“CLARKIES” GOLD COAST FISHING REPORT 6 April 2023

6 April, 202318 July, 2023in Fishing, News by admin

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Fishing Report

Marissa out fished the boys and caught some nice Flathead on a charter with Brad Smith Fishing Charters on the Tweed River

Hi Everyone, hope you are all having a nice week, the year seems to be flying by fast with school holidays in full swing and Easter upon us. The weather has been pretty average to start school holidays with strong winds from both the south and north, making conditions hard for fishing on the Gold and Tweed Coasts. At the time of writing my report Good Friday was looking like the pick of the days for getting out and catching some fresh seafood. Easter Sunday is not looking too bad when it comes to wind, with some light to moderate unseasonal westerly winds on the forecast. No rain around at this stage, it is looking pretty dry if you are planning to spend Easter outdoors fishing, camping or boating.

I hope everyone has a great and safe Easter break. Let’s check out what’s been on the bite this week.

Easter School Holidays

Brett with a nice sized Big Eye Trevally caught and released fishing bait schools in the Broadwater_

This year seems to be flying by fast with Easter School Holidays in full swing this week. Holidays are always a good time to get the kids motivated and out of the house and have a crack at catching a fish. It’s great to see kids out having a go off the local jetties and beaches. If you are new to fishing and keen to get the kids involved, I recommend dropping past and see your local tackle store as they will be more than happy to help you get started from the right gear, bait selection and even a few spots to try your luck with the kids.

Keep it Simple

All you need is a basic light estuary combo with 6 -9lb line, a running sinker rig with a size 3 to 4 sinker, and a size 2 to 4 bait holder hook should do the trick on most species you may find of a local jetty or beach like; Bream, Flathead and Whiting. A few spots to try your luck land based are Tweed River, Currumbin Creek, Tallebudgera Creek, Nerang River, Marine Stadium, Broadwater Parklands, Main Channel near Seaworld, Grand Hotel Jetty, Lands End, Runaway Bay Canal Entrances, Paradise Point Jetty, Coomera River and Jacobs Well. Bream should be around in good numbers, just use a bit of burly if you are fishing off a jetty and drop the line over the side. The fish will be sitting under the jetty using it for shelter. If you cast out a mile you may not do as well. If you have a boat, try having a look around Wavebreak Island, Sovereign Island, Coomera River, Pimpama River, The Never Fails, Jacobs Well, Bedrooms, Tiger Mullet Channel, Crusoe Island, Cabbage Tree Point, Canapia Passage and the Logan river for a feed of Bream, Whiting and Flathead. Kids will have fun pumping yabbies and they make great bait, also try using Prawns, Worms, White Pilchards, Squid or Mullet Fillet.

Muddies

Mud Crabs have been pretty active the past few weeks with some nice feeds being caught. We haven’t had much rain so far this year to flush them out – the big tides seem to have done the trick. Trying further upriver will be worth a look, the Tweed River, Coomera River, Paradise Point, Aldrshots, Pipmpama River, Jacobs Well, Cabbage Tree Point, Logan River and Russell Island will be worth a try. Fresh Mullet, Fish Frames and Raw Chicken make the best baits.

Ash had a good day at Jumpinpin landing a few Flathead on soft plastics

There were plenty of boats out chasing Banana Prawns last weekend with mixed success. If we get a bit more rain (but not too much), it should help to flush them out in better numbers. Some of the Prawns were a pretty decent size (which is a good sign) – being in the right spot at the right time is the key to success. Most of the usual spots are producing Prawns such as Jacobs Well, Cabbage Tree Point, Little Rocky Point, Powerlines, Logan River, Karragarra Island and the Salt Works at Mac Leahy Island. Fingers crossed you can locate the Prawns and get a few good casts in before the crowds arrive. Best to look around a tide change and use the biggest legal sized top pocket net you can successfully cast.

At Sea

Spotted Mackerel were around in big numbers again last weekend with boats having success fishing from Mermaid Reef north to Jumpinpin again finding multiple schools of fish to cast on. They have started to quieten off this week by the sounds of the reports coming in. With the weather not looking too bad over Easter, it may be worth heading out to try your luck. Always make sure you have the most up to date forecast before hitting the water. Most fish were located by keeping a keen eye out for surface action like water splashing and birds diving into the bait schools. There has also been a plenty of Tuna swimming with the Mackerel. Casting metal slugs from 25 to 40 grams has worked well. You can try using a bit of wire when the fish are thick, if a strike is hard to come by just use a plain mono leader for better lure presentation. Fishos also scored a few nice Snapper, Tuskfish, Trag Jew, Moses Perch, Maori Cod and Jewfish on the 18 and 24 fathoms reefs the past week.

The local waterways and boat ramps are always a busy place during peak holiday times, just remember everyone is out to have a good time. Be patient, have fun and be safe during Easter.

Brett with a nice School Jew caught in the Tweed River in a deep hole with Brad Smith Fishing Charters

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. brett@coomerahouseboats.com.au or brett@fishotackle.com.au

Stay up to date with all fishing regulations in Queensland https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries

Fisho Tackle and Coomera Houseboat Holidays now have Hire follow the link to view 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

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“CLARKIES” GOLD COAST FISHING REPORT 31 March 2023

31 March, 202327 June, 2023in Fishing by admin

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Fishing Report

It’s been a mixed bag of weather so far this week on the Gold and Tweed Coasts, with hot days due to Northerly winds at the beginning on the week, and a Southery change coming through bringing with it a cool change with much milder conditions, making spending time on the water much nicer. At the time of writing my report the swell was looking ok for the weekend, but we have a bit of rain on the way by the looks of it. Let’s have a look at some options for the weekend ahead.

Offshore Fishing

Ben White with a good sized Wahoo he landed off the Gold Coast recently.The fishing offshore the past week has been great with some nice catches reported, Ben White (see photo) had a great trip coming up trumps landing a good-sized Wahoo recently. The pelagic action of the Gold Coast has been fantastic the past few weeks and it hasn’t slowed down yet. Wahoo are the speedsters of the ocean and are on many fishos target list. When they first hit the run is electric, flying off at top speed, dumping a heap of line off the reel in seconds. Trolling either metal heads, resin heads or diving lures anywhere from 6 to 12 knots will usually attract a strike if they are in the area. They like good quality clean water and will also hang around fads.

Schools of Spotted Mackerel have been showing in great number again this week, with keen anglers getting out amongst the action and scoring a great feed. Once again, the Mackerel are widespread anywhere from Mermaid Reef north, to the Jumpinpin Bar in depths from 13 fathoms out to 24 fathoms depending where you choose to have a look. Keeping a keen eye on the surface for water splashes from feeding fish, on the sounder for show of fish mainly mid water, and an eye on the sky for birds diving on bait fish pushed to the surface by the predators.

Geoff with a trophy sized Snapper he caught off the Gold Coast last weekend.

You will also find a mixture of Long Tail Tuna, Mac Tuna, Striped Tuna and even a few Yellow Fin Tina feeding with the Mackerel. The best way to target fish when they are feeding on the surface is casting metal slugs 25 to 45 grams depending on the size of bait, also try surface poppers and stick baits. The reefs have also been producing some nice Snapper in close, like the trophy sized one Geoff landed last weekend (see photo). There has been plenty of bait around the 18 to 24 fathoms grounds off the God Coast, have a good look on the sounder when choosing where to fish. Float lining will always produce the better-quality fish as the bait is presented more naturally. You will also find a general mixed bag of Moses Perch, Tusk Fish, Trag Jew, Maori Cod, Silver Jew and few Spanish Mackerel still showing up.

Banana Prawns

A few Banana Prawns have been caught during the week. No big numbers yet, but as the temperature start to ease and we get a bit of rain, they should start to come on in better numbers. The smaller tides last week are also not ideal, they seem to respond better on the bigger tides. The best time to look is an hour before and an hour after a tide change as they tend to pop during this time. Depending on pressure from anglers they can be active for few hours each tide. Try looking in the usual areas like Jacobs Well, Cabbage Tree Points, Little Rocky Point, The Power Lines, Logan River, Redland Channel, Karragarra Island and Macleay Island. A top pocket net is a must, a maximum length of 12ft is allowable and worth getting, as when the net drops it slowly closes making the diameter that reaches the Prawns a lot smaller especially in the deeper water.

George did well catching his first ever Flathead on a charter with Brad Smith Fishing Charters on the Tweed River.

The Broadwater and Jumpinpin was a little slower than normal due to small daytime tides. The fish tend to respond and bite better when there is more tidal flow. The bait schools of whitebait didn’t push up as far in the Broadwater during the week. It’s best to look for the colour change where the clean water meets the dirty water as this area will often produce better fish. There was still some nice Bream, Whiting, Flathead, Tarwhine, Mangrove Jack, Estuary Cod, Tailor and Trevally landed.

QUOTES FROM THE BOATS

Geoff with a trophy sized Snapper he caught off the Gold Coast last weekend.Brad from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

“Here we are again at the end of another week on the Tweed. I have to be honest, I had to work hard again this week to produce some fish, with the water temperature still very high up around the 28-to-30-degree mark, and a fluctuating barometer. But as guides we work hard and keep our composure and trust our experience to get the job done for our valued clients. The key was very similar to last week and that was to fish deep on the bait schools holding in the holes and to cover some water trolling through the channel contours of the river. The best results came from jigging the holes with Ecogear zx 40 and Ecogear breamer vibes, and when it came to trolling the Slam, hard bodied minnow worked very well. The species caught were Flatties, Bream, Big Eye Trevally, Whiting and small School Jewies.”

Clint from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

Gavin from Sea Probe Fishing Charters has been finding some nice Dolphin Fish for his customers of the Gold Coast.

“Fishing in the Broadwater has been steadily improving this week. We are nearly at my favourite months of the year, April to December. There have been tons of small bait fish coming in, a slight drop in water temperature, and a nice bit of rain. It is coming alive big time. The December to March king tides are over until later in the year thankfully! Daily catches have included Sand Whiting, Winter Whiting, Dusky Flathead, Bartail Fathead, Flounder, Tuskfish, Snapper, Tarwhine, Bream, Tailor, Moses Perch and Yakka. MMD soft prawn vibes and Ecogear ZX40’s have been catching the most fish. Best areas have been the deep hole, Southport West channel, Wavebreak West channel, Runaway Bay channel.”

Gavin from Sea Probe Fishing Charters reports:

“There are still lots of Spotted Mackerel schools to target in close It has been excellent this year with the odd Spanish as well – catching them on slugs 15grams to 25 grams, also Dolphin Fish 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. brett@coomerahouseboats.com.au or brett@fishotackle.com.au

Stay up to date with all fishing regulations in Queensland https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries

Fisho Tackle and Coomera Houseboat Holidays now have Hire follow the link to view 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

“CLARKIES” GOLD COAST FISHING REPORT 23 March 2023

23 March, 202327 June, 2023in Fishing by admin

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Fishing Report

Hi Everyone, hope you are all having a nice week, we had some great weather last weekend and to start the week, which was well overdue. The light winds and a small swell give fishos a great opportunity to get out for a fish on the Tweed and Gold Coasts. As the week progresses, the heat has eased a bit with a southerly wind direction. At the time of writing my report, it looks like a few showers will develop and the southerly winds increase over the weekend ahead. Always have the most up to date weather forecast before heading out on the water.

The final Spanish Mackerel Closure for Southeast Queensland ended on the 21/3/2023 giving anglers the green light to chase a feed.

Let’s have a look check out what’s been on the biting this week.

GOLD COAST BROADWATER

Brett with a nice sized Tailor caught in the Broadwater this week.

The Broadwater has been fishing very well this week with many schools of white pilchards moving through the main channels, making for an easy feed for any predators searching for a meal in the area. I headed out on Monday to fish the morning high tide change in the Broadwater, conditions were pretty good with very little wind. Not much weed in the water and a lot less boat traffic to contend with compared to a normal weekend on the Gold Coast. There was plenty of bait showing up on the sounder, which was a great sign, the edges of current lines seemed to be a good spot producing both bait and predators working the bait schools. The bait was mostly mid water, once a school of hungry Tailor or Trevally showed up it didn’t take long to push the bait to the surface and erupt into splashing and surface action, which is always great to see. I was throwing a mixture of metal slugs and soft vibes that were inhaled as soon as they hit the water. Some of the Tailor were extra large greenbacks that put up a great fight and are not too bad to eat as long as you bleed them straight away and get them onto ice. Most of the Trevally landed were Big Eye and some were a good size, I also found a few Brassy Trevally keen to take a lure. When the soft vibe lure made it to the bottom, I also managed to land a few small Grunter, Moses Perch and Bream making for a good few hours on the water. It always pays to keep an eye om the sounder for signs of life, an eye on the sky for bird activity and an eye on the water for any splashes of indicating surface activity and fish to target.

The conditions were great last weekend with light winds and small swell seeing plenty of keen fishos head out offshore in search of a feed. In close from Palm Beach and Mermaid Reef North to the tip of South Stradbroke Spotted Mackerel were around in good numbers with plenty of happy fishos landing a nice feed. Anglers has success by either anchoring up and getting a burly trail going and fishing with a mixture of WA Pilchards and live Yakka’s. Unfortunately, sharks respond to the burly trail and the struggling fish like a dinner bell and managed to tax their fair share of the catch. Crews had better luck following the bait balls and surface bust ups, throwing a mixture of metal slugs, surface walkers and surface poppers getting good results. Hopefully the shark numbers ease over the next week which will make fishing a bit easier and less frustrating.

ON THE BITE

Karen had a good night fishing the Nerang River landing a great feed of quality Whiting with Wayne Young.

Both the 18 and 24 fathoms reefs have been fishing pretty well for a mixed bag of Snapper, Moses Perth, Tusk Fish, Trag Jew, a few Cobia and some top quality Jewfish coming onboard. Best baits are WA Pilchards, whole large Squid, Bonito Fillet, Mullet Fillet and live Yakkas.

The bigger tides this week has given the system a bit of a flush out, with a few nice Mud Crabs having been caught by anyone keen to soak the pots. The Coomera River, Pimpama River, Tipplers Passage, The Never Fails, Tiger Mullet Channel, Jacobs Well, Cabbage Tree Point, Russel Island, Karragarra Island and the Logan River have all produced a feed. Whole Mullet, Fish Frames and raw Chicken pieces all make great bait.

QUOTES FROM THE BOATS

Brad from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

Jan arrived on holiday from Canadian winter to a heatwave here but caught some nice flatties on a charter with Brad Smith Fishing Charters on the Tweed River

“What an extremely hot week it was, especially for the clients that I had today who arrived from Canada. It is not only the land temperature that is hot but each day I have completed my trips around midday, the water temperature on my sounder had climbed to just over 30 degrees. We caught Flathead, Bream, Whiting and small School Jew in the deep holes where I suspect that the water was a bit cooler on the bottom. My tip for the week is get on the water early and fish the deep holes and keep hydrated by drinking lots of water and let’s hope this mini heat wave passes soon.”

Clint from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

“The fishing for me this week has been tough. This time last year we already had massive floods, while this summer has been relatively dry and now hot. That’s Australia! We are approaching cooler months from April onwards, and with that there will be a lot more (and bigger) Flathead, Flounder, Squid, Tailor, Winter Whiting, and many more that I love to target on my charters. This week in the Broadwater there was some ok fishing on the Southern flats for whiting and a few Flathead, while in the channels the better fishing was in the mornings with the run in tide for Flathead, Moses Perch, Tarwhine, Bream. Once the tide ran out the soupy looking hot green water did not produce much. Best bet at the moment is fishing early morning on the high tides, or at night.”

Gavin from Sea Probe Fishing Charters reports:

Gavin from Sea Probe Fishing Charters getting his customers on to some great quality Jew Fish off the Gold Coast

“There has been plenty of Spotted Mackerel still in close what have been excellent this year with the odd Spanish, catching them on slugs from 15grams to 25 grams. A few Dolphin Fish showing up on the fads, but the current is very strong out there. Some cracking quality Jewfish in the closer reefs.”

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. brett@coomerahouseboats.com.au or brett@fishotackle.com.au

Stay up to date with all fishing regulations in Queensland https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries

Fisho Tackle and Coomera Houseboat Holidays now have Hire follow the link to view 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

“CLARKIES” GOLD COAST FISHING REPORT 16 March 2023

16 March, 202318 July, 2023in Fishing, Houseboat Holiday Activities by admin

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Fishing Report

We have seen more hot, dry and windy conditions on both the Gold and Tweed Coats this week making conditions a bit hard at times when chasing a feed.

The Northly winds are not ideal and sometimes turn the fish off biting in some areas. By the weekend we are looking at another Southerly wind change moving through hopefully kicking fishing back into gear.

At the time of writing my report Sunday was looking like the pick of the weekend with lighter winds expected, the swell is tipped to pick up a bit, so be cautious if thinking about heading offshore through the seaway.

Let’s check out what’s been on the biting this week.

Banana Prawns

Reports of a few Banana Prawns being caught around the northern end of the Gold Coast is a welcome sign for those fishos that chase a tasty feed each year. A lack of rain this summer has resulted in a later than normal start to the Prawns showing up around the Gold Coast. Hopefully we will see better numbers as the weather starts to cool off. Last season seemed to go forever but a lot of that can be contributed to an extremely wet 2022.

When thinking about targeting a feed of Prawns a quality top pocket cast net should be one of the most important items on the list. A good net will increase your catch rate when the prawns are on. Bottom pocket nets are best when chasing bait fish or casting the shallows but not ideal for prawns as they take forever to remove your catch from the net. The top pocket nets are designed to be used in water over the depth of the length of the net, when casted the prawns will make their way up towards the top of the nets into a specially designed catch pocket that secures them from escaping and is very easy to unload quickly so you can keep casting. Some good spots to start looking are Jacobs Well, Rudy Maas, Cabbage Tree Point, Powerlines, Salt Works, Logan River, Redland Channel, Russell Island and Macleay Island.

Always keep your eyes peeled for boats casting nets as this is usually a giveaway that they have found Prawns. Keep a keen eye on the sounder for activity mostly hard to the bottom, is saying that when they are thick you can find them mid water and even on the surface if you are lucky. It can be intimidating getting caught up in the middle of 50 to 100 boats all casting and bumping into each other, most fishos know that manners are the key to having a good day.

Offshore Fishing

Depending on the forecast for wind and swell heading offshore might be an option on Sunday. There have still been plenty of schools of Spotty Mackerel mixed in with Tuna and Bonito busting up right along the length of the Gold Coast north to the top of South Stradbroke Island chasing the numerous number of bait schools in the area this week. To locate the schools keep an eye on the sky for birds diving and also an eye on the horizon for water splashing from feeding fish. You can try casting a mixture of different sized lures until you manage to match the size of the bait they are feeding on as it can sometimes be hard to temp them with a larger lure.

Broadwater Fishing

The Broadwater and Jumpinpin have been has been a little slow at times when the Northerly wind has been blowing. At least the winds will tend more Southerly on the weekend. It will be worth a look around for a feed of Whiting, Bream, Flathead and also a few Tailor have been caught again hanging around bait schools. Try fishing around the edges of sandbanks and any deeper holes you can find on the sounder. Wave Break Island, Paradise Point, Aldershots, Jacobs Well, Bedrooms, Tiger Mullet Channel, Crusoe Island and the Logan River are all good areas to have a look. Live Bloodworms, Beachworms, Herring and Yabbies make the best bait. Prawns, White pilchards, WA Pilchards and Blue Baits will also work well on the Flathead, Bream and Tailor.

QUOTES FROM THE BOATS

Brad from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

“This week I decided to move further up the river and take a look around the mid to far upper reaches of the Tweed River. The results were not fantastic, but it is hard to judge any area when the barometric pressure was as low as it was and has been over the last few weeks. But hard work and good techniques combined with good lure choices and patience will always get a result. Speaking of lure choices I tried the new MMD Prawn Vibe this week and I have to say I was impressed with this little lure and will be using them regularly. I used a Spike It pen and painted the underneath part of the head with orange as I am a fan of having orange under most of my lures and spiced it up with some good old Smithys UV prawn Sax scent. The lure with it’s very fine and controlled vibration produced Flatties, Bream, Whiting and School Jew. ”

Clint from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

“This week I continued fishing the deeper channels North of the seaway and we caught a mix of fish including lots of flathead, moses perch, small snapper, flounder, whiting on MMD soft prawn vibes, Zman plastics, yabbies, and whitebait. There has been a lot of bait fish moving into the Broadwater chased by tailor and trevally. It’s so much fun casting lures into surface bust ups and getting that savage strike. The water has cooled a bit from offshore current and could cool more after this weekend with the arrival of some rain. The water has been very clear but this rain won’t do much to change that. Nothing like this time last year when we had big floods. Find the bait, find the fish.”

Gavin from Sea Probe Fishing Charters reports:

“There has been plenty of Spotted Mackerel from Palm Beach Reef north to the Pin Bar trolling and also just using just pilchards and live bait. The 24 fathoms have been producing some nice Jewfish on live baits and plastics. ”

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. brett@coomerahouseboats.com.au or brett@fishotackle.com.au

Stay up to date with all fishing regulations in Queensland https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries

Fisho Tackle and Coomera Houseboat Holidays now have Hire follow the link to view 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

“CLARKIES” GOLD COAST FISHING REPORT 9 March 2023

9 March, 202318 July, 2023in Fishing, Houseboat Holiday Activities by admin

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Fishing Bliss on a Houseboat Hire Holiday and More

As we head towards the weekend the swell was forecast to ease, the wind was also due to ease and tend more E/NE, with some rain also expected to fall. Depending on how much rain we get it might be worth soaking a few crab pots for a feed of Mud Crabs.

It may be worth a look offshore this weekend, at the time of writing the report the swell looks like easing and the wind dropping but a bit of rain on the way, just make sure you check the latest forecast before heading out.

Tuna and Mac

Reports of good catches of Spotted Mackerel are good news for fishos keen to get out and catch a feed. The bait has been pretty well spread out between the bait grounds out to the 24 fathom reef off the seaway the past week or so and this is attracting schools of predators including Spotted Mackerel, Striped Tuna, Mac Tuna and Yellow Tuna sometimes all swimming together making each cast a bit of a lucky dip. Some of the Spotties are a pretty good size and put up a great fight. Keep an eye out for any surface action and birds diving as these are tell-tale signs on predatory fish actively feeding on a bait school. The best way to fish the school is to try to get down-current and let them come to you, if you drive too close or over the school they will spook. Try to match the hatch as close as possible, this means choosing the correct size lure to cast, a mixture of metal slugs, surface walkers, surface poppers and soft plastics. The predators get fixated on the school of bait and will generally not hit a lure that is too big or too small. It is a great visual way to fish and very rewarding to get a surface hook up. If the surface action settles down it is always worth having a drop on the 18 or 24 fathoms reefs for Snapper, Spangled Emperor, Moses Perch, Tusk Fish, Trag Jew, Silver Jew, Maori Cod and Cobia.

Houseboat Fishing

Good quality Whiting like the elbow slapper Eric caught on his houseboat holiday are being caught the past week on live bloodworms, beachworm and yabbies for bait. The rivers continue to produce the best quality fish in the mid 30 to 40cm size range, which are great fun to catch on light tackle. They never give up pulling line all the way to the boat or shore if you are land based. The esplanade of the Broadwater from Paradise Point, Runaway Bay all the way through to Labrador will offer good land-based fishing for a feed of tasty Whiting. If you are fishing land based, I use the same approach as when I’m in a boat, fish a certain length of the bank, if you don’t get a bite or a legal fish after 15 minutes just keep moving along until you find fish actively feeding. Some other good spots to fish are the ever-reliable Nerang River, Wave Break Island, Coomera River, Pimp ama River, Jacobs Well Shoals, Bedrooms, Cabbage Tree Point and the Logan River. Keep the gear as light as possible and a good tip is not strike at the fish when you are getting a bite, just let them hook themselves.

Fishing Structures

The hot weather so far during March has been good for fishos chasing Mangrove Jack on the Tweed and Gold Coast. Once the weather starts to cool down during Autumn, they will tend to go off the bite. Fishing heavy structures during the night (in the past week or so) has seen some very solid fish caught like the one Callum Woodbury managed to land in the Nerang River. Mangrove are dirty fighters and can pull line of a reel at a great rate of knots even if you struggle to pull line off by hand. You must be in go mode all the time when fishing structure like rock bars, rock walls, bridges, jetties, pontoons and fallen trees. If you give them an inch you will be busted off in a second on the structure. Live Mullet, Herring, Silver Biddies, Pike and Winter Whiting are all prime baits. Mullet Fillet and dead Poddy Mullet also make great bait and will usually get a bite if the fish are at home. Try the Tweed River, Currumbin Creek, Tallebudgera Creek, Runaway Bay Canals, Coomera River, Jacobs Well and the Logan River.

QUOTES FROM THE BOATS

Brad from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

“I had a few days off the water this week, but I still put in a couple of days on the water. The barometer was once again very low as it has been for the best part of this month which really makes the bite slow, but with hard work comes success. Deep water jigging proved to be the most successful technique and provided us with a mixture of Flatties, Bream, Grunter, Tarwhine and small School Jew.”

Clint from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

“The fishing this week has again been challenging but as Smithy said, with hard work comes success and we have to grind it out to find fish. I did have some good bite sessions with one day producing a number of legal Flathead using MMD soft prawn vibes on the shallow flats, and other days fishing deeper using the same lures plus yabbies and Ecogear Zx40 blades and catching Jewfish, Trevally, Flathead, Tuskfish, Flounder, Snapper and Winter Whiting.”

Gavin from Sea Probe Fishing Charters reports:

“Mackerel, Stripe Tuna and Yellowfin schools have been great off the coast only a few miles out, spinning and trolling for them have been working well a lot of fun on light tackle. Dolphinfish are starting to show up on the fads again and Wahoo on the 36 and 50 fathom lines.”

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. brett@coomerahouseboats.com.au or brett@fishotackle.com.au

Stay up to date with all fishing regulations in Queensland https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries

Fisho Tackle and Coomera Houseboat Holidays now have Hire follow the link to view 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

“CLARKIES” GOLD COAST FISHING REPORT 2 March 2023

2 March, 202318 July, 2023in Fishing, Houseboat Holiday Activities by admin

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Fishing Report

Hi Everyone. I hope you are all having a nice week. We had a few good weather windows during the week to get out for fish, which was good news whilst the Spanish Mackerel season was open.

Unfortunately, the weather is not looking good for the weekend with the southerly winds picking up on Friday and the swell increasing offshore for the Gold and Tweed Coasts. At the time of writing my report Sunday was looking the best.

Let’s check out what’s been on the bite this week.

Mud Crabs

The rain we had a couple weeks ago seemed to do the trick on the mud crabs around the Gold Coast with some good catches reported. It has been a relatively dry summer compared to normal, we usually rely on heavy rainfall to flush the mud crabs out. The bit of rain we had recently was just enough to stir up the mud crabs and push better numbers out of the creeks to target.

It will be worth soaking the pots if you are heading out for a fish. Some good areas to try are Tallebudgera Creek, Currumbin Creek, Brown Island, Paradise Point, Coomera River, Pimpama River, Aldershots, The Never Fails, Tipplers Passage, Jacobs Well, Tiger Mullet Channel, Cabbage Tree Point, Russell Island and the Logan River. There have also been pretty good hauls of sand crabs from similar areas particularly on the edges of most main channels throughout the Broadwater and Jumpinpin.

Best bait for mud crabs is whole mullet, fish frames and raw chicken pieces. I recommend using a bait bag for best results. The bait bag deters small fish, eels and crabs that get into the crab pots from being able to steal the bait before it’s had a chance to attract the larger crabs. Just make sure you are up to date with all the rules and regulations before targeting a feed.

https://www.qld.gov.au/recreation/activities/boating-fishing/rec-fishing/rules/limits-tidal

If you are going to be leaving your pots out overnight try to set them late in the evening and pick them up at first light to avoid having them checked. When crabbing during the day, I try to stay close by and have a fish in the area so I can keep an eye on the pots.

The Spanish On Pause

We had a couple of weather windows during the week and Ben White took advantage on the nice conditions and managed to score himself a great quality Spanish Mackerel trolling lures around the 24 fathom reef of the Seaway.

Unfortunately those looking at fishing for a Spanish the next close has started on 1/3/2023 and extends to 21/3/2023. Once the closure ends it will be fine to target a feed of Spanish.

https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries/sustainable/legislation/management-changes-for-east-coast-spanish-mackerel

Bottom fishing has been a bit slower the past week, but some lucky fishos have managed to catch a feed of Snapper, Moses Perch, Tusk Fish, Trag Jew, Silver Jew from the closer reefs whilst out wider on the 36 and 50 fathom grounds a few Snapper, Pearl Perch, Yellow Tail Kingfish, Samson and Amberjack have been landed, with live yakkas having produced the better quality fish.

Looks like the wind and swell will be back up over the weekend – always have the latest forecast before deciding to head offshore.

The Broadwater has also been a bit quiet at times, Jason (see photo in report) managed to catch and release his first Jew Fish on a recent trip. It is worth persisting around the sandbank edges and weed beds for a feed of Whiting, Flathead, and Bream, on both lures and baits with live yabbies being the pick.

QUOTES FROM THE BOATS

Brad from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

“The fishing this week was a little slow with the tides and gusty south-easterly winds. We still managed to find a couple of fish by working our lures along the fringes of the river and the odd deep hole that provided some protection from the wind. The species caught were Flatties, Bream, Whiting and a couple of small Big Eye Trevally and Jacks. I am looking forward to next week’s better tides, as well as being excited about trying out MMDs new prawn vibes as they look super cool.”

Clint from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

“Another tough week of fishing with big tides and strong wind. I’m very much looking to smaller tides this coming week to fish the Broadwater. The catch this week included a few Blue Swimmer Crabs, Dusky and Bartail Flathead, Sand and Winter Whiting, Flounder, Squire, Tailor, Tarwhine, using beach worms, Ecogear vibes and MMD soft prawn vibes around Runaway Bay. I used the MMD vibes for the first time and their strike rate was impressive on Flathead. We will be using them a lot.”

Gavin from Sea Probe Fishing Charters reports:

“There have been good catches of Spanish Mackerel in close using live bait and spinning with slugs. Out wider here has also been some goog hauls of Snapper, Pearl Perch and Kingfish. Also, plenty of hard fighting Blue Marlin on the shelf targeted by trolling lures.”

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. brett@coomerahouseboats.com.au or brett@fishotackle.com.au

Stay up to date with all fishing regulations in Queensland https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries

Fisho Tackle and Coomera Houseboat Holidays now have Hire follow the link to view 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

“CLARKIES” GOLD COAST FISHING REPORT 22 February 2023

22 February, 202328 March, 2023in Guides, Houseboat Holiday 101: From Novice to Expert, News by admin

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Fishing Report – 22 February 2023

It was a bit windy during the week with the cooler south-easterly hanging around. The good news at the time of writing my report is the weekend ahead is looking very favourable for fishing with light north easterly winds and a decrease in swell and Sunday being the pick of the days for me so far.

Let’s have a look at what’s been caught on the Gold and Teed Coasts this week.

WHITING

Some great catches of tasty Whiting have been landed this week with Brett Van Latham getting amongst some top-quality fish in the Nerang River last weekend. It has been a good season for Whiting so far this summer with good numbers of solid fish being caught. Fishing at night time has consistently produced the best fish out fishing the daytime trips. Some of the better spots to fish have been the Tweed River, Tallebudgera Creek, Currumbin Creek, Wave Break Island, Coomera River, Pimpama River, North Bedrooms, Tiger Mullet Channel, Jacobs Well and the Logan River. When looking for a spot to try you need to pick an area that gets a good amount of run in the tide. This helps to stir up the bottom and assist the schools of Whiting feeding. If you have a sounder try to look for an undulating bottom rather than flat ground, a water depth of between 1 to 3 metres is ideal. On high tide you can even target the tops of sandbanks quite successfully in extremely shallow water. As the tide runs out, fish the edges of the banks and spread your rods out over a few different depths of water until you find the best depth to fish in. If an area goes quiet just keep moving around until you start to find the school of fish, as they can move around a fair bit when searching for a feed. Keep you tackle as light as possible, I recommend a light estuary outfit around 7 to 9 foot long with a sensitive tip matched with a small alvey or spin reel spooled with 6 to 9lb mono, a long 6lb fluorocarbon leader, size 3 to 5 ball sinker current dependant and a size 6 or 4 baitholder hook depending on what bait you are using. The best bait is live blood worms, Beach worms and yabbies.

The Spanish Have Returned

The conditions have been pretty good for getting offshore the past week which is a welcome change for all the below average conditions so far this summer. Good news for those fishos that like to chase Spanish Mackerel, the first of the two closures ended on the 21^st of February giving you a chance to target a feed off southeast Queensland. Last weekend we were blessed with some great weather for heading offshore. Spotted Mackerel seemed to be busting up on a few of the closer reefs making a welcome target for a feed. This weekend you will be able to target both Spanish and Spotties. Try trolling lures around the 18 and 24 fathom reefs off the seaway, Mermaid Reef, Palm Beach reef, and the Gravel Patch at first light, whilst keeping a keen eye on the sounder for signs of fish schooling and bait fish that would hold predators. Bottom fishing has also produced some nice Snapper, Jewfish, Moses Perch, Tusk Fish, Maori Cod, Trag Jew and Cobia from the 18 and 24 fathom grounds. Boats trolling skirted lures on the 36 and 50 fathom lines are still finding some good-sized Black Marlin, Dolphin Fish and Wahoo. If the current is a bit slower and the trolling is quiet it will be worth having a drop for some Snapper, Pearl Perch, Tusk Fish, Yellow Tail King Fish, Samson and Amberjacks on the wider reefs.

QUOTES FROM THE BOATS

Brad from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

“Once again the deeper holes provided the best fishing with Flathead, Mangrove Jack, and Trevally caught on Ecogear breamer and zx vibes. Fish feeding activity has increased as we get closer to the new moon and associated bigger tides. The rock bars of the Tweed River have been holding fish in the mornings before the water heats up.”

Clint from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

“We’ve been lucky to have some good weather lately, and more to come next week. During the small neap tides the deepest areas in the Broadwater were fishing best with a variety of species. Ecogear ZX40’s, Ecogear breamer vibes, and live yabbies were once again working well, on Flathead, Flounder, Tarwhine, Bream, Tuskies, Squire, Tailor, Whiting, and even Squid. There were a few Blue Swimmer Crabs too. I just fish where the flow is best during each stage of the tides. Close to the changes, I fish the deeper open channels and on top of sand flats. During the hardest run I fish anywhere that has protection from the strong flow like side channels and edges. The big tides drop off and tides come around to morning lows, the Whiting have been quiet so hopefully they return. ”

Gavin from Sea Probe Fishing Charters reports:

“There has been some good catches of Spanish Mackerel since the first of two southern Queensland closures has finished in on the close reefs using live bait and also spinning with slugs. Out wider still some Snapper, Pearl Perch and Kingfish.”

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. brett@coomerahouseboats.com.au or brett@fishotackle.com.au

Stay up to date with all fishing regulations in Queensland https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries

Fisho Tackle and Coomera Houseboat Holidays now have Hire follow the link to view 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

“CLARKIES” GOLD COAST FISHING REPORT 17 February 2023

17 February, 202328 March, 2023in Guides, Houseboat Holiday 101: From Novice to Expert, News by admin

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Fishing Report – 17 February 2023

Good news as we head into the weekend with a break in the weather seeing lighter E/NE winds and a drop in swell at the time of writing my report, giving fishos the best weather window we have seen for a while to hit the water. Just make sure you have the most up to date forecast before planning a trip.

Let’s check out a few options for the weekend and the week ahead.

Offshore

The weather is looking favourable to finally head offshore in search of a feed. Given the current shallow state of the Seaway even a small swell may see waves breaking on a run-out tide, just use caution and common sense if you are planning to go offshore.

The recent swell would have stirred up the closer reefs – fingers crossed there will be a few nice fish on offer. The 18 and 24 fathom grounds off the Gold Coast will be well worth a look. As always try to get an early start and take advantage of the sunrise bite time. Have a good look on the sounder for signs of fish and bait holding in the area. I prefer to anchor up a get a burly trail going and try to pull any fish down current closer to your boat for you to target, drifting will also work although the closer reefs are a bit smaller making the drift runs fairly short. The main species to target will be Snapper, Spangled Emperor, Moses Perch, Tusk Fish, Trag Jew, Silver Jew and Cobia.

Amberjack

Out winder and current dependant, the fads on the 36 and 50 fathom grounds may be worth a look for a Dolphin Fish, given the recent weather they would have been left alone for a while and are hopefully keen to hit a lure or bait. You will also be in with a shot at a small Black Marlin trolling the same depths. Keep a keen eye on the sounder, the sky for bird life, and on the horizon for surface splashes and action from feeding fish. If the current is slower having a drop will be worth a go for a feed of Snapper, Pearl Perch Tusk Fish, Trag Jew, Moses, Yellow Tail Kingfish, Amberjack and Samson Fish.

Mangrove Jack

Inshore the warmer weather and humidity has seen the feisty Mangrove Jack being caught in better numbers the past week. When looking for an area to target you are basically looking for somewhere that has some current flow, a bit of structure for the Jacks to hide in, and a supply of baitfish to feed on. Areas that have Bridges, Pontoons, Moored Boats, Rock Walls, Rock Bars, Snags and fallen trees will all be worth a go. Some good spots to have a look are the Tweed River, Nerang River, Currumbin Creek, Tallebudgera Creek, basically all canal Systems, Runaway Bay, Paradise Point, Coomera River, Jacobs Well and the Logan River. For the lure fishos, try a mixture of soft plastics in paddle bait around 4 to 5 inches long rigged on a heavy-duty jig head, shallow diving hard bodies and surface lures will also do then job. Live baits like Herring, Mullet, Pike, Garfish, Silver Biddies and Winter Whiting either unweighted or weighted depending on the structure you are fishing are very affective when the Jacks are switched on. My favourite dead bait is Mullet Fillet or half a small poddy Mullet lightly weighted – the Jacks just seem to smash these baits well with a good hook up rate. My normal outfit is either a medium to heavy rod, size 4000 spin reel spooled or bait caster with 30lb braid and 40 lb leader with a size 5/0 or 6/0 hook depending on what bait you are using. You will normally get a bit of bycatch such as Bream, Trevally and Cod in the same areas.

QUOTES FROM THE BOATS

Brad from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

“Fishing was difficult this week with the low barometer and high temperatures typical of February. Cyclone Gabby is quickly moving away from the East Coast, thankfully we won’t be influenced much, apart from some bigger swell and moderate wind. We still managed to catch Whiting on MMD splash prawns at Tallebudgera creek, and Flathead on Ecogear ZX40 and breamer vibes in the deeper areas at Tweed River. There are also a Trevally and School Jew to be caught but it helps to get on the water early before it gets too hot and fish any holes that are showing bait on the fish finder.”

Clint from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

“The fishing has been tough. Like Smithy said the barometer has been low and the water temperature hot which affects estuary fishing in a not so positive way. Night fishing works well this month, and we caught a few Mangrove Jacks. During the day the deeper channels in the Broadwater can still produce a variety of fish. We fished the wrecks and reefs once again for some Moses Perch, Slateys, Squire, Spangled Emperor, Dusky Flathead, Bartail Flathead, Sand Whiting, Winter Whiting, plenty of Tarwhine, Bream, and small Flounder. Best lures have been Ecogear ZX’s, Ecogear breamer vibes, and live yabbies never fail to attract attention. New moon is coming up on Monday 20 February and like January we will see some king tides again. Before then this week’s daytime neaps are small. Easy to fish but probably not great for a hot bite. Get out there early to chase Whiting on the flats and the usual mix in the Seaway and Broadwater.”

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. brett@coomerahouseboats.com.au or brett@fishotackle.com.au

Stay up to date with all fishing regulations in Queensland https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries

Fisho Tackle and Coomera Houseboat Holidays now have Hire follow the link to view 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

“CLARKIES” GOLD COAST FISHING REPORT 9 February 2023

9 February, 202328 March, 2023in Guides, Houseboat Holiday 101: From Novice to Expert, News by admin

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Fishing Report – 9 February 2023

The full moon this week combined with big tides and a persistent moderate to strong South Easterly wind has made conditions a bit tough for everyone fishing on the Tweed and Gold Coast. As we head into the weekend the swell is tipped to jump, making offshore conditions bad – especially with the current state of the Gold Coast Seaway. Sunday looks like the pick of the days with the wind tending from a strong SE to a moderate N/NW, giving you a nice little window to have a look in sheltered water for a feed. Let’s have a look at what’s been happening this week.

Given the conditions for the weekend, chasing a feed of Whiting from the protected rivers, estuaries and canals from the Gold and Tweed Coast will be a great option with some fantastic quality fish being caught the past week. Some sheltered areas to have a look are the Tweed River, Tallebudgera Creek, Currumbin Creek, Nerang River, Coomera River both South and North Arms, Pimpama River, Jacobs Well and the Logan River all offer spots to fish with protection from the wind.

Time to Fish

I normally find that the fishing is at its best either a few days before, or a few days after the full moon. The weekend will be a good time to try your luck. Try to time your trip for after a tide change, Whiting will bite best when the water has plenty of tidal flow. The water flow tends to stir up the bottom and assists the fish to expose their food source helping them to feed for longer periods in a certain area. It pays to have a good hunt around when you are chasing Whiting, the schools will tend to move around a bit, spend 15 to 30 minutes in each spot until you can find better numbers of fish to target. Sometimes you don’t have to move far to find the school if they move on, it’s quite common to find them just 50 to 100m meters away.

Bait, What?

Quality bait is a must have when targeting bigger fish, live bloodworms, beach worms and yabbies all make great bait. During the warmer months I still think the better sized fish are more commonly caught at night, if you are willing to put in the effort it’s worth it when you land a 40+cm fish. Another tip is not to strike at the fish too early, especially when using worms for bait, Whiting will tend to chew on the worms for much longer I just let them hook themselves majority of the time. A light estuary outfit with a sensitive tip will work best, matched with a small alvey or spin reel spooled with 6 to 9lb mono, a long 6lb fluro carbon trace, sized 6 or 4 bait holder hook depending on what bait you are using and a size 3 to 5 ball sinker to keep your bait on the bottom depending on the water flow.

Mangrove Jack and Jewfish

Once the swell eases try the Gold Coast Seaway entrance, the area has been fishing well the past week or so producing some great sized Jewfish and some quality Mangrove Jack, that have been schooling up before they head out offshore and make a new home on the reefs. Live baits have been working best, Pike, Herring, Mullet, Yakkas, Winter Whiting and Silver Biddies will all do the job. The best time to fish is the last 2 hours of the run-in tide, and the first 2 hours of the run out. Have a good look around on the sounder to locate bait or fish actively schooling. You will usually find activity on the pipeline and around the hole at the north wall. You will also find some Trevally and Tailor in the same area.

Bull Shark Fishing

Bull Sharks are another option to target until the weather eases, they will inhabit all waterways on the Tweed and Gold Coast. A few good spots to try the Tweed River, Nerang River, Coomera River, Pimpama River and the Logan River all hold good numbers of Sharks. Fresh water Eel is the best bait followed by Pike Eel and Mullet, I prefer to use dead baits over live bait. Try cubing up WA pilchards as a berley trail. Don’t use too much, just a few small cubes in the water at a time to get the smell going through the water column. A nylon coated wire trace between 50 to 100lb, a size 6 to 8 hook rigged on a medium to heavy outfit spooled with 20 to 30lb line will handle most of the average sized Sharks you may encounter.

QUOTES FROM THE BOATS

Brad from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

“This week started well with plenty of Giant and Bigeye Trevally caught on MMD splash prawns on the surface around the middle reach of Tweed River. There were also School Jew and Flathead in the deeper holes upstream, Ecogear Breamer vibes and Ecogear ZX40’s worked well. Fishing got tougher as the week went on, it paid to get out there early to catch fish and concentrate on finding any bait in the drop offs.”

Clint from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

“Mixed results this week with the hot water, but on Wednesday some cooler water moved in from the ocean bringing it down from 29 degrees to 22 degrees, then back up to 25 degrees in the Broadwater by Friday! It was quite amazing to see lots of Flathead appear with the cooler water then disappear as quickly as they had arrived in the shallows and drop offs. There was some Sand Whiting on the banks, but they were hard to find. In the channels around the reefs and wrecks we caught Moses Perch, Snapper, Tuskfish, Slateys, Flathead, Flounder, and masses of Tarwhine/ Bream. Best lures were Ecogear ZX40 in 440 colour, and Ecogear Breamer vibe in 06 colour, and Zman 2.5 inch Prawnz in Opening Night and Beer Run colours. Live Yabbies were the best bait. Best areas this week were the deep hole, Carter’s reef, and Crab Island channels.”

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. brett@coomerahouseboats.com.au or brett@fishotackle.com.au

Stay up to date with all fishing regulations in Queensland https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries

Fisho Tackle and Coomera Houseboat Holidays now have Hire follow the link to view 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

“CLARKIES” GOLD COAST FISHING REPORT 2 February 2023

2 February, 202328 March, 2023in Guides, Houseboat Holiday 101: From Novice to Expert, News by admin

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Fishing Report – 2 February 2023

The hot weather continued this week on the Tweed and Gold Coast with warmer Northly winds and a few showers hanging around.

At the time of writing my report, the weekend was looking ok to start with – Saturday morning being the pick of the days – seeing much lighter Northerly winds before a Southerly change moves through later in the day, increasing on Sunday. This will make conditions a bit unpleasant for being on the water, unless you can find some shelter up the rivers.

It seems the holiday season went by very quickly. Let’s check what’s been on the bite this week.

Mangrove Jack

Some quality Mangrove Jack have been landed around the Gold and Tweed Coasts during the past week. The Coomera River has produced some quality fish with canals and marina entrances around Hope Island and Coomera holding some big fish and a fair bit of bait. The western reaches of the Coomera have also fished well up past the highway bridge with plenty of natural structure including; the big rock bar behind the old koala town, and the channels behind the quarry that have several deep holes close to structure.

Bait fishing is my number one go to when chasing Jacks, if you can manage to cast net or catch some Live Herring, Mullet, Silver Biddies, Garfish and Pike they all make fantastic bait. Mullet fillet or half poddy Mullet are my favourite dead bait that seems to attract the big Jacks but is tough enough to put up with little pickers like Bream until a Jack shows up. Fishing with bait is a great way to temp a big Jack, but also plenty of Estuary Cod and Trevally will respond to this method.

You can also try casting or trolling lures along the rock walls, bridge pylons and pontoons scattered throughout the Gold and Tweed Coast. Some good spots to look around are the Tweed River, The Nerang River, Runaway Bay Canals, Paradise Point bridges, Ephraim Island and Sovereign Island, Coomera River, Jacobs Well, Cabbage Tree Point and the Logan River to name a few. Jacks will tend to hit hard so having a fairly tight drag will give you the best chance of a solid hook up, and limit your chances of being bricked back into the nearest snag that the fish can find. Jacks are dirty fighters and will make you earn each fish on most occasions.

My normal outfit will be a medium to heavy rod 5 to 10kg rating with either a bait caster or spinning reel spooled with 30lb braid and either 30 to 60lb leader depending on how tentative the fish are and the type of structure you decide to fish.

Prawns

It’s that time of year to dust off the cast nets and start having a look around for a feed of Prawns on the Gold Coast. They usually start to appear from February and most years run until May or June. I have seen a few reports where fishos have been scoring a feed from up north around the Pine River, but some of the Prawns have been a little on the smaller side. We have not had as much rain as last year so it will be interesting to see how this season will go – last year was a cracker with plenty of great feeds on offer for those willing to put in the time.

This time of year, Banana Prawns are well spread out so having a hunt around a few different areas on the sounder will be worth a go. Try looking around The Powerlines, Rocky Point, Logan River, Russell Island, Macleay Island, Cabbage Tree Point and Jacobs Well. When choosing the right net, I recommend using a top pocket cast net as it is the best option. When casted, as the net sinks the prawns are pushed into a catch pocket in the top of the net. When you have casted, and you can feel something kicking in the net just pull on the rope a few times and that will make the prawns head into the top pocket. The top pocket makes emptying the prawns from the net an easy task then you can go straight back into casting at the school a lot quicker. An easy way to know if there are Prawns around just keep a keen eye out for other boats throwing nets that way you know you are in the general area.

Tide changes are important when timing your trip, top or bottom of the tide will work for most areas. When the tide slows the Prawns will pop up from the mud to schools and feed, this is the prime time to target them. As the tide starts to flow and more boats start casting the schools tend to break up, then you only get a few at a time, which can be hard work. I will normally take a fishing rod this time of year it can be a bit quiet and cast some soft plastics and vibes around for a Flathead, Snapper or Bream.

QUOTES FROM THE BOATS

Brad from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

“It was extremely hot on the water this week, so I started all my trips very early to finish up before the midday heat. This worked out well as we were in time for the first of the early morning run out tides which saw for the first hour a heap of small, Big Eye and Giant Trevally busting up on the surface everywhere. We quickly took advantage and started casting MMd Splash Prawn lures across the surface and the Trevally smashed them. Although the Trevally were only small it is so exciting to watch how much fun my clients had seeing the fish attack surface lures. We also took the opportunity to jig some Ecogear ZX 40 lures in the deep holes that had a ton of bait showing on the sounder. Deep jigging through the bait schools produced some Flatties, Bream, Whiting and small School Jew.”

Clint from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

“The water heated up this week to 29 degrees in some areas in the Broadwater, and higher up the rivers and creeks. It’s best to fish the shallows early in the morning then venture deeper, as most fish can’t tolerate too much heat this time of year. This includes the Sand Whiting who like to explore the sand flats as the tide flows in. The good thing is that cooler water comes in from the ocean with the run in. There have been good numbers of legal size Whiting when we fished the shallows. With the neap tides and the heat, I have been sticking to the deeper areas on drifting charters. While the fish have down in size there has been lots of numbers and variety including Slateys, Snapper, Tuskfish, Moses Perch, Flathead, and many good size Tarwhine and Bream. Ecogear breamer vibes and yabbies once again are working great. Best areas have been the deep hole wrecks, Carter’s reef, Southport main channel, and the holes up from Capri bridge.”

Gavin from Sea Probe Fishing Charters reports:

“The Dolphin fish have been very quiet around the fads but with the less current bottom fishing has been ok with Snapper and nice size Pearl Perch on the chew. Trolling has been good outside on the shelf and in close around the 60 to 80 m with Black Marlin, Blue Marlin and Striped Marlin being caught trolling lures.”

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. brett@coomerahouseboats.com.au or brett@fishotackle.com.au

Stay up to date with all fishing regulations in Queensland https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries

Fisho Tackle and Coomera Houseboat Holidays now have Hire follow the link to view 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