LIGHT WILL ROUND UP THE SQUID
HI everyone, hope you have all had a good week. For mums who enjoy fishing it was nice to see some great conditions last weekend for Mother’s Day on the Gold and Tweed Coasts. Bit windy for the rest of the week with a small weather window to get out and about. Let’s have a look at what’s been happening.
With the cooler weather hanging around, looking for a feed of squid has been a good option for some fishos landing a great feed of fresh calamari. You can catch squid during day or night. I prefer to pick a runin tide on the Southern Gold Coast giving better water quality, and as the tide rises access by boat over some of the more productive weeds beds where the squid hang out.
We have two main species inshore to target, the larger tiger squid or the arrowhead squid. I recommend an average sized squid jig between 2 to 3 inches long depending on what they are feeding on. Also metal blade vibration lures work well in the deeper channels near the Seaway south to Marina Mirage area. Land-based fishing can be better at night – the key is to find somewhere that has good lighting on the water. The light will attract bait fish which will also attract the predatory squid. Some good land-based spots are Paradise Point Jetty, Grand Hotel Jetty and boat ramp, Sundale Bridge Jetty, Marine Stadium and the Gold Coast Seaway Rock Walls will all produce some quality squid.
Reports again this week of some quality tailor showing up along the surf beaches from the Tweed north to the northern end of the Gold Coast and South Stradbroke Island. I still prefer to fish the incoming tide if targeting tailor from the beach, the bigger fish will usually follow the bait into the gutters which are scattered along the coast.
Brad from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports the Tweed River is awesome this time of year. Mild and calm weather, flathead and mulloway are pushing upstream to their winter hunting grounds. I love it! The odd trip is producing some quality flathead, with some big whiting and bream among them. Popping MMD splash prawns in honeybee colour over shallow water is getting the surface strikes, while in the deeper channels teabagging with Ecogear ZX40 blades in 440 and 447 colour and Samaki Vibelicious 70mm soft vibes in Ghost bait and White bait colours are getting plenty of solid fish.
Clint reports in the Broadwater good numbers of bigger flathead are showing up which is great to see, and expected this time of year. Samaki Vibelicious soft vibes and Ecogear ZX40 account for their share of flatties, in much the same colours as Smithy mentioned above, in the clear water. Water temperature dropped to 20 degrees in the Nerang River after the cool weather. This will bring on more flathead, squid, mulloway, snapper, flounder and more tasty species. A good time to fish is just past the full moon and into neaps.
Gavin from Seaprobe Fishing Charters reports out on the shelf there have been blue marlin around Jim’s Mountain, Riv Grounds with boats catching up to four blue marlin a day and also the odd big yellowfin tuna using lures anywhere from 8 to 15 inch lures.
Hope you all have a good week and stay healthy and safe. If you have any great catches or photos you’d like to share, please send an email and tell us how you got on.