Fishing Monthly - Latest Fishing Reports


	These reports are updated weekly. Last Edited: Tuesday, 27 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 over the past week has ranged from good to fantastic, and has resulted in good fishing conditions. The sea was fairly calm for most of the week, which made for pleasant offshore fishing.

Good numbers of boats ventured out either to troll for pelagics or fish the bottom for a feed of reefies. Trolling was very effective with quite a few species available. It was one of the best weeks so far this season in terms of marlin fishing. Good numbers of small blacks up to 65kg were hooked and quite a few landed, especially during the latter part of the week.

John and I went out last Thursday on Reel Chase and John scored himself a lively specimen around 40kg. These fish were mainly found off Southport, but they could be around any bait ball along the coast. Small trolled skirts like Hexheads were effective, as was trolling slimies.

Spanish mackerel have also arrived in good numbers and plenty of anglers were able to tangle with these speedsters during the week. Trolling Halco Lazer Pro 190s proved one of the more reliable methods, with small to medium dark skirts also working well. Spaniards are fantastic to eat but should be bled upon capture to prevent spoiling the flesh. A few Spaniards were taken off Southport but most of the action was had on the Nine Mile down at Tweed.

Some decent yellowfin tuna as well as plenty of mack tuna could also be taken down around Tweed. The dolphin fish numbers off Southport seem to have dwindled a little but there are still a few about. Small skirts are the best way to connect to these fish, and they are also a prime target for large saltwater flies.

Palm Beach and Mermaid Reefs have been fishing well for spotted mackerel, and a few cobia have also been caught in the same areas. Drifting live baits of slimies and yakkas produced most of the fish, with a few falling to jigged and cast raiders.

Fishing the bottom last week was steady, with most boats taking home a feed. The main species taken on the shallow reefs were tailor, squire, parrotfish, as well as trag, on dusk or during the night. The best baits were whole pillies or fresh flesh strips.

Out further the same species were also captured, as well as some better snapper, morwong and a few pearl perch. Live baits accounted for the best fish with pillies or fish strips a good alternative offering. Fishing live baits and jigging the deeper areas produced a few amberjack and yellowtail kingfish.

The estuaries fished well during the week, with the most commonly captured species being whiting, bream and flathead. Flatties could be found throughout the Broadwater and up the rivers. Most people are now using soft plastics for flathead, and this is as effective as any other method. Small shads and twin tailed grubs worked well, as did medium size diving lures. Flathead will lie around any drop-off or structure that is close to bait fish, so places such as the edges of weed beds, channels adjacent to sand flats and rocky walls are good spots to try.

Whiting have been found right throughout the rivers, with some reliable spots being Sovereign Islands, the Council Chambers and the end of Campbell Street. The best baits for whiting were bloodworms, yabbies and beachworms. These baits also accounted for plenty of bream, as did whitebait and mullet gut.

Bream were also found throughout the rivers, with those closer to the mouth more likely to encounter larger specimens. Bream could be found around rock walls, pylons, moored boats and sand flats.

Further up the rivers there have been some good mangrove jack taken, especially down in the Tweed River. These fish are best targeted with either deep-diving minnows or live mullet and herring. Heavy leaders and tight drags are required to stop these awesome sportfish from powering back into their snag. Estuary cod and trevally are both also commonly encountered when targeting jacks, and the odd large flathead is also taken. The best spots to try are around bridges, canal entrances, jetties and rock bars.

The Seaway fished well throughout the week, with plenty of bream and whiting being taken along the southern wall. Tailor could also be found in close to the rock walls on most days during the week. The hole at the end of the north wall produced some nice trevally, tarpon and small sharks on metal slugs, soft plastics and pilchards. There were also some large trevally and small yellowtail kingfish pulled from around the pipeline.

The beaches were a good place to wet a line last week, with plenty of different species around. Tailor are still around in reasonable numbers and can be taken in the deep gutters at Fingal, Burleigh, Broadbeach and the Spit. Some good tailor were also taken fishing from the sand pumping jetty. Ganged W.A. pillies were the most popular offering, but frogmouth pilchards on a two hook rig and casting Raiders, Lasers and Sea Rocks also worked well.

Plenty of dart and bream were also taken in the same gutters as tailor, as well as a couple of nice sized flathead. The shallow gutters yielded whiting and small dart on beachworms and pippies.

Hinze Dam has been fishing very well recently. This is because of the recent rain and also the activity caused by the afternoon storms we have been experiencing. Just before these storms is a great time to throw surface poppers, fizzers and flies at bass and saratoga who are at their most active immediately preceding storms. The bass could be scored all around the dam during this period, especially around submerged weed beds and rocky points. Trolling also worked well for bass, as well as a few yellowbelly, which succumbed to deep diving lures in the upper reaches of the dam. Silver perch have also been taken using garden worms or live shrimp from the bank. This method also accounted for quite a few bass and some eel-tail catfish.

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