Flathead on the chew

September 30, 2016

WITH reports of water temperatures rising over the last week, good size Flathead have been taken on lures and small pilchards with hots spots being around sand banks near the mouth, back of the sound and the entrance to the first lake.

The new Fish Candy Chasebaits in 3 and 4 inch paddle bait have been dynamite on these quality fish, if you prefer bait, small pilchards on a snooded rigged with 2 suicide hooks combined when drifting over these areas have taken large fish. Don’t forget dusky flathead have a minimum size of 40cm and a maximum of 75cm with a bag limit being a total of 5 fish per person.

Good numbers of quality whiting have been throughout the river particularly in lower reaches. Try using the 65mm fish candy skinny dogs, these incredible surface lures have been the lure of choice for that welcomed catch. If using bait live worms and yabbies have been the best producing bait.

There has been some mangrove jack poking their heads up in a few areas mainly after dark and have been taken on live baits and bonito fillets around the heavy structure. The Zman 4inch paddle tail Swimmerz have been the best plastic for enticing these brutes.

Bream are still on the chew in good numbers throughout the river system providing hours of entertainment for the kids, peeled prawns are a great bait choice. Dust off those crab pots as the crabs have started to show up in Weyba creek and the ski run stretches, pots baited with fresh mullet have produced the better sized crustaceans.

With some good windows of weather, the offshore fisherman have been catching quality snapper and pearlies coming mainly from the Hards and Barwon Banks. If you are not wanting to travel big distances try North Reef for Snapper, Pearlies and cobia or the popular Halls and Sunshine Reefs with the catches of snapper, sweetlip cod and trout at first and last light. These fish have been taken on pillies, squid and slimy mackeral. With the odd spanish mackeral showing up, I would suggest floating a pilchard or small slimy out the back while fishing in these areas. Fisheries have been out checking safety gear Epirbs, Flares, PFDs and V sheets so please ensure all expiry dates are correct to avoid a fine.

If heading up the beach there is a good number of whiting and dart in the shallow water gutters, fishing with live worms or pipis have been producing the best results. The tailor fishing has produced quality fish, for the best action fish on the dusk and dawn periods. With the larger fish sitting at the rear of the gutter, the use of metal slugs up to 80grams have landed the bigger fish, and of course if using bait the trusty pilchard is still the best.

The freshwater has shown Lake Macdonald Bass schooling deep so the use of vibes and deep plastic presentations has shown best results. If heading to Lake Borumba, Bass have been found mainly around the main basin using Vibes, Plastics and Bassman Spinnerbaits. If chasing Bass I would recommend a good Vibe lure such as the Instinct red eye have been producing the regular strikes.

The first ever Gone Fishing Day will be held on the 16^th of October 2016. This is a day when all Australians can get out on the water for a fish and celebrate our love of fishing. It doesn’t matter if you have never fished before, Gone Fishing Day is for everyone. So why not sign up for the biggest fishing event on the Australian fishing calendar. Jump on line and check it out and register at https://gonefishingday.org/

Now for all the latest information log onto www.fishingnoosa.com.au for up to date bar and fishing reports, don’t forget to drop into Davo’s Tackle World in Noosa or Davo’s Northshore Bait & Tackle at Marcoola to find out where the fish are biting, and remember Tight Lines and Bent Spines!