Fishing Monthly - Latest Fishing Reports


	These reports are updated weekly. Last Edited: Monday, 19 January 2004 Quick Jump Links: Gold Coast, Moreton Bay, Freshwater, Bribie Is & Caloundra, Sunshine Coast, Maroochy/Mooloolaba. Hervey Bay, Bundaberg, Yeppoon, Stanage Bay, Mackay, Whitsundays. Townsville, Hinchinbrook. Mission Beach, Karumba, Cairns, Port Douglas. C ooktown, Weipa, Archived Reports, Weather & Tides.
COMPILED WEEKLY BY GARRY SMITH IN CAIRNS: e-mail: lavallesmith@iig.com.au

Gold Coast

The weather was good early last week for offshore fishing, but strong winds and heavy seas put the reefs off limits during the latter part of the week. The heavy rains we have experienced have served to push most fish down towards the mouths of the estuaries. Consequently these were the best places to wet a line during the week.

With the warm current offshore pushing water temperatures through the 25 degree mark, the start of last week was a good time to troll a spread of lures for pelagics. Plenty of nice fish were taken on the troll out of both Southport and Tweed. Down at Tweed, wide of the Nine Mile, some nice catches of yellowfin tuna have been reported. Most of the fish were around the ten kilo mark but some went over 20. These fish could be taken on medium skirts, and diving minnows, particularly Halco Laser Pros, were also very effective. A few wahoo and Spanish mackerel were also taken in the same areas using similar methods. Make sure to use a small length of wire trace as mackerel and wahoo will make short work of any mono.

Up off Southport the main target species was dolphin fish, which are still in good numbers from the close reefs right out to the 50's and beyond. These fish generally take a smaller size lure than that favoured for other pelagics, with small skirts the biggest producers. A few small black marlin were also taken during the week, either by trolling skirts or drifting live baits around the bait schools if they could be located on the sounder.

Down of Broadbeach a couple of nice Spaniards were taken on trolled minnows last Monday. Mermaid and Palm Beach reefs were also popular spots during the week, and some good spotties were taken on pillies, raiders and trolled minnows. A few Spaniards and a couple of cobia were also taken in these areas. Fishing the bottom was also a good option this week, with some nice squire, trag and tailor taken on pillies, squid and fish flesh on the close reefs.

The wider grounds were affected slightly by strong currents, although some nice fish were still landed. The main catches out wide were trag, parrot and squire, along with a few amberjacks, which fell to live baits. Jigging was a bit slow this week, although a few reasonable kingies and amberjacks were taken along the 50 fathom line.

With all the rain we have had over the last week the entrances to the estuaries, especially the Seaway, were the spot to wet a line. There have been plenty of nice fish pulled out of the Seaway of late, with the main catches being tailor, bream, flathead and trevally. Fresh bait was the key to getting some quality fish, with live mullet and herring, as well as yabbies, proving the best options. Casting livies and lures into the hole at the end of the north wall was effective on tailor, trevally, kingfish, small tuna, tarpon and sharks. The odd jack was also pulled from this hole on live bait. Flathead and bream could be taken along the rock walls on livies, as could tailor on small metal slugs.

There have been some good whiting taken this week, with bloodworms, beachworms and yabbies the most successful baits. The best tide was the last of the run in, and the most likely spots were around Paradise Waters, Chevron Island, the Council Chambers, the end of Campbell Street and around the weed beds in the Broadwater.

Bream have also been around in good numbers, but livies are needed to sort the decent bream from the hordes of small pickers. Best baits were yabbies and small mullet.

Trevally have been very active in the river systems lately, and can be targeted using a variety of methods. Live baits such as mullet, herring and silver biddies accounted for plenty of fish around the bridges and rock walls, as did deep diving minnows, soft plastics and prawn imitations.

There have also been good numbers of bull sharks in the rivers, and these can be targeted using large mullet or fish strips on a wire trace.

Flathead are still around in decent numbers, although larger fish are few and far between. Most of the better fish were taken around the Seaway, but throwing soft plastic shads and deep diving minnows around the weed beds and drop-offs in the Broadwater was a good way to catch a feed of nice flatties between 40 and 60cm.

The water at the beaches was a lot clearer last week, with most of the weed now washed away. There were plenty of tailor around this week, which has been a welcome change after their sporadic appearances since winter. The best spots to try were around the sand-pumping jetty, Broadbeach, Burleigh and Fingal. The best baits for tailor were whole pillies on gangs, frogmouth pillies on two-hook rigs and metal slugs. The best bet when searching for tailor is to look for a deep gutter with an opening to the sea and a bit of foam coming over the back. Keeping the bait moving is the secret to hooking up a tailor.

There were also plenty of bream and dart about which could be caught on the same baits as tailor or beachworms and pippies. The shallower gutters produced smaller dart as well as some quality whiting on beachworms and pippies.

Hinze Dam fished reasonably well this week and hopefully will get a nice top up from all the rain we've had. Most of the action was in the shallows around the rocky points and inundated grass beds. Plenty of bass were around, with most catches coming early and late in the day when big bass came into the shallow water to feed. Throwing shallow diving minnows, soft plastics or spinnerbaits from the shore was an effective way to hook bass. Some were also taken on the surface using small black poppers and fizzers. Live shrimp and garden worm was a more laid back but no less successful alternative. Trolling deep diving minnows around the rocky points was also a good way of tempting a larger bass.

A few yellowbelly and silver perch were taken throughout the week on live shrimp and garden worm.

John Polson & Paul Revie
The Fisherman Pty Ltd
Sporty's Warehouse
32 Strathaird Rd. Surfers Paradise
Gold Coast. QLD 4217
Australia
Phone: +61 7 5531 6511
Mobile: +61 418 751220
www.thefisherman.com.au