Fishing report

Fishing report - Hervey Bay to Evans Head

and SE Queensland Dams

These reports are the latest information available from bait and tackle shops, charter boats and guides in south-east Queensland and are updated late afternoon Thursday and Saturday.

The Thursday reports are to give you an idea of what’s been caught where so you can hopefully better plan a weekend fishing trip and the Saturday reports are for those who can only fish on Sunday, or plan to go early in the week. If you want to get more specific information on locations, bait availability, boat hire and boat ramps, please contact the report source.

Like all fishing reports, they are what has already happened, but at least they give you an idea of the general level of fishing activity. It’s up to you to develop local knowledge, an understanding of the effect of tide and moon phases and general fishing skills and techniques to improve your fishing experiences and it’s that learning process that keeps us all coming back.

Our featured fishing videos from the Coastwatch vault will offer some very good tips and suggested techniques for a catching variety of species in Queensland, so keep checking them as they will change each week and are a great opportunity to tap into the timeless knowledge contained in them.

Updated at: 4.30pm Saturday, January 03, 2009

Hervey Bay

Grassy sweetlip early morning in Gatakers Bay, grunter bream and mangrove jack in the Burrum River and threadfin salmon on live bait around the creek mouths and drains in the Mary and Susan Rivers.

Tackle World Hervey Bay ph:4128 1022

http://www.tackleworldhb.com.au

Golden trevally on fly on the flats in Sandy Straits on Wednesday and threadfin salmon on fly in the Susan River this morning.

Paul Dolans Fraser Coast Sportfishing ph:4128 4952

http://www.frasercoastsportfishing.com

Fraser Island

Dart, bream and a few whiting along the eastern beaches before the wind freshened. Caution is required for all beach travel, due to the amount of vehicles on the island and soft sand. Travelling on low tide is best and apart from keeping an eye out for washouts and undulations in the beach, be aware that kids can run down the beach from camp sites and parked vehicles.

Fraser Island Backpackers ph:4127 9144

http://www.fraserislandco.com.au

Rainbow Beach - Offshore

Snapper, pearl perch, red emperor, parrot and moses perch about 8 miles east of Wide Bay Bar on Thursday.

Rainbow Beach Reef Fishing Charters ph:5486 8666

http://www.rainbowbeachfishing.com.au

Noosa

Bream and flathead around the bridges in Noosa Sound and mangrove jack, trevally and tarpon at night between Lakes Cooroibah and Cootharaba.

Barra Jacks Tackleworld Noosaville ph:5449 3666

http://www.tackleworld.com.au

Recent trips on the Noosa River have produced a few flathead and bream in the lower reaches and mangrove jack around the snaggy banks.

Noosa Deep Sea & River Fishing Safaris ph:5474 2179

http://www.noosariverfishingsafaris.com

Dart and a few bream north of the third cutting at Teewah on Tuesday.

Noosa Surf Fishing Tours ph:0411 368239

http://www.noosasurffishingtours.com.au

Flathead on the drift in the lower reaches of the Noosa River and a few trevally and grunter bream early morning in Woods Bay.

O Boat Hire & Bait Supply ph:5449 7513

http://www.oboathire.com

Noosa - Offshore

Cobia, bonito and small black marlin on North Reef yesterday.

Noosa Deep Sea & River Fishing Safaris ph:5474 2179

http://www.noosariverfishingsafaris.com

Parrot, pearl perch, snapper, trevally and tailor at the southern end of North Reef yesterday.

Laguna Charters ph:5449 7454

http://www.lagunachartersnoosa.com.au

Maroochydore

Given the forecast for strong S/SE winds and rough seas, the best bet would be to fish the Maroochy River. Flathead, whiting and bream have been caught in the lower reaches, flathead and whiting along the Bli Bli reach and a few mangrove jack to 2kg in the Cod Hole.

Swan Boat Hire ph:5443 7225

http://www.swanboathire.com.au

Mooloolaba

Spotty mackerel early morning around Old Woman Island, flathead and whiting along Kawana Beach, bream and trevally along the La Balsa Park reach of the Mooloolah River and school jew and mangrove jack in Kawana Waters Canals.

Kawana Bait & Tackle ph:5444 5551

http://www.kawanabaitandtackle.com.au

Mooloolaba - Offshore

Spotty mackerel on trolled baits on Arkwright Shoal, sweetlip and small snapper on Currimundi Reef and a 33kg cobia at Caloundra 12 Mile on Wednesday.

Barry McDade Fishing Services ph:5437 7754

http://www.scofs.com.au

Caloundra

Trevally and queenfish at night and early morning along The Boardwalk, mangrove jack, school jew and mud crabs in the creeks and a tripletail at the mouth of Bells Creek yesterday.

Caloundra Fishing World ph:5491 4566

Donnybrook

Queenfish at the mouth of Coochin and Glasshouse Creeks and try for mangrove jack, flathead and mud crabs in the creeks.

Donnybrook Boat Hire ph:5498 8247

Toorbul

Given the forecast of very strong winds, fishing for bream, flathead and whiting along the western side of Bribie and mangrove jack and mud crabs in the creeks offering shelter from the wind are about the best chance of a result.

Toorbul Store & Caravan Park ph:5498 8210

Bribie Island

Flathead and bream near Buckleys Hole, sweetlip under the Bribie Bridge and mangrove jack in the canals. School mackerel were seen out from Bongaree yesterday.

Bribie Sports & Cycles ph:3408 1347

Bribie Is & Moreton Island - Offshore

Wahoo and mahi mahi in 50 metres of water east of Cape Moreton on Monday and pearl perch and snapper at Deep Tempest yesterday.

Reel Easy Charters ph:3880 3312

http://www.reeleasycharters.com.au

Beachmere

The Caboolture River has been producing flathead and bream in the lower reaches, mud crabs in the deeper holes and mangrove jack in the upper reaches.

Beachmere Boats ph:5496 8106

Redcliffe Peninsula

Try along the Scarborough foreshores for bream, flathead, whiting and sand crabs and the Pine River for flathead, bream and mud crabs, these areas would offer some shelter from the forecast strong SE wind.

Redcliffe Bait & Tackle ph:3284 6939

Pine River

Bream and whiting in the lower reaches and a few school jew in the deeper holes throughout the river.

Dohles Rocks Boat Hire ph:3886 1512

Sandgate

It is forecast to be windy in open bay waters. Best advice is to fish the sheltered waters in the rivers and creeks for flathead, bream and mud crabs.

Sandgate Bait & Tackle ph:3269 9701

Moreton Island

Dart at Dog Creek at the northern end and sand whiting at night south of Bulwer along the western side of the island.

Bakers Bait & Tackle Bulwer ph:34082855

http://www.moretonisland.com.au/product.php?id=67825

Moreton Is & North Stradbroke - Offshore

Pearl perch in 100 metres east of Point Lookout and sweetlip and small snapper at the One Mile yesterday.

Tom Cat Charters ph:3820 8794

http://www.tomcatcharters.com.au

Redland Bay

Bream and flathead along the foreshores on the northern side of Victoria Point, Point Halloran and Cleveland Point, school jew at the mouth of the Logan River and a few bream in the canals. Spangled emperor on the shallow reefs east of Point Lookout yesterday.

Fish Head ph:32079965

http://www.fishhead.com.au

Jumpinpin

Bream, flathead and moses perch in Jacobs Well Channel, sand whiting near Slipping Sands and a few flathead, bream and whiting around Pandanus Island.

Rudy Maas Marina ph:5546 2222

Bream, flathead, whiting, tarwhine and moses perch in Cobby Passage yesterday.

Jumpinpin Charters ph:5546 1880

http://www.jumpinpin.com

Sand whiting on the banks in Tipplers Passage, bream at the northern end of South Straddie, school jew at the mouth of the Logan River and sand crabs in the main channels.

Gem Bait & Tackle ph:3287 3868

Bream and whiting in Fishermans Channel, sand whiting off the NE tip of Crusoe Island and flathead, sand and mud crabs in the channel between Mosquito and Tabby Tabby Islands.

Cabbage Tree Pt Boat Hire ph:5546 1332

South Stradbroke Island

Big dart early morning along the eastern beach. Caught flathead and average whiting through the week about 2kms south of the Pin Bar.

Couran Cove Island Resort ph:1800 268726

http://www.couran.com

Hope Is - Paradise Point

Bream and flathead in the lower reaches of the Coomera River and mangrove jack around Sovereign Islands and in the canals. Dart and tailor in the surf opposite Currigee yesterday and snapper on the 24s SE of the Seaway on Thursday.

Paradise Point Bait & Tackle ph:5577 4277

Southport

Because of the strong SE winds, most activity has been in the Nerang River where there has been a few trevally, mangrove jack and bream around the bridges and rock walls.

Doug Burts Fishing Tackle World ph:5532 0678

http://www.tackleworld.com.au/store_pages/southport.html

Southport - Offshore

Trag jew, tailor and small black marlin on the 24s and 26s east of The Seaway yesterday.

Fish'n'Fun Charters ph:0402 211454

Good marlin fishing this week. Tagged and released ten small black marlin on Monday and five on Tuesday in approximately 50m of water east of Southport Seaway.

Ross McCubbin Fishing Charters ph:0428 729393

http://www.adrenalinefishingcharters.com.au

Miami

Flathead in Southport Seaway, sand whiting along the Bundall reach of the Nerang River and bream and mud crabs in the Canals.

Miami Bait & Tackle ph:5572 8270

Currumbin

While the wind is blowing and the swell is up, fish the sheltered waters of Tallebudgera and Currumbin Creeks for flathead, bream and whiting on the making tide in the lower reaches and mud crabs in the upper reaches.

The Boatshed Bait, Tackle & Boat Hire ph:5525 0338

Tweed Heads

The Tweed River has been producing flathead behind the Golf Club and in Cobaki Lakes, flathead and whiting at Oxley Cove and the Piggery, mangrove jack along Chinderah rock walls and near Barneys Point Bridge and mud crabs in the deeper holes.

Anglers Warehouse ph:5536 3822

http://www.anglerswarehouse.com.au

Tweed Coast - Offshore

Small black marlin on the 24s east of the Tweed on Tuesday and parrot, sweetlip and small snapper on Tweed 5 Mile yesterday.

Cushy Fishing Charters ph:0418 631076

http://www.cushyfishingcharters.com.au

Snapper and trevally between the Mud Hole and Cook Island yesterday.

Down Under Charters ph:0408 753647

http://www.goldcoastfishing.com

Kingscliff - Offshore

Yellowtail king, trevally and small snapper on Windarra Banks on Wednesday, cobia and small black marlin wide of Point Reef on Thursday and moses perch, pigfish and small snapper on the 24s east of the Tweed yesterday.

Kingscliff Fishing Charters ph:0411 151755

http://www.reelfishn.com.au

Pottsville

The swell came up yesterday and it was too rough for beach fishing. Most anglers headed to Mooball Creek for bream, whiting and flathead near the mouth, trevally around the Black Rocks Estate Bridge, mud crabs in the middle reaches and mangrove jack in the upper reaches. Tailor at Black Rock and dart at Wooyung Beach on Friday afternoon before the wind and swell increased.

Pottsville Bait & Tackle ph:02 6676 0588

Ballina

Tailor at dawn and dusk along the beaches, bream and flathead in the lower reaches of the Richmond River, flathead around Pimlico Island and school jew between Burns Point Ferry and Wardell Bridge.

Daves Bait Shop ph:02 6686 2481

Evans Head

Bream, flathead, whiting, tailor and jew along Airforce Beach, bream, whiting and flathead in the lower reaches of the Evans River, school jew upstream from the bridge and mud crabs in the upper reaches. Snapper and trag jew on Kahors Reef yesterday.

Evans Head Sports & Marine ph:02 6682 4536

Freshwater Reports

Boondooma Dam

Bass on trolled soft plastics towards the dam wall, on Jackall lures cast to the dam edges and located with sounder on spinner baits in the deeper parts.