Fisho's Weekly Fishing Report – 8th November, 2024
by Fisho's Tackle World Hervey Bay 8 Nov 04:43 GMT
8 November, 2024
Fisho's Weekly Fishing Report © Fisho's Tackle World Hervey Bay
The Heat is On!
The north wind kicked in earlier and more dramatically than the weather gurus had forecast this past week, so hopefully you grabbed the chance and headed wide whilst you could. Northerlies mean heat in these parts, yet we have avoided 'heatwave" warnings here in the bay. We enjoy the luxury of coastal sea breezes here on the coastal strip whilst our neighbours some miles inland swelter.
There will be no reprieve from the hot conditions this weekend. Today's north-north-westerly could peak as high as 25 knots by nightfall, before easing slightly overnight. Saturday morning will still be rough on the bay as a sustained north-wester of 15 knots precedes a slightly stronger north-north-easter that afternoon. Sunday will be a bit better, wind-wise, but it's still out of the north and likely to keep those in smaller vessels off the bay. 10-15 knots north to north-east is the BOM's call for Sunday.
There seems to be no talk of any significant relieving storms at this stage, but that was the case last week too, yet rain and storms dumped a very welcome 30mm on Hervey Bay township. Maryborough and other hinterland catchment areas got a little more than us, but not enough to create any run-off. At least one water spout spun to life close inshore, only a day after that wild one stirred them up in metro Brisvegas. We get a few around these parts, so, as brief as they may be, they are worth avoiding and admiring from a safe distance in a boat.
There appears to be no reprieve from the north wind this working week. Monday; light northerly early tending north-east and strengthening to 15 knots later in the day. Tuesday; 10-15 knots of northerly all day. Wednesday onwards; even stronger northerlies of some sort and plenty more heat preceding a showery change late in the week. That is, assuming you believe the online weather sites' weekly forecasting. By the look of the synoptic chart, that stationary trough well inland to our west might create just such a scenario.
It's the first quarter moon phase this Saturday, so that half-moon means tiny neap tides that will favour a number of fishos keen to make the most of the estuary scene. There will be a very gentle ebb tide in the mornings, whilst the afternoon flood has a little more oomph. Reef fishos and pelagic fans won't get much of a chance this week, unless the north wind eases or they are in very capable vessels with a crew that doesn't mind a bit of a pounding.
Exciting Times East of Breaksea Spit Last Week
A number of crews headed for Rooneys Point to park up for the night last Saturday in readiness for the conclusion of the final Coral Reef Fin Fish closure at midnight. They then roared to life pre-dawn Sunday and headed for the bar. Once across, they scattered to favoured grounds, but the increasing northerly wind proved too challenging for some and they pulled the pin early. They still headed home with a minor feed from quick drifts over substantial shows of life in relatively shallow water, but the stiff northerly-assisted drift was just too quick.
Generally speaking, the current was minimal over the shoal country east of Breaksea Spit for a couple of days thereafter, so when the wind wasn't too bad, the place fished very well. The dreaded noahs were very hungry, so keeping mobile was necessary to avoid them. Doing so enabled one crew to score some prime reef fish in depths either side of 50 metres. There were red emperor caught amongst a flow of venus tuskfish, RTEs, coronation trout, maori cod, spangos, large red bass and hussar. Sizeable green jobfish added a little extra variety to what was a very varied catch at the end of the day.
A troll or two over the same country soon revealed the presence of the odd spanish mackerel, but it was the wahoo that really shone through last weekend. They were thick in parts and provided plenty of line-burning fun for fishos happy to release them unharmed. Big ugly barracuda were also encountered and one particular crew dropped what would have been their first-ever dogtooth tuna at the gaff. The question remains as to how many bust-ups we attributed to filthy old GTs back in the day that may have actually been doggies. Better and more robust tackle these days might see a few more of these critters subdued in the future perhaps.
Some went deep dropping and scored snapper and pearlies. Others searched for marlin and we are told there were small blacks caught off the 13 Mile. Efforts on heavy tackle out wide were left wanting marlin-wise. There was at least one large black caught, but the plagues of yellowfin tuna beyond the 300m line were unavoidable and some experienced game fishos simply gave up following triple hook-up after triple hook-up. Fat tuna to beyond the 40kg mark can get pretty blasé for the died-in-the-wool game fishos that deem anything without a bill as 'vermin'.
The EAC is fluctuating wildly offshore of Breaksea and Fraser at present. Film of the FAD buoy off the 4 Mile a bit over a week ago shows a roaring current estimated at 5 knots. A week later and there was very little current, with just the wind drift moving boats at varying speeds. As much as it may vary, the surety that the persistent and strengthening northerlies will increase the pace of the EAC seems obvious.
Talking to Greg Pearce from Double Island Point Fishing Charters last night revealed that the EAC is just as wild and unpredictable down his way too. He recounted consecutive days fishing where there was next to no current in 40 metres one day, and a pound of lead was barely enough the next. Even local dive charter operators had to cancel trips as the current was too vicious on grounds they only recently dived safely.
Greg being the gun skipper that he is still manages to catch a great feed of reef fish in trying conditions, but isn't going to waste his time or your money heading to sea when it makes no sense. He is very aware that the rich cobalt blue waters out wide will bring a swathe of pelagics his way and punters can look forward to plenty of line burning action to add to their day of reef fishing in coming months.
A recent effort on the deep dropping tackle was highly successful. Initial efforts saw a few flamies and alfonsino hauled over the gunwales in a few hundred metres of water, before he went searching for new grounds and found the motherlode of bar cod. He left them biting in what was a frantic bite in 2 knots of run. There is no doubt that this transitional time from spring to summer can have its challenges, but for offshore fishos, it can be one the very best times of year to be out wide on the briny. The water north and south of Fraser is incredibly clear and as dark a blue as you can imagine. Oh, for the wind to ease for another crack, eh?
North Wind Adversely Affecting Certain Bay Pelagics
Many of you should know that surface-feeding pelagic species often feed 'into the wind'. They actively push the baitfish to the surface against the prevailing waves to disorientate them and make them work harder, exhausting their prey quicker. This feeding tendency also effects their direction of travel and dictates, in our case, whether or not (or when) they will feed their way into Hervey Bay.
Considering the unrelenting consistency of the northerly winds this spring, we can create a number of excuses as to why our inshore marlin fishery has been so poor. A poor spawn up north is a likely factor, whilst the wind locally is a further issue. No change to the status quo will mean no improvement is likely this week (and probably very few even out on the bay to know anyway). If we are to have the spotted mackerel schools, some marlin and various other pelagics migrate into the bay proper this summer, then we need the wind to turn around. Until then, lean times for sport and game fishos heading for the northern bay perhaps.
There are exceptions to every rule of course, and in these parts, this includes the often much-derided mac tuna. They seem to be happily feeding throughout much of the bay and also well into the Great Sandy Straits. Trying to tempt longtails spotted amongst the mac tuna schools last week was fruitless for at least one crew that simply couldn't keep the macs off their lures.
Other pelagics that don't need to ball their prey against the surface continue to bite well and are widely represented across the bay. Cobia are one such beast that are enjoying a prolonged presence in the northern bay. Spaniards are also inclined to feed sub-surface and are less affected by consistent northerlies. Add schoolies, broadies and trevally to that list and you have no shortage of pelagics to pursue - just not the surface feeders as yet.
The Arch Cliffs 6 Mile came alive with school mackerel this week apparently. A renowned ground for both them and spaniards, scoring a feed out there can be quite an easy exercise. Let's just hope they are still there when the north wind eases. Other schoolie hotspots had their moments recently too, with the latitude that includes the Burrum 8 Mile, Fairway, Outer Banks and Coongul getting the most attention. The broadies are scattered and turning up all over the place inshore, delighting first-time captors with their size and ease of capture.
Our reefs will likely enjoy a reprieve from fishing effort this week, assuming the weather forecast is correct. Some can try close inshore when the north wind is at its lightest and might do okay in deeper waters. There were plenty of cod, a few nannygai and swags of sweetlip caught last week. Coral trout are eagerly sought-after and are responding to trolled lures, jigged softies and live baits.
Time to Shine for Our Estuaries
You may well despise the north wind if you are an offshore or bay fisho, but will soon learn to love it if you shift your focus to estuary fishing. The building heat has our big estuary predators all fired up and now is a great time to get amongst them. Barramundi season is closed for the next 3 months of course, so do your best to avoid them. That won't be at all challenging for those with fancy side scanners and live scope set-ups as the barra couldn't be more clearly visible.
Those that might be excused for accidental barra captures are the trollers that wander our streams looking for threadfin salmon. Salmon numbers have been less than they might be in the Mary system to date, but they are sure to start turning up in bigger schools from now on. Do the miles and scan likely terrain 'til you find the sambos, then hop soft vibes past the fish so clearly evident on your sounder. You should get a positive response without too much trouble. Blue salmon will join the party here and there - like it or not.
Threadies grow very big and a metre fish is actually only very average for the Mary system. Really big threadies pull some serious string and can wear through inferior leaders with ease, so take no chances when mixing it with the bigger fish. Work the latter stages of the ebb tide once it recedes from the mangroves by seeking fish schooling in deeper waters. They will move with the flood tide thereafter and head shallower again and will be a bit harder to catch. Understand their movements with time on the water though and you can intercept them during this tide phase too.
The neap tides may create a little lethargy amongst the grunter fraternity, but their presence in the Mary system makes them catchable nonetheless. Focus on deeper runs and gravel bars and hop small soft plastics over such terrain. Hug the bottom with your lures and favour prawn imitations if you are doubting your others. Soft vibes will catch plenty too, but why risk the snag-ups when cheaper softies catch them so proficiently and are so much easier to remove from their relatively small mouths.
You might still catch a few flatties with enough effort from the lower reaches. Whiting fans will do better to wait for the approach of the full moon, yet some may catch a feed well beforehand. The big gutters in the lower reaches that the cartographers considered worthy of a name can be remarkable whiting fisheries at this time. Be prepared to suffer the attention of various pickers though.
The Burrum system is clearing very nicely and offering a varying range of fish species as you wander its length. Quality bream are keeping many folks happy, particularly those keen to anchor and berley. Flathead fans are catching a few from the mid-lower reaches and they are also possible well upstream. Look for bait-rich banks and work the fringes with your favourite flathead lollies. You won't score the numbers you might from the straits or Fraser's western creeks, but certainly enough to warrant some effort.
Quality grunter are once again a mainstay of the Burrum fishery. These ghosts of the flats have made their way upstream and are feeding on prawn, yabbies and small baitfish such as herring. Bait fishos can sit and wait for them to wander past in the depths, or park up shallow on a rising tide after dark. Grunter well beyond the 50cm mark are increasingly common, and fish exceeding 60cm are about too. You will catch more after the tides make for a few days, but can try for them at any time.
Certainly, the most sought-after Burrum fish whilst barra are off limits is the mighty mangrove jack. This heatwave is absolute prime, particularly the north-westerly wind component. Gear up and get into them this week if you can, as some true trophies are in the four rivers of the Burrum system and they will most certainly be on the chew. As always, bait fishos have the edge numbers-wise, but you have rarely had a better time to shine on the lure front than right now.
This is about the toughest time of year for mud crabbers in these parts. The old "months with an 'R' in them" wives' tale doesn't apply to Wide Bay muddies. Obvious scratchings in the upper reaches of our streams confirm their presence, and it is those waters where you might focus your efforts if you are keen enough. Be prepared for disappointment until the wet season rains flush them from the back reaches so inaccessible to boaties, or hoof-it in the mud if you can be bothered. Focussing on full moons and stormy weather can improve your results.
Tailor Numbers Diminishing in Fraser's Surf Gutters
November is entrenched in the memories of a few surf fishos that enjoyed great greenback fishing on Fraser in the past. This season's tailor season has been one to remember, and although the main biomass has moved on, there is still the very real chance of catching extra-large fish at this time. The surf is very flat right now courtesy of the north-west wind, and the beach very lumpy for travelling, so the next full moon might be interesting.
Reports from the past week in the Cathedral Beach area included a few tailor captures, but it was the dart that were the real standout. There were sizeable tailor caught, along with a modest feed of whiting and the odd flathead when the tide was low. Otherwise, it was dart galore at high tide, and again when the tide receded and demanded a shift to alternative gutters.
There has been weed reported north of Indian Head. A north-east swell has pushed it to the beach and trapped it north of the headlands at this time. Waters south of the headlands are weed-free. If the weather plays the game, then the next full moon might see jewfish caught from the central or northern sectors, as has been the case in years past. One thing is for sure, even if the fish don't bite, then those flaming march flies will, so be on the alert for those aggressive pests.
Urangan Pier waters are quite dirty at present, and a large volume of the herring have moved elsewhere. Making tides next week might see a return of pelagics once again if the water quality improves and the herring return. In the meantime, all we have heard of if a solo queenfish caught amongst a small number of school mackerel and the odd flathead.
Lake Callide Draws the Eye of Impoundment Fishos
There is no doubt that Lake Monduran will be ridiculously busy again this week. The bite last week was a good one, as barra all over the lake revelled in the building heat. Trollers had their moments whilst the wind remained west of north, but then the swing to the north-east scattered the fish from the main basin and folks had to shift their focus elsewhere.
The next full moon is Saturday-week and one can only imagine the renewed chaos at Mondy. Hopefuls from out-of-state as well as locals will be there in force and vying for the lake's prized barra. If the thought of contending with Monduran's launching and parking issues is all too much, then you might consider another couple of hours in the car (instead of at the ramp) for some peace and quiet without the hassles of the lake under the spotlight.
Head for Lake Callide and you will discover a whole different fishery. Same barra; just as big; in a relatively tiny lake that can be fully explored in a matter of hours. Ramp congestion and parking are not an issue at Callide. There is a boat ramp, but you can just back your boat into the water virtually anywhere you have public access - and leave your boat and trailer right there to return to. Simply pull the trailer out of the drink and park right there. Jump in and go fishing - oh so simple!
Callide is quite low, but has been consistently for some time. Therefore, the lake's fringes are mostly firm, enabling launching access in many areas. The shoulder near the actual boat ramp is always the most popular. Check alternative launch sites to ensure you don't risk bogging, but most, other than those swampy bits, will be good. Callide is sitting at a mere 16.5% right now according to Google etc, but that tiny percentage should be taken into perspective. A 'full' Callide is a different animal to what it used to be apparently, due to a change of measurement criteria designed to deflect overflow issues. In essence, today's percentage equates to roughly 35% or so of the past measure.
Low water levels mean easier fishing when water quality is still good - and it is. Barra beyond 120cm have been caught this spring, and some much larger fish still reside in the lake. Much easier fish to find than Mondy's monsters you can imagine. Most barra caught are metre beaters, or otherwise very small fish in two distinctive year classes - tiny tackers of 30-35cm and another class of fish at 55-60cm.
Family fishos soaking red claw pots and shrimp traps are securing shrimps and the kids are catching the smaller barra quite often. The red claw are yet to fire apparently. The lake's very healthy yellowbelly population can be targeted with hard vibes or trolled divers, and these are very fat fish. They lack fight of course, but punch pretty hard for the first hit. Most yellas are 50cm+ and always welcomed aboard by family fishos or those bushies who simply love their yellas.
Saratoga breed naturally in Callide and range in size from juvies of 15cm to near a metre in length. A 70cm+ toga is a prime fish of the species and one that can be targeted with numerous topwater presentations if you wish. Most folks are there to catch the barra though, and the lake's big open water fish are readily accessible to those with the smallest of water craft. Callide is a great lake for kayakers and many groups of like-minded yakkers enjoy time on its waters.
Trollers do well wandering from school to school in the main body of water. It can get a bit congested in some hotspots at times, but everyone generally gets on fine. It gets very hot out Biloela way over summer, so if you are thinking of a visit, then there is no better time than right now. It is a 4.5-hour drive from Hervey Bay.
Booking ahead is a must if you wish to stay nearby. Lake Callide Retreat can be contacted on 07 4993 9010. Their cabins are pretty much booked-out for the remainder of 2024, but they still have powered sites available. There are a couple of rocky hazards to avoid in Callide, so the guys at the retreat will give you a map and point them out.
The ability to catch huge barra from the bank at Callide makes it unique. You don't even need a boat. You can park the car and wander the wind-blown banks casting various lures. Some folks have even been known to back their ute to the water's edge and catch fish from the tailgate. The barra respond to all the same techniques as elsewhere, and eat all the same lures, including topwater. Callide's barra seem to bite well so long as the wind isn't from the south. Easterlies and north-easters fish well and a north-wester is sheer prime. It ain't as pretty as Mondy, but is certainly gaining popularity as the alternatives are overrun.
Lake Lenthalls is fishing well too these days, giving up swags of smaller barra very regularly. This pretty little lake is home to schools of fish that hug the lily-fringed edges and scoff all manner of lures. Topwater offerings are snatched with gusto when the light is low, and few places offer such fun with frogs as Lenthalls. Another kayaker's paradise, Lenthalls should be on your hitlist if you aren't sporting a 2-stroke outboard and are happy catching big bass or barra in the 50-80cm+ size range.
Good luck out there y'all... Jase