VITAL WE ALL STICK TO RULES

HI, hope you’ve all had a good week, it’s great to see the majority of people doing the right thing and following the new fishing rules of only going boating to catch a feed.

With Easter upon us let’s have a look at what’s on the menu for Good Friday and the long weekend on the Tweed and Gold Coast.

Before hitting the water make sure you check out the latest news from the Queensland Government, New South Wales Government and Maritime Safety Queensland. Fishing for food is allowed at the time of writing this report.

I have been fishing when we I need a feed, I think if we don’t abuse the privilege and only be out for that valid reason to feed the family then the governments should not have a reason to make changes to the current rules.

Be responsible anglers and don’t give them a reason to stop us fishing.

The Broadwater and Jumpinpin is alive with big schools of bait fish, this is the spoils of all the rain we received over summer.

Predators are out feeding hard in the lead-up to spawning season.

Bream are around in massive numbers, which is great news as the temperature starts to drop and we head towards the winter bream season.

For a feed of bream try fishing around structures such as natural snags, rock walls, jetties and bridges. Ocean entrances like the Tweed Bar, Gold Coast Seaway and Jumpinpin Bar have seen good schools of bait being harassed by a variety of species including jewfish, trevally, mackerel, tailor, bream and snapper.

Flathead are starting to make a comeback in good numbers with all the bait around, I have seen plenty of good fish on top of sandbanks at high tide.

Flicking soft plastics or trolling hard body lures should produce a nice feed of flathead. If you prefer using bait just drift the area with yabbies or white pilchards for good results. Most sandbanks throughout Jumpinpin, the Broadwater, Currumbin Creek, Tallebudgera Creek, Logan River and the Tweed River will be worth a look.

As the tide drops target the edges as the predators will lay in wait for a feed to swim past.

Gavin from Seaprobe Fishing Charters reports while his charters have been postponed due to COVID-19 he has been fishing inshore to feed the family. Gavin has been finding a mixed bag of species fishing the southern Broadwater, including a prized cobia to his son Cullum (see photo in report). Other species caught were bream, garfish and flathead. Try the banks and channels opposite Sea World and Marina Mirage.

Clint and Brad from Brad Smith Fishing Charters have been doing a bit of solo fishing close to home. The Gold Coast Broadwater and Nerang River area between Buds Beach and Sovereign Island is still producing big whiting, flathead, flounder, tusk fish, and the squid are returning.

There are still heaps of bream everywhere. A lot of baitfish and prawns are moving around and there are trevally around the Seaway area.

The Tweed River is producing plenty of whiting, flathead and bream on surface lures, vibes, hardbodies.

Hope you all have a good Easter. If you have any great catches or photos you would like to share, please email us and let us know how you went.