Written by Andrew Chorley
Tuna season is here and with recent rains over the past few months we should see some great fishing.
Mac and longtail tuna are a favourite for sportfisherman and see anglers travel from southern regions to get into the action on the Fraser Coast.
Along with tuna the next month can be one of the best for many of our reef species with coral trout, scarlets, sweetlip, cod and more very active now.
Burrum
Bread and butter species will be the main targets with big whiting over the full and new moon worth a look this month. A few barra have been taken around the ramps and black bank with grunter also about near the channel markers.
Out the front the Burrum 8-Mile has produced golden trevally, longtail tuna, mackerel, cod and blackall.
Urangan Pier
The Pier will be a popular option on the windy days through the Easter school holiday period. Flathead, mackerel, queenfish and bream were the most common captures. Whiting have been taken in the shallows around the pier and surrounding beaches with worms, yabbies and small poppers working well.
Platypus Bay
Platypus Bay has produced longtail tuna, mac tuna, spotted and school mackerel of late. Fishing deep around the tuna schools has also produced some trevally and grunter on soft plastics and small metal jigs. Bottom fishing with fresh baits has been good for scarlets when you can get out a little wider with the night tides producing best catches.
Local Reefs
Grass sweetlip have been on the chew of late with the artificial reef, boags hole and the channel hole all producing good fish. Sharks are a problem so moving about or drifting seems to work best to avoid the sharks. Tuna have also been in the channels taking soft plastics and metal slugs. Other species about on the local reefs have been coral trout, cod, parrot and blackall.
Sandy Strait
In the Strait, whiting has been about on the Booral Flats and around the Susan River. Crews have been limited with the recent weather to explore the island side of the straits, but we have had reports of golden trevally, grunter, whiting and flathead coming off the flats. It will be worth a look for a feed of Prawns also with a big wet this year we should see a good run of prawns.