Fishing Report for 24th 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

Urangan Pier is currently yielding a diverse catch, with broad-bar mackerel, golden trevally, and flathead being particularly active. Live bait has proven effective for anglers targeting these species. Inshore reefs are also producing school mackerel and golden trevally.
At Burrum Heads, successful catches of mangrove jacks and barramundi are reported in the river’s upper reaches this last week. Meanwhile, Howard Weir has seen good bass numbers since the spill over that happened recently.
The Susan and Mary systems has been rich with barramundi, threadfin, and grunter, with vibes and live prawns (when available) emerging as effective bait choices. Queenfish and school mackerel have also been reported at River Head.

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

Tin Can Bay

The standout catch this week was a 99cm barramundi landed in Cowie Creek. Mangrove jacks, cod and barramundi are expected to be hot targets this weekend, with anglers heading up into the creeks to avoid the bad weather. With the bigger tides, Jackson cod and barra are biting well on live bait and strips of mullet, while large prawn lures on the troll in the 6 to 7-inch range are also proving effective.
In Cowie Creek, there have been blue salmon along with the average sized barramundi. Crabs have been sparse, with most being undersized, but the odd keeper can be found by heading further up the creeks. Sand crabs are being caught at the inlet around the moored boats.

Tailor are all throughout the creeks, trolling in 50mil to 80mil divers around 2m deep being the best method. Targeting creek mouths on the runout tide is especially productive. Golden trevally over 60cm have been caught near Norman Point while fishing for whiting on light gear, using 4 to 6-pound line. Down around Crab Creek and the power lines, whiting are biting well, though some anglers are hooking golden trevally instead, particularly on 3-inch prawn lures with curly tails. The golden trevally have been getting caught both from land based anglers and from boats. Pannikin and Ida islands are also producing good catches of whiting.

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

Noosa

Bream and whiting are being caught at the top end of Noosa, particularly around the back of Noosa Sound. Close to the sound, near the speed limit Marker 6, mud crabs can be found. Additional mud crabs are also reported in the Toowantin stretch, where flathead and trevally are prevalent. Up north, around Lake Cootharaba, anglers are successfully landing jewfish, flathead, and trevally.

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

This week brought a bit more swell, with winds fluctuating, making conditions variable. Despite this, cobia, gold band snapper, tuna, pearl perch, and the first run of speedy sharks are moving in around the Sunshine Coast. Additionally, the last of the whales are heading south as the season comes to a close, providing a final spectacle for those out on the water.

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

Cobia are being caught at North Reef, along with pearl perch and sweetlip. Anglers at Double Island Point are reporting good catches of gold band snapper, longtail tuna and Tuskfish utilising bottom bashing fishing techniques, with squid and pilchards proving to be effective bait options.

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

Maroochydore

Good-sized trevally are being caught in the middle and upper reaches of the river, while bream are prevalent throughout. Queenfish are making their presence known around the Cod Hole. Whiting are being found at the river mouth, and flathead can be targeted in various locations along the river..

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

Mooloolaba

Offshore, there have been good catches of pearl perch and snapper at the Caloundra Wide reefs. Around Murphy’s Reef, anglers are also landing some quality fish. On the Barwon Banks, red throat emperor have been biting well. In the Mooloolah River, flathead are being caught throughout the canals, with some standout catches around the 75cm mark and trevally have been caught around the trollers

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

Cobia, mulloway, amberjack, and cod are being caught halfway out to the Barwon Banks.

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

Caloundra

There has been plenty of action this week, starting with school mackerel at the front on the beacons and around the Caloundra 5 Mile. Snapper and pearl perch have been reported at the 7 Mile and 12 Mile reefs, with a few cobia also being caught at the 7 Mile.
In the passage, anglers are finding good-sized summer whiting at the mouth of Bells Creek and Coochin Creek, and around the bar. Additionally, there have been reports of some nice squire and mangrove jack up in the canals at Pelican waters.

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

Bribie Island

Whiting are being caught in good numbers at Red Beach, while dart are prevalent at Woorum. At Banksy Beach, anglers are landing bream and snapper. Mud crabs are also being reported up Ningi Creek.

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

Northern Moreton Bay

In the Pine and Caboolture Rivers, there’s an abundance of little jelly prawns around, which has bream feeding heavily. This means plenty of bream are being caught up in the rivers, with early morning topwater lures working well along the edges. Flathead are moving towards the mouths, seeking the deeper waters, while jewfish are biting on live baits near Bribie Island jetties late at night. Shark fishermen have been active, with juvenile bull sharks now making their way into the rivers, so expect to see plenty of them being caught in the Pine and Caboolture Rivers.

At the mouth of the Brisbane River and around Mud Island, snapper are being caught early in the morning, with another peak bite time in the evening. Threadfin and jewfish are starting to school up at the mouth of the Brisbane River, chasing the prawns that have recently arrived. South Passage has also seen some yellowfin tuna showing up.

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

Brisbane River – Northern Moreton Bay

Fishing conditions in the rivers are quite favorable, especially past Indooroopilly, where anglers are reporting good numbers of barramundi, with sessions yielding six or seven fish, primarily in the 60-centimeter range. These barra are being released back into the water. For more detailed insights on barra fishing, contacting Frank for local tips and locations.
The river is also producing solid catches of flathead, squire, and snapper from Breakfast Creek to the mouth. Night fishing has been more productive than daytime efforts recently, possibly due to the current water temperatures.
Sand crabs have been spotted around Green Island and at the front of Wellington Point. Anglers are also having success with diver whiting on the eastern side of Fisherman’s Island, extending down to Darcy Light. Squire and sweetlip are present around Mud Island and Green Island, with reports of snapper in the 60 to 65-centimeter range from these areas being a common occurrence.
Due to access issues around the Port of Brisbane, anglers are encouraged to check out the Murarrie Recreation Hub near BrewDog or under the Gateway Bridge. There’s a rock wall there that offers good fishing during high tide, particularly for bream. The BrewDog Jetty is another promising spot, especially for night fishing, where plenty of bream and flathead can be found in the shallows. Those using live bait may even hook into a threadfin or jewfish.

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

Moreton Bay Offshore

The weekend’s windy conditions kept many off the water, and even by yesterday, the swell remained challenging. At the Cathedrals, anglers found themselves sifting through plenty of juvenile red throat emperor, with only a few keepers making it into the catch. However, the FADs provided better results, with good-sized dolphinfish being landed, and a decent snapper adding to the mix. Despite the tough conditions, those who made the effort still found some action offshore.

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

Nth Stradbroke Island

Sweetlip and squire snapper are making a strong showing around Green Island, Peel Island, King Island, and Wellington Point, offering anglers a promising catch. These areas have been productive for those using both bait and lures, with many reports of quality fish being landed this last week.

Whiting have also been active, particularly on the eastern side of the Maroon Channel and around the small ship channel. As the conditions remain favorable, these spots are worth a visit for a good number of whiting.

Water Tower Bait & Tackle   Ph(07) 3396 1833

Redland Bay

Report Pending

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

Jumpinpin

Tailor are showing signs of slowing down, though they remain around, along with jewfish, which continue to be caught in good numbers. Meanwhile, jacks are picking up the pace, with solid catches being landed throughout the area. Mullet fillets and live baits have proven effective in enticing them beautys.

Good numbers of whiting are being caught along the Never Fail Islands and the Pig Styes. Flathead are actively biting at Kalinga Bank, Pandannus, and Tipplers Islands. Bream are being landed at the Five Ways, Cobby Rocks, and the deep hole of Crusoe Island. Additionally, a few tailor have been reported just inside the bar and in Canaipa Passage near Slipping Sands.

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

South Stradbroke Island

A monster freshwater cray has been caught in the Tweed Valley, (Photo below). Nice whiting are being reported at The Junction at Jabiru Island, while flathead catches are coming in from the Aldershots. Mulloway has been in the mouth of the Southern branch of the Coomera River, and Moses perch are being landed under the bridges of the Runaway Bay canal system. Additionally, sand crabs are being collected along the western side of Carter’s Bank

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

Gold Coast Broadwater

It should be a great weekend ahead, with perhaps the occasional shower, but overall excellent conditions for catching a few fish. If you’re out early, the first part of the run-out tide will be ideal for whiting. The Nerang, Pimpama, and Coomera rivers are all holding fish, as are the sandbanks around Wavebreak Island. Early mornings with low boat traffic will also be beneficial. Start at the top of the sandbanks in shallow water and work your way back to the deeper areas as the tide drops. If you haven’t caught a legal-sized fish within 20 minutes, it’s time to move. The late morning low tide is perfect for flathead, with many fish being caught, particularly in the 50-65 cm size range. Focus on the edges of weed beds and drains for the best results. The seaway walls, where the rocks meet the sand in the channel, are another good spot to target larger fish. Crab Island, the inside of the Neverfails, Brown’s Inlet, the Aldershots, and the drains off South Stradbroke are all worth fishing. The canals offer plenty of options, with trevally, cod, jacks, and a good number of bream to chase.

Teewah Beach up around Noosa is fishing exceptionally well at the moment, with plenty of gutter formations creating ideal conditions. Dart are being caught in good numbers in the smaller holes along the lower half of the beach, where they drain into deeper water. This area is also producing a mix of whiting, bream, and tarwhine. Further up the beach, the outer bank comes in closer, forming whitewater across the deep gutters, which have been holding prolific numbers of tailor. While pilchards are proving most effective at dawn and dusk, tailor are still being caught throughout the day.

David McDonald  Private Angler | Runaway Bay Marina

Whiting have been biting well around Southport Broadwater, particularly when using yabbies as bait. Drifting has proven to be an effective technique, allowing anglers to cover more ground and increase their chances. As the weather remains mild, this area should continue to be a great spot for those looking to enjoy some quality whiting fishing.

Ross McCubbin Lucky Strike Charters | https://www.facebook.com/LuckyStrikeChartersFishing/

Southport

The heavy tackle grounds near the canyons have been delivering solid action with striped marlin, blue marlin, and yellowfin tuna, particularly around the 1000-metre mark. Conditions have been quite good out there. Moving closer, around the 57-fathom line, anglers have landed impressive catches of kingfish, samson fish, amberjack, and pearl perch. On the 36 and 24-fathom reefs, snapper and parrotfish are biting well, with many fish exceeding legal size.

Closer in at the 24s and 18s, cobia have been abundant, alongside some quality silver jewfish. Big snapper have also been making an appearance in the shallower areas. Soft plastics, especially McCarthy’s, have been particularly effective, while pilchards have worked well for bait fishing.

Tailor are still up along the beaches, but finding the right gutter is key to getting into the action. Small dart and the first summer whiting are also making an appearance.

Inside the seaway, small queenfish are being caught on metal slugs, along with Australian bonito and a few smaller big-eye and GT trevally. In the Broadwater, whiting are active on the flats, with yabby baits and small hardbody topwater lures doing the trick.

The recent rainfall has stirred up the crabs, with mud crabs now more active in the upper reaches of the Coomera, Nerang, and Pimpama rivers.

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

Another week of unfavorable conditions has kept many anglers in port longer than desired. However, trag are still biting well, providing some action for those looking for a catch. Good-sized snapper are being landed on pilchards, along with a few nice tailor and blue spot flathead coming up on the dropper rigs.

Cobia have been a common sighting this week with plenty of bait in the water which brought about the season’s first marlin encounter, resulting in a quick hookup and run on a snapper bait before the fish broke off. Most of the action has been occurring on the close grounds, primarily around the 24 and 26-fathom marks.

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

Tweed Coast

Report pending

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

Brunswick Heads

Winds and swell have made fishing challenging over the past week, but larger boats that ventured out wide managed to bring back some reasonable catches of snapper, kingfish, and yellowfin tuna. Smaller boats that stayed closer to shore reported only a few snapper and other reef fish.

On the beaches and break walls, good numbers of bream are still being caught, along with a few legal-sized jewfish. The estuary fishing has been quieter, but with some time and effort, anglers can still secure a feed of flathead and bream, along with the occasional jack.

In freshwater around the shire, anglers are finding success with good bass, along with some silver perch.

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

Ballina

Offshore opportunities have been limited this week, but there have been reports of small mahi mahi hanging around the FAD, with live baits or skirted lures trolled proving effective. The 32-fathom line has produced snapper, trag, flathead, and mulloway, with mullet, squid, and pilchards being the go-to baits.

In the river, reasonable whiting are being caught in North Creek and the lower reaches around Mobbs Bay. The better-quality fish are hitting surface lures, though plenty are still being taken on yabbies and worms. Good-sized flathead have been found upriver of the ferry, with prawns, mullet, and live baits working well, alongside smaller paddle-tail soft plastics.

The warm weather has stirred up mangrove jacks along the rock walls, with Emigrant Creek and the main river between the ferry and Broadwater offering the best chances. Live baits or 5-inch soft plastics in darker colors have been the most successful.

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

Evans Head

Air Force Beach has been seeing a solid run of bream flathead and whiting, during the day. Jewfish are also on the bite right now, with live bait being the go-to especially in the evenings when the bite has been great. On the North and South walls, there’s been a handful of luderick, bream, and flathead showing up, and further upstream, mud crabs have been on the move.
Out around the reefs, there have been reports of snapper and trevally. On the FADS, a few yellowtail kingfish have been caught, and for those venturing out to the 44s, there’s a good chance of getting into some yellowtail tuna at the moment.

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

FRESHWATER FISHING

Kurwongbah Dam

Trolling for bass has been productive at Lake Kurwongbah, with chatterbaits and spinnerbaits being the go-to lures. Early mornings are seeing some topwater action, with bites coming before the fish move deeper. Saratoga have been active in the early morning, especially around lily pads, where frog-style lures are effective. The best spots to target are around the rowboat lines and off the points.

North Pine Dam

Although reports from North Pine Dam have been scarce, it’s expected to fish similarly to Kurwongbah. Bass are expected to start schooling soon, and when they do, spinnerbaits or deep-diving hardbodies will be ideal for targeting them in deeper water.

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

Moogerah Dam

Moogerah Dam is still fishing consistently well, as it has for the past few years. The fish are again being found in deeper water, around the 30 to 40-foot mark. Metal spoons in the 20 to 30-gram range slow rolled on the bottom are doing well here. If this doesn’t produce, try soft plastics for a more subtle presentation.

If you’re struggling in deeper water, head to the edges and try spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits, or even a 14-gram chatterbait. Areas near the dam wall or on the flats near the creek are productive spots to try.

Hinze Dam

Hinze Dam on the Gold Coast has been producing some excellent Saratoga, with a 74cm fish caught recently. The best times to target these fish are early morning and late afternoon, particularly in the backs of bays. Surface lures, such as insect imitations (dragonfly poppers or Jackall Pompadours), are effective, along with subsurface lures like shallow diving crankbaits or jerkbaits.

Bass in Hinze are also moving into deeper water in the main basin and around submerged timber. Metal spoons (20 to 30 grams) and heavy soft plastics slow rolled on the bottom are producing. You can also try crankbaits and lipless crankbaits like the Jackall TN60 along the edges.

North Pine Dam

North Pine Dam, located just across the road from Kurwongbah, is producing good results too. Try spinnerbaits along the edges, and cast metal spoons into the deeper water for a slow roll back. Lipless crankbaits are effective here as well, especially for bass near the edges.

Wivenhoe

Wivenhoe Dam is fishing exceptionally well at the moment. The bass are being caught in the deeper water, around 30 to 40 feet, and even deeper in some spots. Metal spoons are the most effective, with 20 to 30 grams (even up to 40 grams) working best. To target them, cast over the top of schools, let the lure sink to the bottom, and then slow roll it back through the school.

Key spots to try include Billy’s Bay in the southern end, Logans Inlet to the north, and up towards Hamon Cove. Bass are schooling on the flats in these areas. Heavy soft plastics, such as a 3-inch paddle tail on a 5/8 oz jighead, slow rolled through the schools, can also be productive. If you’re not having luck in the deeper water, try the rocky edges, where spinnerbaits, lipless crankbaits, and diving crankbaits (in the 2-4 meter range) are effective.

Maroon Dam

Maroon Dam is fishing well, especially for those targeting bass near structure. A skirted jig in the 10-14 gram range with a red claw trailer is a great way to mimic a crayfish. Pitch the jig around trees and edges, let it sink, and then give it a slow hop to entice a bite. If the jig doesn’t work, fall back to crankbaits, metal blades, or small soft plastics rigged on a quarter-ounce jighead.

Lake Kurwongbah

Lake Kurwongbah is fishing well, especially for those using kayaks. Focus on the weedy spots along the edges for good results. Lipless crankbaits are a solid choice, particularly when slow-rolled through the open pockets within the weed beds. Spinnerbaits and chatterbaits are also effective for targeting bass in these areas.

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

Hinze Dam

At Hinze Dam, there have been reports of Saratoga becoming increasingly active, especially in the mornings. Topwater lures and flies have proven to be the most effective for targeting them. Bass fishing is also consistent at Hinze, with topwater techniques yielding good results in the early hours. As the day warms up, switching to deeper presentations tends to improve success rates for bass anglers.

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

Borumba Dam

At Borumba Dam, bass up to 50cm are being caught, especially on spinnerbaits and chatterbaits. Overall, it’s been a bit of a slower week, but there are still some good catches to be found.

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

Lake Monduran

Last week’s competition saw an impressive 1.22-meter barramundi caught, highlighting the lake’s potential. For those looking to land similar giants, targeting areas where the wind hits the banks and fishing along the points can increase the chances of success.

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

THIS WEEK’S GALLERY

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Deep Sea Fishing Co

BK’s fishing Charters

Noosa Bluewater Charters

Gold Coast Boat hire

Gem bait and tackle

Smithy’s Fishing Charters

Morton island fishing charters