Written by Andrew Chorley
It’s that time of year again Summer is here and so is the festive season. If you are on the water this festive season stay safe, check your safety gear, along with the weather and conditions before planning your trip out on our beautiful waters.
Burrum River
In the Burrum mangrove jacks have been the main target species for lure anglers. Prawn imitations are always popular along with 4 inch paddle tails slow rolled through the snags. Live baits are also very effective with live herring, mullet and whiting getting the results. A few nice flathead have come from the mid reaches on soft plastics and whole pilchards.
Local Reefs
The local reefs have produced sweetlip, blackall and golden trevally of late. Big tides will get them going with the tide changes critical. This week on the smaller tides the bite will not be as intense with lightly rigged fresh baits getting good results. Queenfish can be found around the islands with poppers and small soft plastics working well.
Platypus Bay
Working the schools on the surface has produced spotted mackerel, golden trevally, grunter and spanish mackerel. Metal slugs worked at high speed have been effective on the spotted mackerel.
Urangan Pier
Pencil squid have been in good numbers off the Pier with the best results at night. Golden trevally, broad bar mackerel, jew and flathead have also been reported coming in off the Pier.
Wide Grounds
Recent weather has limited access to the wide grounds with the odd day here and there allowing crews to venture out. Sharks are a problem out there with plenty of fish being lost to sharks. Moving around can help, after a good fish has been landed moving on is the best way to manage the problem. Sweetlip, coral trout, hussar, parrot and pelagics like yellow fin tuna, spotted mackerel and spanish mackerel have been reported out wide through the southern gutters area.
Sandy Straits
In the Straits grunter, GT’s, threadfin salmon and whiting have been reported. The salmon have been best in the lower reaches of the Mary River with soft vibes, gold bombers and soft plastics getting results. If you are after a few reef fish try the ledges around the western side of Fraser Island for sweetlip, parrot, backall and cod.
