Fisho's Weekly Fishing Report – 17th October 2025
by Fisho's Tackle World Hervey Bay 17 Oct 15:35 UTC
17 October 2025
Saltwater Playground charter clients get to catch some spectacular sports fish. Few more photogenic than big diamond trevally like this one © Fisho's Tackle World Hervey Bay
Varying breezes as new moon approaches
With another week of pleasant and quite typical spring weather in the rear-view mirror, we can look forward to more of the same this week. The weekend looks like it has the weather boffins confused, as popular weather sites conflict with the word from the BOM.
Assuming the Bureau of Maybeology has it right, then today's light easterly will tend more north-easterly and peak at less than 15 knots later this afternoon, before easing again overnight. Saturday's forecast is most questionable, but they suggest a light and variable breeze early, before tending northerly or north-easterly to 15 knots early afternoon.
A subtle 15-20 knot south-easterly change is scheduled for mid-morning Sunday, that should maintain that strength for the remainder of the day. A shower is possible, albeit fairly insignificant. Come Monday, lighter onshore easterlies of 10-15 knots will set the scene for a productive couple of days on the water, before another burst of breeze arrives late Wednesday. Given such conflict in weather predictions at this time, please monitor the latest before venturing onto the water, as the weather gurus are bound to alter their forecasts in coming days.
They cannot alter the timing of the moon or tides though, so we can at least rely on that data. Building tides at present will crescendo with the coming of the new moon next Tuesday. Make the most of the bigger making tides if you can as they are highly productive for many species. The peak tides over this set of 'darks' aren't huge either, ranging from lows of 0.65m to highs of just over 3.5m, so easily-managed tidal flow with the same bite triggers as the bigger 'springs'.
Time to catch Fraser's biggest tailor
Without specific reports from returning fishos this week, it is still worth mentioning the surf fishing scene on Fraser. Word of larger greenback tailor has been doing the rounds, as this time of year brings out the gun surf fishos keen to chase the biggest and best of Fraser's tailor.
Whilst a humble gang-rigged pillie will catch them, a garfish or a strip bait of bonito has been proven to be more attractive to larger greenbacks over the years. A fillet from a lesser tailor is also a reasonably good bait for big greenbacks and can have the added bonus of attracting jewfish after dark.
Stick-baiting and spinning with metals are other fantastic big tailor tactics, particularly for those wandering the rock platforms of the headlands now that they are open to fishing. Deeper gutters alive with baitfish and choppers on the job also attract larger fish. They will typically be fussier, hence the need to resort to the abovementioned baits and lures.
Word of jewfish being caught from rock-strewn gutters is also doing the rounds. The ultra-dark nights around the new moon will have these bigger scent-sensitive predators on the chew. Whiting are also a good target species on lighter rods over the new moon period, favouring beach-caught worms or pippies as usual. Fish those pippies in gutters containing rocks and you might also end up catching tarwhine which are also biting well lately.
Whiting and mackerel keep pier fishos entertained
Making tides saw a return of loose schools of broad-barred mackerel to Urangan Pier waters in recent days. Better-sized broadies on average than in recent weeks, with fish to 6-7kg mostly. Flasha spoons and gang-rigged live baits have been their undoing (as usual), and there is certainly no shortage of herring beneath the pier at present.
School mackerel have been less consistent, but they still made an appearance from time to time this week. Things got exciting for the odd lucky fisho when they were on the spot when queenfish moved in for a feed. Not many were caught, but those that were created plenty of excitement amongst onlookers.
Those folks avoiding the long walk, and sporting light finesse tackle, took on the whiting from the beach end of the pier. Whiting of reasonable size have been caught; some in the daytime, and a better class of fish at night. We would expect even better catches as the new moon draws nearer, yet this spring's run of whiting hasn't read the text book it seems.
Try the last couple of hours of the rising tide and the first of the ebb at the beach end of the pier, or head for the groynes or a stretch of Shelley Beach if you prefer. You should be able to score a handy feed of whiting, if not a bucketful. Take the kids along, and pack some floats and tiny hooks as well, as garfish are also on the cards from the elevated platforms too.
Target grunter from our town beaches over this set of darks and you might be one of the fishos bragging next week. There is a very good class of grunter on offer, and they are a reasonably easy fish to target. Some of you might continue to fish baits, whilst others tend towards small prawn imitation softies. Whether it ever gets traction is yet to be seen, but there is also the option of casting "shore-jigs" such as the tiny Ocean's Legacy jigs we stock, which the grunter just happen to love. Another potential string to the bow of thinking anglers willing to experiment.
New moon tides favour shallow reef fishos
Back when quality coral trout lurking amongst our shallow reefs vastly out-numbered those pursuing them, yours truly used to target them over the spring new moons with great consistency. Large fish too, rarely encountered these days, that would lighten your lure collection significantly and test you time and time again on hook-up. Those days might be long gone, and the average fish more barely-legal than barely-manageable, but the key bite periods remain the same.
Get out of the cot pre-dawn and have your lures tuned and ready to troll or cast with the first light (before the sun rises). Coral trout do not feed at night, so they are quite hungry and aggressive come sun-up. The bigger tides bring them tucker and make their charges at prey all the more efficient, so they don't miss this opportunity to feed. Nor should you - miss the opportunity to catch them, that is.
Hang on to your rod whilst trolling your new favourite diving lure, and ensure your drag is set sufficiently to handle any better fish that come along. Boost your treble hooks if you haven't done so already, and make sure your lures are tracking dead straight. A couple of hours trolling should see you catch at least a couple of keepers, and maybe some bycatch. That might include estuary cod, or just small stripies or moses perch, but it might also include grunter or mackerel.
Gatakers Bay, Pt Vernon and the Pialba fringing reefs are ultra-popular for shallow reef trolling tactics, as are the reefs fringing the bay islands. Try some of the shallower ledges fronting Fraser's western shoreline to avoid competition if you prefer. You are bound to encounter more estuary cod than elsewhere, but are still in with a chance at a few trout.
Sharks making life tough for inshore reef fishos
Catching a feed of reef fish this time of year without venturing too far would be easy if it wasn't for the dreaded sharks. Word is, the noahs are turning up regularly (or have taken up residency) on many of our inshore hotspots. Not everywhere, just many places. If there are good numbers of sweetlip, squire and other fish on site, then chances are the noahs aren't far away.
Try the shallow reefs pre-dawn or dusk and beyond for sweeties if the deeper reefs are too sharky. Baits of squid, banana prawns and hardy heads are as good as any for sweeties, but they aren't overly fussy and will take many cut baits and whole or partial baitfish alternatives. Fish your baits hard to the bottom, with enough lead to contend with the current via small releases of line as opposed to anchoring your baits with too much lead. The bigger sweeties will respond to the better presentations, as will any squire remaining in the area.
Blackall bycatch grows with warming waters, and your chances of hooking coral trout and cod grows too. Timing your assaults on the latter around tide turns is paramount on larger tides, and you can do so with tea-bagged plastics or with live baits. As always, respect our fish and keep on the move should you be found by the sharks.
Mackerel on the move inshore
Pelagic species are, by nature, highly mobile. This goes for mackerel as well as tuna and trevally, and all three genera are proving to be highly mobile of late. School mackerel have been consistent for a brief period, in good numbers here and there, then seem to disappear overnight. Latest reports still point towards the western bay and the reefs from Woodgate to Pt Vernon, though the Fairway and the Outer Banks remain worthy of some effort.
Schoolies can still be found at various reef sites scattered across the bay. Schools of herring and/or yakkas being the drawcard that will ensure they linger for a period. No-one seems to be bragging about massive numbers, but the class of schoolie being caught seems to be impressing. Large fish in smaller numbers trumps small fish in bigger numbers surely.
Broadies are on the move as well, turning up along ledges inshore and occasionally around our beacons. Broadies can be found down the straits and a few might even make another raid on our river mouths when the new moon tides peak. No word of inshore spaniards at present, so you might need to head for the northern bay or beyond if you are keen to mix it with them. Stray spotties are randomly appearing fairly close inshore, but in small numbers that disappear as quickly as they appear. Big spotties, but very few of them at present (as should be the case).
Queenfish and trevally won't be hard to find this week. Look for queenies around the usual current lines and eddies spinning off the bay islands, along Fraser's deeper bait-laden ledges, or up the island on shipwrecks. Queenies, small GTs and golden trevally can be found feeding with the rising and early ebbing tide over our vast flats, whilst trevally of various species remain a constant off Wathumba and out wider at the Gutters.
The race for Hervey Bay Marlin is on!
Best estimates suggest that maybe a dozen baby black marlin have been landed in Hervey Bay waters since they showed up recently. Small numbers are being raised daily at this time, but not everyone is staying connected. This will always be the case, as few fish share the capacity to throw hooks like billfish do, so make the effort to ensure your hook-ups are good ones by paying attention to detail when rigging.
Ultra-sharp hooks are a must, and hooks should always be checked (and re-sharpened if necessary) after each encounter. Avail of our Fisho's Custom Semi-stiff SL12 rigs for attaching to the appropriate-sized skirts and you are already a step ahead. Set them in a spread behind a teaser set-up consisting of a daisy chain and a bird. We've gone to a lot of trouble to make marlin fishing easy for all-comers, so avail of our pre-fab teaser lines and seek advice on tackle, terminals and spread positions before heading out there blind if this game fishing caper is all new to you.
This will be a very busy week on the bay as weather windows offer access to the marlin grounds of the north-eastern bay. Rooneys south to Wathumba has been central to all of the action to date, though one would expect baby blacks to be cruising the waters north of Rooneys too. Northerly winds have certainly restricted how far skippers of smaller vessels have been keen to punch, so look out marlin further north when the winds ease.
So far, this inshore marlin season is already shaping up to be vastly better than last year (the worst on record perhaps). Coming weeks will be very telling, as more fish are expected to wander our way on their south-bound migration. The arrival of huge schools of small spotted mackerel and tuna next month will only serve to enhance the billfish fishery, adding to the plethora of prey the blacks can hunt beyond the current crop of flying fish and yakkas.
Keep in mind that the 2025 Garmin Hervey Bay Game Fishing Club Classic tournament is scheduled for 31st October - 2nd November. With over $60,000 in prizes, this year's event should draw a crowd of keen game fishos from all over the district. Many will fish heavy tackle offshore, whilst some will pit their skills against the non-competing crowds inshore on light tackle. All-in-all, it should be a terrific tournament - so long as the weather gods are in a good mood.
Raging current prevails offshore
Game fishos sporting heavy tackle have been active along our continental shelf in recent weeks. Blue marlin have been caught, along with bycatch of yellowfin tuna in the 20-40 kilo range. Expect effort to increase as this fishery really hits its straps in coming weeks and more marlin from the black and striped clans turn up to join the blues.
Expect more bycatch in the form of mahi mahi, wahoo and more tuna along the shelf line, and maybe numbers of small blacks in shallower at the 'zero mile' or up off the 13 Mile. Giant trevally and spanish mackerel remain targets for topwater fishos willing to target them over the shoal country on the biggest tides. All the while, cobia are holding station around offshore shipwrecks and similar prominent sites in the far northern bay.
Only one sailfish has been landed that we have heard of, and that fish fell to a charter client in Hervey Bay waters. Are we unable to repeat the efforts of renowned charter game vessel "Obsession" from the past that set the world afire with crazy numbers of sails caught feeding as veritable wolf packs off the top end of the bar so many years ago? Longer term local game fishos have history catching sails within the bay and over the bar in the past, yet sailfish seem to have dropped off the radar in recent years. Lack of effort at the right time, or a lack of fish turning up these days? Maybe the gun game fishos competing in the upcoming comp can turn them on if there are any out there.
Coral reef fin fish closure looms near
It's been all about pelagics, with less focus on reef fishing offshore east of Breaksea Spit of late. You can thank the raging East Australian Current for that. Some days it has been roaring at 4 knots or more apparently, negating the option of bottom-bashing for just about everyone. Tune into the BOM SST Charts, Waverider Buoy data and whatever else you can access to seek opportunities to fish lesser currents in the future. Until then, get your troll on, or go throw some stickies and poppers at some big nasty topwater tragics.
Add to this, the fact that the 2025 Coral Reef Fin Fish Closure comes into effect this Saturday 18th to Wednesday 22th October inclusive, and reef fishing is basically a non-event north of 24 degrees50'. You can target and keep species regulated by the Coral Reef Fin Fish Plan south of that latitude, but do not be tempted to carry them on board north of that latitude.
Keep in mind, that the next Coral Reef Fin Fish Closure will be November 17th to 21st. Don't go planning reef fishing or deep dropping trips during that period, and forget about a run up the Bruce to fish the GBR between those dates. Of course, you can still target all species not regulated by the CRFFP (such as all other tidal species and pelagics), but long hauls to waters alive with Coral Reef Fin Fish would seem pointless as few consider them catch and release candidates. Let the fish do their thing and spawn and seek alternative targets.
Local Barramundi more popular than ever
It is getting busier on the Mary/Susan River system and on the Burrum system as more and more keen fishos look to emulate others that have been catching quality barramundi. The Mary still offers the best chance at the true trophy fish, yet the Burrum is giving up some impressive barra too. Both rivers will cop a hiding over the coming fortnight as the annual barramundi closure looms nearer. You have until the end of the month, so don't waste your opportunities.
The Mary is still failing to impress in the threadfin salmon stakes apparently. We should be fishing big schools of large threadies right now, yet alas, they remain hard to find. Sure, there are good threadies scattered throughout the river, but finding big schools has been a challenge. Perhaps put it down to yet another fishery coming online late this year. There have been a few others documented.
The Burrum was threatened with an invasion of 'stringy snot weed' courtesy of northerly winds a week ago. It was impacting the lower reaches and seemingly had made its way quite a way upstream. Thankfully, the weed issue has abated, leaving the majority of the river very much fishable. Lucky - as at one point there, even the crabbers were having their pots effected and you wouldn't let your cast net loose in that crap.
Anyway, happy days for Burrum fishos once again. They can target barra, jacks, a few threadies and blues, and even mix it with flathead, grunter, whiting and bream over the bigger tides. Quality grunter are particularly sought-after fish that locals lose sleep over as they settle in on favourite sandbanks and nearby channels into the evening. So too, the whiting fishos and perhaps the odd bream fan.
Mud crabbers will likely do it tough for a couple of months. Muddies have retreated to their backwater burrows and it is only those putting in extra effort that go the extra distance that will be rewarded. Sand crabbers on the other hand are once again in the game, with word of sandies re-appearing out the front beyond the Burrum. Extraordinary numbers of whales in the area made sand crabbing foolhardy or at least risky (for them and your gear), but they are a diminishing risk week by week.
2025 Monduran Family Fishing Comp
The Tackle World Bundaberg Lake Monduran Family Fishing Competition is on this weekend. It will be incredibly busy both on the lake and at the boat ramps, so probably not a good weekend for a visit if you are not a competing angler. They should fare very well this comp, as the barra have been biting well, and have been responding to a wide range of techniques. No doubt we will hear all about it next week.
Good luck to all the Fisho's Tackle World customers who have geared up for the comp. You've got all the best lures - now you just have to find barra that aren't too spooked and put them to work.