The Brisbane River has been fishing extremely well over the last two weeks with plenty of fish being reported. Captures include snapper, bream, mulloway, cod, tailor, threadfin and many others. There has been a lot of baitfish around and this has naturally stirred up the predatory species as well. As the water clears further out into the bay, many species of bait are moving into the lower clarity water in the Brisbane River to seek refuge. Naturally this has attracted many other species and the fishing has improved considerably as a result. I did several sessions there early last week and caught some decent fish. Did a land-based session one night and managed three tailor over 50cm and a mulloway of 85cm, all taken on a Sebile Magic Swimmer 110 FSK cast from the bank. This jointed, hardbody stick-bait was slowly rolled and twitched around some lighted sections of water down near Boat Passage. The night after we took the boat and Matt got two mulloway around the same size and I managed one tailor and a decent flathead of 65cm, this time on Z-man Swimmerz. Plenty of other anglers have also managed good success in this area as well as other locations including Luggage Point, The Oil Pipeline, Clara’s Rocks, The Gateway Bridge, Breakfast Creek and even around the City Reach. Most anglers have been working lures or soaking baits along the edges of the major ledges and drop-offs into the main river-bed. Occasionally fish are being located around lighted areas at night, generally feeding on prawns, herring and numerous baitfish species.

Previous trips to Mud Island have been very rewarding with decent numbers of snapper, some to over 70cm in length, being taken on plastics and other artificials. Baits have also worked well for some, especially those who manage to fish areas all by themselves without the interference and noise from other anglers. Due to the recent westerly winds, and other factors such as lowering water temperatures, the clarity around the bay islands has improved greatly. From a fishing point of view this isn’t a good thing because the quality fish and baitfish species will retreat to deeper waters where they feel much safer and less conspicuous. This makes the fishing a lot tougher in the shallows during daylight hours. However, anglers usually experience a bite in these zones around the extremities of the day (dawn and dusk) as these species leave or enter these marginal zones. During the remaining daylight hours you will be best to fish a little wider of the bay islands in deeper water. Species being encountered regularly around Mud include snapper, sweetlip, pike, flathead, cod and a few others.

The same can be said for Peel Island where the situation is the same with fairly clean water around the shallows. Anglers have been fishing the Houseboat Wreck, South-West Rocks area and the Peel Artificial with good results. Apart from the usual snapper, sweetlip, tuskfish, cod, morwong and pike, which are caught here with some regularity, there has also been the occasional nannygai and coral trout caught, mostly juveniles.

With water quality improving rapidly, squid numbers have flourished and anglers are now getting some consistent results. The bay island shallows (Peel, Green, Mud and King), Goat Island, Bird Island, weed beds on the western side of Moreton Island and many other areas have been worth the effort for the boaties. Those limited to Shank’s Pony can expect results at Manly Boat Harbour, Cleveland Bay shallows, Raby Bay, Wellington Point and Victoria Point. Casting and retrieving egi around any shallow, clean water with structure such as weed-beds, reef or rubble will put you in with a great chance of success. These tasty cephalods always make it onto my dinner table but many anglers target them for prime baits targeted towards snapper, mulloway and other species.

Mulloway numbers have been excellent with the Brisbane River producing plenty of fish, although the majority haven’t eclipsed the minimum legal length of 75cm. However, there have been a few legal fish around for persistent anglers in the Brisbane River as well as other river systems. Larger fish are being caught with more regularity in the Gold Coast Seaway, Jumpinpin Bar area, Tiger Mullet Channel and main channel at the southern end of the Pumicestone Passage. Most of these larger fish have been taken on live baits with mullet, pike, squid and banana prawns being prime fare.

Tailor are also being caught on these same live baits by anglers targeting mulloway but are better targeted with lures once you locate them. The lower reaches of the Brisbane River, Jumpinpin Channel (especially around the mouth of Swan Bay on a falling tide), western side of Peel, Skirmish Point and all eastern facing beach frontages have been worth a try. Tailor can pop up at any time in a myriad of locales so it pays to be alert to their presence. The occasional decent school of tailor (and some Australian Salmon I am told), have been working just out from Dunwich early in the morning for a week or so now. Other schools have been located throughout the Rainbow Channel, especially up towards Amity Point. A few larger fish have been caught by anglers working small minnow lures and surface stick-baits around the shallows of the bay islands, especially Green.

There have still been a few good hauls of prawns taken with one group of anglers finding a condensed school just out from Cleveland. They managed their limit in less than an hour last week. I have located a few condensed concentrations of these tasty morsels in The Brisbane River using the sounder whilst just out from the drop-off into the main channel. Going by the number of trawlers still working the lower reaches, especially further east of Luggage Point, there are still decent hauls to be taken.

Crabs have tapered off somewhat but there has still been a few full mud crabs to be caught. The lower reaches of most systems have crabbed the best and a few sandies are also being taken in this zone at times.

Bream are being caught everywhere at the moment with every canal, creek and river being worth a fish. They are being caught on both baits and lures with a broad array of offerings working well. Land-based anglers are doing just a well as the boaties in most cases. Specimens to over 40cm have been reported however it is the average size of those bream caught that has made the fishing better than in previous years.

Well as you can tell, the fishing is excellent at present. The cold mornings and nights are somewhat of a deterrent for me usually but the quantities of quality fish on offer has made me venture out into the cold on many occasions. I am heading to North Queensland this week but am inspired by recent reports and looking forward to getting back out on the water on my return.

The Brisbane Sport Fishing Club is holding the SEQ Challenge next weekend (July 1st to 3rd). This is a lure and fly only (casting and trolling) event targeting all ANSA species. Points are allocated per species and also per centimeter and it looks like being a lot of fun. Hope to see you there.

May your bait be nervous. Gordon Macdonald

Mackerel are still being caught in good numbers especially around the beacons in the northern end of the bay. Most are schoolies to around 65cm in length however several spotties and even the odd Spanish mackerel has been caught recently. Many anglers are jigging the beacons with chromed slices and slugs but the humble pillie floated down adjacent to the beacons will also produce, especially around the change of the tide. Working over each beacon with several casts before moving onto the next is a good ploy. Other species including yellowtail kingfish, cobia, trevally and tuna are also being hooked. Bait fishing around these same beacons will often produce species such as snapper, morwong, sweetlip and several others. There has been a few unusual captures as well, with large and small-mouthed nannygai, triple-tail and red emperor reports coming in recently.

Longtail tuna have been fairly consistent at times however they have often been hard to tempt once located. Most offerings, including the smallest flies, have been refused at times because the tuna are eating miniscule, clear baitfish and will only eat exact replicas of this bait. If you can get close enough to the feeding fish, then casting a small clear stick-bait soft plastic on a resin-head jighead will sometimes produce results. When the tuna are pedantic like this, trying different offerings is worthwhile. Often a larger profile may produce results, even when the tuna are feeding on the most miniscule bait. If small offerings are refused then try larger offerings such as poppers, stickbaits, plastics and Sebile Magic Swimmers, which have proved their worth recently in this regard. All species of tuna can pop up anywhere throughout the bay but most of the action reported recently has come from the shipping channels, Comboyuro to Western Rocks area, the front of Bribie Island and occasionally in The Paddock between Mud Island and The Rous Channel mouth.

Snapper numbers are steadily increasing around the bay islands, various wrecks and artificial reefs. There has been some great quality specimens around with snapper to over 6kg being caught at times. Plenty of 2kg plus specimens have been caught, mainly on soft plastics, although a few quality specimens have fallen for baits at times. Mud and Peel have received a lot of attention from anglers and both have been fishing consistently. However, those who venture out mid week, when the boat traffic is lower, have been achieving the best results. Night sessions at the Harry Atkinson and Curtin Artificial reefs have produced some quality snapper and other species, mainly on baits.

A few cobia have been taken from around the beacons, patches of coffee rock and ledges in the northern bay. Most have succumbed to larger live baits of whiptails, pike and slimey mackerel however one specimen of around 15kg was caught by an angler jigging with Raider metals for mackerel around the M1 beacon.

In the estuaries the fishing has been consistent with species such as flathead, estuary cod, bream, mangrove jack, mulloway and trevally being caught with regularity. The mangrove jack numbers have tapered off however there is still a few quality specimens better than 50cm being caught and naturally several bust offs from quality fish to provide a few “the one that got away” stories.

Flathead have been a consistent catch for anglers trolling lures adjacent prominent banks on the falling tide. The deeper channels have also produced for anglers jigging plastics and drifting baits. Around the rock walls in areas such as at the mouth of the Brisbane River, eastern side of Mud, in the various canal developments and larger harbours there has been increasing numbers of estuary cod caught. Live baits have been popular with the land-based brigade however lures have probably been a better option, especially in the hands of experienced anglers. Bibbed minnow lures that can be cranked down and worked across the top of the structure will work well. These can be allowed to float up and over any snags, which is where the cod lurk. Try lures such as Smith Cherrybloods, Power Dunk minnows, Sebile Koolie Minnow LL 90, Bomber 24A, Richo Sardine and many others.

Prawns are still being caught with some regularity around the mouth of the Logan River, near Coochiemudlo Island, Brisbane River and most other prominent systems. Some anglers have managed to cast net several kilos of large prawns in an hour or so.

There is still a few mud crabs about however numbers have dropped in relation to the water temperature. It is still worth a crack however with one angler recently reporting eight large bucks from the four pots that he set in the Deception Bay area overnight. One or two quality mud crabs is enough to make the effort of setting pots worthwhile for most crabbers. Keep an eye on your crabbing aperatus as there are a few scumbags out there who will raid or steal an unattended pot. People like this would definitely make good crab bait.

May your bait be nervous. Gordon Macdonald

Many anglers who usually target snapper have turned their attention to sweetlip over the last few weeks due to the current ban on taking snapper. Thankfully, there is now only a little over a week to go until this ban is lifted. Sweetlip, especially grassies, will feed in similar areas to snapper but are often found on the grounds a little wider of the bay islands, especially over a sand or mud bottom. Baits such as fillets, large green prawns and fresh squid will heighten you chances of success although they will take frozen offerings. I have always had the best results in the early mornings just before dawn. However with the water clarity lower in the bay at present, anglers have achieved results at all stages of the day. The eastern side of Green Island, north-western side of Mud and the South-West Rocks area at Peel are some of the more productive areas for sweeties within the bay.

Squid have started to show up for those who are specifically targeting them. There’s been some decent specimens taken from Bird Island, Goat Island, Rous Channel and northern end of the Rainbow Channel but as the waters clear, squid will move into the shallows around the bay islands and foreshores. Most canals, harbours and shallow areas around reef, rubble and weed beds are worth a look.

An occasional mackerel is still being caught within Moreton Bay but the numbers of other pelagics have been increasing steadily. In the northern end, from The Four Beacons north, longtails are regularly being located. The shipping channels are the first places to look but longtails will occasionally pop up anywhere, so it pays to be ready. The area along the front of Bribie Island is usually very consistent for longtails and schools of other tunas. Hopefully these fish will hang around for a bit as The Bribie Island Sport Fish Club is holding its Longtail Tuna Fly Fishing Challenge on the 28th and 29th of May. This is a great competition that is not too serious with plenty of knowledge to be gained by lesser-experienced anglers. Give Ray Wessels a call on 07 3888 5064 for more details.

Prawns have been reasonably consistent with some decent hauls coming from around the mouth of the Logan River. The Brisbane River and most other systems north and south of Brisbane have also yielded a good bounty for keen cast-netters. Numbers of these tasty morsels will increase in the coming weeks so check that cast net for holes and get out and get amongst them.

Mangrove jack numbers have been reasonably good with now being the time to get out and chase them, before the water temperatures drop too much. The residential canals, Nerang River system, Coomera River and structure ridden mangrove creeks are worth a look. Specimens to over 60cm have been caught at times. Matt Mundy of the Queensland Roar managed three nice jacks in the Raby Bay Canals whilst luring the pre-dawn falling tide a couple of days after their recent grand final win. I ventured down there one afternoon for a few hours of casting a couple of days later but only managed a few estuary cod on the rising tide. The bridges in the Nerang River are worth a serious look, especially at night. I got a small jack of 38cm mid morning at the Little Tallabudgera Creek Bridge last week but specimens to 58cm have recently been reported from various locales in this system.

Offshore the action has been fairly good with species such as Spanish mackerel, wahoo, yellowfin tuna and blue marlin being caught. The area around Point Lookout has been a popular spot for anglers targeting Spanish mackerel on trolled baits and bibbed minnows. The occasional wahoo, yellowfin, dolphinfish and other species has also been caught. Most of the usual troll grounds north of Cape Moreton are worth a look with some good reports of wahoo from the Hutchies area. Out wide of Cape Moreton, in the waters between 300m and over 1000m, boats specifically targeting blue marlin with trolled skirted lures and heavy tackle have been releasing specimens to over 350kg. “Megumi” skippered by Ken Brown tagged six blues from eight strikes recently and followed this up a few days later with a couple more tags going in. Other boats including “Big Business” and “Absolut” have also been getting amongst some quality blues. The blues have been a little hit and miss at times but if you can get onto them there is some awesome fishing to be experienced.

May your bait be nervous. Gordon Macdonald

Moreton Bay has produced good results for a variety of species. There have been plenty of school mackerel in the northern bay and around the various shipping channel markers from the measured mile to Tangalooma and further north. They are not huge fish but most have been legal and well worth targeting.

Mack Tuna have been in good numbers and size with quite a few fish to 6kg or more. Local anglers Kevin and Matthew caught and released half a dozen in a morning session last weekend, with most falling to soft plastics on light spin gear.

Reef fish such as grass sweetlip, spangled emperor and moses perch have been firing in the shallows around the bay islands and along the front of Wellington Point. Fishing lightly weighted baits of mullet or pilchard, or soft plastics such as atomic prongs, gulp minnows and zooms will produce all of the above species along with trevally, tailor and estuary cod.

Inside the estuaries prawns, crabs and bream have been in good numbers. The mouth of the Logan and throughout the Redland Bay channel have been thick with prawns at times, especially on the moons. Mud crabs have been taken in most estuaries from Brisbane to the Gold Coast.

The good weather over the last couple of weekends saw a huge number of boats heading offshore, in fact those who found themselves running a bit late had trouble finding a carpark at some of the boat ramps. There are still good spanish mackerel being caught right along the coast along with the odd wahoo and dolphin fish. If the water clarity offshore continues to improve we should see a lot more wahoo caught in the next two months, and hopefully a few billfish as well. Small yellowfin tuna have been in big numbers at times with areas like hutchies, the group and the sevens all good areas to try.

Adam and his mate Dave had a great weekend fishing for barra in the Boyne River below Awoonga Dam. The guys fished three pools upstream from Pike Crossing and below the highway bridge at Benaraby for over 40 barra in two days. Popular lures included Jackall Transams, Richo, Barra Classics, B52, and slick rigs. Fishing early in the morning produced the results with a mixture of trolling and casting keeping the fish biting. Changing lure colours when things slowed down soon got the fish biting again.