Species

WITH so much to do at Lake Somerset and surrounds, sometimes the hardest thing can be deciding what to do. Here are five top activities to undertake while visiting the picturesque lake, which is about an hour’s drive northwest of Brisbane. 1. Fishing You can’t mention Lake Somerset and not think of fishing. The dam has a reputation for holding some …

These fish can be a bit tedious to clean but are beautiful eating – almost as nice as whiting. The recent summer whiting season in the Nerang River was a bit different to seasons past, with a lot less rain than normal seeing the moon phases influencing the numbers and quality of fish more than usual. Good numbers of excellent-quality whiting …

At the time of writing only a couple of longtail tuna have been hooked and every fish to date has been taken by bloody big sharks. Ashby angler Ted McLean hooked a big longtail well over 20kg on a live gar only to be left with the head after just one bite. Naturally, with the number of big pelagics patrolling …

They are the paddle-tail soft plastic, metal blade and the old-time favourite, the spinnerbait. The soft plastic is my favourite lure presentation because of its versatility. Its natural subtle action allows it to be fished year round, whether to an edge or down deep on both active and inactive fish. Fishing a plastic to an edge is most effective in clear water …

 Working baitfish schools and ledges (where shallows drop off into deep water) is the norm, however on this occasion only fish and no baitfish showed on the sounder. Using the electric motor to hold position while casting is an ideal and easy way to fish. An area can be worked with lures before moving upriver or perhaps drifting back to cover …

SCHOOL holidays had put the brakes on my fishing over December and January, and when February rolled around, I was fairly keen to spend time on the water and try to catch a few fish. I was able to put some days together mid-week, but huge tides and the continuing strong southeasterly wind limited my options. The idea of freshwater fishing …

 Although you might get a couple on shallow snags and drains, larger fish will more commonly be found in deep sections. I classify water of 5m and over as deep, and most of these locations will have a large amount of current around them. It can be hard to fish these places during the peak run of the tides and most …

With the fish now in range, I placed the gaff under the fish, lifted it into the Esky and quickly closed the lid. Dolphinfish have a habit of going absolutely crazy when you lift them into the boat, and there is a real likelihood that a flying hook could penetrate a leg or arm, so placing the fish into the confined …

You can cover lots of ground drifting, but don’t rule out jumping out of the kayak and beaching it or tying it to you so it doesn’t float away and continuing to wade the flats with your kayak by your side. The gear I use consists of a light 1-3kg, 7’ rod and 2000-size reel with a smooth drag. The most …

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