Some great catches for those who ventured offshore

BUNDABERG OFFSHORE

There are reports of some great catches for those anglers who ventured offshore over the past weekend.  Coral trout and red emperor were just some of the prize fish caught if you could get them up before the dreaded man in the grey suit came in for a feed.  Looking forward to this weekend for offshore in the Bundaberg area, Sunday and earlier next week is looking like the pick of the days for getting outside for a fish.  Remember, the weather can change from day to day, so be sure to check the latest weather forecast before heading out.

 

BUNDABERG INSHORE

For those anglers who want to venture to the local inshore reefs in smaller boats, the Two Mile off Bargara and the Cochrane Artificial Reef off Elliott Heads are both producing plenty of squire, snapper and good-sized grunter.  The best baits to use are squid and pilchards.  While fishing on the bottom for snapper, have what we call a floater out the back.  This is a gang hook set up with a lighter sinker, and baited with a pilchard for any mackerel that are cruising in the area for a feed.

 

THE BURNETT RIVER

Blue salmon in the river can be a very frustrating fish to catch.  They either bite and you catch them or they bite and you don’t – mIne being the latter.  For those who don’t mind a bit of frustration and want to try catching one, throwing Samaki soft vibe lures are the key, with a bit of persistence thrown in.  Drifting through the deeper holes in the river with a pilchard on will pick up a few flathead, or casting 3-5 inch soft plastics will also do the job.

 

THE KOLAN RIVER AND BAFFLE CREEK

While fishing the Baffle and the Kolan, it’s a good idea to throw in the crab pots before venturing out for a fish.  As in all fishing, find the bait and you will find the fish not too far away.  The best bait to use is either live bait or fresh baits.  Buy yourself a cast net or yabbie pump to get the freshest bait possible.  When using live baits try to use the lightest weight you can, to give the bait the freedom to swim about freely and hopefully, hold on tight to land that big one.

 

LAKE MONDURAN

Lake Monduran is the place to be in winter if you want to catch a barra.  Reports are that half a dozen to a dozen fish have been caught throughout the day.  Afternoon sessions have been more productive due to water temperatures being on the rise.  Also, the sizes of the fish are getting bigger and most of the fish are now 80cm to 90cm in length.  Casting Jackall Squirrels and suspending them for a longer period of time should reward you with a fish or two.

 

LAKE GREGORY

Anglers who love a top water bite find that early morning as the sun rises is prime time at Lake Gregory.  If you get no response on top water, casting to the edges with Spinnerbaits and Lipless Crankbaits should produce those bigger fish.  Sound around to find schooling fish, then casting soft plastics or blades back over the top and sinking them to the bottom, then slow-rolling back to the boat will produce fish.  If you have no sounder, drift-fish or troll until you find a school then try the same technique to catch more fish.

Keep on casting

Shane Anderson