Fishing

IF you’re like me, it’s a sad time when the saltwater barramundi season comes to a close. But on the upside, they get a well-deserved break, which lets them go about creating more little barra for this fantastic area, which is a benefit of the Capricorn coast closed season. What we are in desperate need of is a flood – …

A NEW oyster shell washing plant has started operation at the Port of Brisbane to boost shellfish reef restoration efforts. The washer will be used for washing and preparing shells recovered from Brisbane restaurants, pubs and professional shuckers to be reused to restore shellfish reefs of Moreton Bay. The facility is the work of the local Moreton Bay Chapter of …

It’s already November and it seems summer is already here in full swing with warmer water species taking centre-stage in southeast Queensland. Mangrove jack have already been terrorising our canal and natural structure systems, while offshore we are already seeing our mahi mahi and yellowfin tuna showing up in plague proportions. Hervey Bay charter With COVID-19 and our first year …

RECENT trips offshore have seen more days of slight current, which has resulted in good snapper being caught on the 29, 33 and 35-fathom reef lines. While I haven’t had snapper success beyond this depth lately, the quality of pearl perch in depths anywhere from around 75-105m has more than made up for this. COVID fishing Float lining for better …

IN the spring, a young man’s fancy turns lightly to thoughts of surface fishing… I may not have quoted Lord Alfred Tennyson’s poem word for word exactly. In the realm of sportfishing anglers, almost inevitably they will find a few scenarios to which they are drawn repeatedly. Surface strikes For several it’s a preferred species, for others it may be …

THE weather is warming and we’re starting to see more bass, barramundi and mangrove jack photos popping up on social media. Many of the photos feature a soft plastic and a weedless jig head locked firmly in the jaw hinge of the fish, making it difficult for it to throw or dislodge the jig head during the fight. weedless soft …

WE certainly had the weather turn on for a week or so during the recent school holidays and the fish even decided to play the game as well. Adam and Jet headed off Cape Moreton with a couple of friends on one of the better days to do a bit of trolling around. They found big mahi mahi in plague …

MY final article on destinations in southern Cape York focuses on the magical Cape Melville area, tucked away in a remote corner of the east coast. This place of stunning scenery features picturesque coastlines and islands set against the rugged backdrop of the Melville Range’s huge granite boulders. The main camping area is within Cape Melville National Park at the …

OVER the past three years 197 fish-attracting structures have been installed in Kinchant Dam in a joint venture between council and the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. Recent electrofishing surveys revealed a staggering three-fold increase in barramundi numbers at the 36 sites where structures have been installed in the dam. Mayor Greg Williamson said this was a tremendous result for …

MY annual trip north with my friend Dave is over, but it was a cracker. We weren’t sure if we’d get to Weipa to begin with because people on the northern forums said it was closed for the rest of the year due to COVID-19. Weipa camping A good friend, who was heading north to camp at the same spot …