CATCHES HAMPERED BY WEEDS

HI everyone, we had a bit of a windy start to the week on the Gold Coast with a strong SE breeze kicking in. Fortunately the wind eased and the rest of the week has seen fairly nice conditions for getting out on the water for a fish. Let’s have a look at what’s been biting.

After a bit of rainy start to the weekend customers headed out on Sunday for a look around Jumpinpin, Robert Payne (see photo in Brag Board) decided to start in the Pin Bar entrance where he has been doing well the last couple of weeks. Robert located some good schools of bait on the sounder then starting working his large Zerek fish trap soft vibe and it wasn’t long before he was rewarded with a cracking jewfish. This area should fish well during September and will also start to produce some monster sized flathead as we head closer to breeding season. Keep in mind dusky flathead have a minimum size limit of 40cm and a maximum sized limit of 75cm in Queensland, anglers nowadays will normally release most fish around 60cm sized to re populate the system. A few spots to chase flathead are Canaipa Passage, Crusoe Island, Kalinga Bank, Tiger Mullet Channel, Cabbage Tree Point, Jacobs Well, Tipplers Passage, Aldershots and the Gold Coast Seaway entrance.

Coomera Bait and Tackle customers have reported the snot weed situation throughout the Broadwater and Jumpinpin is very bad at the moment making some areas virtually unfishable when trolling hard body lures. The weed is normal for this time of year and probably started showing up earlier than usual. The system will need a good flush out from rain and some big tides to help thin the weed out over time, it may take a couple months to really improve. You can try to avoid the weed by fishing areas with less tidal flow and also normally the further you head up a river the less weed you will find.

Clint from Brad Smith Fishing Charters has been scoring some big flathead this week on small Zerek fish traps and also some top quality whiting fishing up the Nerang River for his customers.

Coomera Houseboat Holidays customers have scored a good feed of bream (see Selina and John Payne’s photos in Brag Board) and whiting this week. The Coomera River both North and South arms are producing a few fish, and you could also try Pimpama River, Logan River, Dux, The Never Fails, Jacobs Well, Canaipa Passage, Paradise Point and Wave Break Island. Best bait for whiting is worms or yabbies, bream will also have a go at prawns, white pilchards and mullet fillet.

The Sand Pumping Jetty at the spit is still producing a few Tailor this week, they can be a bit hit and miss but still worth a try.

Hope you all have a good weekend and get out for a fish, if you have any great catches or photos you would like to share, please email us and let us know how you went.