With Christmas and New Year done and dusted, it’s time to make a few New Year resolutions to get out and catch your trophy fish, whether it be a barramundi or a queenfish.
Lake Monduran
For all the barramundi addicts who need a barra fix, Lake Monduran is on fire at the moment with reports of a metre fish being caught and a lot of 80cm to 90cm models coming in.
Monduran is coming back to the days of old.
If you’re looking to go to Monduran for the first time, when launching your boat look to see which way the wind is blowing and head in that direction.
The wind will act like a current and fish will move with that current.
Find yourself a good bay or point with a bit of weed or structure on it and tie up to a tree. Casting with the wind to and around the point may produce the goods.
Best time for bite time is early morning. Once the sun is a bit higher on the water go a bit deeper with your lures; the fish may have moved a bit wider from the bank.
Lures to use are good suspending lures like the Jackall Squirrels, the B52 and for a little bit deeper and wider, the good old Squidgy Slick Rig in 110mm or 130mm.
Also, that $150,000 golden barra hasn’t been caught yet, so go and give it a try.
Bundaberg offshore
With constant winds blowing around the Bundaberg area for the week, fishing offshore will be a little uncomfortable.
For anglers wanting to have a go in the bigger boats, check the latest forecast to be safe before heading out.
Bundaberg inshore
For those in smaller boats who want to poke their nose out the front, a few Spanish mackerel have been reported not far off the shoreline from the mouth of the Burnett River right along to the Elliott River.
Also, while trolling, have a spoon or slug rigged.
That way, if you run into any birds or bait boiling on the surface you can have a quick cast for any schoolie mackerel or spotties that may be feeding on the bait.
Burnett River
There have been good reports of mangrove jack and some big-size barramundi being caught as bycatch leading up to Christmas.
For any angler who does catch a barramundi in the closed season, please handle the fish with care and release it as soon as possible to give that fish a chance to spawn and make the river better for future fishing.
For those who want to start using soft plastics, flathead would be one of the easier fish to target.
Firstly, get into your local tackle store and pick up a combo with about 6lb to 10lb braid and grab a few soft plastics.
Try drifting along the sand or mud flats and casting up-current while working the lure with a lift-and-drop action.
Once you have caught a fish in the area, anchor up and fancast or repeat your drift.
Try different areas using this same technique and you should pick up a feed of flatties.
Baffle Creek and Kolan River
The Baffle and the Kolan are the two systems that are probably crabbing the best at the moment, so when heading out fishing, throw in a couple of crab pots beforehand.
There are good reports of mangrove jack and good-sized grunter being caught.
Fresh bait is always the best bait, so if you can cast-net a sprat or pump a few yabbies, this will be your best bet to get a good feed of fish.
Casting 3” to 4” soft plastics around the mangrove edges or rocky ledges should pick up a feed of jacks or some good bycatch.
Keep on casting, Shane Anderson
Tackle World Bundaberg
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