Fishing Report

It has been a wet and wild week along the Gold and Tweed coasts, with challenging fishing conditions due to strong southerly winds and rain. However, as we look forward to the weekend, the highly anticipated King of The Pin Fishing Competition is set to kick off from Friday 9th to Sunday 11th of June. The weekend is expected to bring a return of light to moderate south-easterly winds with a possibility of a shower on Sunday. Saturday appears to be the most favourable day for fishing. Let’s now explore the species that have been active this week and the recommended strategies for targeting them.

For more information on recommended fishing spots and target species for the competition, read on

Targeting Bread and Butter Species

For anglers participating in the King on the Pin competition and aiming for bread and butter species like Flathead, Bream, and Whiting, the forecasted weather conditions for the weekend make it an excellent choice. Here are some recommended spots to target Bream, considering protection from southerly winds: Wave Break Island, Gold Coast Seaway, Coomera River, Pimpama River, Jacobs Well, Cabbage Tree Point, Whalleys Gutter, Tiger Mullet Channel, Eden Island, Crusoe Island, and the Logan River. Recommended bait options for Bream include Mullet Guts, Mullet Fillet, Bonito Fillet, Prawns, live Herring, and Yabbies. It’s worth noting that fishing at night-time tends to yield larger, higher-quality fish, while daytime fishing might attract smaller ones.

Improved Flathead Fishing

As the weather cools off, the Flathead fishing has been improving each week. Although fishing might be quieter early in the morning, the bite intensifies as the sun warms up the water. Finding areas with bait schools is crucial for success, and trolling hard body lures can help cover ground while monitoring the sounder for bait activity. Once a fish is caught using hard body lures, casting soft plastics and vibes in that area can be effective, as Flathead tend to school up, with male fish often accompanying larger females. Recommended areas for targeting Flathead include the Nerang River, Wavebreak Island, Paradise Point, Coomera River, Pimpama River, Tipplers Passage, Jacobs Well, Tiger Mullet Channel, Crusoe Island, Canaipa Passage, and Russell Island. While lures are often preferred, drifting dead or live baits can also be effective, albeit slower in covering ground.

Whiting Fishing Tips

Over the past couple of weeks, some good-sized Whiting have been caught, and finding spots protected from the wind can lead to a successful catch. Unlike summer months, Whiting activity tends to be better during the daytime in winter. Anchoring up on the edge of a sandbank tucked away from the wind allows for effective targeting of both shallow and deeper waters, until locating the feeding school of fish. Recommended areas to try for Whiting are the Nerang River, Coomera River, Pimpama River, Jacobs Well, Tiger Mullet Channel, Cabbage Tree Point, and the Logan River. Live Blood worms, Beach worms, and Yabbies are the best bait options.

Inshore Tailor Fishing

Chasing Tailor inshore can be a rewarding option, especially if the surf beach gutters are impacted by large swells. The Jumpinpin Bar mouth through to Crusoe Island, Kalinga Bank, and the Gold Coast Seaway entrance north towards Currigee are recommended spots to explore over the weekend.

Quotes from  the Boats

Brad from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

“On the Tweed River here we are again at the end of another week and crikey it seems to have gone quickly. As I predicted in last week’s report about the weather combined with good tides and matched with a favourable barometer over 1020 the planets aligned. If i worked the areas holding good bait schools on the bottom you could not keep a lure in the water without a strike. In fact, multiple double hook-ups were the norm with Flatties of all sizes coming onto the deck of the boat. The interesting thing about this week was that there were very few Bream and we caught a number of Giant Trevally which normally go quiet through our winter month. Apart from some chilly starts in the mornings as expected at this time of the year the Tweed is producing well and as always, I look forward to getting on the water next week.”

Clint from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

“We had some hot fishing this week with up to 50 Flathead boated some days, and up to 50 Arrow Squid daily too and quite a few cuttlefish. The action did slow later in the week after the commercial netters worked the banks. Zman soft plastics slow hopped around the channel edges on run out tides got lots of Flathead bites with most fish measuring 40 to 65cm. The Arrow Squid numbers did taper off too as the week went on. This seems to be usual around the full moon period. Apart from that we caught lots of good size Flounder, Winter Whiting, and some Yakka on Ecogear ZX40’s.”

Gavin from Sea Probe Fishing Charters reports:

“Good catches of Silver Jew and Cobia along the 24 fathom line using soft plastics and live bait, look for the bait balls and working them. Also, Snapper, Tuskies and still some Dolphin Fish around the fads but definitely starting to slow up with the water cooling down. On the 50s and 36s some big King Fish, Snapper, Pearlies and also Trag Jew have been caught around to the full moon.”

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