Species

DUSKY flathead can be found along the east of coast of Australia from Cairns in north Queensland to the Gippsland lakes in eastern Victoria. In Queensland, dusky flathead is a key target species, with the recreational fishing sector estimated to take 150 tonnes annually (McGilvray et. al 2014). That is approximately three times the reported commercial harvest. Fisheries Queensland collects length, sex …

Brisbane River The Brisbane River has been on fire this year, with large numbers of threadfin salmon and jewies caught regularly. Threadfin have been schooling at the mouth of the river at different times. Being on the water regularly will help you work out a pattern, but it has been pretty hit and miss at times. It can get boring …

They can be frustrating at the best of times but any carp caught and taken out of our waterways is one (or more) native fish better off. Targeting carp on fly is not the easiest of tasks. I use 5 and 7-weight fly rods, using line weights to match the rods, as well as 8-10lb leader. As far as flies …

Luckily though, a change in wind direction to the south had virtually overnight pushed the warmer, blue water back in. How, you might ask? In very simple terms, persistent northeasterlies move large amounts of warmer surface water towards the beach. This water then gets pushed or sucked back out to the left (in the southern hemisphere) and out to sea. …

Keeping the outfit light, I couple the rod to a low-profile Daiwa Zillion baitcaster reel spooled with 30lb Schneider braid. The braid ties neatly to 40lb Schneider Crystal Clear fluorocarbon, which is extremely abrasion resistant. You will not be afraid to put some hurt on a jack with this outfit. A good skipper will always improve your chances of landing …

Lately I’ve been catching my best-quality fish suspended in deep water. They have been sitting in the thermocline at 4.5-6m. I target these fish using a variety of baits, initially starting with a soft bait of a 1/2oz-rigged soft plastic. I cast this out and count to seven to let the lure sink into the strike zone. Once the plastic …

FISHERIES Queensland is reminding commercial fishers of the new requirements for hammerhead sharks, which commenced on January 1, 2018. Fisheries Queensland Deputy Director-General Scott Spencer said the new regulations were designed to strengthen the management controls around hammerhead sharks and avoid the species being listed as endangered. “New logbooks and instructions for reporting shark catch in Queensland had been sent …

The Schneider has fantastic abrasion resistance and though it is a stiffer line, it still knots well. My heavier setup will account for most fish in the bay but when that 5-6kg fish comes along I still have trouble bringing it to the surface. My old man likes to use the good-old Alvey, as with its light free spool the …

I spent the weekend with a mate of mine who had never caught a jack and he didn’t get one during the comp either, but still described it as one of his favourite weekends of fishing. I hope you get some good encounters with red fish over summer. See you at the next Mangrove Jack Anglers Tournament.