Bush 'n Beach Fishing Magazine Location reports & tips for fishing, boating, camping, kayaking, 4WDing in Queensland and Northern NSW
With most anglers heeding the government advice to stay home, the waterways are certainly quieter at the moment. Early in the week we saw stronger winds blowing from SW to SE with a welcomed westerly change which cleaned up conditions.
Offshore is still very much about longies and mackerel. We are definitely at a period of crossover and anglers are getting a great mixed bag of reef fish and pelagics. The closer reefs from Noosa are the most popular and rightly so. The lead up to the spring tides pushed in bait fish and the fish followed. Sunshine reef saw quality fish including tuna, mackerel, cobia, snapper, pearlies, tuskies, coral trout and sweetlip to name a few. Most of these fish taking reef rigs of 2 hook paternosters and gang hook with a sliding ball sinker fished hard on the bottom.
Don’t forget to have a slimy or pilchard floater out the back if drifting. This is the best way to secure almost any species of fish and gives you a strong fighting chance should the fish want to head downwards. While mackerel are present you may want to try the pre wired Tru Turn rigs which are perfect for this and big strip baits too.
Before you start heading out to the further reefs be sure to stop off in the bay around Jew Shoal as the tuna and mackerel have been smashing the balled up bait. Having a small 30g Arma metal slug ready to go is perfect for a bit of fast paced fun. This is also the time where stick baits really come into play and the River2Sea skip stick is a cracking skipping pencil popper. Soft plastics work very well around Jew Shoal and along the halls reef stretch so try super light paddle tail plastics allowed to drift down with bail arms left open. Look at 1/6th -1/8th and fish around 12-15lb. Big reef fish will often come off the bottom and a slow falling plastic often proves deadly. Be sure to use plenty of scent and have drags set so that you don’t break off once you flick the bail arm over.
From the surf the continued run of whiting, dart and bream continues. This is proving great fun for those with lighter outfits, especially during the westerly winds. Be sure to grab some beach worm, mullet and bonito for best results. Keep your catch fresh with some ice and saltwater mix and keep fillets in this salty mix for the best taste too. If you want to use a lure try a small squidgy wriggler or entice grub slowly hopped back through the gutters.
Even though the waterways are quieter, the Noosa River has been popular and with flatties, bream, whiting and trevally the main target species you can see why. The river supports a healthy flathead fishery and taking the odd smaller one makes for a great feed. These fish are some of the easiest fish to catch, especially on lures. Soft vibes for the beginner are perfect so ask us how to use one and you should see some cracking results in no time. Baits for flatties include prawns, mullet and whole whitebait. Pay attention to sandy drop off’s and sand flats as these fish love these areas during run out tides. This makes the lower part of the river the better choice. Mangrove jacks are starting to quieten down now and are generally caught after dark. Live baits are best for this species as are bigger baits of oily pilchard and bonito. For bait anglers you can snell a couple of 3/0 octopus hooks onto some instinct fluorocarbon leader for great results. Don’t forget to take a pair of pliers when fishing for the mighty red dogs as their teeth are a force to be reckoned with! We have seen some great crabs coming out from all the rivers as of late so be sure to run a spread of pots to liven up your catch. We have multiple crab bait options available and can tell you where to put them too.
Elsewhere along the foreshore from the boathouse toward the mouth you can expect to find whiting, bream and small trevally out and about in packs. This is the perfect spot to exercise with the kids and catch a quick feed for the family. As always be sure you are doing the right thing and keep it at 1.5m.
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! waterways quieter
