FISHING REPORT   – 19-07-2013

BASS

Cressbrook Dam has seen some good quality fish coming out of about 15 feet of water, mainly around the points throughout the dam and soft plastics have been the most effective. A few schools of fish still showing up at Somerset Dam, just out from the Eagles Nest, Queen Street and the start of the timber at Kirkleigh have been the best spots, hopping blades, soft vibes and soft plastics and using Ice Jigs have picked up a few fish. A bit of a change at Boondooma this week, there have been a few reports of some schools starting to show up throughout the main basin of the dam, there is still the odd bass being caught, casting blades and smaller spinnerbaits to the edges and around the timber, in the Stuart and Boyne arms. Maroon has produced a few fish again this week, they’re still mainly around the edges and weed pockets, with soft plastics and small suspending minnows picking up most of the fish and Moogerah Dam has seen some Bass hitting blades and crank baits, cast to the edges.

As far as Redclaw go, Boondooma and Bjelke Peterson Dams have started to see some decent numbers filling the traps again, this is very unusual for this time of year, but some people have been getting 60-90 a night, setting the traps in 20 feet of water and boiled spuds have been the bait of preference.

YELLOWBELLY AND COD

Cooby Dam is still producing decent numbers of Yellowbelly, working the deeper parts of the dam has been productive, vertically jigging or hopping blades and soft vibes has been effective, while live shrimp and frozen saltwater yabbies have again been the pick of the baits. Glenlyon has again seen some decent numbers of Yellowbelly, in 30-40 feet of water taking live shrimp, the Cod fishing is a little slow, with only a few 60-70cm fish taking spinnerbaits. Similar to previous week’s at Coolmunda, it is still producing a few Yellowbelly on bait throughout the dam, and around the timbered area of the dam, soft vibes and blades have produced a few fish as well. In the Warwick area this week, Leslie Dam has been a bit quiet; with only small numbers of Yellowbelly biting on frozen saltwater yabbies, but the Condamine River and some of the smaller creeks in that Southern Downs area have produced some nice Yellowbelly and a few decent Cod up to 20lb, spinnerbaits and crank baits have worked well on these fish. Boondooma Dam saw a few land based anglers catch Yellowbelly of the banks this week, there are still a few Yellowbelly and Silver Perch taking live shrimp both arms of the dam, Jackals and Spinnerbaits have picked up a few fish in these areas as well. As for the rivers, the Macintyre at Goondiwindi is still improving as the water settles, with a few Yellowbelly and plenty of Cod taking live Yabbies and hard bodies, but spinnerbaits have been the most effective and most of the western creeks and rivers continue to produce good numbers of quality Cod and Yellowbelly, with live bait working well and also a well-placed cast with a spinnerbait or lipless crankbait, around the snags, will see you pick up some nice fish as well.

GOLD COAST AND TWEED

Not a lot of anglers ventured offshore this past week, but those that did, picked up a few Snapper and Maori Cod on the 24’s and out a bit wider, there were a few Pearl Perch on the 36’s. Inshore fishing has seen Flathead and School Jew throughout the Tweed River and Luderick around the rock walls. While on the Gold Coast, the Seaway has again seen plenty of Mulloway and Trevelly taken on the run in tide, also a few Bream off the rock wall, in the Broadwater, good numbers of Gar off the weed beds at the northern end of Crab Island, Tailor and Dart off the beaches and afternoon has been productive for Mulloway and Tailor off the Pumping Jetty.

SUNSHINE COAST

Offshore fishing has been fairly good, Murphies Reef, Caloundra wide and the banks are seeing good catches of Snapper, Parrot, Tuskfish, Cobia and even a few Reds. Plenty of Snapper about as well, with bag limits quite easy to achieve at the moment. In close only a few reports from the Gneerings, Currimundi and Caloundra 5 mile of Snapper and Grassy Sweetlip, however due to the weather making it hard to get out, fishing these closer reefs would be a good option at the moment. Inshore fishing has seen smaller Chopper Tailor caught around the mouth through to the motorway bridge in the Maroochy River, with reports of Jew and bigger Bream at night, around the mouth on the run out tide, at Caloundra, quite a few bream at night around the mouth areas, as well as Grunter and Jew up past Military Jetty, Bream and trevally along the edges of Kawana and Currumundi lakes at night, and reports of Garfish moving back into the Mooloolah River basin early morning and late afternoon. As for the beaches, Tailor have been about in better numbers along the Kawana strip with some 2 to 3kg fish being found in the gutters pre-dawn on the run in tide. During the day some solid Dart and Bream and late afternoon, the gutters seem to be more active with Tarwhine and Jewfish at the start of the run out tide.