by Andrew Chorley
February 1st is an exciting time for local Barramundi anglers as it marks the opening of the season. Anglers will be out targeting saltwater Barramundi on the local river systems, with the Burrum River and Mary River systems being hotspots.
Burrum: Mangrove Jacks, Fingermark and Grunter have been taken in Buxton Hole with live prawns making the perfect bait. Casting to snags and rock bars have also turned up a few fish, with Jacks reported to 60 cm coming in. Whiting, Flathead and Bream have been taken on the flats, with the odd Queenfish and Golden Trevally taken around the mouth. For Barra anglers, smaller fish have been found among the snags, with the open water holding bigger fish.
Local Reefs: Coral trout and cod have been captured during the day, with the odd Golden Trevally also taking live baits on the reefs. Grass Sweetlip have also been taken on strip baits and hardy heads fished light on the tide change.
Platypus Bay: Should fire up in the coming weeks. Looking for birds and bait balls will be the key to success. Spotted Mackerel, various tuna species, and Trevally will all be on offer. A few catches of summer Snapper have turned up recently and are always a welcome bycatch. Scarlets and the odd Blackall have also been reported.
Sandy Straits: The straits have been fishing well, with the Mary River also turning it on for local and visiting anglers. Prawns, Mud Crabs, Threadfin Salmon and Flathead have made up most of the captures. Whiting will also be worth a look on the flood tide along the western side of Fraser Island. Some nice Grunter, Blackall, Cod and the odd Jack have come from the ledges around Ungowa and further down the straits.
Wide Grounds: Crews heading out over the Wide Bay bar have been reporting some epic fishing around bait balls. Dolphin fish, Spanish Mackerel, Yellow Fin Tuna and Spotted Mackerel have been reported feeding around the bait right through the water column. Quality catches of Grass Sweetlip, Snapper and Parrot have also been reported coming on freshly cut baits.
