Rain colours up rivers on Sunshine Coast

It’s been a bit of a windy one this week, but with N-NW winds we saw a few boats headed out and some great fish landed offshore. With the full moon phase now gone the fish were a little slower on the bite but the guys who managed to head out landed some great fish.colours

North reef has been the pick of the spots to head and has been working with solid patches of bait on the sounder. Although the bite has been slow anglers reported quality snapper and cobia coming on board. There were also maori cod, tusk fish, pearl perch and the odd jewfish as well. Most fish falling for baited up twin hook paternoster rig fished hard on the bottom.

Midwater bigger snapper and cobia are usually found so having that pilchard floater out in a stream of burley is best especially if the bite is slow. In closer Sunshine Reef has been producing smaller snapper, grassy sweetlip, moses perch, maori cod and coral trout. Again these fish falling for well-presented cube baits on paternoster rigs like the black magic snapper snatcher or floated pilchards.

Another great method is to use a gang hooked pilchard and an 8-10 sized ball sinker fished hard on the bottom for the bigger reef fish. Be sure to use heavier 50lb fluorocarbon leaders as you are deep in the cover fishing this way so keep that drag locked up!

Around the closer Halls Reef there has been the odd spanish mackerel and longtail tuna caught. These bigger fish are few but love a slow trolled whole slimy mackerel or garfish rigged on a Citer chin weighted troll rig and bigger 6/0-7/0 hooks. Be sure to use a bit of bait elastic to hold your bait in position and vary your speed so the bait rises and falls as you ride over the swells.

For the beach anglers a few chopper sized tailor have been swimming about, reports have been mixed but these fish have been spread throughout the coast. Search for any decent gutters south of Noosa heads and the rocky points of Noosa and Point Arkwright. Most of these are taking whole pilchard baits fished on small fine wire gang hooks in the 1/0-2/0 size and 20-30lb leaders.

If these fish are your target try fishing with no wire trace first to see if they are feeding. If you get bitten off repeatedly then break out the wire. As the saying goes, fish light to get the bite. Also in the mix are bigger dart and some standout bream. The gutters along noosa river mouth are producing flathead and whiting with the middle groyne showing smaller flathead, bream and dart.

The Noosa River has been fishing well with quality flathead and whiting caught around the river mouth. Further away try the flats in the frying pan for whiting, flathead, bream and maybe a tailor. Surface walkers in this area are deadly when worked off the bank into deeper waters. Be sure to wear your polaroid glasses and take smaller Jackson Risk baits and Bassday Sugapen surface walkers with you. Around the current line and Munna Point you can find golden trevally and big eye trevally.

These fish love a fresh mullet cube or whitebait but will smash 3 inch paddle tail plastics on heavier jigheads. Take a look at Ecogear power worms and power shads and 2/0 hook sizes. Further toward the lakes you can expect to catch a mixed bag of trevally, bream, flathead and the occasional mangrove jack.

Fishing from the marina toward the ski run and up toward the mouth of Lake Cooroibah are great options. Lastly if you are between the lakes then flicking lures into the snags could see you catch a mangrove jack or two.  These fish require super accurate casts and the best gear to use is a bait cast setup for maximum casting accuracy.

Lake Macdonald and Borumba are showing signs of a promising season ahead with some fat bass getting caught on a mixed bag of blades, hardbodies, surface lures and even soft plastics. For the surface angler take Lucky Craft Sammy 65, Strada Zeida. If throwing hardbodies then Lucky craft pointers and Jackall Squirrels are great go to lures. For the soft plastic fisherman then Keitech Madwag and Powerbait Nemesis slow wound along the bottom will entice a bite.

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 to find out where the fish are biting, and remember

Tight Lines and Bent Spines!

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