Fishing Report for 03 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).

Coral Reef Fin Fish Closure: Anglers are prohibited from taking or possessing any coral reef fin fish species for the 5 days from 12.01am on Monday, 30 September to 11.59pm on Friday, 4 October, between the tip of Cape York, south to near Bundaberg (24°50’south). A list of coral reef fin fish can be found on 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 Urangan Pier, broad-bar mackerel, Spanish mackerel, and flathead are being caught, along with golden trevally and queenfish. Local beaches are producing large summer whiting. Inshore reefs near the barrum 8 Mile are yielding yakka, Spanish mackerel, and broad-bar mackerel. Grassy sweetlip and broad-bar mackerel are also active near Big Woody. Wider around Wootomba, Spanish mackerel are showing up, and small black marlin have been spotted early this season. In the Barrum, Mary, and Susans Creek systems, threadfin and barramundi are more active, with grunter up to 60 cm being caught.

On Fraser Island, Happy Valley has good-sized tailor, jewfish, and GTs, while the east side of Fraser Beach is experiencing a decent run of Spanish mackerel.

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

Tin Can Bay

Report Pending

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

Noosa

The Munna Bridge area and Noosa Woods are seeing lively action with bream, whiting, and trevally. In Towantin, anglers are landing some impressive flathead, while mud crabs are also being reported in the same area

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

At the mouth of the river, sand flathead are being caught, while bream and flathead are active further up in Weyba. In Cooroibah, anglers are finding bream, flathead, queenfish, and small mulloway.

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

Despite persistent southeast winds keeping smaller boats in the river for much of the week, anglers targeting whiting and flathead found success around the mouth of the Noosa River.
towards Sunshine and North Reef inbetween the bad weather, excellent results, with yellowtail kingfish, snapper, pearl perch, and Moses perch caught in healthy numbers, averaging around 50 to 60 cm in size. Tuna, tuskfish, and a variety of other reef species were also brought in.

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

Maroochydore

Mangrove jacks have been showing up in the upper reaches of the Maroochy River, while flathead and bream are being caught in both the middle and upper sections of the river. Whiting are active down at the river mouth, with trevally making an appearance at the Cod Hole. Crabs remain scarce this week.

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

Mooloolaba

Flathead and whiting have been biting at the mouths of the Maroochy River and the Mooloolah River. Additionally, some mangrove jack are being found around the pontoons on the hotter days in the Mooloolah River.

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

Snapper, pearl perch, tuskfish, hussar, and gold band snapper have been reported at the Hards, with anglers seeing solid catches when conditions have allowed

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

Caloundra

Whiting have been active in the Passage from the bar mouth to Coochin Creek, though you’ll need to move around to stay on top of them as they’ve been shifting frequently. Flathead have been quieter this week, but targeting the bottom half of the tide near the bar mouth might yield some results. Mud crabs are still being caught in the Bribie Passage and up the feeder creeks like Bells Creek and Hussey Creek. In the canals, trevally have been showing up, though mangrove jacks have slowed down due to the cooler weather. A few have been landed around Pelican Waters by anglers walking the banks. The inshore reefs have been tough due to persistent weather, but those who managed to get out have found snapper, sweetlip, tuskfish, and school mackerel. The cobia run usually kicks off at the end of September, so they are expected to show up in full force soon.

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

Donnybrook

Whiting have been active up around Lime Pocket and Fisherman’s Island, though catches around Coochin have been limited due to recent weather. There have been some nice bream and flathead caught around Little Goat Island and the 112s. Mangrove jacks are also showing up in Glasshouse Creek and Ningi Creek.

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

Bribie Island

Over the weekend, there were a couple of flathead caught at Bongaree, and finally up in Ningi Creek, some good-sized mud crabs finally made an appearance. At Red Beach, when the weather allowed, anglers saw a good haul of whiting coming in.

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

Northern Moreton Bay

Snapper are being caught around Mud Island, particularly during the early morning light at sunrise or during sunsets, with both plastics and floating pilchards proving effective. The Brisbane River is entering threadfin salmon season, with a few of these fish already being caught. Anglers are also finding success with bream and flathead on lures, especially when following tide changes. The run-in tide brings bream into the shallows and mangroves along the Pine and Caboolture Rivers. While some decent barramundi have been spotted in local creeks like the Pine River, Caboolture River, and Pumicestone Passage, they have yet to be caught. Mangrove jacks are being hooked around the Kidron Brook Floodway, where anglers are targeting pilons with plastics. Tailor have started to move into deeper waters due to northerly winds, but a few can still be found along the beaches at Bribie and Stradbroke Islands.

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

Sandgate

This week saw several mackerel landed at both Shorncliffe Pier and Woody Point Jetty. Anglers had success using small slugs and shallow divers like the Daiwa Double Clutches. Mack tuna were also caught earlier in the week at Shorncliffe Pier, with some nice mackerel coming in as well. Whiting continue to be caught in good numbers around Red Beach and Skirmish Point, with live bloodworms and preserved beach worms doing the trick. Meanwhile, Hayes Inlet, Clontarf, the Pine, and the mouth of Cabbage Tree Creek have been producing plenty of bream and flathead. After dark, a few jewfish have been caught around the fishing platforms.

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

Brisbane River – Northern Moreton Bay

At the port of Brisbane, threadfin salmon and jewfish are being caught at night. In the lower reaches and rock walls at the mouth of the Brisbane River, anglers are reeling in bream, flathead, and snapper. On the eastern side from Fishermans to D’Arcy Light, diver whiting and sand crabs are around, while sand crabs can also be found from Wynnum Creek to Green Island and King Island.

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

Redcliffe Peninsula

Hayes Inlet, the Pine River, and Bramble Bay are yielding good numbers of bream, whiting, flathead, and grunter. In Bramble Bay, there’s also been a mix of cobia and some tailor. Yellowfin whiting have been active in Hayes Inlet, the Pine, and along the eastern foreshores. Snapper have been spotted off the eastern beaches, jetties, rocky points, and the inshore reefs. School mackerel and tailor have been landed off Woody Point, Bramble Bay, and along the inshore areas as well. Scarborough Reef has been a productive spot for snapper, bream, flathead, tailor, and grunter. Inshore fishing continues to produce school jew, tailor, and grunter, with some of these fish being caught by land-based anglers as well. Mud crabs are starting to move in the rivers and creeks, while sand crabs (sandies) have been reported in Bramble Bay.

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

Nth Stradbroke Island

Whiting have been active at Fisherman’s Gutter, while mackerel have been spotted north of St Helena Island.

Water Tower Bait & Tackle  Ph(07) 3396 1833

At Main Beach, dart and bream have been caught using light tackle and fresh yabbies when the weather permitted.

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

Redland Bay

In the southern parts of the bay, flathead are being caught, while the local creeks, such as Eprapah Creek and Tingalpa Creek, are producing some good summer whiting. Fisherman’s Gutter has seen nice diver whiting, and snapper have been reported around Harry Atkinson Artificial Reef. Over at Main Beach on Stradbroke Island, large tailor have been landed.

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

Jumpinpin

It’s been a challenging week of fishing around the Pin, with flathead proving particularly elusive, which hasn’t made for an easy Flathead Classic. Despite the tough conditions, a few solid catches have been reported, with some fish reaching the high 70cm to low 80cm range. Tailor, on the other hand, have been biting well in both numbers and size near the bar. There have also been occasional sightings of Spanish mackerel and other pelagics within the Pin bar, though they haven’t been showing up in significant numbers.

Good catches of bream have been reported around Kalinga Bank, the Stockyards, and Cobby Rocks. Flathead are still present in significant numbers along the bottom of Kangaroo Island, Pandanus Island, and Kalinga Bank. A few whiting can also be found at the Pig Styes, Marks Rocks, and Fisherman’s Channel.

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

South Stradbroke Island

Flathead were landed along Kalinga Bank at the Pin, while whiting were found around Gold Bank at the mouth of Tiger Muller Channel. Tailor were also biting along the northern side of Woogoompah Island and in the main channel opposite Couran.

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

Gold Coast Broadwater

It seems to be blowing a gale every day lately so not many people venturing out for a fish. Big tides late morning and warm weather will have a lot of people out on the Broadwater. I would try drifting for a squid, as the incoming morning run-in tide is the best time to chase them. The big new moon tide also helps with a bit more run. The good news is there are a few sand crabs showing up, although it is challenging with the amount of seaweed still around. I recommend not leaving them out overnight with the weed weighing down your floats. Use fish frames or whole mullet for best results. I would suggest most flathead in the Broadwater have sore mouths after last weekend! Still they are always worth targeting along the weed edges and drains. Whiting continue to be caught in great numbers with some cracking the magical 40cm mark. There’s a limit of 20 per person but just take what you need. The size limit is 23cm which I think is too small so we use a 25cm minimum for our fishing. So that would be the plan for me over the weekend, pots out, chase a squid, check pots, have a whiting fish and check pots on the way home and hopefully you’ll have dinner sorted.

David McDonald  Private Angler | Runaway Bay Marina

Southport

For those heading offshore, an early start is key, with the 50 and 60m lines offering a solid day of fishing. Between the 60m and 30m lines, anglers have been landing snapper, big cobia, and longtail tuna. Closer to shore, silver jewfish are turning up on the inshore reefs, while the 18-fathom reef has seen plenty of tailor action. Tailor are also running in beach gutters from Balinga down, with a prime gutter behind the Sheraton providing excellent fishing opportunities.
In the Broadwater, flathead fishing has been inconsistent due to an influx of snot weed, making clearer water essential. Up at the Pin, clearer conditions have led to consistent catches of flathead, whiting, and sand crabs.

Within the river systems, mangrove jack have been firing up around rock walls and areas with deeper water combined with shallow structures. Trevally are biting well on the run-out tide, and there have been reports of the occasional mud crab being caught up the rivers.

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

The east coast low kept anglers off the water for most of the week, though Monday provided a brief weather window before the winds strengthened again. Fishing the 18-24 fathoms produced a mix of reef fish, with mullet and pillies proving effective. Catches included snapper, teraglin, moses perch, pigfish, and blue spot reef flathead.

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

Tweed Coast

Whiting are currently active in the rivers, and the mud crabs are thriving with the influx of fresh water from upriver. Small mulloway have also been spotted, although nothing substantial has been caught yet. Anglers fishing inside the breakwall at night are having success with some good-sized snapper.

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

Brunswick Heads

Fishing conditions have been less than ideal this week, with over 200mm of rain and winds reaching 80km/h making most areas tough to fish. The action has been limited to the rivers and rock walls, where there have been good catches of bream. Looking ahead, the stirred-up waters are expected to bring jewfish out in greater numbers next week, with anglers anticipating a stronger bite coming.

Bruns Beach, Bait & Tackle  https://www.instagram.com/brunsbeachbaitntackle/

Ballina

The river is now filled with debris and discolored, making navigation risky. Be cautious over the next couple of weeks, as some of the debris is hard to spot. The fish have mostly moved towards the river mouth, with structures like rock walls, pontoons, and jetties holding bream, while flathead have been found in the deeper channels. Oily, smelly baits like pilchards, mullet, and bonito are performing best, helping fish locate the bait in these murky waters. Earlier in the week, peeled prawns accounted for some luderick and whiting. Mulloway have been caught around the break walls, with large paddle-tail soft plastics and 140-180 mm hard-body lures being the go-to choices. For those looking to fish the beaches this long weekend, spots like Patch’s and Seven Mile Beach could be productive for bream, whiting, flathead, and tailor. Offshore, if conditions allow, the 32- and 48-fathom lines are likely to be productive for snapper, trag, kingfish, and pearl perch, though close reefs may remain discolored. Keep a close eye on the bar conditions, particularly during run-out tides.

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

Evans Head

This week, anglers at Airforce and Main Beach have been landing some bream and school jewfish. The walls are also yielding good numbers of bream and luderick. In the Evans Head River, solid catches of bream, flathead, and whiting can be found, while the upper reaches are a promising spot for mud crabs. Unfortunately, offshore fishing has been hampered by unfavorable weather conditions.

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

FRESHWATER FISHING

North Pine Dam

North Pine Dam has seen good-sized bass being caught while trolling in the Rush Creek area. The kayak zones have been quieter, but some schools are still present. Anglers will need to be patient to entice these fish to bite.

Kurwongbah Dam

Kurwongbah Dam has been productive for anglers targeting schooled fish in deeper waters. The key has been using heavy plastics, such as 2.5-inch paddle tails, along with small vibes ranging from 50 to 70 millimeters, which have been effective on these schools. In the early mornings, topwater fishing has started to yield results, with Saratoga beginning to show up. Small frog imitations worked over the lily pads are attracting their attention

Lake Monduran

Lake Monduran is attracting anglers eager to catch barramundi, with reports of fish between 80 centimeters to a meter being quite common. The most effective techniques include using 6-inch paddle tail soft plastics in the main basin and larger Molix Shad lures further up towards the pig trap.

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

Moogerah Dam

At Moogera Dam, the Main Spit area is still producing good-sized bass in the deeper waters. As you move further up the dam into the open flat areas among the timber, bass can also be found roaming. Anglers are having success using metal spoons, soft plastics, and lipless crankbaits to target these fish. As you venture deeper into the timbered sections of the dam, throwing skirted jigs and chatterbaits is particularly effective. The bass are tightly holding to the trees, so working these lures in and around the timber can lead to some solid catches.

Hinze Dam

At Hinze Dam on the Gold Coast, bass are moving into deeper waters. Anglers should focus on using metal spoons in the 20 to 30-gram range, as well as heavy soft plastics like paddle tails, rolled along the bottom. For targeting Saratoga, head back into the bays and work the edges with topwater lures or subsurface offerings. The best times for Saratoga fishing are early in the morning and late in the afternoon.

Maroon Dam

Maroon Dam is fishing quite well this week, with skirted jigs proving particularly effective. Anglers are finding success by targeting the edges where timber is present and moving into the back of the creek. These jigs feature small weighted hooks with tassels, often paired with a soft plastic trailer that resembles red claw during this time of year. This combination has been enticing both the active bass and other species. Additionally, small soft plastics in the 3-inch range, particularly paddle tails, are also a good choice. Casting them to the edges and slowly rolling them back has resulted in solid catches of bass.

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

Hinze Dam

Hinze Dam has been producing some decent fishing lately, but as the weather warms up, it’s anticipated that the bass and saratoga will become more active. Anglers are finding success by trolling small deep-diving minnows along the edges.

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

Lake Monduran

Fishing for barramundi at Lake Monduran tends to be highly effective during specific lunar phases, with many anglers experiencing great success during these times. The activity of barramundi often increases just before the new and full moons, making these periods ideal for fishing.

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

THIS WEEK’S GALLERY

Jacobs Well Boat Hire

Tackleland Sandgate

Deep Sea Fishing Co

Smithy’s Fishing Charters