Bush 'n Beach Fishing Magazine Location reports & tips for fishing, boating, camping, kayaking, 4WDing in Queensland and Northern NSW
As we welcomed in the start of November the weather has changed with winds from the NW-NE now showing up. During this time heading into the wind if going offshore should certainly make things easier coming home especially if you still have the wind behind you. Early starts saw the lighter winds and lower tides but there were no problems experienced due to the low swell on the bar. Jew Shoal, North reef and toward DI are all options to fish in this wind. If you do head south, coming home could be a slow wet ride.
From North reef we have seen a mixed bag of reef fish with cobia, jewfish, parrot and pearl perch to name a few. These species will take single and double hook paternoster rigs with pilchard and squid baits the most popular. If drifting then jigs also work well here but they will need to be heavy as the winds pick up. Take a look at the Shimano Wonderfall jigs in 100g sizes when using PE2-2.5. For anglers using PE3 you may find you need to step up in weight so the PTYD 150 gram slow fall will get down quickly. Take a look at the wide range of pre-rigged assist hooks to complete your offering.
Sunshine has been a little rougher but for those heading out there you would be wise to slow your drift by way of a drift anchor or electric motor. You can still fish live a dead baits here and of course soft plastics and lighter jigs too. Should there be a drop in the winds between tide changes then find the bait and quickly drop down to see if there is a coral trout lurking below. Halls reef is a great place to load up with live bait before heading that way. Another option is to deep drop your live bait and drift it above the structure. This could trigger a reaction bite from a hungry reef fish as it passes overhead so hold on. If on anchor be sure to let out plenty of rope to help soften conditions if a bit choppy. Reports of school mackerel have come in and although in small numbers it goes to show things are warming up. Pilchard floaters will always be successful if drifting or on anchor when conditions are favourable. During other times you can troll a wide range of lures from the local Spaniard special with a rigged dead bait to a simple Nomad DTX or Halco laser pro. These all have high vibration that calls in the bigger fish. Be sure to have a few of these in your kit when its too rough to travel at speed as you could pick up a cracking fish when you are underway and thinking of heading home.
Off the beaches the winds have slightly hampered those anglers looking for distance casts. One option is to get around the southern side of headlands to get some protection. Fishing light also helps cut through winds as does fishing in close around the drop offs. Light setups can be a blast on the whiting and dart and even a standard 7 foot estuary rod can be used. Come and grab some live beach worm along with a few sinkers and hooks and you are into the action.
In the river we have seen some huge flathead coming into anglers nets. These fish have been caught not only in the day but at night. If after a big one don’t be afraid to go BIG! A fish in the 80-90cm mark will have to eat and when they do they will snack on something worth their time. Besides live bait there are a multitude of lure options. A big paddle tail plastic like a Zman Swimmerz is a great as is an atomic shiner hard body. Another lure would be the Chasebaits poddy mullet which is great for mangrove jacks. If after the jacks get up into any little creeks, inlets and fish around structure! If using plastics go weedless and slow roll or burn them back out and use appropriate leader and braid strength.
Whiting, bream and flatties can also be found together so look around the frying pan, dog beach and the river mouth. Small cube style baits of mullet, pilchard and prawn all work well here when allowed to drift lightly around. Whiting fisherman would be best to use peeled prawn, squid strip and live worms all lightly fished for maximum bait presentation. Elsewhere trevally can be found and will take everything from a prawn to a plastic or metal jig.
The freshwater quietened off after the bigger rains but with the temps above 25C it will soon be time to start the surface lures. Head out early and look around the timber and lily edges. Once the sun comes up a bit switch to smaller jerk baits like the Jackall squirrel 67 and put in a long pause! One think to look out for is Borumba is almost 2 meters below full so new timbers are popping up all over so go slow!
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
