Fishing Report for 18 July 2023

Australian Bass closed season all Queensland tidal waters from 1 June to 31 August.

Snapper & Pearl Perch closed season all Queensland tidal waters from 15 July to 15 August.

Hervey Bay

Smaller tailor off the Urangan Pier (be wary of size limits); as well as legal sized school mackerel and some flathead.  Summer whiting and some larger flathead around local mainland creeks.  Some decent grassy sweetlip, nannygai and cod around inshore reefs. 

Weather has been challenging for pelagics.  Big queenfish, flathead, grunter bream and squid down Sandy Straights.  Lots of baitfish in the Mary River / Susan River system.  Mud crabs still going well.  Flathead, blue salmon and threadfin salmon in the Mary River.  Winter whiting are well scattered in numerous areas including off O’regans creek, off Point Burnan and west of Woody Island.  Big bream, average sized tailor and some flathead and squid at Kingfisher Bay Resort jetty.

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

Fraser Island

Fishing has been excellent.  Continued outlook good for dart, chopper tailor and big whiting; and tailor and bream around the rocky areas.

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

Rainbow Beach Offshore

No report this week with inclement weather and conditions.

Rainbow Beach Reef Fishing Charters Ph 0439 775 070 | www.rainbowbeachfishing.com.au

Tin Can Bay

Flathead remain pretty good fishing the drains in the main channel (Tin Can Bay inlet).    Around searys ledge fishing well. The flat between Alligator Creek and Teebar Creek fishing quite well on the tail end of the runout tide: throwing bigger glide baits producing bigger fish.  Good catches of solid sized squid showing up around the leads into Carlow and Norman Point – 2.2 to 2.5 squid jigs down deep the go-to gear.  Mackerel around Inskip Point on trolled 80mm, 2m diving lures.  Lots of smaller chopper tailor with some legal sized catches amongst them around Shelly Reef and Big Mick.  Mack Tuna around Big Mick also.  Golden Trevally in creek using the right bait and micro-jigs working well (10 to 15 gms) in gold and red working well.  

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

Noosa

Good catches of bream throughout – anywhere from Woods Bay through to Tewantin.  A few flathead on the drift in the Noosaville stretches.  Whiting in lower reaches.

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

Good flathead and trevally in Woods Bay.  Good flathead around the mouth and sand flats.  Good whiting in the frying pan – as well as bream and tailor.  Bream and flathead in Weyba Creek.

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

Plenty of sweetlip and Cobia; still catching pelagics such as tuna and mackerel around despite the season; abundant reef species such as estuary cod and wrasse.  Covering a range of areas including Sunshine Reef and North Reef and north to Double Island.

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

Plenty of longtail tuna and other species (including good sized cod) at North Reef – positive given the snapper & pearl perch closure.  Tuskfish, amberjack, moses perch, hussar and kingfish all plentiful on Barwon Banks.  Tuna, mackerel, sweetlip, parrot fish, cod species and moses in good numbers on local reefs.    

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

Maroochydore

Quieter on the waterways, but lots of bream being taken throughout the River; whiting in the lower reaches.  Trevally under the motorway bridge and cod hole.  Flathead in the upper reaches.

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

Mooloolaba

Beaches along the Kawana stretch – flathead, whiting, in the gutters.  Tailor off Pincushion Island (Maroochydore).  Lots of bream in the Mooloolah River around La Balsa Park.  Offshore producing grassy sweetlip around Currumundi.  Good tuskfish on western side of Barwon Banks.

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

Bit quiet with offshore wind.  Large and smaller sized (better eating) amberjack at the Barwon Banks; pearl perch and kingfish at Caloundra Wide.  Nice jew and some of the best cobia for a few weeks off Mooloolaba.  Sharks a little less prevalent in the colder water.

Smithys Fishing Charters Ph 0407 574 868 | www.smithysfishingcharters.com.au

Caloundra

Blowing hard from south-west, so beaches flat.  Focus on surf beaches such as Shelley Beach, Dicky Beach and Currumindi for bream, dart, tarwhine.  Some school jewfish at Happy Valley.  Plenty of bream in passage, from Military Jetty to the Bribie Bar.  Flathead in mouth of Bells Creek to Coochin Creek.  A few mudcrabs in creeks.  Queenfish and Trevally in canals.  

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

Donnybrook 

Winter whiting are biting well in the main channel from Mission Point down to around Poverty Creek.  Bream are going crazy, mostly hanging out in the deeper holes as they’re spawning at the moment. 

Flathead are lurking in Glassy Creek and the mouth of Poverty Creek. You’ll still spot some summer whiting around Hussey Creek if you get out there.  School tailor are cruising the main channel all the way down the passage, and their numbers are starting to pick up. A few jewfish are being caught as well. 

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

Bribie Island 

Good reports of crabs in the passage, with mud crabs showing up in Nikki Creek. Now that snapper season is closed, there’s not much to report on them. 

Tailor are running in the passage and out on the oceanside. Plus, there are plenty of whiting throughout the passage, especially around Red Beach. 

Gateway Bribie Adventures Ph (07) 5497 5253

Redcliffe Peninsula

Bream, whiting, and flathead are being caught in Hayes, the Pine, Bramble Bay, and Margate Beach. Diver whiting are abundant in Deception Bay and off Scarborough. There’s good action for bream and tailor off the eastern beaches, jetties, rocky points, and inshore areas. Tailor are also being caught off Woody Point Jetty and on the inshores.

Mac tuna, a few longtails, and tailor are active on Scarborough Reef. Squid are being caught off the jetties, rocky points, and on the inshore reefs. Sand crabs are plentiful in Bramble Bay and off the eastern foreshores.

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

 Northern Moreton Bay 

Offshore, the weather this weekend looks pretty good, so fishing grounds should be accessible.  A few Spanish mackerel around Cape Moreton. There’s plenty of tailor around Bribie Island and also around the wrecks at Horeshoe Bay. 

Flathead are being caught at the mouth of the Caboolture River and the North Pine River on the outgoing tide. Fish sizes anticipated to pick up as we move into the later winter. 

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

Brisbane River – Northern Moreton Bay

The lower reaches of the Brisbane River have been producing good catches of bream, flathead, and snapper. The bream and flathead are biting well. There have also been some good catches of school mackerel in the bay, from Mud Island, the back of Green Island, and off Wellington Point, but the weather has made it challenging. The school mackerel are approximately legal size, often just under or just over. They’ve got a bit more fight in them as the season progresses.  The flathead and bream in the river have been very good this year, with lots of large flathead and high-quality bream.

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

Moreton Bay Offshore 

Before the closure, snapper were flooding the boats, with many cracking the 80cm mark using float lines. If you’re heading out, you’ll need to stay close to the islands for protection. Using the lightest possible float lines is recommended. 

High Calibre Charters  Ph 0421 922 713

Wynnum Manly 

No report this week.

Water Tower Bait & Tackle  Ph (07) 3396 1833 | www.watertowerbaitandtackle.com

Nth Stradbroke Island 

All the local beaches have been yielding a good amount of dart, whiting, and tailor, with the occasional flathead in the gutters. Night fishing has also seen some jewfish showing up.

Point Lookout Bait & Fresh Fish  Ph (07) 3409 8724

Redland Bay 

There’s been some whiting on the surrounding banks and at the mouth of the Logan River. There are still some good jewfish around and flathead in the southern bay. The jewfish seem to be hanging out more in the big, deep sand holes. Good flathead are on the southern banks, and there are still good bream in the canals. 

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

Jumpinpin 

Plenty of decent brim near Kalinga Bank. Flathead around Dennis island. Some nice Jewfish outside of Swan Bay around the 9kg mark.  Whiting doing well near the Pig Sties.

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

Tailor are being caught on the east and northern beaches of Stradbroke Island, as well as inside the Pin Bar. Anglers are having success with longtail tuna just outside the bar. Fishing at night on a high tide leading up to the full moon has been good for summer whiting, with worms and yabbies working well. There’s also a good amount of bream being caught at the Jacobs Well jetty.

Jacobs Well Boat Hire Ph 0488 080 351

South Stradbroke Island 

Big tailor in the deeper parts of the Broadwater and making their way around the Seaway. Keep an eye out in the deeper holes at the river mouths for small mulloway. Plenty of lively whiting around the yabbie banks. Despite the challenges of windy, freezing weather this week, the fishing scene is still buzzing! 

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

Southport 

There’s been some good catches of squire and jewfish throughout the seaway, with flathead, bream, and whiting on the flats. Garfish have been a popular catch this week. Try using a good float setup with a small hook and cut-up pieces of prawns. 

High quality bream, flathead, and whiting when targeting the outer edges of sandy flats with weed beds – target the outer edges.

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

Tweed Coast 

No report this week.

Cushy Fishing Charters Ph 0418 631 076 | www.cushyfishingcharters.com.au

Evans Head 

Airforce Beach is delivering some fine catches of flathead, bream, and the occasional whiting. Tailor and jewfish are making appearances offshore near Chaos Reef.

In the lower reaches of the Evans River, down near the break walls, anglers are finding luderick, jewfish, and bream. 

Evans Head Sports & Marine  Ph (02) 6682 4536 | www.facebook.com/EvansheadSportsMarine

FRESHWATER FISHING 

Lake Samsonvale 

Bass schooling up on the deeper points. Troll hard bodies and metal spoons, as they have been working well. 

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

Wivenhoe Dam 

Try fishing the rock walls north-west of Billy’s Bay; try trolling with deep diving hard-body lures and metal spoons.  Casting or trolling hard bodies working well.  Heavy weighted soft plastics in 3 to 4 inch sizes also working well.  At the Platypus Cliffs, the bass are getting around creek beds; and at the “three humps” at the buoy line on the same lures.  

Maroon Dam

“Ski Bay” fishing well as well as the areas in the timber.  Two to three inch soft plastics, and one to two metre jerk baits, fishing well on the weed beds.  In the timbered section, shatter baits and spinner baits throwing right into timber proving successful.   

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