Each week bringing more potential for Sunny Coast pelagic anglers

December 19, 2019

With more and more people staring holidays were are starting to see some great fish getting caught. Without a doubt each week is bringing in more and more potential for the pelagic anglers, as a variety of species continue to be caught. As we drew towards the full moon, the tides built and the bait balls got bigger, as did the fish following them.

The local reefs of Sunshine and Halls saw anglers with small numbers of sizable spotty and Spanish mackerel. In the mix cobia and good shows of small longtail and mac tuna were also seen around Sunshine, castaways and down toward Coolum. The tuna are small but they are also a great snack size for a big Spanish so bare this in mind if heading toward them. A 5/0 gang hooked slimy mackerel bait cast and allowed to drift downward through the school could see you connect to such a fish. You could also try down rigging a whole garfish or using a weighted chin guard which is pre-rigged with heavy duty hooks. Slow troll these out the back and do not drive right over the school or they will go deep and move. Try 2 rigs of varying size and depths and mix up your speed while trying to anticipate the direction of the school. Always remember that tuna feed into the wind so you can set yourself up perfectly.

Surf fishing continues to provide anglers on lighter gear the option to catch whiting and dart from the gutters all along the coastline. These fish are best targeted on 3-4kg outfits with worm or prawn baits. Worms are easy to locate so come and grab a bait bag, some mullet for bait and try your hand at gathering live bait. Off the rocks smaller jewfish have been reported getting caught on soft plastics. It is important to have a mix of jigheads and profiles as with changes in the wind and current you can always get a good cast in. Take a look at the new Powerbait Nemesis curly and paddle tail which come in an attractive pearl white which jewies love.

Elsewhere the fishing has been a little quieter as we moved off the full moon but expect it to start firing up anytime soon. Mangrove jacks which are on top of everyone’s list are becoming more and more active during the early morning and night time hours. Having a cast net, an aerator and a bucket is by far the easiest way to get fresh bait and connect to one. If you like the challenge of lure fishing then slow rolled Zman Swimmerz loaded with scent works very well. With the moon becoming smaller the evening light is starting to fade which should see these fish becoming more prevalent. They can be found throughout the entire system from Kin Kin Creek to the river mouth so be sure to look around creeks, drop offs and rock walls.

During the daytime flathead, bream and whiting are more likely catches along the various drop offs and rock walls in the lower estuary from the boat ramp to the river mouth rocks. These fish will all take a mix of baits from prawn to squid but main lines and leaders will need to be dropped down. The water clarity is so clear that fish will spook and heavy lines stand out. Check out the range of handy sized spools of Dogtooth fluorocarbon leader. If lure fishing an easy lure to use for the beginner are soft vibes. These are simply cast upstream and worked back with slow lifts of the rod tip and paused as it comes back toward you. Check out the Zerek fish traps which have a little tail that give off more vibration. I forgot to say that trevally, flathead and just about every other species love these!

Freshwater dams are continuing to drop and warm up. This will see the shallow edges hitting high 20’s even 30C+ during the hottest days. The weed beds will be growing fast and holding a lot of heat. This will see fish moving into deeper water especially during the daytime. This is where using a sounder to locate schools of bass and yellow belly will pay off. If trolling try using deeper diving lures like the Jackall squirrel 61 and lucky craft pointer 78XD. These are smaller profile lures that really get down deep. If surface fishing take a look at areas that have deeper drop offs from lily edges rather than a shallow bay as fish have the option to move about to cool down and still have shelter to retreat to and ambush prey. As always the lucky craft Sammy 65 is a great bug sized lure that really gets the hits so be sure to have one in your box and skip it under overhanging trees for the big bass hit!

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! pelagic anglers pelagic anglers pelagic anglers