Fishing Report for 20th February 2025

Fishing Report Thu 20 Feb 2025

Queensland east coast: Spanish mackerel closed seasons dates: 1st of February to 21st February. Please see https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries/closures/tidal/seasons

New lifejacket laws came into effect on December 1, visit MSQ website for details.

Hervey Bay/ Fraser Island

The wind will continue to be a factor for the next few days, with 20-knot winds expected, limiting offshore activity. Fishing in the beaches and river systems is quieter, but there are still some good sightings of bream and flathead, along with whiting, and mangrove jack in the lower reaches of the Burrum system.

In the Bay, tuna and school mackerel are still being caught, and the inshore reefs are producing good catches of small coral trout, grassy sweetlip, and grunter. Fraser Island news has been scarce lately, but the western side around Kingfisher jetties and the Ungowa stretch might be worth targeting, as some nice jewfish have been reported there.

In the Mary and Susan rivers, there’s action with threadfin salmon around the lower reaches, while small barra can be found further upstream.

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

Tin Can Bay

Mud crabs are active in all the creeks. Snapper Creek is also producing good sand crabs, especially around the power lines. Whiting have been quieter this week. Up the creek, mangrove jack, cod, grunter, and barra are being caught in TeeBar Creek. Snapper Creek is fishing well at night for mangrove jack. Norman Point is yielding cod and small reef fish in the rubble areas. Big GTs are being caught by jigging the edges at Series Ledge and Shelly’s Reef.

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

Noosa

Double Island Point and the Barwon Banks have seen a mix of gold-band snapper, knobby snapper, amberjack, Moses perch, tuskfish, cobia, and pearl perch.

At North Reef, plenty of Spanish mackerel are being released, but cobia, spotted mackerel, pearl perch, squire, sweetlip, and Moses perch have been making it into the eskies.

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

Some nice flathead have been caught around Makepeace Island, golden trevally are active in the Woods Bays, and bream are being landed in the Frying Pan.

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

Good coral trout and pearl perch have been coming off Sunshine Reef, with cobia also in the mix. North Reef has been producing jewfish, while Double Island Point has seen nice snapper and tuskfish.

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

Bream have been caught throughout the lower reaches from Woods Bay to Tewantin, while flathead are taking baits on the drift near the cable ferry. A few trevally have been reported around the back of the Sound, but crabs have been quiet.

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

Mooloolaba

Fishing reports from the FADs have been promising, with good catches of dolphin fish and wahoo. Mangrove jack are being found in the Mooloolah River system, and there are some solid mud crabs in both the Maroochy River and the nearby Caramundi Lake. Long-tailed tuna have been spotted off Coolum, and there has been reports of good-sized whiting being caught at the mouth of the Maroochy River.

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

Marlin and wahoo have been showing up near the FADs off Mooloolaba, while amberjack, trevally, and cobia have been active about halfway to the Barwon Banks.

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

Caloundra

It’s been a quiet week, with not much activity reported across most areas. In the rivers, there are some mud crabs and prawns running, with a few flathead, bream, whiting, and mangrove jack caught. Barramundi fishing has been very slow, with most anglers having no luck. However, there’s been an increase in juvenile undersized jewfish in the rivers, providing some light sport for anglers. Offshore has been even quieter, with no one heading out due to the weather and the Spanish mackerel closure.

Thankfully, with the opening of the Spanish mackerel season on the 21st, things are expected to pick up. The fish will have been left alone for nearly a month, so they should be in good numbers in all the usual spots like 3, 5, 7, and 9 Mile at Caloundra. This time of year also marks the start of good sweetlip numbers, so that could be another option to target.

The weather has been less than ideal, with a 1.3 to 1.6-meter easterly swell making things tough, and not much has been happening on the beaches either. Hopefully, things will improve with the Spanish mackerel season opening soon.

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

Bribie Island

Mackerel have been active around Sandstone Point, while a big cobia was landed in the Passage near the Bribie Hotel. Barramundi have also been caught in the Passage, with the Bribie Bridge producing both barra and jewfish.

Ningi Creek and the banks at Sandgate have been productive for crabs. Whiting are being caught at Red Beach and Banksia Beach, with live bloodworms and beach worms proving the best bait. Flathead are responding well to mullet fillet strips, and jewfish are coming off the jetty and lastly offshore, anglers are finding garfish to be an effective bait for marlin.

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

Northern Moreton Bay

This week, fishing has been a bit slow due to the weather, but there are still some good catches to be had. Flathead have been active at the mouths of the Pine River and Caboolture River, while bream are throughout these systems, following the prawns as they run. Prawns are also being caught around the mouths of both rivers.

In Moreton Bay, snapper are still being caught off Woody Point and Scarborough, with the best times being early morning and late afternoon. Some nice grunter are also coming in from a little wider off Scarborough. There’s been some action for jewfish near Bongaree, especially on the left side of the bridge. While crab catches have been slow, there are a few coming from the passage.

Mangrove jacks are still being caught in the creeks of the passage, but it’s been a bit on the quieter side overall. Barramundi have been showing up across various systems, but anglers will need some luck to land them.

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

Sandgate

**Photos are in the weekly Album** Been plenty of fish being caught this week, with the weather letting people in the Bay. Jack and Liam pulled a pidgeon pair of very nice Moreton Bay Grunter on fresh squid. Joel Managed to get a very nice Mackie past the Taxman after a nice lengthy battle. Unfortunately Ryan was not as lucky, playing a nice Bay Grunter only to lose the best part to the unyielding Tax Man! Better luck next time Ryan. Young Harvey always has a lot of fun when fishing and never ways an opportunity. This time on Brighton waterfront area, Harvey landed some nice Bream and Whiting

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

Moreton Bay Offshore

There are plenty of dolphin fish around the FADs, and Spanish mackerel are being caught on the troll, though they must be released.

High Calibre Charters
Ph 0421 922 713 | https://highcalibrefishingcharters.com.au/

It was a good weekend on the water, with plenty of dolphin fish around all the FADs. However, FAD 15 has broken free and is currently missing. Fishing at the Cathedrals produced some quality catches, including good-sized tuskfish, snapper, big pearl perch, and even some decent flathead.

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

Redcliffe Peninsula

Bream, whiting, flathead, grunter, and school jew are being caught in Hayes, the Pine, and Bramble Bay. Yellowfin whiting are showing up in Hayes, the Pine, and along the eastern foreshores. Snapper, grassy sweetlip, grunter, and some tailor have been coming off the eastern beaches, jetties, rocky points, and inshore areas. Bramble Bay has seen some small cobia and queenfish, while grunter have been caught both inshore and from land-based spots. Mud crabs are active in the rivers and creeks, with sand crabs being caught in Bramble Bay and off Margate Beach.

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

Redland Bay

Diver whiting are being caught through the Rouse Channel, Hope Banks and the Chain Banks. There have been good catches of banana prawns in the southern bay around Macleay Island and Karragarra Island. A few grassy emperor and tuskfish have been reported at Peel Island, along with schools of small giant trevally in the shallows around the reefs.

Crabbing has been slow, with many anglers putting in hard work to catch them. However, as the tides get smaller, conditions should improve and crabs should start to become more active.

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

Brisbane River – Northern Moreton Bay

Despite the quiet week, the rivers are still producing some snapper, along with a few small jewfish, but nothing major to note. There are plenty of flathead around from Gateway to Hamilton and out to the mouth of the river, especially in the deep holes. Crabs are still being caught, though reports are a bit sparse.

For land-based fishing this week, some good spots to try include the area behind BrewDog, where cast netters are catching prawns. Another option is the cement jetty at Love Street in Bulimba. This spot can produce threadfin and jewfish, particularly when fishing with bigger baits.

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

Moreton Bay/ Jumpinpin

Jacobs well/ Jumpin-Pin – Prawns are starting to come through, particularly from the bottom of Macleay Island and all the way down to the Jacobs Well boat ramp. If you can find those prawns, you’ll also find school jew and threadfin salmon in the area. These fish are moving fast with the current, so you’ll need to be quick to target them. Flathead fishing is improving, especially on the low tide, when the water starts to clear up. Low tides are producing great results for flathead and trevally, with anglers casting onto the shallow flats and drains. Focus on the drains around Cabbage Tree Point and Jacobs Well as the tide shifts from low to incoming, as that’s when the fish start to push up. Threadfin salmon are still being caught, with some impressive catches over the 1.2m mark in the past week. Again, finding the bait is key, and using your sounder to locate them is essential. Whiting are also being caught up in the lagoons on the northern end of South Stradbroke Island, so if you’re after a feed of whiting, that’s a spot to check out.

Moreton Bay is still fishing well, especially with the larger tides. Some nice jewfish, as well as good-sized squire, snapper, and sweetlip, have been reported around the artificial reefs and shallow reefs near Peel Island, Mud Island, Dunwich and down into the Brisbane River. Pelagics haven’t moved into the Bay in large numbers yet, but there are a few offshore, particularly through the South Pass, so hopefully they’ll make their way in soon.

Capn’s Charters
Ph 0410 590 049 | Capns Charters – Lure & Soft Plastic Fishing Charter

Nth Stradbroke Island

The ocean beaches have been seeing big swell, but despite the conditions, there’s been a huge run of dart, with some impressive sizes being reported. Pippies and yabbies are working well as bait. Whiting are still quiet for now, but they’re expected to heat up as we move into March.

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

School mackerel have been active on the eastern side of Hope Banks. Tingalpa Creek is holding the prawns that many anglers are chasing, while whiting are being caught around the Chain Banks and Fisherman’s Gutter.

Water Tower Bait & Tackle
Ph(07) 3396 1833

Jumpinpin

Tailor are being caught just inside the bar to Crusoe Island and in front of Slipping Sands. Flathead are on the bite along Crusoe Island, Tabby Tabby, Diner Island, and Tipplers Channel. Some good bream have been landed along Millionaires and Stockyards, while whiting have been caught along Millionaires and near Marks Rocks in the Logan River.

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

As the season progresses, prawn numbers continue to build, bringing even more threadfin salmon with them. To target prawns, focus on deeper muddy areas, using your sounder to locate schools before throwing a 12′ top pocket cast net for the best results.

For threadfin, a range of techniques have been effective. Whole dead prawns have been the top bait, while live mullet has also been productive, particularly when the tide is running at speed. On the lure side, vibes and 3-5″ paddletails remain go-to options. The best spots to target threadfin are the same areas where prawns are holding.

Jacobs Well Boat Hire
Ph (07) 5546 2608 | www.jacobswellboathire.com.au

South Stradbroke Island

Greenback tailor have been cruising through the main channel in about 5 metres of water, opposite the mouth of the southern branch of the Coomera River, along with small bull sharks, baby scalloped hammerheads (which are protected), and some decent-sized javelinfish.

Summer whiting have been active in Coombabah Creek and near the Council Chambers at Evandale. Giant trevally and shovelnose rays are in the main channel opposite South Currigee campground, while sand crabs are being found in 1 to 2 metres of water along the western side of Crab Island.

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

Gold Coast Broadwater

Mixed results over the last week with some anglers struggling to find fish. Those who ventured up the Nerang river were disappointed with low numbers of whiting but closer to the seaway saw better quality. Wading the flats was the most effective way, casting yabbies with no weight in the shallow drains. Wavebreak is a great place to start but any of the shallow sand banks can hold fish. Curlew island is a great spot with a little gutter worth trying on the run out. I saw a couple of big yellow sweetlip come in this week from the seaway. Vertically jigging using fish traps was the technique. Making sure you’re directly above your lure in the right spot is the challenging bit. It’s one of the best methods to use in this area and with the smaller tides this weekend should be a great option. Sand crabs continue to be caught and should be an option with the smaller tides in deeper water. It’s no secret that the prawns have started to show up further north from Jacobs well to the Redlands. This weekend should be perfect with tides and could be worth the trip up.

David McDonald
Private Angler | Runaway Bay Marina

Southport

Mackerel are still few and far between, but the occasional catch can be made while trolling hard-body lures. Mahi mahi have been consistently reliable on the FADs, with the average size remaining steady and the occasional trophy fish making an appearance. Wahoo and marlin are also being reported around the 36-fathom FADs.

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

Whiting and flathead have been consistent, but offshore reports have been scarce due to the weather. A few mackerel have been around, mainly near Palm Beach and Mermaid Beach, but not in great numbers.

Mangrove jack have been active in the Coomera and Nerang rivers, with a few mud crabs also getting around, indicated by strong bait and net sales. A handful of sand crabs have been caught, though not in large numbers.

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

Tweed Coast

This week, reports have been quieter due to the rough weather, but there’s still been some action. Offshore, wahoo are widespread, and crabs have been caught along the rock walls.

Mangrove jack are firing, with early mornings producing fish on topwater lures, while weighted soft plastics have been effective during the day. Tailor are active around the headlands, and there are a few soapie jewfish hanging around as well.

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

Brunswick Heads

Deep sea fishing around the FADs and Mackerel Boulder has produced a few dolphin fish, snapper, kingfish, and the occasional mackerel. Closer to shore, the reefs have Spanish and spotted mackerel, though not in big numbers. The beaches and rock walls are holding dart, bream, and whiting. In the rivers, mangrove jacks, small jewfish, whiting, blackfish, bream, and flathead have been caught, with a few mud crabs still on the move.

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

Evans Head

At Airforce Beach, jewfish are being caught in the mornings and evenings, with worms and live mullet proving to be the best bait if available. During the day on the beach, there have been some solid bream, flathead, and whiting. On the north and south walls, black bream are being found, along with regular bream, whiting, and flathead. Upstream near the Black Hole, good mud crabs are still being caught.

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

Yamba

Offshore fishing remains productive, with solid numbers of spotted and Spanish mackerel, along with yellowfin tuna and wahoo still beingcaught. Reef fishing has been a bit slower, as most anglers have been focused on pelagics, but there have been reports of good snapper and pearl perch coming in. Some fishers have had great success catching a variety of pelargics close in, without needing to head too far offshore.

In the river, whiting have been fishing exceptionally well on both lures and bait. Bream are still in good numbers, while flathead fishing has been productive, with some anglers targeting larger models on the flats using surface lures. Tailor have been active in the beach wash, and school jewfish are around, though mostly smaller fish. Crabbing has been quiet, with only a few reports coming in.

Yamba Bait and Tackle
Ph (02) 6646 1514 | https://www.facebook.com/yambabaitandtackle/

FRESHWATER FISHING

Hinze Dam

Hinze Dam is performing strongly, with big Saratoga still being caught. The best fishing has been up the backs of bays in both the eastern and western arms. Spinnerbaits, small topwater lures, little crankbaits, and lipless crankbaits have been effective at different depths. Fishing around structure, submerged timber, and deeper points has been productive, with metal spoons and spinnerbaits drawing reaction bites.

Moogerah Dam

No report this week due to competition

Wivenhoe Dam

Wivenhoe Dam continues to fish well, with good numbers of bass and yellowbelly coming from the main basin and rocky areas around Platypus Cliffs, Billy’s Bay, and Hayes Inlet. North Billy’s Bay has also been producing fish. Lipless crankbaits, diving crankbaits, chatterbaits, and metal blades have been working well, particularly in deeper water near the bottom.

Maroon Dam

Maroon Dam is fishing well, with fish spread between the back of the creeks and the main basin. Targeting the edges with lipless crankbaits, chatterbaits, small blades, and skirted jigs around timber has been effective.

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

Kurwongbah and North Pine Dam

For those chasing Saratoga, early mornings with surface lures have been working well, for Kurwongbah and at North Pine Dam trolling light coloured deep-diving hard bodies has also yielded good-sized fish.

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