Fishing Report for 7th November 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).

Queensland east coast: Barramundi closed season – no-take species between 1 November and 31 January each year. (some exceptions apply — check the Queensland Fisheries website).

Hervey Bay/ Fraser Island

Fraser Island has been somewhat hit and miss with erratic windy weather, but good sized tailor up to 70cm being taken night fishing at Happy Valley, the Cathedrals and at Kingfisher. Some dart also being caught in these locations.

Early run of baby marlin from a month ago was very strong, but the fish have been scattered over the last fortnight, with not as many at Rooney Point. They have been caught down deep, surprisingly on hard body lures. They are not rising to skirts, birds and teasers as much, forcing some changed tactics with the deeper diving hard body lures, and also garfish running deeper.

Inshore there have been plenty of school mackerel being caught around the bait grounds. Inshore reefs have also seen trout starting to come in with warmer water, cod, and spotted mackerel showing up all the way to Platypus Bay. Mack tuna are extremely thick in numbers everywhere: including the Sandy Straights, out wide, and up Fraser Island, providing some fun for the kids.

Large longtail tuna (up to 20kg) are being taken, often swimming solo. Grassy sweetlip being caught inshore around Big Woody Island and down to Picnic Island. The northerly wind has made the water dirty off the Urangan Pier, and with the bait scarcer, fishing has been harder; but still catching queenfish, school mackerel, flathead and some whiting. Burrum River fishing well for flathead.

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

Tin Can Bay

High tide over the flats has been ideal for whiting, with fresh worms and yabbies doing the trick, along with 50-90mm poppers worked quickly across the surface. Flathead are also in good numbers, particularly around drains during the last few hours of the run-out tide.

Mud crabs are being caught in the upper reaches of most creeks, where fresh bait and a long soak should improve your chances. For those targeting mangrove jack, try soaking a live bait or slow-rolling hardbodies deep into the snags, with Teebar and Carlo Creeks fishing well.

There’s been plenty of action from fun-sized pelagics in the creeks, with GTs, queenfish, and golden trevally all making appearances. For the best results, head to Snapper Creek in the morning with light spinning gear and try tossing a few micro jigs.

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

Noosa

A few flathead being caught in the lower reaches around Noosaville; trevally around Woods Bay; still getting some whiting in Noosaville stretches to the river mouth, in the shallows. Up around the first lake, a few silver bream and grunter bream.

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

In Noosa, North Reef, Sunshine Reef, and Chardons have all had a decent week, with most reef fish responding well to pillies and flesh baits on bottom rigs. Over at the Hards and Barwon Banks, fishing has been productive, with catches of snapper, pearl perch, Moses perch, tuskfish, Maori cod, amberjack, small tuna, and cobia being reported. It’s been a good range of species for anglers targeting the reefs this week

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

Catching quite a lot of pearl perch, snapper, cobia and a few coral trout (not in huge numbers). A few maori cod. Primarily at North Reef and Sunshine Reef.

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

Maroochydore

Despite the season, some nice tailor still being taken around the bridge pylons, and towards Twin Waters. The cod hole one of the best locations. A number of very nice 45 to 50cm flathead being caught throughout river. An impressive 40cm whiting caught, and good hauls of whiting in the 28 to 32 cm range, with yabbies working well; locations include sandbanks off Goat Island and around Twin Waters. Some mud crabs being caught in the creeks and some nice bream up to 30cm mark. Trevally could be worth trying for also.

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

Mooloolaba

Offshore has seen wahoo at Murphy’s Reef. Grassy sweetlip and squire at Currumundi Reef. Estuary systems are yielding abundant flathead through the Maroochy and Mooloolah Rivers. Mangrove Jack starting to fire around the structures in the rivers. Quality whiting being caught in Currumundi Lake and also Maroochy River. Quality mud crabs on the move in the deeper holes in the Mooloolah River.

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

Anglers heading halfway out to the Barwon Banks are finding success with cobia and amberjack, especially using live bait and jigs. Over on the Hards, amberjack, snapper, and trevally are biting well, with jigs being the top choice for luring them in.

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

Caloundra

Mainly whiting in the passage. Bells Creek to Coochin Creek producing. A few flathead around the mouth of the new Bribie bar; school mackerel on Caloundra five mile; squire and sweetlip on the coffee rock. A few pearl perch and snapper at Caloundra wide. Mangrove jacks and trevally in the canals.

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

Bribie Island

Red Beach has been producing good-sized whiting lately, while sand crabs are active throughout the Pumicestone Passage, especially around Bungaree and Bagara. Up in Ningi Creek, there’s been some solid action with big grunter on the hunt

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

Donnybrook

Whiting at Lime Pocket and Mission Point. Also nice flathead and mangrove jack up Glasshouse Mountain Creek. Grunter and trevally at the 112s. Sand crabs and whiting south of Poverty Creek. Bream in Dunlop Channel. Also a few Mangrove Jack at Elimbah Creek .

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

Northern Moreton Bay

Still good flathead numbers in the creeks. The dropping barometer with the storms coupled with the heat has been conducive to good numbers of mangrove jacks being taken in the creeks from the Pine River, north into Pumicestone Passage. Those able to get wider offshore have been landing some good snapper and kingfish. A few jewfish in the Brisbane River, and smaller ones in the Pine River. Not as many threadfin salmon at present. Crabs a bit scattered but should be more in the system with further flushes with rain, coupled with heat. Summer whiting are being landed in better numbers in the creeks and shallows, including north to Fraser Island and Teewah, in the smaller gutters.

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

Moreton Bay Offshore

Fishing just outside the green zone off Moreton Island has been productive, with a good variety of species showing up. Catches have included Maori cod, pearl perch, snapper, wrasse, tuskfish, slatey bream, and the occasional kingfish, all taken on bottom baits.

Moreton Island Fishing Charters   Ph 0413128056 | https://moretonislandfishingcharters.com.au/

Sunday brought excellent fishing out wide off Moreton Bay, with a strong haul that included snapper, trag jew, pearl perch, pigfish, kingfish, and dolphin fish. The variety and quality of catches made it a rewarding day for anglers targeting these deeper waters.

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

Sandgate

There have been solid catches of bream and flathead around the Ted Smout Bridge, along with jewfish at night. Whiting are showing up in good numbers at Margate, Red Beach, Shorncliffe, and Brighton. Flathead and bream are biting well at the mouth of Cabbage Tree Creek, with mullet fillets, blue baits, and white baits proving effective. Off Shorncliffe Pier, mac tuna, chopper tailor, and mackerel are still being taken on small slugs, live herring, and blue baits. With conditions shaping up, it looks like a great weekend ahead for fishing in the Pine and surrounding areas.

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

Brisbane River – Northern Moreton Bay

The rivers have seen a bit of action lately, with bream, whiting, and flathead caught around the Pimpimbah area and near the mouth of Boggy Creek. In the boat passage, there have also been a few mud crabs and sand crabs showing up. However, with the bigger tides, currents can run strong through the rivers, making fishing a bit more challenging.

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

Nth Stradbroke Island

Snapper and sweetlip around the Bay islands (Green and King). Tailor, smaller jewfish and flathead at Jumpinpin. Whiting and bream in the Logan River. Plenty of sand crabs around Green Island.

Water Tower Bait & Tackle   Ph(07) 3396 1833

Redcliffe Peninsula

Around Hayes Inlet, the Pine River, and Bramble Bay, there’s been a consistent mix of bream, whiting, flathead, and grunter. Yellowfin whiting are also being caught in Hayes, the Pine, and along the eastern foreshores. Snapper have been turning up off the eastern beaches, around jetties, rocky points, and inshore spots. Scarborough Reef has seen snapper alongside bream, flathead, and grunter. School jew and grunter are active on inshore grounds, with some even accessible from land-based spots. Bramble Bay has yielded a few sand crabs (sandies), providing a good target for crabbers in the area.

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

Redland Bay

Good mangrove jacks in canals and feeder creeks into the Bay. Good whiting in the Rous Channel and the mouth of the Logan River. Tailor have slowed down but a few still around. Jewfish off the beach. Bullsharks getting a lot more active. Flathead around the sandbanks and Islands at the southern end. Snapper, sweetlip and grassy emperors at the artificial reefs. Spotted mackerel showing up around the beacons. Good fishing offshore when weather has permitted.

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

Jumpinpin

Jewfish are starting to slow down after a strong season around Jumpinpin, along with most of the tailor, though a few can still be found around the 40s offshore. Whiting are active around the sand flats, with live worms proving to be especially effective for these catches.

Whiting have been coming in from the Lagoon at the top of South Straddie, the Pig Sties, and Gold Bank. There have also been some quality bream catches along Kalinga Bank, near the Dead Tree, and around Cobby Rocks. Flathead have been biting north of Eden Island, near the bottom of Kangaroo Island, and around Cabbage Tree Point.

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

South Stradbroke Island

Fishing saw a notable improvement this week. The Pimpama River’s oyster leases produced good-sized javelinfish (grunter bream), while the southern arm of the Coomera River saw an abundance of bream. Sand crabs have been active around the weed banks near Crab Island, and flathead have been caught along the northern breakwall of the Southport Seaway.

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

Gold Coast Broadwater

David McDonald  Private Angler | Runaway Bay Marina

Southport

Plenty of kingfish & amberjack caught on 42 fathom reefs . Some good sized pearl perch and snapper from the same grounds. On the 36s, snapper, pearl perch and parrot fish. On the 18s and 24s silver jew, lots of cobia, and some really big snapper from in close . Some trag jew in same areas.  

On the beaches, some chopper tailor are still around; summer whiting and dart starting to turn up in gutters. Plenty of whiting in broadwater, lightly weighted yabbies and beach worms are proving very effective.  Flathead should be around for next 3 to 4 weeks.  Some big tailor in the Jumpinpin bar and good numbers of giant and big eye trevally. In the rivers: mangrove jack, cod and trevally all starting to move now it’s heating up, on live baits, casting lures and soft plastics. Night fishing on the run-out tide proving optimal time.  

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

Spring is certainly in full swing, bringing warm days, strong northerly winds, and active currents. Around the new moon, the bite eased slightly, but there was steady action on most days, with catches of trag jew, blue spot flathead, tailor, and tuskfish. There were also a few standout moments, like a 75cm snapper (Photo below), and a rare metre-plus GT caught (Photo below)—both hooked on the 24- and 26-fathom reefs off the Gold Coast. The 50-fathom reefs have been challenging, but putting in the effort, has returned a good a haul that included kingfish, amberjack, snapper, pigfish, and Moses perch.

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

This week, fishing around Brunswick Heads has been challenging due to windy conditions, especially for boats aiming to reach the wider reefs. However, some larger vessels managed to brave the weather, pulling in a good feed of snapper and pearlies. The close reefs are also producing snapper, although the high number of sharks—likely drawn in by the buried whale carcass nearby—has made fishing more difficult.

On the beaches and breakwalls, the wind has limited activity, though a few dart and bream have been caught. In the river, there’s been plenty of smaller male flathead along with bream and mangrove jacks making appearances. For freshwater enthusiasts, bass are still active in the local creeks, providing a good option inland.! 

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

Ballina

Whiting numbers have continued to improve this week, with surface lures and baits like worms and yabbies working well, especially on the run-in tides. North Creek and the main river have both produced good catches, with most fish coming from slightly deeper waters. Flathead are spread from the mouth of the river up to Wardell Bridge, with smaller fish taking prawns and pilchards, while the larger ones are favoring live baits or lures. Mangrove jacks have been active this week, with suspending lures and live baits along the walls from the ferry to Broadwater yielding better numbers. The run-out tides in the afternoons have been the most productive, which is promising for the weekend. On the beaches, bream, whiting, flathead, and tarwhine have all been caught, along with the occasional tailor at night. Patch’s, Seven Mile, and Lighthouse Beach have been the best spots for beach fishing this week. Unfortunately, the offshore weather isn’t looking favorable for the weekend. However, if conditions allow, there have been good catches of snapper, flathead, and trag on the 32s. Mahi mahi remain inconsistent, with some of the larger ones taking trolled lures and smaller fish hitting pilchards. The current has picked up farther out, but amberjack, kingfish, and pearl perch are still being found on the 48s.

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

Evans Head

Along airforce and main beach there are some good bream, the odd tailor and school jewfish. The walls at the mouth of the river are seeing bream and luderick. In the Evans River, bream, flathead and whiting are being taken. Try the upper reaches for mud crabs. Offshore, there is plenty of snapper, trag and pearl perch being landed.

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

FRESHWATER FISHING

Kurwongbah Dam

More Saratoga with the heat, feeding on the surface. Shallow jerk baits, and top-water plastics working well. Plenty of bass, leaning towards the edges more with the heat.

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

Moogerah Dam

Fish have seemed to have moved up into trees a bit more. Still an open area allowing metal spoons (20 to 30 gm) to be thrown; or heavy soft plastics 5/8 ounce, 3 inch paddle tails slow rolled along bottom should produce fish. If not getting in deep water, try the edges with lipless crank baits, crank baits and spinner baits.

Lake Kurwongbah

Fishing really well. A lot of bass being caught throwing chatterbaits up on the edges of the weed; these areas can be trolled also. If you’re in a kayak, throw a two and a half meter diver out the back and troll the edges of the weed. Big Saratoga also present cruising the edges in the quieter bays; try small top water lures, insect replicas and spinner baits.

Wivenhoe

Still fishing really well for bass. Best way to catch the schooled up bass sitting in 40 to 90 feet of water is with heavy metal spoons (around 30 to 40gm range) and heavy soft plastics, dropped down through the schools and slow rolled. Still worth looking for bass and yellow belly on the edges on the rocky points ; utilise crank baits or spit baits 2 to 4 meter divers casted up to edges and slow rolled off.

Hinze Dam

Saratoga biting really well with good catches over the last week — check the backs of the bays, be as quiet as you can. Throwing insect replicas, small poppers or small spinner baits in white or chartreuse colour seem to be doing well. Once the day gets on, head to the main basin to target bass on deeper points with metal spoons,heavy soft plastics and crank baits that dive to 4m mark.

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

Borumba Dam

Quality bass to 55cm caught on jerk baits.

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

Lake Monduran / Lenthalls Dam

Lake Monduran is the best it’s ever fished, and with another heatwave predicted for this weekend, the fish are very active. At Lenthalls, the numbers are good also, but fish a bit smaller. This week ahead will be good to get out. Big paddle tails are recommended. Trolling a good option for anyone not confident in casting. You don’t have to go far from the ramp or have an electric motor; you can put two lures out the back and catch a fish.

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

Isaac’s 10th birthday catch

 Rod’s 70th birthday catch

 

High Calibre Fishing Charters

Moreton Island Fishing Charters