CLARKIE’S GC FISHING – Crabbing for Christmas
Christmas Fishing Update: Spotted Mackerel, Whiting, and Crabbing Highlights
We’ve enjoyed favorable weather leading up to Christmas, offering excellent fishing conditions for enthusiasts looking to stock up on fresh seafood. As we approach the weekend, a mix of light to moderate southerly winds and occasional showers is expected, with a shift to northerly winds on Sunday. Please note the increased activity in waterways during the Christmas break, and be sure to check the latest weather forecast before heading out.
Offshore Fishing Highlights
Spotted Mackerel Bounty: For offshore anglers, the Christmas break brings exciting news as good numbers of Spotted Mackerel have made an appearance. Anglers have reported successful catches from Mermaid Reef, Palm Beach Reef, the Gravel Patch, Jumpinpin area, bait grounds, and the 18 fathom reef off the Gold Coast. To maximize your chances, keep an eye out for bait signals on the sounder, splashing on the water’s surface, and birds diving into the water—a clear indication of predators in the area. Anchoring over a good show and employing a cube burley trail with WA Pilchard or live Yakka can entice a bite. Casting a 40 to 60-gram metal slug while waiting for bites can also prove effective.
Inshore Fishing Variety
Whiting Galore: Whiting fishing has been particularly successful this summer, making them a delightful addition to Christmas menus. Consider using live bait such as Bloodworms, Beachworms, and yabbies for optimal results. A light outfit with a 7 to 9ft rod, spooled with 6 to 9lb mono, and a 6lb fluorocarbon trace is ideal. Key locations to try include the Tweed River, Tallebudgera Creek, Currumbin Creek, Nerang River, Wave Break Island, Crab Island, Coomera River, Pimpama River, Jacobs Well Shoals, Cabbage Tree Point, Bedrooms, Tiger Mullet Channel, and the Logan River.
Crabbing Success for Christmas Feasts
For those seeking a feast of fresh crabs for Christmas, crabbing has been promising. Larger tides have stirred up Mud Crabs in the Tweed River, Broadwater, and Jumpinpin waterways. To maximize your crabbing success, set pots in various depths and change baits regularly. Setting pots late in the afternoon and retrieving them early in the morning can help avoid interference from increased waterway traffic. For Sand Crabs, target main channels, varying depths, edges of sandbanks, and weed patches, using Mullet and Fish Frames as effective baits.
As we approach Christmas, seize the opportunity to reel in Spotted Mackerel offshore, land Whiting in inshore areas, and enjoy a successful crabbing venture for a festive seafood feast. Stay safe on the water and have a fantastic Christmas break!
Quotes from the Boats
Brad from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports
“It was another extremely hot week on the water with early morning starts ensuring that we finished before the peak of the midday heat. The fishing I must say was pretty tough with the water temperature being very warm and averaging around 28 to 29 degrees. The barometer also crashed which also adds to the fish not wanting to feed as freely. The best results this week came from focusing on jigging in the deep holes in the Tweed River. Our sounders read the surface temperature of the water and the water on the bottom of the deep holes is a bit cooler. The species caught this week were Flatties, Whiting, Bream and a couple of small School Jew.“
Clint from Brad Smith Fishing Charters/Gold Coast River Charters reports
“Some tough fishing this week too with the river getting hot temperatures and low air pressure persisting. The Sand Whiting were the mainstay with some quality ones up to 41cm caught in the Nerang River on worms and Samaki Redic 50 lures, and on yabbies in the Broadwater. There are surprising numbers of Arrow Squid around still, and not bad size. Unusual for this time of year but they were a welcome bycatch while we were chasing Winter Whiting and Flathead in the deeper channels of the Broadwater using blade lures. The crabbing has dropped off around here lately, with less Blue Swimmers and mostly undersize and female Mud Crabs. More rain from storms and the next full moon lead up should trigger more activity. The big tides typical around Christmas time drop off later this week, and low tides get later into the morning. This is what I like when targeting Whiting and Flathead around the seaway area.“
Gavin from Sea Probe Fishing Charters reports
“With strong currents still around out wide we have been fishing the closer grounds for Silver Jew, Cobia, Snapper and Trag Jew, but still venturing out and chasing Mahi Mahi on the fads.”
LINKS & INFO
If you have any great catches or photos you would like to share, please email us and let us know how you went. mail@coomerahouseboats.com.au.
Stay up to date with all fishing regulations in Queensland https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries
Hire a tinnie with your Coomera Houseboat hire to maximise your fishing range on the water: http://www.coomerahouseboats.com.au/our-fleet-type/hire-tinnies/
Seabreeze is a great website to access a local forecast http://www.seabreeze.com.au/graphs/
Good luck with the Fishing. Brett
CLARKIE’S GC FISHING – A Challenging Week on the Gold Coast
CLARKIE’S GC FISHING – A Challenging Week on the Gold Coast 19/10/2023 Posted by: BrettC No Comments Gold Coast Fishing: A Challenging Week on the Gold and Tweed Coasts The past week has been a tough one for anglers on the Gold and Tweed Coasts, with relentless south winds making fishing conditions less than ideal....
