BIG HAULS DESPITE SHOWERS
Hi, everyone! I hope you have all had a good week. We’ve had a few showers around the Tweed and Gold Coast so far for school holidays but that hasn’t stopped everyone from getting out and having fun and catching a feed. Let’s see what’s been biting this week.
Weather permitting, we have seen some great catches coming from the offshore grounds.
Local fisho Wayne Young did well on the 24 fathoms grounds off the Gold Coast Seaway, landing a big cobia using 20lb tackle.
It put up a great fight that went for 45 minutes until he finally wore it out. Wayne said fresh bonito fillet did the job.
Cobia can be attracted by a consistent burly trail as they love to scavenge around and will eat pretty much anything you put in front of them.
Reports of good catches of snapper is great news, with plenty of anglers bagging out on the 50 and 36 fathom reefs. Float-lining has resulted in some big fish of up to 92cm showing up, but currents have been an issue at times. Choosing the rightsized sinker is the key to success when chasing big snapper.
Whiting are a good target as we head into the warmer months. They can be found schooling in numbers during the day and night. We have quite a few land-based options on the Tweed and Gold Coast, as well as spots to try in the boat. The best baits are worms and yabbies.
I recommend using a long trace of 6lb fluorocarbon leader matched with a size 6 bait holder hook for worms or size 4 hook if you’re using yabbies. Choosing the right sinker is important. If your sinker is too light you tend to just get annoyed by bream.
I recommend using a 4 or 5 ball sinker to keep your bait on the bottom where whiting feed.
Tidal flow is very important when targeting whiting. The saying “No run, no fun” is very true when targeting them.
Some good land-based spots are Paradise Point foreshore, Runaway Bay, Labrador, Marine Stadium, Nerang River and Jacobs Well.
In the boat, try Coomera River, Logan River, Pimpama River, Wave Break Island, Tweed River, Currumbin, Tallebudgera Creek or Nerang River.
Clint, from Brad Smith Fishing Charters, reports there are still some school mackerel at Southport this week. They are usually active in the mornings near the main channel markers.
The schoolies respond well to float lines rigged with white pilchards on small gang hooks or fast-cranked Samaki 20g slugs.
When the snot weed’s not too bad, the area around Crab Island has been producing tuskfish, flounder, flathead, tarwhine, squid, sand whiting and winter whiting.
Samaki Vibelicious 70mm soft vibes, Ecogear ZX43 blades, live yabbies and beach worms have worked best.
The estuary water will continue to warm up this week for those early-season mangrove jack fans and those keen to chase a feed of big sand whiting turning up in numbers downstream.
If you have any photos of catches you’d like to share, please email us.