Written by Andrew Chorley
NOW that we are in the warmer months it’s time to dust off the barra and jack gear and get amongst some of our estuary sportfish.
Burrum
With things heating up, hitting the snags and deep holes with lures and live baits for barra and jacks would be a great option.
Whiting will also be about in the lower reaches of the Burrum River and if you can get some live blood worms or yabbies it will be well worth the effort.
Walking the flats out the front will be a good option for whiting also.
Flathead can be found between the ramps on live baits with the odd chopper tailor also being reported. Out the front, mac tuna and school mackerel can be found on the Burrum 8-Mile in good numbers, providing some great sport fishing.
Local Reefs
On the local reefs, anglers will find that blue parrot, sweetlip and blackall have been the main catches.
School mackerel have been active on the reefs on the western and central bay. In the shipping channels mac tuna can be found working. Targeting them with small slugs and soft plastics has been effective.
Platypus Bay
Platypus Bay has been a little slow with a few mac tuna and longtail schools starting to trickle in.
For the reef fishos, a few sweetlip, scarlets and blackall have been reported.
Snapper are still about with one here and there but generally the snapper season is now finished.
Wide Grounds
For those that ventured over Break Sea Spit bar cod, pearl perch, job fish and snapper have been reported in the deep water.
Around the 50m line parrot, hussar, red throats and coronation trout were reported. Closer to home the Southern Gutters has produced sweetlip, coral trout, hussar and trevally.
Urangan Pier
There’s been some great catches reported off the pier, with Jew and flathead to 2kg and some good mackerel being the best catches. Big elbow slapper whiting have been taken in the first channel with live yabbies working best.
Sandy Strait
Salmon have been active in the Mary River and Turkey Straits, with soft vibes, soft plastics and live baits working well. Barra have started to become more active with the mid-reaches of the river seeing the better fishing. Flathead have been abundant around the mouth of the river when
conditions have suited, with soft plastics working well. Whiting, flathead and grunter have been reported along the western side of Fraser Island.