Bush 'n Beach Fishing Magazine Location reports & tips for fishing, boating, camping, kayaking, 4WDing in Queensland and Northern NSW
Well what a month March 2019 was. We had a real mixed bag of weather, with some cracking offshore days and some heavy downpours to finish the month off. Over this time we had a glimpse of some great pelagics from wahoo to some huge spanish mackerel. On the reefs we had some cracking jewies, coral trout and sweetlip as well as some big reds and scarlet sea perch from the wider waters of Double Island. The tuna did make a show but consist mainly of mac tuna with the occasional longtail in the mix. The bigger longies are on their way with Hervey Bay showing great signs of things to come.
North reef has been providing anglers with jewfish, pearl perch, longtail tuna and various cod species including gold spot and estuary. Most fishing this time of year is done with a heavier paternoster rig fitted with 6/0 suicide style hooks and a snapper sinker. Take a look at the black magic snapper paternosters. These come with flashers that big reffies and snapper love. Don’t forget to grab some fresh mullet and cut this into strips and chunks for the best results. A little closer to home Sunshine Reef has been holding some great coral trout and some standout sweetlip and cod. These fish are best targeted with live bait and heavier gear including a snelled or gang hook rig and running 8-10 ball sinker. Stopping off on halls reef and filling the live well is a must so be sure to grab a few sabiki rigs and even a sabiki rod to avoid tangles in your boat carpet. Spanish mackerel and even the odd spotty mackerel are about so pilchard floaters are a must if on anchor. Use minimal weight so your bait presents in the most natural way. Given the size of the Spanish are huge, using single strand wire is recommended. Come and ask us how to tie a haywire twist so you stay connected to that fish of a lifetime.
In the surf the gutters are going to start working following the super full moon on Thursday we had earlier in the week. Reports all along the coast of small dart and bream with the occasional bigger fish coming from the points of Arkwright and Noosa headlands. As usual fishing with light running sinker rigs and light lines for the small fish and heavier gang hook setups for the bigger fish.
In the Noosa River we have had a change in conditions with the recent rains. This will result in a flush of prawns and will start to see the fish fire up. With this is mind, now is the time to try and match the hatch with soft plastic prawn profile baits. Take a look at gladiator, Chasebaits and Zerek lures as these are all proven performers. Night times are a great time to get out and target the big flathead, jacks and bigeye trevally. These fish love a slow rolled paddle tail plastic like the Keitech fat swing impact or the new Molix RT shad on heavier jig heads. Be sure to carry a big landing net when land based and a decent pair of pliers. Areas to concentrate your efforts include the river mouth, dog beach, Munna Bridge and Noosa Marina. For those fishing baits during the daytimes, the turn of the incoming tide is a great time to fish as the cleaner water helps efforts. The dirty water produced by the recent rain has seen mullet in numbers around the river’s mouth and lower reaches, so match the hatch and throw a well presented slab bait of mullet fillet to increase chances of that infamous jack strike. Lures Fishos who have been chasing the elusive red-dog have been doing their best to imitate these mullet schools, throwing 80-100mm lures in both hard body and soft plastic. These fish may be feeding on a certain type of bait and will only eat that bait presentation. For the best results possible be sure to try various options to find which one turns the fish on. Take a look at the Jackall Hank tune, Bassday Sugadeep barra tune and Lucky Craft pointer. Lastly with the recent rains the crabs are very much on the move and now is the time to get your pots out. Come and grab all your crabbing supplies along with some fresh mullet or heads.
The freshwater areas of Lake Mac and Borumba dam certainly got a good drenching with Lake Mac Donald now at 110% and overflowing and Borumba sitting at 97% capacity. With the cooler rain you can expect to find the fish have been driven to the warmer waters and will be enjoying the various prey items getting washed off the trees and surrounding hill sides. With this in mind now is a great time to break out your creature baits and work the edges for the bigger fish lurking in the shallows. Check out Chasebaits frogs, Lunkerhunt pop frog and Tiemco soft shell cicadas. As the sun rises move into deeper waters and drop offs and throw spinnerbaits and blades and try various retrieves until you crack the bass code.
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!
