Fishing Monthly - Latest Fishing Reports


	These reports are updated weekly. Last Edited: Friday, 28 May 2004 Quick Jump Links: Gold Coast, Moreton Bay, Freshwater, Bribie Is & Caloundra, Sunshine Coast, 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 this week was reasonable for offshore fishing. The swell stayed down for most of the week but strong south-easterlies some days made for uncomfortable conditions outside.

Mackerel were again the main target for most of the boats heading offshore last week. Plenty of both the spotted and Spanish variety were taken, and I’m sure there has been plenty of mackerel steaks and cutlets gracing Gold Coast dinner tables over the past couple of weeks. All the close inshore reefs held spotties at one point or another during the week, but there are certain places that they are more likely to congregate. Palm Beach Reef, Mermaid Reef and the wrecks of the Aquarius and Scottish Prince were some of the more successful areas. A number of methods have been working well for spotties. Throwing metal lures or pilchards, trolling small skirts and diving minnows, and anchoring or drifting pilchards and live baits have been the most effective techniques.

Spanish mackerel are not as prevalent as spotties but are commonly taken in all the same areas over the inshore reefs. If you are after large Spaniards and possibly a few wahoo, there is no better place than Tweed Heads. The areas around Fido’s and Nine Mile have been firing over the last months for some fantastic Spaniards up to 30kg. This year hasn’t been a great year for wahoo, with catches being very inconsistent. A few turned up last week, although they were few and far between. Trolling skirts, large diving minnows, whole tailor or small, live tuna is the best bet off Tweed.

A few dolphinfish are still around on the 50 fathom mark off Southport, though their numbers are beginning to dwindle as the water cools. Small minnows and skirts are the go for dollies, and they are also a great target for offshore fly fishermen.

The bottom fishing has improved a bit over the last few days, with some nice catches coming from the deeper reefs. Snapper, trag, parrot, morwong and a few pearl perch were taken in good numbers on the 36, 42 and 50 fathom lines. Live baits produced most of the better fish but pillies fished at dawn or dusk with minimal weight and the aid of a berley trail also produced some nice fish. On the shallow reefs things were still a bit quiet. Tailor, squire and parrot made up most of the catches from the 18s and 24s. There have been quite a few cobia about so floating out a live bait while bottom bashing is definitely a good option in the coming months.

The full moon meant there was good action in the estuaries last week, especially for bream. These fish were taken along the Seaway rock walls, the logs south of Wavebreak Island, around the moored boats at Marina Mirage and further up the rivers around most bridges and canal entrances. Those fishing with bait had the best results with yabbies, whitebait, mullet gut and small live herring or whiting.

Plenty of anglers are now targeting bream on lures and small soft plastic grubs and small diving minnows are the best to target these fish. The best results with lures come when there is a fair bit of run in the tide, with both flood and ebb tides fishing well.

Some nice whiting were also taken in the Nerang and Tweed rivers this past week. All the usual spots are still holding reasonable numbers of whiting, but the area around Chevron Island has been fishing particularly well with some big whiting up to 40cm. The best bait lately has been bloodworms or estuary shrimp hooked five or six to one hook. Beachworms, yabbies and peeled prawns are also readily accepted by whiting. The incoming tide has been the pick of the tides of late.

Surprisingly, some good flathead turned up last week, both in the Broadwater and in the estuaries. Some fish up to 70cm were taken trolling deep diving minnows like Manns Stretch 10 and 20+, Tilsan Barras and Storm Thundersticks. Live mullet and herring, as well as soft plastic shads also accounted for a few fish. The fish were taken around the Seaway area, along the eastern and southern edges of Crab Island and in canals and around bridges further up the rivers.

Drifting live baits through the Seaway was a good way of picking up school jew as well as the odd bigger one. Quite a few sharks were also caught in the Seaway after dark last week. A few luderick turned up along the Wavebreak Island rock walls and adjacent to the Seaway tower and could be caught on green cabbage.

The fishing picked up on the beaches this week as the winds made conditions a little rougher and more conducive to feeding for most species. A few tailor were taken in the deeper gutters on pilchards and metal slugs. Most of the action came from South Straddie, the Spit, Burleigh and Fingal. Plenty of decent sea bream and tarwhine were also caught in the same gutters feeding beneath the tailor. Best baits for these species were half-pillies, although they would also take beachworms. Whiting were taken up and down the coast in shallow gutters and holes. Beachworms and pippies were the best option for whiting and also picked up quite a few dart.

The temperature drop we experienced during the week had a negative affect on the action in Hinze Dam. It was hard work to get a fish last week, although a few bass were able to be targeted in the shallow bays where the water was warmer. Small sub-surface lures, flies and soft plastics were the best way to get a feed. Live shrimp and garden worms also produced a few reasonable bass off the bank as well as an occasional silver perch. As temperatures stabilize in the dam, fishing should get a bit more consistent.

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