Fishing Report for 10th October 2024

Murray Cod Closed Season: 1 August to 31 October — All Queensland fresh waters in the Murray-Darling Drainage Division (some exceptions apply — check the Queensland Fisheries website).

Spanish Mackerel northern closure: begins at 12:01 am on Monday, 30 September and runs through to the end of 21 October (inclusive). This closure applies to east coast waters north of latitude 22˚S (located slightly north of Stanage Bay.) Anglers are prohibited from taking or possessing Spanish mackerel in these waters.

Hervey Bay/ Fraser Island

At Fraser Island, tailor are being caught from Indian Head across to Happy Valley and the Cathedrals, with some reaching an impressive 70cm. The go-to lures have been GT Ice Cream topwater skipping lures, Arma Twist, Samaki Torpedo metal slugs, or pilchards rigged on gang hooks.

Inshore reefs are seeing broad-bar mackerel, along with school and golden trevally. Urangan Pier has been quiet, except for whiting at night and the occasional broad-bar mackerel.

Fishos Tackleworld  Ph (07) 4128 1022 | www.fishostackleworld.com.au

Tin Can Bay

Whiting are active on the flats during high tide, with fresh worms and yabbies working well. You can also try 50-90mm poppers, retrieved quickly across the surface for good results. Flathead are in good numbers around any drains during the last few hours of the runout tide.

Sand crabs are being found near the creek mouths, and a few flathead are tucked up in the mangroves. For mangrove jack, try soaking a live bait or slow-rolling hardbodies deep into the snags to entice a bite. Teebar and Carlo Creeks have been fishing well.

There are also plenty of fun-sized pelagics in the creeks at the moment. Grab a light spin rod and toss a few micro jigs around Snapper Creek in the mornings for some action.

The Chandlery Bait & Tackle  Ph (07) 5486 4744 | www.tcbchandlery.com.au

Noosa

In Noosa, bream and whiting are being caught around the Woods Bay area. Toowonton has seen trevally and jewfish near the Noosa Marina. Around Makepeace Island, crabs are on the move, while the odd mangrove jack has been reported around Witta Circle.

O Boat Hire & Bait Supply   Ph (07) 5449 7513 | www.oboathire.com

Cooroibah has been producing plenty of small jewfish, along with a healthy number of grunter and bream. Good-sized flathead have been reported in Tewantin, while Woods Bay continues to hold flathead and the occasional big-eye trevally.

Noosa River Fishing Safaris  Ph 0429 030 823 | www.noosariverfishing.com

This week has seen fluctuating forecasts, but overall, the weather has been favorable for most boaters. North Reef, Chardons, and Coffee Rocks have reported great numbers of yellowtail kingfish, cobia, and tuna. The local reefs are also producing well, with snapper, pearlies, moses perch, tuskies, and other east coast species filling the eskies. All these locations can be found north and northeast of Noosa, approximately 5 to 15 miles off the Noosa Bar. The last of the whales are still migrating south, with impressive numbers visible along with their calves, making for a fantastic sight on the water.

Deep Sea Fishing Co Noosa  Ph 0411 222 749 | www.deepseafishingco.com.au

Coffee Rocks has been yielding snapper, pearl perch, murray cod, and gold spot cod, along with jewfish around the 90cm mark. Bottom bashing with squid and pilchards has proven effective. At North Reef, anglers have successfully caught cobia, longtail tuna, tusk fish, moses perch, and sea perch

Noosa Bluewater Charters Ph (07) 5449 9355 | www.noosabluefishing.com.au

Maroochydore

Report pending

Swan Boat Hire   Ph 0403 601 452 |www.swanboathire.com.au

Mooloolaba

In the canals, quality whiting are still being caught, particularly in the Maroochy River. The Mooloolah River has also seen a couple of mangrove jack caught, along with some quality flathead. However, not many anglers have ventured offshore this week due to the weather conditions.

Tackleworld Kawana   Ph (07) 5444 0714 | www.tackleworldkawanafishingstore.com.au

Caloundra

Whiting have been spread throughout the Passage from Bells Creek to Coochin Creek, with live worms working best—available at local tackle shops. Grunter have also been active around the Passage. Flathead are enjoying the cooler weather, so keep an eye on the sandy ledges for them. Mud crabs should be on the move with the recent rain, so it’s worth checking up the creeks like Bells and Coochin for a chance at a catch. Offshore fishing has been weather-dependent, but sweetlip and squid have been reported at Coffee Rocks. School mackerel are active around the 5-mile, while snapper and pearl perch are being caught on the 12-mile reefs.

Caloundra Fishing World   Ph (07) 5491 4566 | www.caloundrafishingworld.com.au

Donnybrook

There are good numbers of summer whiting throughout the passage, from Coochin down to the southern end. Sand crabs are being found around the 112s and further down south, and a few mud crabs are starting to appear again in the deeper water. Bream are active in the main channels, while flathead have been responding well to the rain, especially along the sandbank drop-offs. You’ll also find a few grunter around Poverty Creek.

Donnybrook Takeaway, Bait & Tackle   Ph (07) 5498 8247 | www.facebook.com/Donnybrook-Takeaway-Bait-Tackle

Bribie Island

Whiting are being caught at Red Beach, while mud crabs are active around Donnybrook. Flathead have been found at White Patch, where using soft plastic paddle tails and popping them up from the bottom has proven effective.

Gateway Bribie Adventures  Ph (07) 5497 5253 | https://www.facebook.com/gatewaybaitandtackle/

Northern Moreton Bay

In the Pumicestone Passage, whiting fishing has been highly productive, especially with live yabbies and worms, particularly up towards Toobal. The Caloundra area is also producing impressive numbers of whiting, often mixed with bream. The Pine River mouth has seen good flathead catches on the incoming tide, although bites have been slower than usual during the turn of the tide. At Hornibrook Bridge, the pylons are holding significant numbers of bream, with successful catches reported on lightly weighted soft plastics and hard bodies. Floating baits like squid, pilchards, and mullet are also effective.

In the Caboolture River, a few mangrove jacks have been caught near the rock bar, and barramundi are making appearances as well, though getting them to bite can be challenging. Threadfin salmon have also been reported in both the Caboolture and Pine Rivers, with small vibes proving effective. At the mouth of the Brisbane River along the rock wall, snapper are present, along with threadfin and jewfish hiding in the deeper waters around the port. Recent rain typically flushes bait out to the mouth, attracting jewfish and threadfin.

Redcliffe is currently seeing sweetlip, snapper and grunter around the rocky areas, particularly in the early morning and late afternoon. Soft plastics work well in the mornings, while floating baits can be more effective at other times. Jewfish have been spotted around the southern end of Bribie, particularly near the bridge and Bongaree. Late-night fishing with live herring can be productive. With all this rain, mud crabs should start becoming more active as they emerge from the creeks. Expect an influx of mud crabs in the coming weeks.

Tackleworld Lawnton    Ph (07) 3205 7475 | www.facebook.com/tackleworldlawnton

Sandgate

This week, a juvenile samsonfish was caught off the Shorncliffe Pier on live herring. Mac tuna are still being landed on small slugs and live herring at Woody Point and Shorncliffe. A good sized permit was caught on worms along the Brighton Foreshore.A cracker jewfish and a mac tuna were also caught off the Shorncliffe Pier, and some nice mackerel have been nailed on live bait. There have been plenty of mac tuna spotted in the shallows around Woody Point and Shorncliffe. Meanwhile, great flathead are being caught at the mouth of the Pine River and in the Newport Canals.

Tackle Land   Ph (07) 3269 5060 | www.tackleland.com.au

Brisbane River – Northern Moreton Bay

Jewfish and threadfin are being caught from the Gateway to the Port, which is fortunate as it’s currently one of the few fishable areas given the weather conditions. Live herring or potty mullet have proven to be the most effective baits for targeting these species, so be sure to search the deeper waters for them. If you are looking for sand/mud crabs they have been widely spread from Wynnum foreshore up to Fisherman’s Island.

Mr Bait   Ph 0431 222 721 | www.facebook.com/Mr-Bait-182344678957765

Moreton Bay Offshore

This weekend’s weather has been quite poor for offshore fishing. However, there were still a few good fish landed at the Cathedrals, including pearlies, snapper, tuskies, and some sharks.

Morton island fishing charters   Ph 0413128056 | https://moretonislandfishingcharters.com.au/

Redcliffe Peninsula

Bream, whiting, flathead, and grunter are active in Hayes, the Pine River, and Bramble Bay. Yellowfin whiting are also being caught in these areas and along the eastern foreshores. Snapper are being landed off the eastern beaches, jetties, rocky points, and inshore areas, while Scarborough Reef is producing a mix of snapper, bream, flathead, and grunter.

School jew and grunter are being caught both inshore and occasionally from land-based spots. The rain should help stir up the mud crabs, and sand crabs have been caught at Bramble Bay.

Hornibrook Bait & Tackle  Ph 0483 846 966 www.facebook.com/HornibrookBT

Redland Bay

Snapper are being caught at the artificial reefs, along with some grassies. Whiting can be found around the mouth of the Logan River, while the Rouse Channel has also been good for whiting. School mackerel and a few spotted mackerel have been reported in the bay. Jewfish have been caught off Stradbroke Beach, and mangrove jacks are active throughout most of the creeks.

Mossops Tackle Store Cleveland   Ph (07) 3821 1240 | www.mossopsfishing.com.au

Jumpinpin

There are still a good number of tailor around the Pin at the moment. They have been elusive at the bar, primarily caught between North and South Stradbroke Islands. Mangrove jacks are also making an appearance, thanks to the warmer weather, and are best targeted using mid-sized live baits or mullet fillets. Additionally, the usual species like whiting, bream, and flathead are running consistently for this time of year.

Flathead are being caught in good numbers along Kalinga Bank, East Crusoe Island, Pandanus Island, and the bottom of Kangaroo Island. A few tailor are making their way through the Pin, hitting metal lures and whitebait. Bream can be found in deeper waters off the bottom of North Stradbroke, particularly around the dead trees. Whiting are active along Gold Bank, the Pig Sties, and Slipping Sands.

Gem Bait & Tackle   Ph (07) 3287 3868 | www.facebook.com/gembait

South Stradbroke Island

A massive 48cm mangrove jack was caught in the Coomera River this week. Whiting have been biting in Coombabah Creek, while Crusoe Island has produced spangled emperor and flathead. Around Crab Island, leatherjacket, bream, and flathead are being caught.

Gold Coast Boat Hire   Ph 0432 710 892 | www.goldcoastboathire.com.au

Gold Coast Broadwater

The best day for fishing over the weekend will be Saturday, with lighter offshore winds expected in the morning. Tailor are returning in great numbers along the coast, and if the swell drops, it will be a perfect opportunity to target them along the beaches. If conditions aren’t favorable, they should be inside the Broadwater, so keep an eye out for any birds. Spinning off the rock walls of the seaway in the white water at the end should also yield results. A few salmon have been mixed in with the tailor, which is typical for this time of year.

Jewfish have been caught at the northern wall of the seaway, making it worthwhile to target them during the slower tides. Whiting continue to be caught in good numbers, with impressive average sizes reported. The Coomera River has been consistently productive over the past few weeks, and the Nerang River has also fished well, especially with less weed drifting down on the run-out tide, which makes for easier fishing. Yabbies are particularly effective at this time of year, as they are readily available and more cost-effective due to the abundance of small bream in the area.

As storms build, thoughts naturally turn to mangrove jack. Coastwatch recently aired a video about jacks in the Nerang River, which is worth a watch if you’re looking for tips on targeting these aggressive fish.

David McDonald  Private Angler | Runaway Bay Marina

Southport

Yellowfin tuna are being found around the thousand-meter mark and the offshore canyons, making trolling lures and throwing poppers, or using trolling poppers and stickbaits, the best approach for targeting them. On the 50s, there are numerous cobia, kingfish, amberjack, and samson fish, making it an ideal spot for jigging or using live baits. The 36, 24, and 18 fathoms are currently holding plenty of snapper, so anglers should have good success there. Additionally, big cobia and plenty of trag jew are being caught on the close-in reefs.

In the seaway, there’s been a good number of jewfish, as well as Australian salmon, tailor, and trevally. Further up in the Broadwater, anglers are seeing plenty of flathead, with tailor and salmon also making their presence known throughout the area. Crabs are starting to move, and after the recent rain, mud crabs should also be more active, making this a great time to put out some pots. Mangrove jack fishing has been excellent over the past week, with some GTs and big eye trevally also in the mix. The run-out tide, especially at night during the moon, has proven to be the best time for targeting these species.

Gold Coast Fishing Tackle   Ph (07) 5679 0840 | www.goldcoastfishingtackle.com.au

The 36-fathom line had a productive sunrise bite on snapper, while the larger snapper and cobia were found on the 24s. With plenty of bait around, there’s been no shortage of action—tuna and bonito have provided great fun for the kids, and regular double hookups of blue spot flathead and trag have kept anglers busy, with the odd pearly and Moses perch mixed in. Whale calves have been everywhere, putting on an incredible show for those out on the water.

BK’s Gold Coast Fishing Charters Ph 0414 293 034 | https://bksfishing.com.au/

Tweed Coast

Small black marlin are starting to appear offshore this week, marking the beginning of their season. Recently, six FADs were removed for cleaning and upgrades, leaving anglers a bit uncertain about where to fish. In the rivers, flathead are still being caught, although recent rain has affected fishing conditions. Mud crabs tend to be more active in murky water, so the upper reaches of the rivers are worth exploring this week. Barramundi fishing in the Gold Coast rivers remains a viable option, but mangrove jacks have been inconsistent due to the weather.

Addict Tackle  Ph (07) 5523 3535 |  https://www.addicttackle.com.au/

Ballina

Rain periods and wind are expected to dominate the weather patterns this week around Ballina. This will mean that fishing opportunities will be limited to the river and a small amount of rock fishing. The rough conditions have produced some mulloway on cut baits, such as mullet and bonito, as well as a number of slightly better-quality fish on large soft plastics. The cut baits have been the best option in the lower parts of the river, while the plastics have been the standout choice from the rock platforms.

Bream have still been holding tight to the rock walls in the lower reaches, showing plenty of interest in baits such as mullet, yellowtail, and pilchards. Flathead have been a little picky this week, with anglers reporting a wide variety of baits and lures having success on different days. With the limited visibility in the river, it’s advisable to stick to lures that provide plenty of vibrations in brighter colors.

The smaller tides have slowed the mud crabs down slightly, but there have still been the occasional ones caught in the main river and in North Creek. The discolored water has also slowed the luderick, with only the occasional fish being caught using peeled prawns or live yabbies. If the weather does settle, it may be worth checking out Angels, Skennars, or Patch’s Beach for a few bream, flathead, or whiting.

Ballina Bait and Tackle  Ph 0266862527 | https://www.facebook.com/p/Ballina-Bait-and-Tackle-100063582669959/

FRESHWATER FISHING

North Pine Dam

At North Pine Dam, particularly in the Rush Creek area, trolling with deep divers in conjunction with spinnerbaits should yield success for Saratoga.

Kurwongbah Dam

Kurwongbah Dam is fishing well, with 2.5-inch plastics proving effective for targeting schooling fish during the day. For those after Saratoga, early mornings are ideal, using topwater lures over the lily pads.

Tackleworld Lawnton  Ph (07) 3205 7475 | www.facebook.com/tackleworldlawnton

Moogerah Dam

Moogerah Dam is expected to offer similar conditions as Maroon Dam. If you’re there early, start by fishing the edges with crankbaits, lipless crankbaits, or small blades—these lures vibrate effectively in the water. Chatterbaits are also a strong option, particularly near the dam wall, as fish often move toward it when fresh water flows in. Chatterbaits should remain productive throughout the weekend.

Hinze Dam

Saratoga tend to thrive with a bit of rain, so if you don’t mind the wet weather, now’s a good time to target them. They respond well to small creature baits, poppers, and subsurface lures—anything that penetrates that first layer of water. Focus your efforts on the backs of the bays in both the eastern and western arms for the best chances. This weekend could be rewarding for Saratoga enthusiasts. If you’re after bass, crankbaits, lipless crankbaits, small blades, and spinnerbaits are the go-to options. Target areas near the trees, and try rolling a spinnerbait past the structure to increase your chances of hooking a larger bass.

Maroon Dam

Maroon Dam looks like your top spot for the weekend. With the water likely to be a bit murky due to fresh inflows, you’ll want to use lures that create vibration or noise. Small blades, lipless crankbaits, and crankbaits are great choices—anything that can cut through the stirred-up water. Chatterbaits and spinnerbaits fished along the edges will also be effective, as fish will be drawn to the shoreline in search of food washed in from the runoff. If the shallows aren’t producing, try moving out towards the drop-offs. Spinnerbaits with a bit of flash on the blades will help attract bites. Even though the rain will cool the water slightly, it’s still warm enough for the fish to be active.

Charltons Fishing    Ph (07) 3818 1677 | www.charltonsfishing.com.au

Hinze Dam

With the recent warm weather, a few saratoga have started to move. These fish respond well to topwater vibes, stick baits, and sacarta lures.

Gold Coast Fishing Tackle   Ph (07) 5679 0840 | www.goldcoastfishingtackle.com.au

Lake Monduran

At Lake Monduran, barramundi fishing has been hit or miss, with a few smaller fish caught and the occasional big barra. Warmer weather is improving the odds of landing the bigger fish, but on rainy, overcast days, the bite tends to slow down.

Fishos Tackleworld   Ph (07) 4128 1022 | www.fishostackleworld.com.au

THIS WEEK’S GALLERY

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Gold coast Boat hire (Jeremy’s 48cm Jack)

Morton island fishing charters

Deep Sea Fishing Co

BK’s fishing Charters

Bruns Beach, Bait & Tackle at Fraser Island

Jacobs Well boat hire

Gem Bait and Tackle

Tackle Land