FISHING REPORT   – 21-02-2013

CRESSBROOK DAM REOPENS

Cressbrook Dam reopened last Friday afternoon for all recreational use, following its closure due to ex-Tropical Cyclone Oswald on the Australia Day long weekend. Boating, day use and camping and land-based fishing are now permitted at the dam. The dam was closed to boating when water flowed over the spillway making it unsafe for this pursuit.

However, dam users are advised that any significant rainfall in the catchment area may result in the dam being closed under Council's Emergency Action Plan.

Access to the dam is from the Esk-Hampton Road, via Mount Jockey Road as Perseverance Dam Road is still closed approx 1km from Grape Tree Road intersection. 

Cooby Dam has again produced some decent catches of Yellowbelly, there are a few scattered schools throughout the dam, these fish have been hitting a bit of everything, including dark coloured blades and Jackalls, as well as frozen saltwater yabbies. There was also the odd fish landed off the banks, with frozen saltwater yabbies proving to be effective for that as well.

Since reopening, Cressbrook has produced a few fish off the edges, with bait and reaction type lures proving to be successful; Somerset has seen a few Bass and Yellowbelly taking Mask Vibes and blades worked close to the bottom, the start of the timber at Kirkleigh has been very productive. Bjelke Peterson and Boondooma are still fairly dirty and fairly quiet, with not a lot to report from either of these dams. Boondooma camping areas have been reopened, however camping near the water’s edge is still not happening, due to the ground being extremely wet.

Glenlyon Dam has produced plenty of Yellowbelly over the past week, and also quite a few undersize to just legal Cod, live worms and shrimp have worked well, but spinnerbaits and hard bodies have picked up the most fish. Not a lot different at Leslie Dam this week, the Yellowbelly are still biting, trolled hard bodies and bait are working at the moment, with live Shrimp and frozen Saltwater Yabbies working well throughout the dam, worms have again produced some decent catches for the land based anglers and Coolmunda picked up this week, with plenty of Yellowbelly hitting trolled hard bodies, the old creek bed and the wall have been the pick of the spots.

As far as the rivers go, the Dumeresq River is producing a few Yellowbelly in the town reaches of Texas, lures and bait have both been successful. The Macintyre River at Goondiwindi has really livened up this week as the water clears a little, live shrimp and crays, as well as frozen saltwater yabbies have picked up the majority of the fish.

GOLD COAST AND TWEED

Offshore fishing this week, produced a few smaller Marlin on the closer bait reefs, a few Spanish Mackerel at 9 Mile Reef and out from Mermaid and Palm Beach, while trolled lures have again been effective for Wahoo and Dolphin Fish on the 50’s. The Seaway has seen Mulloway around the end of the North wall on the tide change, also a few smaller Snapper off the southern rock wall, the pumping jetty and the beach either side has seen big numbers of Whiting and Dart landed, Flathead around Kalinga Bank, a few Jacks are getting about Sovereign Island and the bridges in the Tweed River and plenty of Muddies at the mouths of most of the creeks and rivers on the Gold Coast and the Tweed.

SUNSHINE COAST

Offshore fishing has seen a few Snapper and Sweetlip on the closer reefs, a few Marlin getting about out wide and as far as inshore fishing goes, the Boardwalk at Caloundra has again produced big some big Flathead and the odd Bream, Jack’s in the Pelican Waters canals, Whiting around the bar entrance and the Power Boat Club and some nice Muddies are showing up in Bells Creek, while the Noosa River has produced heaps of Bream in the dirtier water and good numbers of Whiting, Jacks and Trevally at Noosa Sound.