FISHING REPORT   – 14-03-2013

It’s been a nice change to have had some reasonable weather this past week and the sun has finally managed to peak through a few times. This has certainly seen a few anglers taking advantage of the better conditions and heading out to wet a line.

After re-opening last week, Cooby Dam has produced good numbers of Golden Perch around the edges for land based and boating anglers. Live worms and frozen Saltwater Yabbies have worked the best for the bait anglers, as for the lure anglers, casting crankbaits, like the STRADA Aife and Quika, also Jackalls and smaller Spinnerbaits, tight to the edges, has enticed a few decent fish out as well. Cressbrook Dam remains closed due to the volume of water flowing over the spillway, at the time of writing this report; there was 300mm of water going over it. Somerset Dam is open according to the SEQ Water website, but we haven’t had any reports since it re-opened last Thursday. Bass anglers had some success at Maroon on the weekend with some good quality Bass being landed on spinnerbaits, there were also a few fish landed on Cultiva Rippin Minnows late afternoon. Bjelke Peterson and Boondooma Dams haven’t really settled yet, and are still fairly quiet, using bait in the dirtier water will give anglers a better chance of landing a fish, while the Redclaw are still out in big numbers.

Due to the rise in water level at Glenlyon, again there have been stacks of Golden Perch getting up and around the newly covered grass on the edges, casting smaller hard bodies off the bank or casting them towards the edges if you’re in a boat and working the lure over the newly covered vegetation has produced big numbers of fish from 1.5 to 2.5kg. There’s also been a few Cod about, in the deeper water, with trolled hard bodies picking up a few fish. Coolmunda has seen plenty of Golden Perch landed throughout the dam, using bait, Spinnerbaits have also picked up some decent fish around the timber.

Leslie Dam is fishing reasonably well at the moment, with reports of some good catches of Golden Perch and Murray Cod.  Bait anglers are seeing the best results, with shrimps being the favourite bait to use.  There were some good fish caught in the main basin as well as up towards the "Black Boys". TN60 Jackalls and Spinnerbaits are working well when used around the structure. There were also reports of a few fish being landed in the deeper water on Mask Vibes.  A couple of guys landed a beautiful Murray Cod, weighing in at 31 pounds and measuring 97cm, on a shrimp.

As for the rivers, our local waterways are still a bit unsettled at the moment, but they are still fishing alright. Despite water from the Condamine reaching St.George, the fishing is good, with good size Golden Perch and some Cod around the 60cm mark taking a variety of baits. Things are still a bit slow on the Macintyre, but a few Golden Perch have been caught off the banks, using bait and the Dumeresq River at Texas has fished extremely well for Golden Perch and Eel-Tailed Catfish, Cod have been a bit quiet, but a few smaller fish have been caught released.

GOLD COAST AND TWEED

Offshore fishing hasn’t improved too much this week, with only a few Marlin and Wahoo taken on some of the bigger charter boats, there has been limited opportunities to get out, due to the weather. Inshore has seen Flathead and Bream around the headlands in the Tweed River and also around the Pin, while the mouth of the Tweed and the Seaway have produced quite a few Mulloway, Trevelly and the odd Tailor.

SUNSHINE COAST

Offshore fishing has been limited, due to the conditions; however the inshore fishing has improved. The Boardwalk at Caloundra has been fishing well for Bream, plenty of Whiting on the sand flats and just outside the bar entrance has produced some nice Trevelly and smaller Mackerel. Kawana lake is still fishing well for Jacks and Bream on small minnows and surface poppers, while up at Noosa, on the run in tide, the river mouth has produced Tailor, Trevelly and Queenfish on live bait and the upper reaches have seen the odd Jack and Flathead getting about.