Fish on the menu off Noosa

November 1, 2019

With the bad weather behind us the week lined up with light morning winds followed by afternoon winds, dropping off into the evening. The swell on the Noosa bar dropped low enough to allow anyone with a boat out and head far or stay local. The afternoon SE breezes made Sunshine reef a popular option for smaller craft and those chasing the reefies. Out wider the bigger charter boats made the trips to North reef and beyond and come back in with the NE winds that arrived mid week.

Fish on the menu across both areas were good sized snapper, pearlies, parrot, sweetlip and even a few bite off’s from mackerel. If fishing for mackerel and you are in close around Halls reef and in close of Sunshine reef be sure to have a Spaniard special in tow. This lure is a proven to attract the bigger fish, especially if it’s a bit murky from the rain. The triple willow blade setup emits a lot of vibration and with a big pilchard or slimy mack rigged it’s the perfect big fish snack. We are coming toward the annual spanner crab closure so they will certainly be on the march. Swing on by and pick up some dillies for a shot at these tasty crustaceans. If you need help with rigging we can do that too! If fishing on anchor be sure to have a pilchard floater out if the currents aren’t too strong. Be sure to have a good burley trail going as all fish including mackerel and tuna will be drawn in.

Surf fishing is warming up and there are some quality gutters all along the coast. The new moon evening bite gave promise to a few dedicated jewfish anglers. A few anglers reported of smaller school sized fish swimming about, not only inshore but in the estuary and around the river mouth too. These fish will happily take soft plastics and love a jerk shad or curly tail like the new Powerbait nemesis 4 inch in bloodworm.

Last week’s rains saw a small flush in the local river and this pushed the bait and fish down into the lower estuary. Flathead are still in solid numbers throughout the river from the main boat ramp on Gympie Terrace to the mouth. The shifting sand has so many options to go and find the big fish sitting in wait on a drop off. Have a try with a mix of live bait, strip bait and lures. For the lure anglers even a simple hard body worked across the flats can be deadly. Have a look at the various colours in the Zerek tango shad range. These come in 2 dive depths of 1.6 meters and 1 meter so there is something for everyone.

Whiting, bream and trevally are in good numbers around this entire stretch too. For those on light gear, especially bait anglers you would do very well to have a simple running sinker rig with a strip of squid or live beach worm. Find yourself a stretch out of the main current and see what you can find! Further upriver toward the ski run and toward the mouth of Lake Cooroibah you can find GT, mangrove jacks, flatties and even school sized jewies. These fish all love soft vibes and paddle tail plastics. Soft vibes emit a lot of vibration which all of these fish love. Take a look at the fork tail soft vibes from Berkley. The Shimma shad is catching quality fish throughout the river so be sure to give one a try. If you have a quality sounder be sure to run side scan so you can see what is out to the side.

Freshwater has seen some great catches of Saratoga and chunky bass coming from both Lake MacDonald and Borumba. The early morning and late afternoon bite has been strong with the morning better due to the winds of late. Lures to throw for surface are a favourite of mine, the Lucky Craft Sammy 65. This little lure walks with ease, casts easily and has great action. If looking for bass and you find them schooled up in deeper water be sure to drop a jig down. A simple slug rigged with some Atomic Trick bitz assist hooks can turn a simple cast and retrieve lure into a deadly jig. Be sure to get out early to enjoy the day ahead before the winds picks up.

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!