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“CLARKIES” GOLD COAST FISHING REPORT – 29 September 2022

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Fishing Report – 29th September 2022    

It was good to see plenty of sunshine and light winds earlier in the week giving everyone some nice conditions to get out and throw a line in. It’s also been good to see plenty kids out making the most of school holidays trying their luck at catching a fish. As we head towards the long weekend, unfortunately it looks like we are in for some strong southerly winds and a big increase in swell offshore. If you were thinking about heading offshore it would be best to wait until next week and keep an eye on the weather to ease. With a large amount of fresh water still moving through the local system after last week’s excessive rainfall, finding some clean water to fish in will improve your chances of scoring a fish. Let’s have a look at how the fishing has been this week.

Offshore Snapper

Ben White landed this quality Snapper fishing the 36 fathom line on the Gold CoastFor those lucky enough to have some time off during the week managed to get a few nice weather windows to head offshore for a fish. Ben White did just that and came up trumps with some top-quality Snapper after a great session on the 36-fathom line. Current dependent, both the 36 and 50 fathom grounds have been fishing well. You will still need to have a good search around to locate a patch worth fishing but if you put in the time and effort there are some great quality fish on offer.

The 36 and 50 fathom reefs have been producing a good mixed bag of Snapper, Pearl Perch, Yellow Tail Kingfish, Amberjack, Samson Fish, Trag Jew, a few Cobia and the odd Dolphin Fish can be found hanging around the fads. In closer the 18 and 24 fathom reefs have seen some pretty good fishing in the past week for those keen to get a early start and have a good look around on the sounder. Fishos have reported some nice Snapper, Tusk Fish, Moses Perch, Trag Jew, Maori Cod, Silver Jew Fish, Cobia and the odd legal Pear Perch. As it can get a bit busy in closer, it pays to spend the time having a good look around on the sounder trying to locate the best shows of either bait or fish to drop on. I will normally try not to sit in amongst too many boats, as the extra fishing pressure and sounder noise can quite often shut the fish down. If you are planning to anchor up getting a good burly tail on the go will again increase your odds and landing the better-quality fish in the area. Just make sure you have the latest weather forecast before planning your next trip offshore.

Quality Fishing in the WaterwaysShaun was on his first ever fishing trip and caught big Flounder with Brad Smith Fishing Charters

The water quality in the Broadwater and Jumpinpin is slowly getting better after the large amount of rain we received towards the end of last week saw a massive amount of run off from the local catchments, seeing the Coomera River and Logan River water levels rise considerably, putting a lot of fresh water into the local area. Finding clean water is often the key to success when conditions are very average. I always try to look for the distinct current lines where you can easily see where the fresh water meets the salt, as this is usually where the predators will be on the hunt. Bait fish that gets washed out of the rivers will tend to school up on the current lines in search of some cleaner water.

The best spots to try your luck are the open ocean entrances of the Jumpinpin Bar and Gold Coast Seaway. Try to plan your trip to fish the last 2 hours of the run-in tide and the first hour of the run-out tide when the water quality will be at its best and you will also get the tide change bite period. Fishos have been landing some great quality Jewfish, Trevally, Tailor and some big Flathead in the deeper water. Either live baits like Pike, Mullet, Herring and Yakkas or soft plastics and soft vibes have been doing the job. Always spend the time to have a good look around on the sounder for signs of bait and predatory fish.

Gold Coast Flathead Classic CompetitionKen landed a great sized Flathead using a soft plastic from a gutter on South Stradbroke Island

The Gold Coast Sportfish Clubs Flathead Classic has been in full swing this week, seeing just over 600 anglers trying their luck and catching and releasing as many Flathead as they can over a 3 day fishing period. There has been plenty of pre fishing going on earlier this week to try to re locate fish, as the rain and freshwater flush would have dispersed a lot of fish that anglers had found before the rain. Most teams spend weeks on the water before the comp trying top work out where the fish are and then follow their movement through the Broadwater and Jumpinpin. A good number of large breeding female fish can be found closer to the ocean entrances in the deeper water lying in wait for an easy feed to swim past. Both the Jumpinpin Bar and Gold Coast Seaway and the adjoining channels will be a great spot to look, especially after the rain, as there should be a good number of bait schools hanging around these areas. The flush has caused a fair bit of snot weed to more around the area. You may have to move around a bit to suit your style of fishing. Try using larger heavier weighted soft plastics and soft vibes to target these areas. Once the water cleans up a bit more the fish will spread out a bit wider again and will be found in the usual areas like Brown Island, Aldershots, Tipplers Passage, Jacobs Well, Cabbage Tree Point, Tiger Mullet Channel, Kalinga Bank, Canaipa Passage and the Logan River to name a few.

 

QUOTES FROM THE BOATS

Clint from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

reg with a nice Giant Trevally he caught on the Tweed River with Brad Smith Fishing Charters

“Well what a change since last week. The water went from being too clear to muddy overnight on Thursday, with a deluge of rain falling over the Nerang and Coomera River catchments. I went for a look yesterday, there was some nice-looking water on the top of the tide, and colour lines which will fish well next week. After flooding I always look for bait fish activity, if they’re there the bigger will be as well. I caught about 30 Whiting yesterday up to 40cm. This changes the game as far as estuary fishing plans go, with the deeper holes and areas near river mouths being the best to target. The Flathead classic is on this week, and anglers can probably expect some dirty water to contend with, especially on run out tides. Stock up on uv and dirty water lure colours like pearl/ white, gold, red, and other dark and flashy shades, and scent will help too. On the high tides the Flathead will get right up on the shallow banks and inside mangrove areas, then on the big run outs they’ll sit in deeper holes and drains out of the main current. We have been catching heaps of fish in the Broadwater on lures and yabbies, with the best areas being along South Stradbroke Island from the Seaway to Browns inlet, and the main channel from the Seaway through to Sovereign island. Flathead, Flounder, Tarwhine, Bream, Winter Whiting, Tuskfish, and Sand Whiting have been widespread from 0.5 metres deep out to 7 metres deep. Best lures have been Samaki vibes in ghost bait and whitebait colours, Ecogear Zx’s in 411 & 440 colours, and soft plastics such as 6th Sense, Gobblers, Ecogear Balt, and Zman. There is plenty of snot weed around now, if it gets too thick to fish just move a few hundred metres and you can find clearer sections. Tricky tides this coming week with bigger run outs, but the rivers will be muddy so find places that don’t run overly hard near the mouths and that have cleaner water, such as on edges of the shallow flats, and along the edges of 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     

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“CLARKIES” GOLD COAST FISHING REPORT 22 September 2022

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Fishing Report – 22nd September 2022    

It’s been a good start to school holidays on the Gold Coast with some nice weather to get the kids out and about to enjoy the great outdoors and some quality time fishing. At this stage, the weekend is looking pretty good, Saturday being the pick of the days with light South Westerly winds on the way, and Sunday is looking ok but will see an increase in the winds from the South around 15 to 20 knots at times. Let’s see what’s been on the chew this week.

September Holidays

September School Holidays are underway here on the Gold Coast – this a great opportunity to get the kids out of the house and have some fun fishing with family and mates outdoors. Kids of all ages should have a fun time learning the basics of fishing, even if it’s their first time casting the rod and waiting for a bite and the looming possibility of catching their first fish. You can also take the kids and try collecting your own bait like pumping yabbies and catching soldier crabs. This is great fun and something the young ones will enjoy doing. Just remember to keep it simple and as fun as possible while the kids are younger. If they’re having a good time they will be keen for the next trip and once they have landed a few fish you can take them on longer trips knowing they will be happy and will enjoy the day.

When it comes to tackle just keep it simple is the key, a basic light estuary outfit will do the job for most of the fish species you will expect to find whilst fishing on the Gold Coast. Try rigging with 9lb main line, 8 to 10lb trace, 3 to 4 ball sinker and a hook size between size 6 to 2 to suit your bait of choice. There are plenty of land-based spots to take the kids with toilet facilities and even playgrounds nearby if the fishing is slow. A few areas to look at are Paradise Point, Runaway Bay, Labrador, Hope Island, Currumbin Creek, Tallebudgera Creek, Nerang River and Jacobs Well and the Tweed River which all offer public jetties, parks or sandy beaches which make good fishing spots. Some of the fish species you may catch are Bream, Tarwhine, Whiting, Flathead, Moses Perch, Tailor, Flounder and Trevally just to name a few. When it comes to bait try Prawns, Squid, While Pilchards, Worms and Yabbies for the above species. Another option is to put on a soft plastic lure on for the kids then wind their rod back in as soon as you cast it out, they will have a good chance at a quality Flathead or Trevally jumping on. If you get any nice catches make sure to email in your photos for me to put in the paper.

Offshore Fishing on the Gold Coast

Ben White had his arms stretched by this solid Samson Fish caught on the 36 fathom line

The fishing offshore has been good for fishos keen to put in the time and effort traveling in search of a feed, both Paul Wilshire and Ben White have done just that scoring some quality Snapper and Samson fish (see photos in report) when sounding around the 36 fathom grounds. The close reefs have been fishing ok, but the fish seem a bit further spread apart than normal meaning you will have to have a good look around on the sounder before finding a spot worth a look on the 18 and 24 fathom reefs. The water temp will be slowly on the increase and the current will also be picking up as we come into Springtime weather pattern so putting in the mile to get the smiles will be the effort for those keen to do so. The 18 to 24 fathoms reefs do see a lot of fishing pressure when the weather is good so I always recommend to fish smarter in the higher traffic areas, basically this means to use lighter gear, lighter and longer traces, good bait presentation and to spend a bit of extra time sounding around to locate the best spots to try your luck. You should find a feed of Snapper, the odd Pearl Perch, Moses Perch, Trag Jew, Silver Jew, Maori Cod and Cobia still hanging around. Out on the winder reefs the current has started to pick up a bit on the 50’s this week, but it is a bit slower on the 36 fathom line. The current speed cab change at any given time in either depths, but when its running too hard fishing can be very painful making it difficult to land your bait onto the fish you can see on the sounder. The wider reefs have produced feeds of quality Snapper, Pearl Perch, Yellow Tail Kingfish, Amber Jack, Samson Fish, Tusk Fish and a few Trag Jew. Best baits are WA Pilchards, Squid, Mullet Fillet, Bonito Fillet and live Yakkas.

Flathead Fishing Around the Gold Coast

The Flathead fishing has once been great once again this week with plenty of lucky fishos landing good sized in the 70 to 80cm range, which are a fantastic fish to hook and land, making for an exciting day on the water. The Gold Coast Sports Fish Clubs Flathead classics gets underway on the 27th of September, and everyone seem to be out on the water getting in as much fishing time as possible before the comp starts. At the moment the fish are still pretty well spread out throughout the Broadwater and Jumpinpin area, some good fish have been caught and released around the Gold Coast Seaway entrance, north towards Currigee and the Jumpinpin Bar and Kalinga bank have also seen plenty of big breeders lying in wait for a bait fish to swim past. There has been a bit of snot weed around at times which can be annoying, but you just need to move around a bit to avoid the worst of it. A few more spots to look are Wavebreak Island, Brown Island, Aldershots, The Never Fails, Tiger Mullet Channel, Crusoe Island, Jacobs Well, Canaipa Passage and the Logan River and mouth.

 

Gold Coast Offshore FishingPaul Wilshire with an awesome Snapper he landed offshore on the Gold Coast

 

Weather permitting, the offshore fishing grounds have been producing some pretty nice catches of reef fish for fishos who are keen to get out for a session. With the sunrise getting earlier each day as we head into spring, the earlier you get out on the water, the better your chances are of scoring the prime sunrise bite. Try to give yourself enough time to make it to the area you are planning to fish, and have a good look around the area on the sounder until you can find enough life worth fishing on. You will usually know how the spot is going to fish within the first 15minutes, if you are getting shows but not getting the bite, you may have to move on and find another area to try your luck.

 

QUOTES FROM THE BOATS

Brad from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports :

Ricky with a nice Shovel Nosed Ray from his recent holiday with Coomera Houseboat Holidays

“I decided to move well up the river this week and check out some of my old haunts that I haven’t fished for quite a long time. This worked out very well for me and my lucky clients, who were amazed by the surroundings and, of course, the great fishing. Following the deep channels that lead into the deep holes in the upper catchment of the Tweed River produced some wonderful fishing. The species we caught were Flatties, Bream, Whiting, Giant Trevally, Grunter and once again some fantastic juvenile School Jew.”

 

Clint from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

“I have never seen more clear and blue oceanic water inside the Broadwater. Yesterday we could clearly see the bottom all around the seaway area. This makes it hard for baitfish to hide and they move deeper and out into the ocean, and it seems the fish follow them. Until we get more rain, strong wind, and snot weed arriving, the best time to fish is during the run-out tides or at night. I have been finding Flathead, Squid, Tuskfish, and Winter Whiting, but it does take a lot of moving and covering ground to find them. The day tides this week perfectly suit fishing the shallow banks for Whiting, Flathead, and Bream. Just a couple of weeks until the Flathead classic now, and it is definitely looking like the Jumpinpin area will clearly be the place to find the most and biggest Flatties. The snot weed hasn’t spread yet, but it will come. ”

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 15 September 2022

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Fishing Report – 16th September 2022    

Tt was good to see a bit more sunshine this week with just the odd shower of rain around, which has been a nice start to Spring. Looking to the weekend (at the time of writing), we will see some stronger northerly winds on Saturday which will ease off by Sunday afternoon. Fingers crossed the northerly winds don’t hang around too much as they tend to ruin the water quality and cause the snot weed to increase, which are the two things we don’t want before the Flathead Classic.

Let’s check have a look at what’s been biting this week.

The Flathead Classic

With the Gold Coast Sport Fish Club Flathead Classic getting close (starting on the 27th and finishing on the 30th of September), all keen Flathead fishos have been spending as much time on the water as possible chasing these great fish. The water quality has been pretty good this week with some nice clean water on offer to target Flathead on the incoming tide with the better-quality water pushing a fair way into the Broadwater and Jumpinpin. Fingers-crossed the dreaded northerly winds predicted don’t hang around as it doesn’t take long to reduce the water quality, making it quite murky, and also tends to push snot weed around most people’s favourite fishing grounds.Jackson Ford has been finding plenty of nice Flathead around Jumpinpin

How to fish for Flathead on the Gold Coast

Flathead seem to pretty well spread out throughout the Gold Coast waterways at the moment with some big fish being landed in both deep water and extra shallow water, depending on the area you are fishing. Fishing the shallows on the incoming tide when the water quality has been at it’s best has been very productive, throwing a mixture of hard body surface lures, large unweighted soft plastics and lightly weighted prawn imitations along the edges of mangrove islands and the tops of sandbanks. Always keep an eye out for baitfish activity in the shallows as the Flathead will usually be feeding nearby, it is always worth a cast near any activity you spot.

The deeper areas such as the Gold Coast Seaway and Jumpinpin Bar have been producing some great sized female fish, with plenty of smaller male fish hanging nearby as we head towards spawning season. Fishing the deeper water can be quite challenging with a strong tidal flow to contend with. For deeper water make sure you adjust the size of the jig head you choose when working soft plastics, and also a heavy soft vibe is recommended to keep contact with the bottom as much as possible to attract a hungry predator. When fishing the average water depth from 1.5 to 4m metre a 1/4 or 3/8 jig head matched with a 3-to-4-inch plastic is a great match, or a 12 to 20 gram soft vibe will also work well in those water depths.

Flathead normally feed head into the current, I always recommend if you are trolling hard body lures, to troll with the tidal flow to increase your chances of hooking a fish.

Where to fish for Flathead around the Gold Coast

Some good spots to try your luck are Wave Break Island, Crab Island, Currigee Channel, Brown Island, Rat Island, Aldershots, Tipplers Passage, Never Fails, Pandanus Island, Bedrooms, Crusoe Island, Jumpinpin Bar, Kalinga Bank, Tiger Mullet Channel, Russel Island and the Logan River.

 

Gold Coast Offshore Fishing

Weather permitting, the offshore fishing grounds have been producing some pretty nice catches of reef fish for fishos who are keen to get out for a session. With the sunrise getting earlier each day as we head into spring the earlier you get out on the water the better your chances are of scoring the prime sunrise bite window. Try to give yourself enough time to make it to the area you are planning to fish, and have a good look around the area on the sounder until you can find enough life worth fishing on. You will usually know how the spot is going to fish within the first 15minutes, if you are getting shows but not getting the bite you may have to move on and find another area to try your luck.

A great mixed bag for Sea Probe Fishing Charters and their customers taken off the Gold Coast

Both the 18 and 24 fathom grounds have been fishing well with local fisho getting stuck into some great quality Snapper on a recent trip. Bait presentation is always very important on the shallower reefs, along with trying to use the lightest gear possible, but that will still get the job done if you hook a decent sized fish. The more natural you can make the bait look as you drop the line, the more chance you have of getting the bite. Float lining is the best option in my books. Anglers have been catching a good mixed bag of Snapper, Tusk Fish, Trag Jew, Moses Perch, Jew Fish, Cobia and Maori Cod.

QUOTES FROM THE BOATS

Brad from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports :

“This week was not much different to my usual week. I worked around the middle reaches of the river working and exploring the deep holes and channels of the river. When I work the deep holes I always use a mixture of deep water jigging lures with Samaki and Ecogear ZX 40 vibes which are my go to lures. When working the channels, I drift fish with these lures combined with a switch of techniques, trolling some slam and pontoon lures to mix things up, which my clients love as they are gaining knowledge. The species caught were Flatties, Bream, Trevally, Tailor and a heap of gorgeous little Jewies that were carefully released for the future.”Wayne Young scored a nice sized Pearl Perch on the 24 fathom reef off the Gold Coast

Clint from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

“Another varied week with some trips to Jumpinpin and the Gold Coast Broadwater. We had some challenging conditions, but the weather is warming up now. The Arrow Squid numbers are now tapering off as the water suddenly warms. They are present all year around here, but not in the same size and quantity as the cooler months. Flathead seem to be widespread everywhere right now, it’s just a matter of moving until you find actively feeding fish. They are gorging themselves on small bait fish in the shallows, so cast and hop no bigger than 3 and 4 inch paddle tail plastics rigged on 1/6 or 1/4 oz TT jigheads with 2/0 and 3/0 hook sizes. Use soft plastics such as ZMan, Ecogear, Knockin Tail, Fish Arrow, and Gobbler. White is a go to colour in most conditions. When drifting areas three metres and deeper, use Samaki vibes and Ecogear ZX’s to jig. Best areas have been the Southern end of South Stradbroke island, the Eastern side of Curlew island, and Whalleys gutter, Pandanus island, Dux, Tipplers areas. The snot weed has not turned up in mass yet, but that could change very quickly as soon as we get warmer weather and Northerly winds.”

Gavin from Sea Probe Fishing Charters reports:

“Fishing has still been very good with plenty of Mahi Mahi on the fads. Also plenty of Snapper, Kingys , Ajs, Samson Fish, Pearlies on the 50 fathoms. On the 36s still Snapper, Trag Jew, Tuskies and Dolphin Fish also around 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     

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“CLARKIES” GOLD COAST FISHING REPORT 8 September 2022

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Fishing Report – 9th September 2022    

Ben White had a great trip offshore on the Gold Coast nailing a couple of quality SnapperIt has been a bit of a wet start to September on the Gold and Tweed Coast with a few showers persisting throughout the week. The wind has finally eased a bit also giving everyone some nicer conditions to get out on the water. Good news as we head into the weekend at the time of writing my report with Saturday tipped to be the best day with light winds and plenty of sunshine on the way making it a great day to get out on the water for a fish.

Looking at the forecast for Saturday at the time of writing my report the weather is looking good for fishos that are keen to head offshore and chase a feed. Anglers that were lucky enough to find a weather window to head out the past week were rewarded for their efforts like Ben White (see photo in report) who had a good day out on the 36 fathom grounds land some great quality Snapper for the table. It’s always a bit of a gamble when planning a trip as to what water depth will be best worth targeting on the day. September is a good month for chasing the popular species Snapper for a feed, both the 18 and 24 fathom reefs off the Gold Coast have fished well over Winter and should also be holding good numbers of quality fish to target during September.

EARLY STARTS

Getting an early start will increase you chances of finding the better-quality fish, I always recommend allowing yourself enough time to have a good sound around and try to mark a show of bait or fish feeding to target your efforts on. I do prefer to anchor up and get a burly trail going when fishing the closer reefs as this will help to attract any fish from the surrounding reef and then keep them active in you strike zone. A burly trail will also tend to make the fish rise in the water column and this is great when float lining as you will quite often get hit halfway down on the drop which is a great feeling when reef fishing. As well as Snapper you will have a good chance a finding a feed of Tusk Fish, Moses Perch, Maori Cod, Spangled Emperor, Trag Jew, Jewfish and Cobia. The 36 and 50 fathom reefs have also been producing some great catches of the past couple of weeks current dependant. Fishos have reported good hauls of Snapper, Pearl Perch, Trag Jew, Tusk Fish, Cobia, Amber Jack, Samson Fish, Yellow Tail Kingfish and even a few Dolphin Fish have been taken off the local fads. Best baits are WA Pilchards, Whole Large Squid, Bonito Fillet, Mullet Fillet, live or dead Yakkas and Slimy Mackerel.

WHITING

Now that the days are getting longer, and the weather is starting to warm up chasing a feed of Whiting will be a great option. Good quality Whiting are on offer pretty much all year round on the Gold Coast including Winter with the warmer months generally producing better numbers of bigger fish. Whether you are fishing from a boat or land based there are plenty of spots to try your luck. Basically, you are looking for an area with a sand or mud bottom or mixture of both with a few undulations in the bottom that gets a fair bit of tidal flow running through to stir the bottom-up which intern attracts schools of Whiting to feed in these kinds of areas. A light estuary outfit is all you need, I recommend a rod around 7 to 9 ft in length, with the reel spooled with 6 to 9lb mono, a long trace of 6lb fluro carbon leader and usually a size 4-ball sinker to keep your bait on the bottom where the fish feed and a size 6 bait holder hook. Best baits are live blood worms, beach worms and smaller sized yabbies. If you are land based you can try your luck along the Broadwater foreshore around Southport, Labrador, Biggera Waters, Runaway Bay, Paradise Point, Hope Island, Jacobs Well Cabbage Tree Point, Tallebudgera Creek and Currumbin Creek. If you are fishing from a boat, try the Nerang River, Wave Break Island, Crab Island, Coomera River, Pimpama River, Jacobs Well, Cabbage Tree Point, Bedrooms, Gold Bank, Tiger Mullet Channel and the Logan River.

Callum with a quality 40cm whiting caught on the shallow flats with Clint from Brad Smith Fishing Charters

QUOTES FROM THE BOATS

Brad from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports :Sea Probe Fishing Charters scored a great feed of Snapper from the 50 fathom line off the Gold Coast

“Once again we had some great weather and some good fishing through the middle reaches of the river. Combining a mixture of trolling Pontoon 21 and Slam minnows and jigging with Samaki vibes produced a variety of nice fish. The species caught were Flatties, Bream, Whiting, School Jew and a couple of nice Giant Trevally. It appears that the GT’s might start moving around the river a bit earlier this season which is great as they are so much fun on light gear. It is important to note that there is still a lot of logs and debris floating around the Tweed River and I witnessed a boat smashing into a floating log and doing a fair amount of damage so take care and always keep an eye out.”

Clint from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

“We had some really good fishing at the Gold Coast Broadwater this week. Plenty of Squid, Flathead, Flounder, Tuskfish and Whiting kept us entertained. Best areas were South Currigee and Southport, best lures were Samaki vibes in whitebait and uv squid colours, Ecogear ZX40 in 440 colour. The water has suddenly got crystal clear and warmer on the run-in tide so it now pays to find slightly dirtier water to find the better fish and even the Squid. The snot weed that had started to appear has gone again but I’m sure it’ll be back in force with the next Northerly winds. Flathead are plentiful in the shallows out to the deep, feeding hard on baitfish. Soft plastics in pearl colours are working well. There were also good numbers of Sand Whiting up to 40cm on the Southern Broadwater banks this week.”

Gavin from Sea Probe Fishing Charters reports:

“There has been plenty of Snapper still getting caught on the 50 fathoms line also with some Pearlies, Tuskies, Amberjack and Yellow Tail Kings and also Dolphin Fish still hanging around on the 50 fathoms taken on pilchards.”

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 1 September 2022

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Fishing Report – 1st September 2022    

Hi Everyone, hope you are all having a nice week, as we say goodbye to winter and transition into springtime we have seen a few showers hanging around on the Tweed and Gold Coast this week. Let’s have a look at how the fishing was this week. 

FLATHEAD

Nathan caught this nice Flathead with Clint from Brad Smith Fishing Charters on the Broadwater webFishos reported some nice catches of Flathead again this week with good numbers of fish being landed throughout the Broadwater, Jumpinpin and adjoining rivers and estuaries. Unfortunately, there has been a bit of the dreaded snot weed starting to show up in some areas just to make anglers lives a bit more difficult when fishing. When targeting Flathead in the Broadwater and Jumpinpin systems the two main things you should look for is water quality especially on the run-in tide and the other is bait including bait fish and prawns being the main sources. Finding clean water will normally increase your hookup rate as the fish will tend to spot your lure or bait much easier rather than just swiping at it when the water is dirty. Any bait activity is important when you are fishing and that applies to Flathead, keep and eye out in the shallow water for bait fish and prawns jumping around trying to escape from predators and also keep an eye on the sounder in the deep water as the bait schools will attract Flathead to feed in these areas. My favourite tide to fish is the run-out tide when chasing Flathead, you can choose to target the edges of sandbanks, creek mouths, drains and river mouths are all good spots to find Flathead laying in wait. As the water level drops and the bait moves towards deeper water the Flathead will be waiting to head into the tide ready to pounce on anything that swims past. 

LURES

When using lures trying a mixture of trolling hard body lures, casting soft plastics or working soft vibes are all worth a go to see which method the fish are best responding to on the day. When trolling lures, you are best to troll with the tidal flow to increase your hook up rate. The same applies when casing plastics try and retrieve with the flow of water. 

GOOD FISHING SPOTS

Some good spots producing fish at the moment are Wave Break Island, Nerang River, Currigee, Crab Island, Brown Island, Coomera River, Tipplers Passage, Bedrooms, Kalinga Bank, Crusoe Island, Tiger Mullet Channel, Logan River, Tweed River, Tallebudgera and Currumbin Creeks.     

We have been lucky enough to have a pretty good run of weather the past week giving fishos plenty of opportunities to head offshore and chase a feed from the local reefs. Once again quality catches of Snapper have been the standout with good numbers of fish being caught. Once the strong wind and swell predicted for the weekend settles down, getting an early start and hitting the 18 and 24 fathom grounds off the Seaway will be a good option with some great quality fish being landed in these areas. Make sure you get out as early as possible to allow enough time to have a good sound around between 18 to 24 fathoms reefs and find a show of fish and bait to target on the sunrise bite time. 

Wayne Young has a great trip offshore landing some quality Snapper and a good sized Jewfish webRIGGING

Fish as light as possible, sometimes you can get bricked on the bottom, but you find the lighter set up will always out fish the heavy gear and you will catch a lot more fish in the long run. A float line rig set up is again my first choice when fishing either live or dead bait as you have all the control on how quick you drop your baits making them present as natural as possible producing a hit on the drop. 

WHAT ELSE IS BITING?

There has been a good general mixed bag of Snapper, Moses Perch, Jew Fish, Cobia, Trag Jew, Maori Cod and Tusk Fish on offer. As you head out wider the 36 and 50 fathoms grounds are also fishing well current dependent with good numbers of quality Snapper, Pearl Perch, Tusk Fish, Trag Jew, Yellow Tail Kingfish, Amber Jack, Cobia and Samson Fish being landed. Best baits are WA pilchards, Whole large Squid, Mullet Fillet, Bonito Fillet or live or dead Yakkas.   

FISHING CHARTER REPORTS

Brad from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports,

Dan caught and released this lovely Jewfish on a charter with Brad Smith Fishing Charters on the Tweed River web“I only did a couple of days work on the Tweed River this week, and had a sensational day with Clint travelling to Brisbane to meet our new sponsors. We met up with Gareth the owner of Tackle Tactics and we are both now proud users of Okuma Australia reels and TT rods. Okuma makes a fantastic reliable range of reels and I could not wait to get back to the Tweed to use them. The best fishing for us this week was to once again jig vibes in the deep holes and channels where we caught Flatties, Bream, Tailor, Big Eye Trevally and Jewies. We also caught a few Australian Bass and of course released them very quickly and carefully as it is closed season for them in tidal estuaries at this time of the year. It is well worth noting that the Bass have moved well down the river this year due to the ridiculous amount of rain we have received this year.”

Clint from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports,

“Once again this week the Squid were keeping us entertained, and there were plenty of Flathead on the chew. We are blessed to have an abundance of Squid in our waters over winter, and they are so much fun to catch and absolutely delicious to eat. Some days they will aggressively attack Ecogear Australia Dartmax squid jigs, other days the Ecogear and vibe lures we use daily are the best offering to tempt them. Flathead have been everywhere, shallow to deep, the key to finding them is looking for bait fish. In shallow water keep an eye out for birds diving and the actual small fish in the clear water. In deeper water look for patches of bait on your fish finder then dropping lures under them. Water temperature has been hovering around 18 degrees, there has also been some decent Flounder, Winter Whiting, Tailor, Bream, and Trevally hunting in the 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 Tinnies 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 – 26 August 2022

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Fishing Report 

 

Friday 26 August 2022     

Hi Everyone, hope you are all having a nice week, as we head towards the Gold Coast Show Day Long Weekend at the time of writing the report it looks like we will see some moderate winds but unfortunately there is a pretty good chance of rain hanging around. Given the conditions, if you can put up with a bit of rain it will be well worth getting out for a fish on both the Tweed and Gold Coast waterways. Let’s check out what’s been biting and some good options for your Long Weekend. 

Where They’re Biting

The fishing offshore has been pretty good the past week with fishos finding a few weather windows to head out and chase a feed. Good numbers of Snapper have been on the chew for those lucky enough to find a school to target. At the time of writing my report it looks like the southerly winds might be up over the weekend and then start to ease Monday, just make sure you have the latest forecast before heading out on the water. Once again, the close reefs off the Seaway have produced some good quality Snapper on the dawn or dusk bite and also on the tide changes which are best times to target fish on the 18 and 24 fathom grounds. Finding good ground to fish is the key to success in close, I always try not to fish too close to other boats, opting to have a good sound around and try to find a show to target away from the crowds this will increase your chances of catching fish. It’s worth having a good look on the sounder when choosing a spot, finding a show of bait or fish arched up is a good indication it’s a spot worth having a drop on. If you are not catching fish in the first 15 minutes or so I would usually recommend moving on and trying another area of the reef, even a small move of 50 metres can make a big difference. Catches from the 18 to 24 fathom grounds this week have included Snapper, Jew Fish, Cobia, Trag Jew, Maori Cod, Moses Perch, Spangled Emperor and Tusk Fish. Out wider on the 36 and 50 fathom reefs current depending fishos have scored some great feeds of Snapper, Pearl Perch, Cobia, Tusk Fish, Yellow Tail King Fish, Amber Jack and Samson Fish to name a few species. 

Fishing Competitions

The King of the Pin competition was held last weekend with plenty of keen anglers giving it a go, by the sounds of it the comp was a great success with lots of happy winners taking out some great prizes in their chosen categories. The comp saw a good mixed bag of species like Jewfish, Tailor, Flathead, Bream and Whiting landed, to name a few.

Bait Schools

The Broadwater and Jumpin Pin are holding lots of bait schools at the moment, this in turn has seen plenty of good-sized Tailor being caught this week. The best time to target Tailor is the last couple of hours of the run-in tide when the water quality is at its best and the first hour of the run-out tide. The deeper main channels seem to be the best spots to target the Tailor, the bait schools tend to hold up against the current lines in the deeper water and will move towards the surface when being attacked by hungry predators. When looking for fish to target, always keep an eye on the sounder for signs of life to indicate either bait schools or schools of lager fish like Tailor in the area. Birds searching a current line or diving hitting the water is a great sign as it usually tells us that fish are actively feeding at that time. When searching try trolling a mixture of diving lures to cover ground until you get consistent hook ups, once you have found fish you can then look at switching to throwing metal slugs as they can cast a long distance: work quickly or let sink, to attract fish feeding deeper. If there is plenty of surface action, try a surface popper or a stick bait for an exciting surface strike. Some good spots to look at the Gold Coast Seaway, Main Currigee Channel, Mouth of the South Arm of the Coomera River, Aldershots, Jumpinpin Bar, Kalinga Bank, Crusoe Island, Mouth of Tiger Mullet Channel, Short Island and Canaipa Passage. 

Jackson Ford with a quality Flathead caught at Jumpinpin

Flathead

Flathead catches have also been very consistent this week with some great fish being landed in the Broadwater, Jumpinpin and the Local Rivers of the Gold and Tweed Coasts. A mixture of soft plastics, soft vibes, glide baits, trolling hard body lures and drifting baits have all done the trick on the Flathead.  

From The Lads

Brad from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports the weather was awesome this week and so was the fishing earlier in the week but unfortunately the back end went a bit quiet. The reason the last couple of days went a bit slow was the lack of run in the tides and a major barometer drop. It is amazing how you can have the best sounders as well as equipment and techniques and mother nature’s little tantrums have the last say. It was not like we didn’t catch anything over the past couple of days we just got less fish and worked harder to get them. The fish caught this week were Flatties, Bream, Whiting, School Jew and Mangrove Jacks. 

Arrow Squid caught in the Gold Coast Broadwater with Clint from Brad Smith Fishing Charters

Squid

Clint from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports this week again there was lots of Squid in the Broadwater. It is now peak season for them, and they should be on for the next month. I will be doing lots of Squid fishing and chasing nice fish as well, so book in your private charter soon. Limited dates available. The Squid are now bigger and more numerous in their usual areas both sides of Crab Island, Biggera and in all the holes from Seaworld to Sundale bridge. Look for areas 4-6 metres deep and use 2.5 and 3.0 size squid jigs. My favourites are Ecogear  Dartmax in colours including green, gold, white, orange, pink, and purple, red in cloudy conditions. Cast them out far enough that they will reach bottom then either drift or slowly lift and drop and retrieve. Other than the Squid there are some nice Flathead on the flats and in the channels, plus Flounder, Bream, Winter Whiting and Tailor. I have been noticing the bite including the Squid has been dropping off during each day as the barometer drops. This week we have some nice size tides for channel fishing in the Broadwater, and casting lures over the edges of the sandbanks.

Snapper Season

Gavin from Sea Probe Fishing Charters reports Snapper season opened on the 16th and weren’t they on the chew bagging everyday along with Pearlies, Tuskies and also Dolphin Fish still hanging around on the 50 fathoms taken on pilchards and squid. Sea Probe Fishing Charters with a solid Pearl Perch taken on charter off the Gold Coast

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 Tinnies 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     [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_raw_html]JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJjYm94LTVTbTQ3M0p3RHpJZ01TRlklMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZkaXYlM0U=[/vc_raw_html][stm_sidebar sidebar=”651″][/vc_column][/vc_row]