Fisho's Weekly Fishing Report – 17th of January, 2025
by Fisho's Tackle World Hervey Bay 17 Jan 22:19 UTC
17 January, 2025
Fisho's Weekly Fishing Report © Fisho's Tackle World Hervey Bay
Summer heat returns
We were truly spoilt here on the Fraser Coast last week, with many calm days and little more than a light afternoon sea breeze to cool us off after our latest action-filled session on the briny. The much-vaunted rains last weekend never fulfilled the media hype here on the coast, though our neighbours in the hinterland did receive heavier falls.
The heat really cranked over the last couple of days, and there will be more of that on the way next week. Until then, we can expect a few random showers over the weekend, and light northerly winds of less than 10 knots on Saturday. Sunday isn't looking nearly as good for boaties, as a cooler south-easter of around 20 knots arrives to keep everyone inshore or at home.
An easing onshore breeze Monday into Tuesday will improve your chances of getting back out, before the northerlies return mid-week to frustrate bay and offshore boaties. Expect the heat to return with the north wind. Chances are the breeze will be stiff enough to cool us here on the coast, whilst our neighbours mere miles inland swelter.
It looks as though the belated monsoon is developing up north, finally, so we can expect different weather patterns in coming weeks to those of the past month - if it sticks. No-one is complaining about the late monsoon down here of course, as we have enjoyed lengthy spells of light winds for several weeks now.
With the lows drawn north and the highs pushed south, we are due for more standard summer weather now, meaning strong south-easterly blows and serious wet season rains interspersed with brief periods of heat and little wind. The "c" word (cyclone that is) will even enter crystal ball conversations as this extraordinary and already very wet summer wears on.
We have some of our best tides in the rear vision mirror as we look to the coming week. The moon is waning as we head for next Wednesday's last quarter phase. Diminishing tidal flow then a period of neaps will at least assist our rivers in shedding some of the excess fresh water from last weekend's rains, and the bay's marine life will welcome a renewed flush of nutrient.
Catch Some Pier Squid While You Can
Dirty water, ex-Mary River, is once again likely to impact Urangan Pier waters, as minor upstream flooding caused by heavy falls last weekend make their way beyond the river. The Mary is spewing filth right now and will do for some time. From what we know, however, the waters washing beneath Urangan Pier are still yet to be impacted and both hordes of herring and decent numbers of pencil squid are in attendance.
The fishing hasn't been all that exciting apparently, though there have been a number of various small sharks caught, along with shovellies, tarpon and the odd flathead. With another plume of dirty water on its way, pier fishos might encounter the odd displaced estuary predator. Grunter, blue salmon and threadies are just some of these predators. They won't necessarily be found in the deeper waters either, as the first channel and beach end are more to the liking of such estuarine and flats orientated species.
So, carry some of those herring and squid from the deep end back closer to shore and try your luck one night. A light rod and some yabbies or worms might even see the kids catch a handful of whiting. Otherwise, spend an evening under a waning moon catching pencillies one after the other. Focus on the high tide period, and particularly the latter stage of the flood.
As pointless as it seems to be, yet another reminder of the bag limit on squid has been deemed necessary. You are allowed 50 pencil (arrow) squid in your possession, and that's it! Bragging about how many hundred you caught, or how you got your limit every night all week isn't just illegal, it's stupid.
It wouldn't take much monitoring from a savvy fisheries officer to pinch repeat offenders after observing their efforts night after night, so keep your nose clean and keep a tally of your catch. The days of catching thousands of squid and storing them for bait are behind us. Our governors introduced new rules a few years ago that denied us possession of any more than 50 pencillies and 20 tiger squid these days.
The squid come thick and fast when they are on and you can catch your limit in no time. Lights will assist, but so too will deploying better-quality squid jigs. You can afford to be fussy if the average size is good, so throw the smaller squid back alive and put the better ones on ice. Ensure you have a means of chilling your squid too, as warm nights and un-chilled seafood are a good recipe for nasty illness.
Should the dirty Mary River water beat you to the squid, then you will have to seek them elsewhere. Chances are there will be some drawn to the Scarness Jetty at high tide at night if the water quality is good. Otherwise, it's out in a boat for your next squidding session.
Finesse Tackle Fun on Our Beaches
This week's full moon had the whiting cruising stretches of our town beaches, along with schools of large mullet. Displaced from our dirty estuaries, these fish were most obvious along Scarness Beach, but no doubt made their way elsewhere.
Recent flooding and subsequent follow-up rains and localised run-off has flushed a lot of jelly prawn downstream in our creeks and rivers. Find masses of these jellies beyond the streams, along our beaches and flats, and you can have an absolute ball chasing their predators.
Whiting and bream go absolutely nuts over jelly prawn plumes and even mullet and garfish get in for an easy feed. Spend some time dancing tiny topwater lures over and beyond such plumes and you won't have to wait long for some action. Try the flats out front of Eli Creek, South Beach near Pulgul Creek, the beach near O'Regans or the Booral Flats if you like. Or, just take a stroll along our town beaches at low tide and see if any fish react to your fleeing prawn imitations.
Take a slightly heavier outfit that your whiting gear, and you can target much larger predators from our beaches, rocks and mudflats. There are threadfin salmon, blue salmon, grunter, jacks and flathead about since the rivers rose recently, and they are now well-acclimatised to the conditions.
Even though there is further filthy water washing down the Mary and Susan, the River Heads peninsula itself will once again be worthy of some lure fishing effort. The salmon species will be the main targets, at least until February 1, yet jewies, grunter, flatties and cod are all possible from the murky waters. This fishery will only appeal to the experienced fisho and is a serious challenge, yet very rewarding when discovered.
Another Fresh Water Flush for Our Rivers
Whilst we only received 50mm or so from last weekend's rains here in Hervey Bay township, our neighbours along and west of the Bruce copped a lot more. Combined totals of 100mm or more in some areas of river catchments saw a renewed fresh in both the Mary and Burrum systems. Flooding status is currently either 'below minor' or irrelevant at all monitoring stations, and the river heights have settled.
This means pure fresh for the length of the rivers for another short period. All fishing effort should be focussed in the lower reaches, unless you like catching fork-tailed catfish and tilapia. Such a renewed fresh is wonderful in the scheme of things, boosting our chances of a better prawn season and creating an extended breeding season for those fish reliant on wet season rains to spawn.
Our barramundi have had a great spawning season due to consistent rains all summer. They have copped a hammering from those unable to follow the rules throughout the closure though, so let's all hope that the better wet makes up for all the missed spawning opportunities denied them by folks that keep targeting closed season barra.
This heat will have our mangrove jack population all fired up. A degree of dirty water makes them easier targets in so many ways, for both lure and bait fishos. A change of location may be required, and deeper presentations more suitable at times, but their aggression levels will make the extra effort worthwhile.
Topwater opportunities abound for jack fans right now. With mullet and other baitfish flushed from the backwaters, and plenty of small prawn on the move, you should be taking advantage of these times and hammering likely spots within cooee of our creek and river mouths. Try the flats, try the rock bars, and try the snag-strewn mangrove-lined banks that skirt the coastline beyond the creeks. Rarely would you have a better opportunity than now to seek post-flood mangrove jacks, so go get 'em.
It is fair to say that most estuary-style fishing will be concentrated within the Great Sandy Straits in coming weeks. Recent catches will be repeated, as numbers of displaced predators that are now well-acclimatised to the dirty waters feed hard while they have the chance.
Threadfin salmon offer highly visual fishing this time of year. Not only do they stand out prominently on modern day sounders, their tendency to feed on tiny morsels in the shallows sees them regularly breaking the surface. Their swirls; their gaping maws; their crashing strikes; all add to the excitement to what we call 'drain bashing for threadies'.
There are many creeks worthy of prospecting, whilst the feeder channels and the shouldering flats of the straits also warrant exploration. The threadies are highly mobile at times, but will settle in an area with abundant fodder. Look for jelly prawns for your low tide assaults, and monitor mullet movements for your high tide sessions. I have said plenty in recent reports regarding techniques for drain bashing, so I won't repeat myself here. Suffice to say, go small or go home, when it comes to lure selection.
Grunter have been active throughout the build up to the full moon, and will continue to bite. Numbers are best in the lower bay and through the straits, whilst some healthy specimens have entertained River Heads fishos this week as well. Small prawn imitations remain the numero uno lure for grunter, unless you feel like experimenting at this time of plenty. Try vibes fished hard to the bottom, or twitch shallow-diving hardbodies across the flats. Some of you might even be tempted by topwater opportunities come dawn or dusk and join a very exclusive club.
So many fish species can be caught down the straits at present. Small queenfish and mackerel join small GTs to harass the baitfish trying to navigate the channels, whilst any number of cod and the odd school of jewies lurk near reefs and ledges. There are bream flushed from creeks, there are whiting on the flats, and flatties near the creek mouths. The bull sharks are down there too, sadly, so be warned.
Hard to Beat the Sharks Inshore
I really don't want to carry on about sharks again this week. You all know how bad they are, and how fruitless it is to try to fish so many inshore reef sites. Give what is left of the reef fish a break and shift your focus elsewhere. Head for the shallows, head for the flats, or head wider looking for country that others haven't discovered, but don't keep flogging the same old spots expecting a different result. You know what Einstein supposedly said about such a ploy.
Avoid the noahs, and you can expect a feast of the usual summer species. The coral trout are on the chew, as are the nannygai and the sweeties. There is no shortage of blackall willing to scoff your next prawn or squid bait, and the estuary cod will line up to take livies, lures and whole baits fished near deeper reefs. The inshore reef fishing has been great, potentially - if only for the darned sharks!
Steering away from known reefs and deploying a couple of lures out the back is a sound shark-avoidance tactic. It can pay better than average dividends at times such as these too, as reef fish and others displaced by floodwaters or simply using this time to relocate can be discovered by your lure. A deep diver will find the reefies, and we at Fisho's stock some of the best for our waters. All proven, and ready for your next trolling session.
Tie on a shallower diving lure capable of 6-9 knots and you are in the game for some mackerel trolling. The schoolies are turning up all over the bay beyond the banks. There's enough cruising our deeper shipping channels closer in to warrant some effort there too. A troll across the latitudes that includes the Fairway, Outer Banks and Coongul would be a good starting point.
Spotties Still Scattered, Whilst Queenies Abundant
As easy as school mackerel have been to find, their smaller-spotted cousins have been a little more elusive. Spaniards beyond the banks are common enough, whilst the spotties remain scattered across the bay in small, and highly mobile schools. Recent reports include larger schools up the west coast and smaller schools in Platypus Bay.
There were numbers west of the 25 Fathom Hole for a period, and numbers north of Arch Cliffs 6 Mile as well. Fish up Rooneys way have been moving quickly, but like the others, have been catchable. Small metal slugs continue to do the damage when you can find the fish. Their size hasn't been too bad apparently, so prepare yourself for some hot action if you trip over them.
Given their substantially diminished biomass in Hervey Bay this year, you might consider that the spotties lack the numbers to accommodate their usual bait-balling tactics. Larger schools can ball the bait to the surface much more efficiently than smaller schools can, meaning we might be observing surface waters with no activity, whilst smaller numbers of spotties are feeding beneath. Consider this, and deploy other tactics to tempt spotties feeding down the water column.
Those seeking their one-fish spanish mackerel fix can try the waters off Arch Cliffs or across the Outer Banks. Heading for the northern bay will see a trolled lure intercepted quick smart and that part of your day done and dusted. Such is the new Qld Spanish mackerel fishery, with a bag limit of one fish (or two per boat if two or more folks on board).
Sports fishos continue to lament the lack of longtail tuna in the bay. There are ample mac tuna for those so inclined. A developing monsoon might bring us the late summer weather required to kick start the autumn longtail season. With so many sharks out there right now, it will be an expensive one for fisho and fish.
Those craving some sport have ample opportunity to tangle with queenfish. We might be lacking in marlin and spotties this summer, but the queenies have turned up in droves. There are schools of large fish harassing the bait fish of Platypus Bay from Arch Cliffs to Wathumba. Cart-wheeling queenies can often be the signal that they are there as you scan the horizon for surface action. Should you not be so lucky, then scouting the reefs and larger bait schools is the go.
There are queenies over in the western bay too. They have been anywhere from the Fairway to the flats. Queenies working the current lines of the bay islands have also been caught fairly regularly. It pays to target them with as heavy tackle as you can at present. The bull sharks don't exclude queenfish from their diets and often prowl the perimeter of the flats and associated ledges. Fish you actually get to the boat will stand a much better chance of recovery if landed quickly on heavier tackle too.
Also on the sporty list are the ever-present golden trevally the bay is famous for. From flats fishing to jigging the deeper reefs, you can catch goldies all over the bay. Heading for Fraser's western shores is a good idea for flats fishos, whilst those keen for jigging action can look wider in the central and southern bay. Platypus Bay reefs also attract many goldies, so you have options galore.
Offshore Fishos Focussed on Deep Dropping Missions
Several days of mint weather this past week saw many crews cross Breaksea Spit bound for the shelf. Most are tempted to try a drift or two over shoal country on their way deeper. Some regret their decision and re-rig on the way out wide after being sharked, whilst others plug away and pick up a feed. The current has been racing out there lately, but with little wind, drifting has been manageable.
The usual summertime suspects were on the chew over the shoals, with tuskfish, maori cod, coronation trout, RTEs, hussar, and other perch and sweetlip varieties making for colourful esky contents. Quality green jobbies have been out there, hovering above select reefy outcrops and raising a sweat amongst those favouring lures. The sharks have been very bad on the shoal country, generally-speaking, but constant moves and re-rigs soon secure a feed for those limited to those grounds.
Many crews are sporting fancy and highly efficient deep dropping tackle these days however, so time wasted on shark-infested grounds is usually minimal as they default to deeper waters to avoid the noahs and fill their eskies. Heading for the 100m line isn't productive these days, as this is one of the sharks' main stomping grounds. Pointing the bow east and probing waters double that depth in slighter current to the north, soon saw a substantial load of the usual deep-water taste sensations coming aboard last week.
Very light winds enabled some crews to prospect, whilst others worked their 'safe zone' of 200m or so. Pearl perch, snapper and various jobfish and cod species joined some colourful smaller perches, and eskies filled quickly. The moon-driven bite was good, yet just how dynamic was dictated by location and time of effort. Few stay offshore after dark these days, which is a little strange.
Some crews headed offshore with the express purpose of pursuing pelagics. There were blue marlin raised and caught, but not many. The GTs on the Sandy Cape Shoals showed limited interest on grounds hosting less baitfish than they might. Spit Bommie was a destination for more than one crew, so if the GTs up there showed some caution, you can understand why. Spaniards and mac tuna can be found east of Breaksea too, and chances are there are still wahoo in the area.
Word from down south is that the pelagic action off the Wide Bay Bar has ramped up, but so too have the shark numbers. Greg from Double Island Point Fishing Charters has been on the move a lot lately, so he can get his clients a good feed without destroying localised fish populations.
The wahoo and spaniards have been abundant and offer Greg's clients a great distraction between reef fishing sessions. He says there are schools of spotties in close with the tuna schools, but the sharks have been too vicious, so he hasn't been wasting much time on them. Mahi mahi always heighten excitement levels on Greg's boat when out wide, particularly when they are larger fish.
Just like the rest of us, Greg has had to keep on the move to catch fish without wasting big numbers to sharks. Spot-hopping has ensured his clients head home with a great feed and minimal damage is done to any given area. Quality snapper still grace Greg's ice box along with a broad range of tasty reefies. If you are keen to sample some of our region's best charter fishing, then look Greg up. He is booked well in advance usually, but you might get lucky.
Sand Crabs Still Feeding the Masses
This summer's phenomenal run of sand crabs has the local pros cheering and plenty of recreational crabbers feasting like kings. Efforts close to Fraser up Wathumba way proved less productive than they might have been for some crabbers, whilst others did well elsewhere in the area. The central and northern bay is crawling with sandies, which is possibly why so many cobia have lingered this year. Efforts in 10m of water north of Pt Vernon were rewarded over this week's full moon, whilst a few nice sandies were potted in closer as well. The sand crab quality remains excellent.
Mud crabbers had to work harder for their crabs in popular areas over the full moon. So many pots placed over preceding weeks soon thinned out the crab in the easily accessible areas. The wet weather and continued fresh in our rivers keep the crabs on the move, so shift your pots more if required. You will have to out-think your fellow crabbers for a crack at what is left after the Xmas pillage.
That run of small prawn at Burrum Heads had a few folks excited. Many a household enjoyed a feed of succulent small prawn, with promises of better to come. A renewed fresh in the Burrum system will change things temporarily, and keen prawners will be monitoring nearby waters this week. In the meantime, those casting nets in our local creeks have scored a feed too, so things are looking up for the impending prawn season.
Good luck out there y'all... Jase