Bush 'n Beach Fishing Magazine Location reports & tips for fishing, boating, camping, kayaking, 4WDing in Queensland and Northern NSW
So finally the weather gods have started to play ball toward the end of the week and let most anglers have a shot of getting offshore. With warm westerly breezes and light swell lot of anglers have been hitting the inshore and offshore reefs with some great results.
Out wide has been harder to fish but those boats that did head that way hooked into some solid reds up to 10kg. To Target these monsters of the deep be sure your tackle is up to the task as they will expose and weaknesses. Take a look at Wilson Live Fibre rods and Shimano Tyrnos or the budget friendly Torium reels. In closer North Reef has been producing a great variety of fish including cobia, small amber jack, trevally, snapper, maori cod and pearl perch. These fish will take well-presented baits on paternoster rigs or Chicko’s reef rig.
In closer around Sunshine reef you can expect to find coral trout, red emperor, venus tuskfish, grassy sweetlip, small cobia, bigger snapper and the occasional mac tuna. These fish hitting baits as well as soft plastics in the 4-6 inch size range. With clearer waters it is wise starting out with 30lb leaders and 4/0-6/0 jigheads in the ¾-1oz size range. With bigger snapper and cobia still buzzing about be sure you have a 5/0 gang hooked pilchard floater. A top tip with a floater is to leave an extra long tag end when tying your knot. This allows you to tie on a small sinker should you need to add a little extra weight.
The beaches have been fishing well with quality dart, flathead and whiting getting caught around the river mouth and in the deeper gutters along the beaches south of the national park. Fishing during dusk has been proving worthwhile as the full moon starts to rise. There are some great tailor and jewfish getting caught so using fresh whole baits is the best option when targeting these big fish. When casting big baits using bait wrap is important to keep baits together while casting.
The rivers are really starting to fire up with trevally and jacks very much the target species. For trevally fishing in the lower estuary especially around the Noosa sound, Munna bridge, Woods bays and Noosa River mouth. For the bait fisherman using a whole gang hooked pilchard is the go or fresh live baits on lighter gauge hooks is the go. For those targeting mangrove jacks then live baits after dark will produce the fish if you can land them. For everyone else then flicking the snags, especially in between the lakes is the better area as are the various jetties and pontoons in Noosa. Be sure to use weedless hooks and Zman 3-4 inch grub and paddle tail plastics and 15-20lb leaders. For anglers not chasing these fish then using standard running sinkers with a 1A size ball sinker with 6-10lb line is the preferred choice along with fresh worms, pippis, pilchard chunks and mullet strips for bait.
Fresh water is still going well with the bite a little slower during the full moon period. Fish at both Lake MacDonald and Borumba falling for surface lures and metal vibes down deep during the daytime. Be sure to try rigging your favourite soft plastic on a weedless hook for a low cost effective lure to get deep into the snags.
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 Outdoor in Noosa and Davo’s Northshore Bait & Tackle at 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!
