Fisho's Weekly Fishing Report – 19th September 2025
by Fisho's Tackle World Hervey Bay 19 Sep 12:08 UTC
Huddy and Benny Koeppen caught some magnificent flatties on a recent shore-based mission © Fisho's Tackle World Hervey Bay
Classic spring weather to kick-off the school holidays
It has been two weeks since our last weekly fishing report, and there has been plenty going on. The weather has been quite typical of early spring since the full moon, and the week ahead looks rather spring-like too.
"Warming up, yet mild and very pleasant" might describe the current conditions here on the Fraser Coast. Ultra-light and variable winds greeted boaties that got out early this morning. A northerly breeze will ramp up this afternoon to around 10 knots and set the scene for Saturday. The BOM reckons no more than 10 knots from either side of north Saturday, but up to 15 knots seems more likely.
Sunday looks brilliant. That preceding northerly will drop out early Saturday evening, leaving us with glassy conditions for Sunday. Those great conditions will prevail into the early working week, with light winds in the morning and a 10-knot northerly sea breeze to cool us off in the afternoon. Just about perfect! A blustery, yet brief, mid-week change will quickly pass and return us to the status quo - more light winds tending northerly to see out the week.
We've passed through the third quarter neaps and we're now approaching next Monday's new moon. This means bigger tides this weekend, which is just what many fishos look forward to, as the extra tidal flow triggers a bite from various hyperactive springtime species. The tides over this set of 'darks' aren't massive, so all waters will be manageable with the right approach. There is much to look forward to this week, so get out there when you get the chance.
Winners are grinners!
Our heart-felt thanks go out to all our regular Fisho's Tackle World customers, and the many first-timers and visitors, that turned up in droves to take advantage of our latest annual Mega Clearance Sale. As anyone that visited our store last weekend will know, we were incredibly busy and very happy with the turn out. We trust you all scored some impressive bargains, and assume you are all itching to get out on the water and put them to use.
$25,000 in prizes were up for grabs, courtesy of Fisho's Tackle World and many of our key suppliers. All prizes have now been drawn, and the following is the list of the lucky winners:
- Wilson Fishing Prize Pack winner - Adrian Martin
- Samaki Rods, Reels and Line Pack winner - Jonathon Betts
- Shimano Twin Power / Zodias Pack winner - Jett Whitford
- Daiwa multi-TD Sol Reels Pack winner - Don Macklin
- Daiwa Saltiga / Spartan Combo winner - Paul O'Grady
- Garmin Prize Pack winner - Chris Ross
- Shimano Twin Power 10,000 & 14,000 Reels winner - Daniel Meade
- AUP Spear Fishing Pack winner - Cooper Smith
- Tackle Tactics Prize Pack winner - Brodie Fish
- Nomad Fishing Prize Pack winner - Blair Tromp
- Penn Fishing Prize Pack winner - Andrew Beardmore
- Tackle World Prize Pack winner - Gary Williams
Given that each of the above prize packs is of around $2,000 value, if not more, then no doubt all the above fishos are ecstatic with their good fortune. Congratulations to all the above winners, and our thanks again for your tremendous support throughout our Mega Clearance Sale.
Impressive fish being caught from Urangan Pier
Since the return of the herring schools to Urangan Pier waters, there has been a fairly consistent procession of pelagic species turning up to feast on them. The herring might only be small, but quite a few of their predators are quite big. Most impressive have been the longtail tuna (or northern bluefin as longer-term pier regulars might call them).
Tuna to just shy of 20 kilos have been caught fairly regularly of late, and the average fish is not a lot smaller than the biggest. Live herring floated away from the pier under balloons has been an age-old technique that still works just fine to this day. Spinning for tuna is also popular amongst the more energetic, though most fish fall to live baits. Multiple captures have been recorded some days, then none at all on other days. At least one longer-term pier regular has tallied 6 tuna for his efforts to date, proving none of those captures were flukes.
A few broad-barred mackerel to 4 kilos or so have also been caught recently. Fish to double that size are sort of expected at this time, but they have failed to appear (so far). Small school mackerel have kept a few fishos busy, as they take swipes at Flasha spoons or gang-rigged livies. Not all of the mackerel have been legal size, so careful handling prior to release has been necessary at times.
Flathead have been a little more active in the past fortnight than they were prior. Live baits of herring or pike remain their Achilles heel. Bream numbers are declining, so bream fans might want to make the most of this set of darks before the best of the bream are done and dusted for another season. Undersized jewfish remain ravenous and quite common at the pier, demanding appropriate respect as they are released to grow and fight another day.
Talk of the arrival of unseasonal pencil squid after dark suggests nocturnal adventures along the pier should be taken on with some small squid jigs in your kit. This weekend's dark of the moon tides should see the whiting turn it on in the first channel near the beach end of the pier. They have been absent so far this spring for some reason, but surely the northerly breeze and new moon tides will get them going.
It's whiting time for our town beaches
Whiting have been conspicuous by their absence along our town beaches so far this spring - but that is all about to change. Warming waters and the onset of northerly winds to ruffle the surface and stir up a little wave action is just what the whiting need to trigger their journey along our beaches. Combine this with the new moon this week and you have every reason to be confident of catching a feed.
Evening sessions will still be the most productive, as our waters remain quite clear. Hence the desire for some northerly wind and wave action to rectify that 'problem' and offer the whiting safe and productive foraging opportunities in the shallows. Try the last couple of hours of the flood tide and the first of the ebb along the beaches at Torquay and Urangan.
Pump some yabbies, or secure some beach worms from Fisho's, and thread them onto long-shanked hooks of around size 4 and you are in the race. Remember to use ultra-light line and leader and limit your sinker size so that your bait is moving with the tide or wave action. Resist striking at the nibbles and learn to simply lean back on your rod in lieu of jarring strikes when the whiting begins to move off with your bait. With any luck, you will score a good feed this weekend, and perhaps even a bag limit if the 'ting show up in big numbers.
If the whiting scene doesn't appeal, then you could try and tempt some of the grunter that have been feeding in patches of slightly dirtier water along our beaches. Again, nocturnal efforts will be rewarded most handsomely, but you can tempt them in daylight on lures or baits of prawn or yabby. The odd whiting fisho might encounter grunter bycatch, so keep your cool and don't write-off a screaming run as vermin until its identity is confirmed. Go easy and play out a big grunter on even the lightest of tackle and it will be yours to brag about.
The creeks are the place to be if you wish to mix it with a range of estuarine species. Flathead will lead the charge, but threadfin and blue salmon, bream, whiting, grunter, jacks and even barra are on the cards. Queenfish and small river GTs are also possible from Beelbi Creek, if not elsewhere.
The town lakes become very popular this time of year. It used to be secret squirrel stuff for a handful of regulars once upon a time, but alas, those days are long gone. The kids catch very impressive fish regularly these days, from the bread 'n' butter variety and cod, to whopper barra and some extraordinary mangrove jacks. Small lures are the ticket; be they surface or sub-surface (for now). Get in before the fish wise up, as a lot of effort from folks not attuned to appropriate motions with their lures will soon create an extra-wary pond of fish.
Mackerel creating excitement at River Heads
Clear waters and masses of baitfish have been the drawcards for the usual seasonal run of mackerel at River Heads. Small schoolies have been a bit of a nuisance, as many, if not most of them, have been undersized. The broadies on the other hand have been much better quarry and worth the effort with a spin outfit and a spoon.
At least one spanish mackerel of around 15 kilos has been caught just recently. Perhaps that fish and its brethren are there to predate on the schools of wolf herring lingering around the heads. Those mongrel wolfies might be the worst fish you have ever handled, but they are second to none when it comes to a bait for spaniards.
Throw in the option to switch to plastics or bait for the likes of cod, salmon, jewfish and flathead, and a day or evening spent wandering the rocks at River Heads could be quite productive. The kids can also have fun catching bream, so long as they learn how to rig lightly and avoid constantly snagging up.
Further upriver, its all about salmon and barra for a lot of fishos at this time. Not everyone is catching fish like they would expect to (even some of the regulars). Things will improve as our waters warm further. So many crews sporting the latest in sounder tech will soon put easily found barra schools on notice, as they react to the constant pressure, so be prepared to leave fish to find fish if the ones you are staring at aren't biting. Increasing heat and distractions with schools of threadfin will soon make up for the current lack of enthusiasm, so, much to look forward to on the mighty Mary this spring.
For now, there is still swags of flathead to be found in the lower reaches. Both there and much further upriver is where you can find schools of blue salmon of various sizes. Quality grunter are becoming more common and will be a regular target for many folks until the rains come and see them exit the river once again. Decent cod are more common than legal jewies in the lower reaches, but better jews can still be found. Soft vibes and larger prawn imitations will serve jewie hunters well, unless they favour live baits.
Great Sandy Straits is alive with options
Regular readers will know that I often lean towards the flat's fisheries of the straits over the springtime darks. There is darn good reason for this, as a mix of ultra-clear and warming waters offers fantastic sight fishing for a host of flats dwellers that simply won't be that easy to spot once the windy weather and storms of late spring and summer arrive.
Think large queenfish and schools of golden trevally on some flats, and blue salmon, grunter and barra on others. You're bound to find flathead in numbers in both environments, and even more if you spend time working the creek mouths and adjacent flats. Ensure you have squid jigs handy, if not rigged and ready. A dedicated squid outfit is a must for many if us, as we have learned from time on the water, and don't waste opportunities when they appear.
Those favouring finesse tackle can chase schools of bream and whiting this week. The big new moon tides will have the whiting on the chew along much of Fraser's west coast, as well as throughout the straits and the lower reaches of the Mary and Susan. Bream will soon retreat to escape the building heat, but for now, they remain a great target for ultra-light tackle and tiny lures of many kinds. Go find some 'fuzzy' bottom or a rock bar or gravel bank and have some fun.
Try Kingfisher Bay Resort's jetty if you wish. Gathered baitfish have drawn plenty of tailor recently, and a few mackerel have been showing up at times too. Spotting flatties lurking near the jetty is a way to pass the time between bites, and once located, they can be targeted with a live bait, a vibe or a softie. Tiger squid have been a fairly regular feature of catches over there lately, so again; ensure you have a jig handy, if not rigged and ready.
Much effort will be focussed on barra and salmon down the straits in coming weeks. Not that far into the future, mangrove jacks will be active enough to warrant the extra effort too. Vibing the right country can see you hooking both barra and salmon, as well as jewies, cod and flathead. Snag-bashing is more fun for many of us, whilst trollers aren't left out at times such as these either. If there was one downside to trolling the ledges and drop-offs of the straits with deep divers, then it has to be the consistent hook-ups on estuary cod. That might sound strange to some folks, but when targeting 'better' fish, your downtime fighting and releasing cod becomes quite frustrating.
Winter whiting fishos seem to be scoring a fuss-free feed fairly regularly of late. No-one is bitching about small fish or a lack of fish, so all must be going well. Schools have been found just out from our town beaches lately, as well as down Woody Island way and somewhere off Gatakers Bay. The grounds down the straits will be popular this month, before the fish move on and folks lose interest.
Springtime pelagics throughout the bay
After a belated start, the school mackerel season is finally under way. Schools of mackerel can be found in the usual haunts, across 'the banks' from the Fairway to Coongul. The Simpon arti, the Outer Banks, and ledges closer to Fraser Island have all produced schoolies this week. There is bound to be plenty off the Burrum coast too, and mobile schools within our shipping channels.
Tuna feeding deep in the water column around bait schools in the central bay and Platypus Bay are still a thing, but not in any serious numbers. You are more likely to encounter large cobia or a few spaniards to be honest, so be ready for a battle either way.
Trevally make up for a lack of action from other pelagics at this time of year. You can find plenty of quite large golden trevally doing laps around prominent inshore structures such as various artificial reefs and ledges. Basically, anywhere you might have otherwise looked for inshore snapper, you might find the goldies. Smaller models are once again common on the flats around the bay islands and over along Fraser, where the odd pod of larger fish can also be sight-fished.
Queenfish are bound to create the usual excitement over the darks. Schools up the island are just one option, as they are also found around the bay islands and down the straits further. Giant herring share the same waters and feeding tactics, and demand the same respect handling-wise as the queenies. Both species fight to the death, so subdue them quickly if you can and send them on their way after a happy snap.
No word of marlin as yet, and no time to investigate migrations to our north at this stage. This set of darks will undoubtedly trigger a little effort from a couple of intrepid locals; always keen to get in and find a fish before the crowds descend in October. Even if you don't make a concerted effort this week (or month), then at least have a suitable outfit rigged and ready should you accidentally trip over a marlin. The next fish caught might be from live baits fished down the water column targeting other species, so be ready for that one if you are so lucky.
Northerlies and whales play havoc with Reef Fishos
Options to head up the bay or beyond can be limited by northerly winds in spring, so make the most of alternative breezes and go when you can. Our snapper fishery inshore certainly hasn't impressed anyone this season, and has old hands like yours truly quite worried. Notwithstanding, there are still snapper schools throughout the bay, and the September darks are a great time to target them.
The reefs and masses of aggregated baitfish in Platypus Bay are drawcards for snapper schools. Evening sessions just about guarantee action on the right reef if the bait is there, and from all reports, there is no shortage of bait up the island. The 25 Fathom Hole is another prime snapper hotspot for this set of darks, and offers nighttime bait fishing or very simple and productive lure fishing options during daylight.
The same goes for the Gutters. Work the fringes with appropriately-weighted softies or jigs and you should find snapper. Chances are you will find vastly more trevally, so learn to differentiate between the species on your sounder or prime time will be wasted on the trevors. Focus on the tide turns with heavier tackle and the usual prawn imitation softies and a feed of coral trout will return home with you from the Gutters (sharks permitting). A mix of other reefies, lead by grassy sweetlip, cod and venus tuskfish will likely satisfy bait fishos that aren't too fussy. Otherwise, its extra effort and extra miles to get amongst the reds and bigger scarlets etc.
Staying within 10 miles of the harbour has paid dividends for a few crews lately. Some found sweeties galore and a few cod and goldies for their efforts, without any attention from the sharks. All the while, other crews fishing virtually the same inshore reef systems have been plagued by sharks and had to move on. Try for snapper this week at the likes of the Roy Rufus, the Simpon, Moon or the 8 Mile and see how you go. If the sharks aren't there, and the snapper are, then happy days.
Our whale watching fleet has probably burned less fuel than ever this season, whilst still enjoying the best whale-watching season on record. Anyone that has been out on the bay has commented on the insane number of humpbacks in our bay waters this year. Incredible sights and sounds, and just a little trepidation for those skippers easily unnerved by these mighty giants.
Incidents of boat strike etc are obviously going to increase with extra whales and extra humans. A mate relayed his story of bedding down off Wathumba at 10pm one night recently, only to have his boat take off at a rate of knots. A whale had temporarily become entangled in his anchor rope, but thankfully, it managed to break free. In addition, a shop regular showed pictures of the sides of his boat after a whale casually pec-slapped him. That encounter will cost $4,000 for a new paint job, but could have been a lot worse.
Then we see news of that poor mother humpback dragging a net just this week - which we hope can be found and freed very soon. Obviously, let the authorities know if you spot that whale, or others impacted in any similar way. Pros limit their netting activity because of the whales, and even the crabbers have to take remedial action or remove their gear from our waters due to the unacceptable risk of entanglement. Take extra care while we enjoy the humpbacks' annual visit, and don't be complacent, as they have been spotted mere hundreds of metres from shore at Pt Vernon again this week.
Fraser Island's tailor are getting bigger
Consistent catches of better-quality tailor is the word from Fraser Island's surf scene this week. There are still schools of choppers in numbers here and there, but the run of bigger greenbacks has started to arrive. Tailor to almost 70cm have been reported this past week, impressing their captors somewhat.
Much of the action has been centred around the Maheno, Dundaburra and Yidney Rocks areas apparently. Good tailor fishing has also been enjoyed north of the headlands, up around Ngkala Rocks. A few jewfish have been dragged up onto the sand after dark, as have a few sharks. Dart are turning up after the tailor bite has subdued in some gutters, offering an arguably much tastier addition to the seafood banquet.
Fraser is set to impress this school holidays, even if the traffic gets a bit hectic. So many tailor and dart will keep visitors busy, and whiting will be highly sought after on the bigger tides. This new moon should see another good bite from all of the above, plus any tarwhine, bream and flathead lurking around the rock-strewn gutters.
Woodgate Beach Hotel hosts Annual Fishing Classic this weekend
It's on-again folks. The annual Woodgate Beach Hotel Fishing Classic will see Woodgate come to life as an expected 850 entrants descend on the cool little holiday village this weekend. Kicking off today, this year's classic should be a great one. The weather isn't perfect, with a bit of northerly in the mix, but the winds are generally light enough to enable larger boats to get out wide, and the local estuaries will cater for those that can't.
Masses of prizes, activities for the kids, and entertainment galore will ensure all who attend this event an absolutely fantastic time. Many fishing crews and families have made an annual pilgrimage to this event, drawn back by the great time they had the year before. No doubt there will be plenty of refreshing drinks enjoyed as part of the overall atmosphere of a pub-run fishing comp.
The list of eligible species for weigh-in seems longer than ever, with a wide variety of reef fish, pelagics, beach and estuarine species all qualifying for prizes on the leader board. For more info on what to target, simply google the event and suss it out here. All the rules and the expansive itinerary of activities is well-documented. This fishing comp is not one to miss, but due to good management of available resources, the entry numbers are capped. Good luck to all who enter - you are in for a great time!
And, as if that comp wasn't enough for the school holidays, then its Toogoom Fishing Club's turn the following weekend. This is another great little comp; family-based and focussed, that will see the kids have a great time and hopefully catch some prize-worthy fish. Mark the calendar for the 26th - 28th September and be there for the fun and games. See the club's website for details.
Share the love with the Hervey Bay Amateur Fishing Club and their annual Junior Whiting Fishing Comp held next Saturday the 27th too if you can. Club members are proud to offer this informative and fun event to the local and visiting kids keen to get amongst the whiting along our town foreshores. A few hours fishing, with on-hand tuition and plenty of prizes up for grabs, will ensure the kids have a great time. Suss it out here
And, while we are talking fishing comps, we might as well mention the very popular Boonooroo Family Fishing Comp scheduled for the 3rd - 5th October at - you guessed it - Boonooroo. Again, competitor numbers are capped for this comp to keep it manageable, but that does nothing to detract from the fabulous time we hear everyone has each year. If you enjoy a good comp, and rate yourself or your kin as gun straits fishos, then go prove your worth and get amongst the prize pool of yet another well-run fishing comp for our area. Who said the kids would get bored these school holidays?!