Bush 'n Beach Fishing Magazine Location reports & tips for fishing, boating, camping, kayaking, 4WDing in Queensland and Northern NSW
With the winds and rain came a jump in swell early in the week which meant only the larger charter boats and bigger boats headed offshore. The full moon on Monday made conditions hard going but the bite was definitely out wider into the deeper waters of Double Island and the Barwon Banks, and the long weekend saw several cracking catches.
On the catch list were snapper, cobia, longtail tuna, gold band snapper, estuary and gold spot cod to name a few. All these fish were taking floated baits on gang hooks and baits rigged on double paternoster rigs fished hard on the bottom. Light jigging on PE3 gear has been producing a wide range of fish including amberjack, tuna and sizeable longnose trevally out wide from Double Island. Lures that work very well include Entice flop in 80-100g and Storm slow rocker in 90g with quality 40lb fluorocarbon leaders. Upgrading the hooks to larger 4/0-5/0 single and double assists ensures that you stay connected to the big ones and don’t miss the bite. In closer around North Reef, Chardons Reef & Sunshine Reef you can expect to catch snapper, pearl perch, sweetlip, longtail tuna and even the odd spanish mackerel but not in big numbers.
In the surf the mac tuna and longtail tuna are starting to bust up in the bay and around the headland of both Noosa National Park and Point Arkwright. Sight casting for the bigger fish works well with 140mm Shimano Ocea Rockslide stickbaits and big 7 inch soft plastics on 1 ½ oz jig heads. Be sure to have a reel with at least 3-500m of braid to put the brakes on the biggest fish. In the gutters between sunshine and Coolum take some fresh beach worms and try for jewfish after dark. Some big fish have been landed in the cover of darkness. During the daytime expect to find whiting, bream and dart with lighter estuary combo’s the better options to use with beach worm or pipis as bait.
The rivers are starting to warm up as daytime temps start to climb into high 20’s. This means heading onto the flats with a range of surface lures to target the big summer whiting. Whiting provide some of the best light tackle fishing going. Be sure to grab some Bassday Sugapens and Fish Candy skinny dogs and fish the frying pan and around Lake Weyba. Big Flathead are getting caught in the lower estuary especially around the dog beach and river mouth. Try drifting whole fish baits including pilchards and whitebait on small fine gauge gang hooks. If you are after trevally then around woods bay, Noosa Sound and around the coastguard are great options. These fish will take a huge variety of bait and lures. Try casting hardbodies like Jackall Squirrel and Atomic Shiners and retrieve them with a steady pace to get them working. Try these lures along rock walls and the river mouth rocks for your chance to tangle with a mangrove jack. Between the lakes is the best place to seek shelter from the winds when they have east in them. This long stretch between Lake Cooroibah and Lake Cootharaba is home to jewfish, mangrove jack and trevally. Working the snags with vibes, blades and hardbodies is the best option with livies and fresh strip baits best for the bait angler.
Freshwater continues to provide fun for anglers throwing a mixed bag of lures. The surface bite is still a little slow but should start to heat up over the coming months. Without doubt blades, vibes, micro jigs and spinner baits are all the best options in Lake MacDonald and Borumba. Be sure to approach the edges as quiet as possible and fish lures with long pauses if you are trying surface in low light hours.
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!
