High-speed jigs and livies make for fun off Noosa

December 5, 2019

With another month gone we are almost seeing the end of 2019. For the offshore crew we saw things warm up with a promise of a great pelagic season ahead with some solid pelagics now becoming more regular. In the rivers the pre new moon bite saw big flatties and jacks landed under the cover of night with opportunities for all to get amongst it before those northerly winds came through.

Offshore as wide as double island things saw a huge turn in numbers with anglers catching mahi mahi, the odd tuna and even bonito from the higher water columns. Mid water there have been some great cobia and on the bottom things really heated up with red emperor, scarlet sea perch, gold band snapper, pearl perch, tuskies and of course AJ’s. For those dropping high-speed jigs and livies, amberjack and kingfish will provide lots of fun on lighter gear. They will also fight all the way to the boat once hooked, so get stuck in and enjoy getting arms stretched!

Closer to home North reef has seen a great mixed bag of sweetlip, smaller snapper, pearl perch and cobia. This is a great option to go to as the light winds in the morning has made trips offshore easier and coming home with the wind and swell is a bonus too. Just around the corner form the headlands, Sunshine reef is seeing more and more trout with some chunky sweetlip and now a few mackerel and cobia too. This is a great place to run a pilchard floater and if you get bitten off be sure to use a small shot of single strand wire. This can often make the difference between losing or landing mackerel. Halls reef is starting to become the go to place for slow trolling and kayak fisherman looking for a big spanish or cobia. Be sure to grab a whole bonito and ask the boys how to rig one for the best results. This time of year is when the Noosa River speed restrictions kick in so be sure you are doing the right thing and also check all offshore flares, lifejackets and EPIRBs are in date and up to spec as the waterways will be patrolled. livies

In the river flathead, bream, whiting and trevally continue to be caught in the lower part of the river. The better areas to focus your attentions are the dog beach, frying pan, woods bay, Noosa sound and the stretch from Munna Point toward Tewantin. If wanting to head further up river then the ski run could be busier now we have holidays, so early mornings are best here. Beyond here from the ferry to Cooroibah Lake you can expect to find many areas to flick soft plastics and lures as well as baits. The new Live Target slow roll shiner looks a great option for picking up bigger jewfish in the 5 inch size and the 3 inch size would be hard to pass up if targeting trevally and flatties around the mouth of the lake. If wanting to head further up river then between the lakes is certainly a great spot to try your luck with the mighty red dog mangrove jacks. Step your leader and line up to 15-20lb minimum and slow troll the rock bars with one of the new colour lucky craft pointers or flick the snags with the previously mentioned plastic for the best results. livies

Surf and rock fishing has been a little quieter due to the winds however the southern side of the rock wall and middle. livies

Freshwater has seen a continued drop in dam levels as the hot days persist with no rainfall. This will see fish becoming more condensed but also reveal new snags! This is a great time to get out and mark and memorise new areas previously unseen. The new Jackall squirrels in the 67SP are classics for freshwater use with hooks rigged for anything you are likely to encounter. Simply find the edges and twitch these down with 2-3 sharp jerks and let it sit for 10 seconds or more before repeating. Lake MacDonald botanical gardens ramp is very low now so bigger boat owners should use the ramp at the scout camp side. Borumba is getting lower however provisions were made the last time it got very low. Take a trip into the arms at low speed and be sure to try surface lures first up and then move to subsurface as the sun rises. Bass have been smashing surface first light in both areas and also during the last 30 minutes of daylight as the winds drop out. livies

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!