FISHING REPORT   – 23-08-2013

SOMERSET ABT BASS PRO

Lake Somerset lived up to its big fish reputation delivering anglers, oversize bags and huge bass, the fishing still wasn’t easy, but there were some quality fish weighed in. In total, 273 fish hit the scales, at an average weight of 1.36kg, there were good numbers over the 2kg mark, and even a few tipping the scales over the 3kg mark. Queensland angler Callum Munro, broke the ABT Big Bass record, with a cracking Bass, that weighed in at 3.82kg, the majority of the fish were caught on soft plastics, soft vibes and ice jigs, with Pelican Point, Queen Street and Bay 13 proving to be the best spots.

BASS

Very similar to last week at Cressbrook, with mixed results still coming in, there are a few fish being caught, the best places to look, are around the points and drop-offs throughout the dam, use a sounder to find the fish and target them with soft plastics, ice jigs and blades, it would also be worth casting Jackals to the edges, early morning and late afternoon. Boondooma has produced a few Bass, on the flats in the Boyne arm, hopping blades and Jackals has been effective. Maroon is much the same this week, with a few Bass taken around the edges and weed pockets on soft plastics, and Moogerah has again produced decent numbers, with the same lures working successfully, including small blades, soft plastics, soft vibes and ice jigs.

YELLOWBELLY AND COD

Cooby Dam is still producing decent numbers of Yellowbelly, fishing mid to late afternoon in the deeper water has produced the best results; blades have been the pick of the lures, while frozen saltwater yabbies and live shrimp have again been the popular baits. Fishing deep has again been the best option at Glenlyon this week, with some quality Yellowbelly taking bait suspended at about 20-25 feet, some quality Cod around the 70cm mark, have been taking spinnerbaits around the timbered areas. Coolmunda has again seen Yellowbelly to 50cm hitting Jackals, Spinnerbaits and bait around the timber. In the Warwick area this week, Leslie Dam has only produced small numbers of Yellowbelly and Silver Perch, off the banks, on frozen saltwater yabbies and live worms. Boondooma Dam has seen some decent Yellowbelly taking Mask Vibes in the Stuart arm and Bjelke Peterson has produced some quality fish around Bass Point on live shrimp and trolled hard bodies. As for the rivers, the Macintyre at Goondiwindi has produced good size Yellowbelly on bait and hard bodies, the Balonne at St.George is fishing well for smaller Yellowbelly, also plenty of Silver Perch on bait and a few smaller Cod have been taken on dark coloured hard bodies, while the Condamine River has again fished well for Yellowbelly and Cod, with most of the weirs proving to be quite productive.

GOLD COAST AND TWEED

Offshore fishing this past week has seen quality Snapper on the 18’s and out wider; the 50’s have seen good mixed bags of Snapper, Pearl Perch and Amberjack. As far as the inshore fishing goes, the Tweed River has seen a few Flathead on the edges, taking soft plastics and Tailor around the rock walls at the river mouth. While on the Gold Coast, plenty of Mulloway on the flats around Seaworld and Wavebreak Island, it’s a pretty good time for Flathead at the moment, and the Pin has been producing plenty on soft plastics, while trolled lures have worked well, from the Aldershots to Crab Island.

SUNSHINE COAST

Offshore fishing has again seen the outer reefs firing for plenty of Snapper, Pearl Perch, Yellow Tail Kingfish and Sweetlip, while inshore fishing has seen small Snapper off the rocks at Kings Beach, good size Flathead, on plastics and live bait, throughout most of the estuaries, Whiting have been plentiful around the mouth of the Maroochy River and throughout the passage at Caloundra and a few Queenfish and Trevelly are getting about the Pelican Waters canals.  

HERVEY BAY

Longtail Tuna and Trevally on the deeper reefs, with a few small Sailfish getting about, while in closer, plenty of Flathead in Gatakers Bay, heaps of Bream off the Urangan Peir and Fraser Island continues to produce some decent numbers of Tailor off the exposed beaches.