Bush 'n Beach Fishing Magazine Location reports & tips for fishing, boating, camping, kayaking, 4WDing in Queensland and Northern NSW
August has arrived, the last month of winter, and so far along the coastline of central Queensland, we’ve had few cold mornings that dipped below double digits.
We’ve been lucky to finally have a reprieve from the constant wind that was around earlier in the year, with some good extended low-wind periods.
This had many people venturing out further and spending more time on the water fishing or simply enjoying the region and exploring.
I spent more time heading out wider, fishing around the islands and shoals, chasing whatever the reefs had to offer and relishing in the opportunity of spending a full day on the water then heading home in near-flat conditions.
Fishing for me was a bit slower – with the cooler temperature, the bite periods were smaller and outside of these times, fish were less aggressive and would bite very softly.
Still put in the time, effort and move around and you’re able to put together a good catch.
Redthroat emperor, tuskfish, stripies and coral trout made up most catches, though coral trout were a bit slower with the cooler weather.
Stripies are an underrated table fish, being in the same family as fingermark and mangrove jack, they have a nice firm white fillet.
Some large chinaman fish were about on the shallower reefs and shoals, taking some stopping before they found the reef.
On the more isolated and deeper areas, nannygai and the occasional legal red emperor were being caught.
Closer inshore, on the rubble and small reef sections around Jenny Lind and on the outside of Facing and Curtis islands, grass sweetlip, stripies and some decent coral trout were caught.
If anything, trout have been a little more willing to take a lure or bait in closer and in shallower water – this could be because of a slightly higher or more stable water temperature.
Tuna schools were hit and miss.
Some days they’re everywhere and the next they’re missing.
Mack tuna was still the main species of most schools, yet an occasional longtail school does pop up, especially as you head a bit wider.
Some cracking spanish mackerel were caught around the region on big trolled dead bait.
If you’re looking for a starting location, wide of Rundle Island seems to be a consistent location that can hold some good fish.
I have heard reports and seen posts on social media of small marlin being caught, most were accidental by-catch, though a few in the know have been targeting them.
Black jewfish and the occasional fingermark were coming off both the headlands of the islands and the shipping channel markers leading out of the harbour.
In the harbour, rivers and creeks, some decent blue salmon were being caught, mainly singles or twos, with big schools hard to come find.
Look for fingermark along the deeper rocky section in the Calliope and Boyne rivers and around the island in the harbour.
Bread-and-butter species such as bream, whiting and flathead will be on offer for the next month or two.
If you’re chasing a barramundi fix, Lake Awoonga is still offering up a few fish, with late afternoon into evening being the best time to be on the water.
Even though its cold, crabs will still be worth a crack, with a feed of sand crabs available if you want to run your pots along a sandbank that drops into deeper water.
Hopefully, we have more good weather and wind periods to get out and enjoy our region.
Cheers and happy fishing from Gladstone.
