Inshore/Offshore
After some very strong southerly winds this week has seen the wind swing to the west and this weekends forecast definitely looks like there will be some chances to head offshore.
If this weather does hold it will be a perfect opportunity to nail a few species for the VMR Bundaberg Family Fishing Classic which is on this weekend!
Ground North off Bundy around the 5 Degree and Kolan Patch have had some cracking grass sweetlip and even big grunter caught on them recently.
Whole squid rigged on gang hooks and strips of mullet fillet have been getting the bites and with the small tides this weekend down sizing your sinker should put you in with a better shot.
Plenty of cobia are still at the wrecks so hopping some soft plastics and metal jigs around balls of bait should see some of these caught along with plenty of arm stretching trevally action.
For those chasing trout, red throat and red emperor the Warrego’s, Herald’s Patch and ground off 1770 will be the prime locations.
Whole pilchards or yakka rigged on gang hooks in the shallows should be deadly on the trout and red throat.
If you are chasing reds be sure to be at your favourite red mark for the low tide turn in the mid morning.
On the inshore scene the pelagic action along our coast is still in top shape at the moment with spanish mackerel, long tail tuna, big queenfish and GT just to name a few being regular captures.
For those chasing the spanish early mornings and late afternoons have been the key times to be on the water.
Trolling whole gar and bonito has been very effective around the 2 Mile, Leads and south at the Artificial off Elliott Heads.
The schools of long tail tuna have been scattered however some nice fish are still being found and plenty of queenfish and GT’s are being caught on soft plastics and topwater stickbaits or poppers.
Finding bait is key for targeting these fish, along with finding areas that have a good amount of current.
Burnett River
With the VMR Bundaberg Family Fishing Classic on this weekend there sure is going to be some epic fish come from the Burnett!
The last few weeks has seen areas towards the mouth of this system fish really well for flathead, grunter and big bream.
Fishing along the rock walls has rewarded a lot of anglers with regular captures of these species when fishing mullet fillet or whole sprat close to the structure.
For those specifically chasing big bream on lures small curl tail or prawn imitation soft plastics have been deadly when fished with a very light jig head.
Plenty of blue salmon have now come into this system with the Town Reach area holding the best numbers of these fish for now.
Getting a bite from them has proved difficult possibly due to the strong Southerly change we experienced last week, however with some more favourable conditions this week that could all change.
Hopping soft vibes or even slow winding metal twisty lures through the schools of fish can usually get one to bite with a bit of persistence.
Winter whiting have also made an appearance with plenty of these fish being caught this week.
Targeting them around the lighthouse using beach worms or Gulp Sandworm soft plastics fed onto your hook for bait has been working a treat!
Kolan River
The Kolan has had another great week of fishing, with reports similar to the Burnett showing good numbers of bread and butter species on the chew.
Flathead and grunter have been caught along sandy drop offs with whole sprat or strips of mullet being the stand out baits.
Towards the mouth has seen the shallow flats firing particularly during the incoming tide.
Fresh yabbies have been a go-to bait for all of our bread and butter fish however the humble bream and whiting are definitely the target for most when fishing these shallow sections.
For the lure anglers casting shallow diving hard body lures along the flats has also picked up some quality flathead and grunter cruising around.
Despite the cooler temperatures and a strong Westerly change this week there has been a few cracking jacks caught showing that these fish do still need to feed!
Those using live baits, in particular live prawns, have been getting the best results with a few ripper jacks being caught during the run out tide when fishing big structures like rock bars of fallen trees.
Elliott River
The Elliott has been fishing red hot which it usually does during our winter period.
The sand flats and rocky headland at the mouth has seen some great pelagic action with plenty of small trevally and queenfish around.
Casting soft plastics and top water lures and retrieving them with a steady retrieve has worked well especially in the early mornings and late afternoons.
Really good numbers of flathead are being caught in this system, most of these fish have been around the 45cm to 55cm mark proving to be a delicious feed.
3 to 4 inch paddle tail soft plastics in natural colours have been the standout presentation to be using in the clean water.
Those chasing whiting have had the best luck with freshly pumped yabbies when fishing them on the yabbie beds as the tide pushes up and over them.
Using a very light sinker along with 6lb to 8lb line and red beads or tubing directly above your hooks has helped convince these fish to bite.
There has also been some solid crabs being caught when filtering through the smaller models.
Those working their pots or dilly’s have been getting the best results as they have been able to find areas holding better quality crabs.
Baffle Creek
The Baffle has been fishing red hot over the past week! The two standout fish has definitely been whiting and grunter.
Some of the whiting that have been caught have been crackers getting close to 40cm!
By far the most effective way to catch them is by pumping yabbies at low tide and fishing the incoming tide over the shallow yabbie banks.
The standout techniques for the grunter have been working curl tail soft plastic’s over gravel beds and over the yabbie beds.
If you’re more into bait fishing you can’t beat using live or dead sprat to get into the grunter bite.
Solid cod are still being caught at the rock bars along with plenty of big bream.
Whole sprat or strips of mullet fillet has been the go to bait for these species and fishing the rock bars during the run out tide has proved to be the most effective.
Also, don’t forget to drop the crab pots in, there’s been some really good quality muddy’s being caught as of late!
Lake Gregory
After a cracking week of fishing last week on the lake the strong southerly change we experienced did have the bass a bit more reluctant to feed for anglers who were on the water last weekend.
Fortunately we are seeing these fish bounce back quite quickly with more favourable conditions nudging these bass back on the bite.
The bass being caught have been in very good condition showing that they are super heathy and well fed.
Using your electronics to find schools of bass definitely helps to pin point your casts however certainly isn’t necessary to get a few bass on board.
As we see each winter metal jig and spoon lures are super effective and have no doubt been the lures getting the most action.
If the bass are being quite timid a lightly weighted soft plastic slow wound or retrieved with small shakes of the rod tip through the school will often trigger a bite.
The Molix 3 inch RT Fork Flex Shad is the perfect presentation for this ‘strolling’ technique of fishing.
Lake Monduran
Lake Monduran has delivered another solid week of barra fishing, rewarding those who have been putting in the hours, especially after sunset.
Jerk bait style hard bodies have been the standout, landing plenty of fish and proving their effectiveness once again.
Anglers making the most of their sessions are often those using live scope, allowing for pinpoint lure placement, getting their lures just centimetres from the fish, which can be the game changer between a quiet night and one to remember.
While the larger barra have been caught more consistently well after dark, there has still been some cracking fishing to be had during the day.
These daytime barra have been active on shallow points that have been exposed to wind, particularly where there is structure such as lily pads or weed beds.
In these areas, shallow diving hard bodies and lightly weighted paddle tail soft plastics have been the go to choices.
Anglers getting right up into the back of bays and fishing dense weed have also found plenty of luck despite a lot of the fish being smaller around the 40-70cm mark.
The key with this style of fishing is to cover ground, and when you find these smaller fish and they are feeding it can be some of the most fun you’ll have on the lake!
From the team at Tackle World Bundaberg
