Fisho's Weekly Fishing Report – 6th December, 2024
by Fisho's Tackle World Hervey Bay 6 Dec 10:20 GMT
6 December 2024
Fisho's Weekly Fishing Report © Fisho's Tackle World Hervey Bay
A Warm Start to Summer
So much for all the rain we were supposed to get last weekend. Once again, inaccurate forecasting left frustrated fishos floundering at home when they could have been out enjoying their afore-planned fishing and camping trips. Hopefully you were one of the many that snatched the opportunity to stay local and hit the water when the radar failed to fill with orange and red.
The past week turned out to be pretty good, with belated showery activity Monday after some localised heavier falls Sunday night. The wind wasn't too bad, and opportunities to head wide were there for those keen enough. The week ahead offers an even better crack at the briny, with today's east to south-easterly of 10-15 knots likely to ease overnight.
Saturday should dawn bright and inviting, as barely 5 knots or so of easterly greets early-risers. It will be a hot and largely windless day until a slight north-easterly sea breeze brings welcome relief during the afternoon. The heat will continue Sunday as a light northerly ruffles the bay's surface slightly, ahead of a stronger 15 knot sea breeze that afternoon. Evenings will remain warm, and the humidity will dampen the comfort level a tad.
At this stage, the working week looks absolutely sensational. Light winds daily, with slight afternoon sea breezes some days. No sign of rain until mid-week at the earliest, and then only passing showers are likely. It would be pretty naïve to take the current forecast as gospel, but there is no denying its appeal. Let's all hope it rings true and you all get out for some fun on the water.
We are in a neap tide phase again at present. Monday's first quarter will herald the commencement of the making tides and improve the bite and general fishing prospects for many local fisheries. Those of you that don't have to indulge the bosses and work the Monday to Friday slog will be in for a real treat this week.
Note: Weather report has changed dramatically this morning (as it does every other Friday morning). Best you check the latest forecasts before planning your week, as it doesn't look nearly as flash as mentioned above. I am just about done with regurgitating the garbage the weather sites display online as they cannot be relied upon for accuracy and change their forecasts every few hours. Maybe you good folks can let me know if you want me to continue providing a fisho's take on the forecast, or I can leave it out each week. Email me at to share your thoughts (or your latest happy snaps if you wish).
Varying Pelagic Action at the Pier
Urangan Pier regulars came out of the woodwork last week to get amongst the action when the pelagics and sharks turned it on. A return of big numbers of herring at just the right time has drawn in the predators. The water is vastly improved quality-wise than it was weeks earlier too, courtesy of the lack of stronger northerly winds. Not all the predators lingered into recent days, but the school mackerel, queenfish and sharks seem to have.
There was much excitement (and frustration) along the planks last week when numbers of small to mid-sized bull sharks turned up to crash the party. Taxed fish, screaming runs and wasted opportunities for GT fishos created chaos at times, whilst the dark hours tempted shark fans to do their thing. The bulls are still there in some number, and making life difficult for fish and fisho alike.
Those familiar with standard summertime Urangan Pier giant trevally fishing techniques will be well versed in the art of catching school mackerel as live baits for the GTs. Deploying such baits has been hazardous and at times fruitless as bulls beat the preferred quarry to the hapless mackerel within seconds. Those live baits are large (legal size at least - of course) and very appealing to a hungry bull shark on the prowl. Other lesser noahs have made their presence felt after dark too, yet these smaller sharks are at just as great a risk of being eaten before being landed as after.
As stated above, schoolies and queenfish have been the providers of pleasure in the pelagic department in recent days. Next week's making tides should see a return of greater numbers of pelagics, and perhaps a return of the much sought-after broadies. No doubt local GT fishos will be out in force and keen to score a fish or two before the Xmas holiday crowds descend on the pier and trigger a cautionary reaction amongst the GTs.
Pencil Squid Arrive Right on Time
It isn't just the herring that are drawcards for predators beneath the pier at this time of year. Pencil squid (arrow squid for the non-locals) have arrived and are steadily increasing in number. Word is already out, and the modern-day invasion of squid-catchers has commenced. The recent darks kicked off with modest catches, but they will improve. Squid caught this early are often small and considered little more than bait for the average Aussie fisho, but that fails to reduce their popularity.
Catching these small squid is a very simple affair. Many will go to the trouble of deploying lights to just above water level to attract squid to their position on the pier. They will then lower simple paternoster-rigged squid jigs in tandem to haul the squid up two at a time. The tiniest of squid jigs, in the 1.5 / 1.8 / 2.0 sizes are ideal, and better-quality jigs will outshine the cheap models every day and every night. The importers of Yamashita jigs have been clever enough to maintain a supply of the popular smaller squid jigs in recent years, and until other importers realise the demand for such at an appealing price, will continue to own this market.
An evening session chasing pier squid can be enjoyed without the need for artificial lighting, as the squid are attracted to the pier's lights themselves regardless. Many will tie or clip on a tiny chemical light stick to their rig as an attractor and catch squid away from other fishos' lights out near the deep end. There are those that will send their jigs down with little more than a 'glow-up' from their headlamp (or even better, their UV torch), knowing full-well that the silhouette of their jigs is attractive enough.
Meanwhile, some cheeky buggers will even flick their jigs into neighbours' lighted areas and poach their squid when they get the chance. With practice, all soon learn that the squid in the brightened waters are often the spookiest and it is the squid in the nearby shadows that pounce on the jigs without baulking.
When the squid really turn it on at the pier, it can be an absolute bonanza. Crowds gather and hundreds upon hundreds of squid leave the pier in buckets and eskies every night. Sadly, not all folks respect the effect of heat on seafood and we wonder how many suffer the ill effects of their lack of ice (or other cooling bricks etc). It takes little effort to carry a chiller bag or small esky to maintain the eating quality of your quarry. Boaties do it, landlubbers should too.
Catching pencillies is a great family tradition for many locals, and the smaller kids absolutely love it. Such activities will be very popular this summer holidays. Nights that aren't so brightly lit by a filled-out moon are best. The making tide can be most productive quite often. Efforts at dawn can produce a feed or some handy baits too, with a simple alteration to your rig to sink your jigs to the bottom. The bag limit for pencil (arrow) squid is 50 by the way, and that is a possession limit (like all bag limits). So, if you have a number at home, then, by law, you are only allowed to top that number back up to 50. In case anyone cares.
Boaties will be able to head out and confidently catch their limit of pencillies without too much fuss from now on. Experienced squidders will do so very quickly, but anyone can catch a good feed (or a handy bait supply) with a little effort. If you want to get into catching pencil squid, you get the good oil just by buying some squid jigs nowadays, so drop in if you are keen and you will soon be schooled in this simplest form of fishing.
Landlubbers Fish the Cool of Night for Better Catches
Avoiding the heat of the midday sun is a good idea for the sun conscious, and such tactics can vastly enhance your fishing too. Sure, you can flick lures or soak baits all day long and enjoy success, but if you tally up your return for effort hour by hour, then those dawn, dusk and evening periods often shine. This is especially so for areas within easy reach of our growing population, so consider not only the appropriate tides to target a species, but look for opportunities to do so when such tide phases coincide with periods of low light.
Whiting fishing is a classic example. In late winter and early spring, our waters are so clear that gun whiting fishos target their quarry under cover of darkness. The northerly winds of mid-late spring change the water quality and the whiting get less cautious. Then, come summer, hot water in the shallows has its own issues and the periods of low light appeal once again.
Lure fishos tend to ply their craft in daylight, and many don't even attempt to catch fish after dark. Believe me, this can be the absolute best time to do so. Maybe not for tiny topwater targets like whiting and bream - where without the visuals the whole exercise would be a bit blasé - but for more substantial quarry. Topwater targets that you wouldn't even consider worthy all of a sudden are deemed catchable after dark.
Any keen barra or jack fisho knows just how fond those species are of a well-presented topwater lure. But what about the other species that share their waters? Jewies have been known to scoff lures off the top when the tide is slack, particularly in the darkest (and coolest) hours pre-dawn. Blue salmon are suckers for a fast-paced walk-the-dog presentation, whilst threadies can prove much more challenging. Few will fish threadfin salmon haunts such as shallow mud flats and drains after dark, but maybe more folks should. It isn't hard to imagine a threadie stalking a lure that imitates a fleeing prawn in the darkness, or even a lure that mimics a nervous mullet.
A fish that didn't even register as a topwater target for yours truly until now is the humble grunter. These very welcome guests at the dinner table are starting to turn up with greater regularity along our beaches and on our local mudflats, and you have ample techniques with which you can catch them. A small prawn imitation softie is as good as the real thing, and a lot more fun and less mess.
Offer grunter a slender stickbait with just the right action, or one of the nifty prawn imitation topwater lures on the market these days, and your light flick rod could soon be bent double and your drag squealing in the night air. Such effort will need to be focussed on skinny water. There is an obvious underlying doubt as to the likelihood of success on topwater grunter fishing due to their downward projecting mouths and bottom-feeding tactics. One could have said this about whiting too once upon a time. Try it this summer after you master the usual techniques if you like.
There are ample opportunities to chase queenfish without a boat at present, and most of them are focussed on the entrances to our local streams. Daytime action is most appealing with the likes of queenies of course, but they, like giant herring, are avid night time hunters too. Both are fans of topwater lures danced the right way, so you get where I am leading here. Need I mention the sweat-generating giant trevally that terrorise the shallow reef inhabitants after dark in these parts over summer?
For those of you that aren't interested in such topwater antics, there are schools of whiting along beaches to the west of town and a few flatties in and around our creeks. Salmon were possible from the River Heads peninsular over recent tides and they will be again in a week or so. Rockhoppers might tangle with the odd legal coral trout from the reefy edges of Pialba, Pt Vernon or Gatakers Bay, though smaller models will be most common. Trevally, queenfish and even mackerel might come within casting range if the baitfish are gathered, so go for a wander one day if you are keen.
Summer Species Turn It On in the Bay
Those fishing for reef fish close inshore last week found the sweeties on the chew big time. Catching a good feed is possible, from many reefs in the southern bay right into the straits. The shallow water trout and estuary cod have also been active, falling for the usual trolled lures, flicked plastics and live baits. Talk of squire hear and there and the odd nannygai is encouraging. Not everyone is feeling the joy though, as the sharks are gathering and making life difficult on deeper reefs near the bay islands.
The past week saw catches of mackerel as close as Gatakers Bay, and plenty more beyond. Sustained good weather, with light onshore winds from a generally easterly direction have maintained a constant supply of baitfish close inshore and the predators haven't been too hard to find. There has been mackerel off the Burrum and out at the banks. More and more will make their way through the local shipping channels where they will make an absolute pest of themselves for those trying to catch pencil squid.
Broadies are bound to be out there somewhere, as they have been consistent for many weeks. Golden trevally continue to feature quite heavily in inshore catches for sports fishos and accidental captors alike. Small goldies are frequently caught from the shallows and even right up on the flats, whilst the larger models continue to haunt deeper reef sites laden with herring. Queenies are also highly active inshore of late, and although most vigorous when the tides are bigger, should still be worth a crack over these neaps (which happen to provide two metres of tidal flow).
The early run of spotties that appeared close inshore seems to have disappeared as quick as they appeared. There are spotties off Rooneys apparently, but we cannot offer any more insight into their whereabouts at present. Cloudy skies last week didn't do spotty fans any favours, so perhaps a sunnier outlook this week will see more success from the eastern bay.
Ensure you have ample small metal slugs and some high-speed spin outfits at the ready should you be venturing up the bay this week. That way you will be ready for any spotty schools that erupt, or perhaps a little side action on the mac tuna. Longtail numbers are still low, but it was encouraging to hear of a few recent captures. Making tides next week should see improvements for mackerel and tuna fisheries in Platypus Bay.
Cobia numbers up that way have been on an upward trend just recently. These bigger garbage-gutses are drawn to major aggregations of baitfish and various schools of juvenile demersals as well. A lure worked through the water column seeking an extra-late season snapper or a trevally might be intercepted by a gigantic cobia, so get a good ID on the culprit scorching line from your spool before you call it for a shark and break it off. The fight of a big cobe and a small noah are somewhat similar.
Unfortunately, we have no word of any marlin from Hervey Bay waters this week. That is not to say that none have been caught, just that we didn't hear of any (nor see any photographic evidence). Effort is declining as word spreads of our poor inshore billfish season, yet the summer months are still likely to see a few fish landed. We will continue to bring you the latest updates weekly, whilst our fingers are crossed for a miracle late season run.
Game Fishing Improving Offshore
Baby blacks may be scarce in the bay right now, but the heavy tackle scene offshore has been improving week by week. Word of a game crew going "6 from 6" this week is great news, particularly when we are talking blue marlin of some size. The waters north of the Breaksea Spit 13 Mile all the way to Lady Musgrave Island have been the stomping grounds of successful crews of late. Extra effort during the spell of good weather this week should see more captures from the waters beyond the shelf up that way, so stay tuned for some happy snaps next week.
In the meantime, the 'vermin' (as the game fishos call anything without a bill) have been easy enough to find in those same waters and east of Breaksea as well. Wahoo have been thick enough in some waters to be a nuisance, whilst decent mahi mahi have bounced all over the paddock when hooked. Large yellowfin tuna are still turning up wide of the shelf with some consistency, regardless of their highly mobile nature.
Early summer offers sports fishos ample opportunity to mix it with giant trevally and spanish mackerel offshore, at shallower reef sites such as the Sandy Cape Shoals and elsewhere. Trolled lures might intercept them in their travels, along with cobia and green jobbies, but it is the sweat-inducing topwater stick-baiting and popping tactics that the more active fishos will deploy. Tidal flow may dictate success on any given day, as might baitfish numbers, but rest assured, that this month offers some serious line-burning fun offshore.
Whilst out that way, a couple of hours spent sending baits or jigs to the bottom could see you headed for home with some colourful additions to your esky. Just this week, there were red emperor, green jobfish, red throat, various cod, tuskfish and hussar caught in lulls between periods of raging current. Sharks were an issue, but not everywhere offshore which is great news. I wish I could say the same for the Gutters back inshore.
Rivers Will Be Popular This Week
Pack plenty of Bushmans if heading for the local creeks or rivers this week. The mozzies are active and so are the midgies. March flies big enough to throw a saddle on are terrorising folks down the straits and over on Fraser too. The making tides next week should see a terrific bite for those lucky enough to witness it. Before then, the weekend should still be okay and worth the effort early in the day for those constrained by the need to work.
Leaving the barra to aggregate and spawn should be the priority of all and sundry on our estuaries. The lack of threadfin in the Mary system of late has had many distracted, but their numbers are gradually improving. Schooling fish are still harder to find than they should be, but there are some there. Find the right water quality and you will find them. If not, then chances are you will at least find schools of blue salmon.
A feed of riverine grunter is as likely now as it is going to be this summer. It won't take much more rain in our catchments (particularly up Gympie way) to see a flow of freshwater down the Mary and an exodus of the grunter. Small river GTs can be found in schools here and there and some time targeting a flathead or two around the drains could be productive.
A lack of baitfish has large swathes of the Burrum looking pretty ordinary, whilst word of masses of herring in the lower reaches has savvy fishos heading that way. Herring schools out the front can attract anything from queenies and mackerel to large grunter and small sharks, and any upriver movements won't go unnoticed by the river inhabitants. Launching from Burrum Heads seems prudent at this time.
Having said that, this week's smaller tides will favour the avid lure fisho keen for a jack session, and the renewed humidity and heat should have them hyperactive. A lack of bait in many stretches of river makes such waters unappealing to predators such as jacks, so be prepared to do some miles (even if to and from likely spots to align with mullet movements). You might find smallish salmon and jewfish or large tarpon otherwise, or could always go ultra-light and mix it with the Burrum's healthy bream population.
Grunter and bull sharks are also cruising the length of the Burrum River (and very likely parts of its feeder rivers too). Small prawns, too small to net just yet, are becoming increasingly obvious in the upper reaches, where the next generation of jelly prawn is amassing too. Best guess is that there could well be a modest feed of small river prawn on offer for Xmas if you are keen enough, but quality bananas seem like a belated affair. Happy to be wrong on that count of course.
Larger prawn can be witnessed escaping would-be predators in the Mary system, but again, unless you are super keen and don't mind getting ultra-messy, serious prawning efforts won't be likely until post-Xmas. In the meantime, the mud crabs have been all fired-up and wandering all over the place. Spring storms has them marching and many a crabber has been enjoying a scrumptious meal. There are A-grade crabs on offer, but plenty of Bs too. Crabs too empty to warrant retention should always be returned to the water so there is quality crab there for next time.
Good luck out there y'all... Jase