what direction the wind is blowing on the dam to help you pick points and bays that have had most exposure. Using big soft plastics fished along wind blown points has been working well. If you are fishing tight timber you can’t go past the trusty Jackall Squirrel, implementing plenty of erratic twitches and long pauses into the retrieve has been deadly.

Lake Gregory

This week’s inconsistent weather has definitely impacted the bass and their feeding habits as they have been feeding less aggressively. Some anglers were still able to do well with quality bass over 40cm being caught. These fish were found in slightly deeper water hanging around heavy structure with the wind-blown banks and points holding most of the active fish. Using lures that are able to be sunk deep into the weed and ripped out like a fleeing bait fish have got the bite when nothing else could. The lures of choice for us here at Tackle World Bundy have got to be small paddle tail soft plastics in a pearl white colour. Fishing them with a weed-less hook is the go for getting your lure in deep structure where the bass have been. Applying some of Pro-Cure’s range of scents to your lure is also a great way to improve the chances of getting a few fish. Not only does scent help attract a bite from more stubborn fish, it also helps them hold onto the lure for longer to give you more time to set the hook.

 

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 LIFE – Local Independent Fishing Experts

Click here for more Bundy fishing info!!!