Friday, July 19, 2013

Fishing Report 19-07-2013


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.

 

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Fishing Report 12-07-2013


FISHING REPORT   – 12-07-2013


BASS

Not a lot has changed this week, as far as the Bass fishing goes, again a few quality fish have been landed at Cressbrook, look for schooled fish throughout the dam and target them with soft plastics, soft vibes, ice jigs and blades, it’s also worth a try around the edges, particularly early morning and late afternoon, with soft plastics and crank baits being your best option in these areas. A few schools of fish still showing up at Somerset Dam, Pelican Point, Eagles Nest, Queen Street and the start of the timber at Kirkleigh,  vertically worked blades and Ice Jigs are picking up a few fish. A carbon copy of last week at Boondooma, still the odd bass being caught casting blades to edges and jigging blades off the bottom in top end of the Stuart and Boyne arms. Still a few fish at Maroon this week, they have mainly been around the edges and weed pockets, with soft plastics and small suspending minnows proving to be the most effective and Moogerah Dam is clearing up, which has seen some smaller Bass caught off the banks and a few smaller schools showing up in about 30 feet of water.

YELLOWBELLY AND COD

Much the same at Cooby Dam this week, it is still producing decent numbers of Yellowbelly, there are a few smaller fish starting to show up, so remember, 30cm is the minimum length for these fish, vertically jigging or hopping blades has still  been effective, while live shrimp and frozen saltwater yabbies have been the pick of the baits. Glenlyon has again seen some decent numbers of Yellowbelly, in 15-40ft of water taking live shrimp, but the Cod fishing has picked up, with a few 60-70cm fish taking spinnerbaits. Similar to last week 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; while Connelly has produced a few Yellowbelly on frozen saltwater yabbies. Much the same at Boondooma Dam this week as well, there has been a few Yellowbelly and Silver Perch taken on live shrimp, Jackals and Spinnerbaits in the timbered areas of both arms of the dam. As for the rivers, the Macintyre at Goondiwindi is still improving as the water settles, with a few Yellowbelly and Cod taking live Yabbies, mornings seem to be the best time to go, the Balonne River at St.George continues to produce good numbers of Yellowbelly on bait, the Dumeresq River has fished well for good quality Yellowbelly up to 60cm and Cod to 20lb, spinnerbaits and hard bodies have been popular and as the Condamine River continues to clear up, the fishing continue to pick up in most spots, good numbers of Yellowbelly and some nice Cod have been actively taking a range of baits, as well as Spinnerbaits and hard bodies.

GOLD COAST AND TWEED

A bit of an improvement as far as offshore fishing goes, some reasonable Snapper taking unweighted pilchards on the 18’s and 24’s, also some bigger Snapper, Pearl Perch, Cobia and Kingies, wider on the 36’s. Inshore fishing has seen a few Tailor and Jewies on the Tweed Coast beaches and plenty of Bream around any sort of structure throughout the Tweed River. The Gold Coast Seaway has again seen plenty of Mulloway and Trevelly taken on the run in tide, the Broadwater has also produced good numbers of Gar off the weed beds, the northern end of Crab Island, The Aldershots and Kalinga Bank have seen a few Flathead getting about and late afternoon has been productive for Mulloway and Tailor off the Pumping Jetty.

SUNSHINE COAST

A bit more to report for offshore fishing this week, the outer edges of Murphy’s Reef and down around Caloundra 12 Mile and Caloundra wide produced a mixed bag of Snapper, Pearl Perch, Mulloway and Parrot, while the closer reefs are the go, if you like chasing smaller Squire on soft plastics, using light gear. The beaches have seen plenty of Tailor, Dart, Bream and Tarwhine. Bream and Flathead throughout the passage and off the Boardwalk at Caloundra, the Maroochy River has also fished well for Bream, Flathead and a few Jewies, the Noosa River has fished well for Mulloway and Trevelly along the ski run and in Woods Bay and fishing around the bridges and pylons has produced a few decent Mangrove Jack.

 

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Fishing Report 5-07-2013


FISHING REPORT   – 05-07-2013


BASS

A few quality fish have been landed at Cressbrook this week, although it is still a bit hit and miss, look for schooled fish throughout the dam and target them with soft plastics, soft vibes, ice jigs and blades, it’s also worth a try around the edges, particularly early morning and late afternoon, with soft plastics being your best option in these areas. A few schools of fish still showing up at Somerset Dam, Pelican Point, Eagles Nest, Queen Street and the start of the timber at Kirkleigh,  vertically worked blades and Ice Jigs are picking up a few fish. A carbon copy of last week at Boondooma, still the odd bass being caught casting blades to edges and jigging blades off the bottom in top end of the Stuart River. Still a few fish at Maroon this week, they have mainly been around the edges and weed pockets, with soft plastics and small suspending minnows proving to be the most effective.

YELLOWBELLY AND COD

Cooby Dam is still producing decent numbers of Yellowbelly, the quantity is down a bit, but the quality has improved, vertically jigging or hopping blades has been effective, while live shrimp and frozen saltwater yabbies have been the pick of the baits. Glenlyon has again seen some decent numbers of Yellowbelly, in 30-40ft of water taking live shrimp, but it’s been pretty hard going if you like chasing Cod, with only a few smaller 60-65cm fish being caught. Similar to last week 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 seen a few Yellowbelly taken on frozen shrimp and frozen saltwater yabbies, the Condamine has dirtied up a bit, which has shut the river fishing down in the area. Much the same at Boondooma Dam this week as well, there has been a few Yellowbelly and Silver Perch taken on live shrimp, Jackals and Spinnerbaits in the timbered areas of both arms of the dam. As for the rivers, the Macintyre at Goondiwindi is still improving as the water settles, with a few Yellowbelly and Cod taking live Yabbies, mornings seem to be the best time to go, the Balonne River at St.George continues to produce good numbers of Yellowbelly on bait, the Dumeresq River has fished well for good quality Yellowbelly up to 60cm and Cod to 20lb, spinnerbaits and hard bodies have been popular and the lower reaches of the Condamine River are still clearing up, which has seen the fishing continue to pick up in most spots, good numbers of Yellowbelly and some nice Cod have been actively taking a range of baits, as well as Spinnerbaits and hard bodies.

GOLD COAST AND TWEED

Offshore fishing has been fairly non-existent this week, due to the poor conditions, however the weekend is shaping up to be pretty good weather wise, so if you are heading that way this weekend, the closer reefs will be the go for Snapper and if you can get out a bit wider, Pearl Perch should be on the chew. Inshore fishing has been a bit quiet as well, with the odd Mulloway and Bream around the headlands at the Tweed, while the beaches have seen a few Tailor in the gutters. The Gold Coast Seaway is alive with Mulloway, Bream and Tailor, the Broadwater has also produced good numbers of Tailor and Bream on metal lures, while the northern end of Crab Island and the Pin have seen a few Flathead getting about.

SUNSHINE COAST

Nothing to report as far as offshore fishing goes, but with better weather predicted for this weekend, the best reefs to target would be the top end of the Barwon Banks, the outer edges of Murphy’s Reef and down around Caloundra 12 Mile and Caloundra wide. Along the beaches, Tailor have been showing up at night, off the rocks at the mouth of the Mooloolah River and also around the Currimundi and Moffat Beach stretch. During the day the holes and gutters have been holding some nice Dart, Bream and a few Tarwhine. There has been quite a few Mulloway in the rivers so if you like chasing them, now is the time to try around the river mouths, especially after the rain. Bream have been about in fairly good numbers of late and the Mooloolah River mouth, Military Jetty, the passage and around the cod hole in the Maroochy River are as good as any places to start. Flathead are also in good numbers too, with the Maroochy River and the lower reaches of the passage performing well for this time of year. A few reports of Chopper Tailor through the rivers as well with the motorway bridge in the Maroochy River and the passage once again the more active locations.

 

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Fishing Report 28-06-2013


FISHING REPORT   – 28-06-2013


BASS

Not much has changed at Cressbrook this past week, it is still a bit hit and miss at the moment, look for schooled fish throughout the dam and target them with soft plastics, soft vibes, ice jigs and blades, it’s also worth a try around the edges, particularly early morning and late afternoon, soft plastics, blades and crankbaits would be your best options in these areas. A few schools of fish are starting to show up at Somerset Dam, Pelican Point, Eagles Nest, Queen Street and the start of the timber at Kirkleigh are the better spots, with vertically worked blades picking up a few fish, there are quite a few Barred Grunter in amongst the Bass, which will certainly provide a bit of fun for the kids. At Boondooma, the odd bass being caught casting blades to edges and jigging blades off the bottom in top end of the Stuart River. Still a few fish at Maroon this week, they have mainly been around the edges and weed pockets, with soft plastics and small suspending minnows proving to be the most effective. Not a lot to report from Moogerah this week, but if you were planning a trip there, try fishing the deeper water with ice-jigs and blades. As far as Redclaw go, Boondooma and Bjelke Peterson are still producing smaller numbers at the moment.

YELLOWBELLY AND COD

Cooby Dam has again produced decent numbers of Yellowbelly on blades, live shrimp and frozen saltwater yabbies. A few Cod on spinnerbaits at Glenlyon again this week, and still some decent numbers of Yellowbelly taking live shrimp. Coolmunda is still producing a few Yellowbelly on bait, and around the timbered area of the dam, Soft Vibes and blades have produced a few fish as well. Much the same in the Warwick area this week, at Leslie Dam, a few Yellowbelly have been taken on live shrimp and frozen saltwater yabbies, there was a couple of Cod taken on spinnerbaits as well and Boondooma Dam has seen a few Yellowbelly and Silver Perch taken on live shrimp, Jackals and Spinnerbaits in the timbered areas of both arms of the dam. As for the rivers, the Macintyre at Goondiwindi has improved a bit with a few Yellowbelly and Cod landed this week, the Balonne River at St.George continues to produce good numbers of Yellowbelly on bait, but upstream of Beardmore Dam, towards Surat has been a better spot to target, with some good numbers of Yellowbelly and Cod hitting hard bodies and Spinnerbaits, big spinnerbaits have worked well for Cod in the Dumeresq River and the Condamine River is clearing up nicely, which has seen the fishing pick up in most spots, good numbers of Yellowbelly and some nice Cod have been actively taking a range of baits, as well as Spinnerbaits and hard bodies.

GOLD COAST AND TWEED

Offshore fishing has been a bit restricted to the closer reefs, with Snapper, Squire and Spangled Emperor taken anywhere from the inner reefs to the 24’s, and for anyone who has ventured out further, there has been some quality Cobia, Pearlies and Trag Jew. The Tweed River has seen Black Fish and Bream around the rock walls and bridges, some nice Flathead in the upper reaches on live bait and a few on soft plastics, Mulloway around the headlands and a few Tailor and Salmon off the beaches, while up around Southport, fishing the run out tide has  seen good numbers of quality Flathead throughout the Broadwater and around the Pin and the Seaway entrance has produced good numbers of Tailor and Salmon, the odd King Fish, as well as heaps of School Jew around the 60-65cm mark.

SUNSHINE COAST

With some reasonable weather people have been out and about and the fishing has been rewarding for those that have put in the time. The northern grounds like the Hards, have been producing some quality fish, with Red Emperor being caught amongst them. Closer in, Caloundra 12 mile has produced some good Snapper and even closer Murphy’s and the Gneerings are also fishing well with the late afternoon/evening session being the better. North Reef off Noosa has been alive with Cobia and Jew while the southern end of the Barwon Banks and Caloundra Wide has been the place to go for a few Pearl Perch and Snapper. Inshore fishing has been a lot of Jew caught in the rivers, the Maroochy River mouth has been one spot to chase them with a 12kg fish coming from there recently, Gar have started to show up again in the Mooloolah River, with the recent rain they have been patchy, but as the river clears they will be back and are great fun for the kids. The entrance to Lake Weyba has been producing a few Jack and Flathead and Woods Bay area has been good for a few Trevally and Tailor. The Passage and Pelican Waters have produced Bream and Flathead with the odd report of Trevally, and on the beaches Tailor have started to show up in reasonable sizes and numbers, Bream have also been worth chasing with some good quality fish being caught.

 

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Fishing Report 21-06-2013


FISHING REPORT   – 21-06-2013


LAKE BOONDOOMA BASS PRO

As predicted, the ABT Bass Pro tournament at Lake Boondooma proved to be as tough as everyone expected. The top two anglers for the weekend both weighed in 5 out of 6 fish, but after that it was slim pickings, with only 21 anglers testing the scales. All up there were only 35 Bass weighed in for the weekend, at an average weight of 1.05kg. As for the top two, both fished the Stuart arm of the dam, both used blades, with a short, sharp, hop retrieve, keeping the lure in the face of the fish for as long as possible. Quite a few of the fish that were caught, were good quality, so hopefully this dam should fish well, when it finally clears up.
Not much has changed at Cressbrook this past week, it is still a bit hit and miss at the moment, look for schooled fish around the points and drop-offs throughout the dam, it’s also worth a try around the edges, particularly early morning and late afternoon, soft plastics have probably been the best option. Not a lot has changed at Somerset Dam over the past couple of months, the fish are still quite scattered, Pelican Point, Queen Street and the start of the timber at Kirkleigh are the best spots to target, with slow rolled soft plastics and blades picking up a few fish. Maroon and Moogerah Dams have both produced some Bass this week, at Maroon the fish are holding deeper and vertically worked plastics and ice jigs have been successful, while TN60 Jackals, cast to the edges, has been effective at Mogerah. As far as Redclaw go, Boondooma and Bjelke Peterson are still producing smaller numbers at the moment.

YELLOWBELLY AND COD

Cooby Dam is still producing low numbers of Yellowbelly, blades, live shrimp and frozen saltwater yabbies have again been the popular options. A few smaller Cod on spinnerbaits at Glenlyon this week, a few Yellowbelly are taking live shrimp. Coolmunda is still producing a few Yellowbelly on bait, also a few reports of smaller Cod hitting Spinnerbaits. Much the same in the Warwick area this week, at Leslie Dam, a few Yellowbelly have been taken on live shrimp and frozen saltwater yabbies, there was a 107cm Cod taken on a spinnerbait during the week and Boondooma has seen a few fish taken on live shrimp, Jackals and Spinnerbaits in the timbered areas of both arms. As for the rivers, the Condamine, Dumeresque and Macintyre have all got a slight run in them, but if you can find some back eddy’s or spots where the flow isn’t so strong, a well-directed cast, with a spinnerbait, Jackal or any sort of reaction lure around logs and snags could pick you up a few fish. If you want to head a bit further west, the Ballone River is fishing well for Yellowbelly and Cod, with spinnerbaits and hard bodies working well.  We have a full moon this Sunday night, so it will be a good opportunity over the weekend to chase a Cod on these rivers and a few of our local dams.

GOLD COAST AND TWEED

Offshore fishing has been a bit better this week, with good numbers of Squire in close, mixed reefies and Yellowtail Kingies on the 36’s, Cobia on the Artificial Reef and Spanish Mackerel are down deep on the 24’s. The Tweed River has again seen a few Black Fish and Bream around the rock walls and bridges, and a few Tailor off the beaches, while up around Southport, good numbers of quality Bream are in the deeper holes throughout the Broadwater, the Seaway has produced good numbers of Tailor and Trevelly and there’s been quite a few Yellowtail Kingies getting about as well, although not a lot of people have been able to hook any.

SUNSHINE COAST

Offshore fishing has gone really well this week, the closer reefs have produced Squire, Sweetlip and Long tail Tuna, with early morning being the best time to go, quality Pearlies on the bottom end of the Barwon Banks, some decent Red Emporer on North Reef and the Hards and plenty of Snapper taking plastics and bait across most of the reefs. Inshore, at Caloundra a few Luderick have been caught off the Boardwalk, big Bream and Trevelly in the Pelican Waters canals, big 38-40cm Whiting throughout the passage, Gar in the Mooloolah River, Jewies around the Motorway bridge and the mouth of the Maroochy River, all different types of Trevelly and good size Flathead throughout the Noosa River and the beaches are producing plenty of Tailor and some big Bream up to the 1kg mark.

 

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Fishing Report 14-06-13


FISHING REPORT   – 14-06-2013


LAKE BOONDOOMA BASS PRO

The ABT BASS Pro Series kicks off its Queensland leg of the season when it hits south Burnett’s Lake Boondooma, this weekend. This round, will see anglers from across NSW and Queensland converge on the very dirty Lake Boondooma, With the dam still being very unsettled after the floods earlier in the year, it could be anyone’s tournament, although the last week has seen Jackals and SMAK spinnerbaits produce a few fish in both arms of the dam. So if you want to catch a glimpse of some of Australia’s top Bass anglers, head up there and catch the weigh in or even one of the session starts. The event kicks off at sunrise on Saturday with two angling session (6-11am, 1-5.30pm), then concludes on the Sunday with a single morning session (6am-11am). Anglers will weigh in their two largest fish each session with the largest combined six-fish bag deciding the champion boater and non-boater for the event.

BASS

Not much has changed at Cressbrook this past week, it is still a bit hit and miss at the moment, try around the points and drop-offs throughout the dam, soft plastics have probably been the best option, while live shrimp would still be your best bet as far as bait goes. A few reports of Bass hitting Ice Jigs, from Pelican Point through to Bay13 at Somerset this week, and as far as the Redclaw go, Boondooma, Bjelke Peterson, Somerset and Cressbrook are still producing low numbers at the moment.

YELLOWBELLY AND COD

Cooby Dam has gone a little quiet this past week, but it is still producing low numbers of Yellowbelly, blades, live shrimp and frozen saltwater yabbies have again been the popular options. Cod fishing has picked up at Glenlyon this week, with some quality fish taking slowly worked Jackals and Spinnerbaits, and it has again produced some nice Yellowbelly on frozen saltwater yabbies. Mixed reports from Coolmunda this week, with only low numbers of Yellowbelly taking bait, also a few reports of smaller Cod hitting Spinnerbaits. Much the same in the Warwick area this week, at Leslie Dam, a few Yellowbelly have been taken on live shrimp and frozen saltwater yabbies, and Bjelke Peterson has again produced some Yellowbelly around Bass Point, with live shrimp being the best option and the Stuart and Boyne arms at Boondooma has seen a few fish taken on live shrimp, Jackals and Spinnerbaits. As for the rivers, the Macintyre at Goondiwindi has produced a few Yellowbelly and Cod on bait, Spinnerbaits and hard bodies, the Balonne River at St.George continues to produce good numbers of Yellowbelly on bait, with a few decent Cod up to 15kg, on spinnerbaits, and the Condamine River, from Warwick right through to Cecil Plains, has been producing pretty good numbers of Yellowbelly and Cod at the Weirs and popular fishing holes, with bait, Jackals and spinnerbaits working well.

GOLD COAST AND TWEED

Offshore fishing has been a bit restricted to the closer reefs, with a few Snapper getting about, and for anyone who has ventured out further, there has been some quality Cobia, Pearlies and Trag Jew about. The Tweed River has again seen a few Black Fish and Bream around the rock walls and bridges, and a few Tailor off the beaches, while up around Southport, good numbers of quality Flathead throughout the Broadwater and around the Pin, the Seaway entrance has produced good numbers of Tailor, also in the Seaway live Mullet has been the bait of choice for a few School Jew.

SUNSHINE COAST

Offshore fishing has been a bit quiet here as well this week, with a few Long Tail Tuna just off Kings Beach, and for anyone who has been able to get out a bit further, they have been rewarded with some Cobia and Spanish Mackerel. Pretty quiet as far as the inshore goes as well, at Caloundra a few Luderick have been caught off the Boardwalk and some Trevelly have been getting about the Pelican Waters canals, while the Noosa River has produced some Mangrove Jack and Big Eye Trevelly.

 

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Fishing Report 7-06-2013


FISHING REPORT   – 07-06-2013


BASS CLOSED SEASON BEGINS FOR QUEENSLAND

A closed season applies to Australian bass throughout Queensland from 1 June to 31 August except in and from waterways upstream of Baroon Pocket, Bjelke-Petersen, Boondooma, Borumba, Cania, Cressbrook, Fred Haigh (Lake Monduran), Gordonbrook, Hinze, Lenthalls, Maroon, Moogerah, North Pine, Somerset, Wuruma and Wivenhoe dams; Claude Wharton and Jones weirs; Isis Balancing Storage (Lake Gregory), and Dyer (Bill Gunn Dam) and MacDonald lakes. Closed seasons prevent people from fishing at certain times of the year to protect species at vulnerable times in their life cycle, such as during spawning seasons.

BASS

Not much has changed at Cressbrook this past week, it is still a bit hit and miss at the moment, try around the points and drop-offs throughout the dam, soft plastics, soft vibes and blades will give you the best chance of landing a fish, while live shrimp would be your best bet as far as bait goes. Very much the same story at Somerset Dam this week, the fish are still quite scattered, Pelican Point, Queen Street and the start of the timber at Kirkleigh are the best spots to target, with slow rolled soft plastics and blades picking up a few fish. , Boondooma Dam is still pretty quiet at the moment, with a few Bass scattered throughout the dam, Bjelke Peterson has again seen a few smaller Bass taking live Shrimp around Bass point and as far as the Redclaw go, Boondooma, Bjelke Peterson, Somerset and Cressbrook are producing low numbers at the moment.

YELLOWBELLY AND COD

Cooby Dam is still producing some decent catches of quality Yellowbelly, ice jigs, blades, live shrimp and frozen saltwater yabbies have again been the popular options. Cod fishing is a little slow at Glenlyon at the moment, with only a couple of smaller fish taken this week, but it has again produced some nice Yellowbelly on live shrimp. Coolmunda Dam has again fished well for Yellowbelly, using bait in the deeper parts of the dam has produced the most fish, there has been a few smaller Cod landed as well, again bait has been the best option, with live shrimp, frozen saltwater yabbies working the best. In the Warwick area the fishing is a little better at Leslie Dam, with a few Yellowbelly taken on live shrimp and frozen saltwater yabbies, and Bjelke Peterson has produced some Yellowbelly around Bass Point, with live shrimp being the best option and the Stuart River arm at Boondooma has seen a few fish taken on live shrimp. As for the rivers, the Macintyre at Goondiwindi has improved a bit with a few Yellowbelly and Cod landed this week, the Balonne River at St.George continues to produce good numbers of Yellowbelly on bait, with a few decent Cod in amongst them, and big spinnerbaits have worked well for Cod in the Dumeresq River.

GOLD COAST AND TWEED

Offshore fishing has been a bit restricted to the closer reefs, with Snapper, Squire and Spangled Emperor taken anywhere from the inner reefs to the 24’s, and for anyone who has ventured out further, there has been some quality Cobia, Pearlies and Trag Jew. The Tweed River has seen Black Fish and Bream around the rock walls and bridges, some nice Flathead in the upper reaches on live bait and a few on soft plastics, Mulloway around the headlands and a few Tailor and Salmon off the beaches, while up around Southport, fishing the run out tide has  seen good numbers of quality Flathead throughout the Broadwater and around the Pin and the Seaway entrance has produced good numbers of Tailor and Salmon, the odd King Fish, as well as heaps of School Jew around the 60-65cm mark.

SUNSHINE COAST

Offshore fishing has produced reasonable numbers of Snapper around Sunshine and North Reefs. At Caloundra, inshore fishing has seen some big Flathead caught off the Boardwalk and just inside the bar entrance, a few Bream also around Jetty’s and any structure, Whiting are scattered throughout the area and plenty of Flathead in the passage, in the Maroochy River, Bream throughout the passage and some nice Whiting at Golden Beach, the Noosa and Maroochy River’s have seen some decent Jewies landed and there’s been plenty of Flathead and smaller G.T’s about, while the gutters off the beaches have produced some nice Bream and Tailor.