Category Archives: Fishing Reports

Bribie Island – Sandstone Point Flats – 20 June 2012

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Wednesday

Unfortunately, the tax return has had to be re-prioritized again. I am sure the ATO will understand. On Wednesday, the weather was just too good and after a great session on Monday, I had to get out there again. I could not start early, so I arrived at Bribie at about 8.45 am and decided to head out to the same general area I had fished on Monday.

High tide was at 9.45 am. I had done well on Monday for the first few hours of the run out tide. I decided to head round the corner from the old oyster jetty, on the mainland side of the Pumicestone Passage, towards Sandstone Point and fish the areas around the mangrove islands. This is quite a good spot if there is enough water over it.

I slowly waded across the flats, casting as I went. I tried a few plastics without success. This couple of hours around the tide change can be a bit slow with the Flathead. I certainly think they are more likely to feed when the tide is running over them with a bit of pace. I switched to the DUO Bivi Tetraworks hard body vibe lure, in a red/ purple colour, to see if I could stir things up. This worked almost immediately – but it was the Pike again. I caught some small ones and then there was pause and a selection of bigger ones arrived. The last one was well over 40cm long. I decided I could not get this lure passed them to the Flathead, down below, so I swapped back to a GULP Jerkshad in the Satay Chicken colour.

It was about 10.15 am and the tide was just beginning to get going. I was beside the mangrove island (see picture). I found some sea grass beds and started casting along the edges. Suddenly I felt the solid thud of a Flathead bite. I paused and then struck, the fish did not do much – in fact, I thought I was snagged. After a few seconds, it woke up and took off. There was nowhere to land it, and I have plenty of fish in the fridge, so I pulled it in and took a couple of pictures and released it. It was a Flathead, a bit over 50cm long. I moved further around the island and caught a few more, all about the same size.
Then I hit a quiet spell and I swapped to the GULP 4” Minnow soft plastic in the Pearl Watermelon colour. I had been fishing with the 1/8th 1/0 jighead all morning. Not sure if it was the change of soft plastic or just changing my position, but as I turned back out towards the green channel marker, I found more fish. Over the next couple of hours, I caught four more, all between 45cm and 55cm and released them all.

They seemed to get more interested as the tide ran out
The usual crowd were watching
Conditions were perfect
First Flathead of the day
Flathead have seriously big gobs
The DUO BIVI was irresistible for the Pike
The Pike got bigger and bigger
The fish kept coming
Lure colour is not important at the moment
Riviera’s latest ‘Shed-Boat’ prototype

At about 12.30 pm I headed back, past the oyster jetty, to the car. It had been another great session in perfect weather.

Bribie Island – The Oyster Jetty to the channel marker – 17 June 2012

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Monday

I had to do the tax return on Monday. But one look at the weather and I decided that Wayne Swan would have to wait another few days. Fishing conditions were perfect. I could not start early so I arrived at the Bribie Bridge just after 8.30am. It was just after high tide. There was no real wind and the new moon was due on Tuesday. The water was very clear despite the recent high winds.

I got straight down to business with a GULP 4” Minnow in the Smelt colour, on a 1/8th 1/0 jig head. I was using my light spin rod and had it loaded with 8lb braid and a 12lb fluorocarbon leader. I waded out to the north of the bridge, on the mainland side. The Flathead come right up to the edge of the mangroves on a high tide and this was what I was looking for.

It started with Smelt

It was a 1.8 m high tide which is a fairly ‘low’ high tide for this area. I waded out a bit further on the north side of the bridge to cast at the rocky area, just in front of the third set of bridge legs. The lure bumped on a few rocks and then the line went tight and started wiggling. It was a 44cm Flathead and my first decent fish for a while.

Under the Bribie Bridge

The first decent fish for a while

I moved south towards the oyster jetty. The tide was just starting to run out. I cast all around the rocky reef just south of the bridge, with no luck. As I got a bit closer to the jetty I felt a solid bite. I paused, counted to ten, then struck. This one was a bigger Flathead – just under 50 cm. It tried a few headshakes, as I waded up into the shallows, but I soon had it landed by the mangroves.

Also took the Smelt colour

Then came a bigger one

I moved under the oyster jetty and continued to cast out into the Passage. I was casting into the run out tide and working my lure back along the bottom with the flow. I felt a good bite and cast back in the same spot. This time I saw the Flathead follow the plastic but it turned away at the last minute. I kept casting at the same spot and felt another bite, but I just could not hook it.

I swapped soft plastics to a GULP 5” Jerkshad in the Cajun Chicken colour. I moved further south, over the sand flats towards the green channel markers. At about 10.30 am I felt a solid hit and the line started peeling. This was a bigger fish and it had grabbed the lure on the drop, so it was a long way away from me. The tide was running out but there was still no nearby sand bank to land the fish on. I decided to play it out and try and grab it – this usually ends in tears – with me getting a quick spike and then dropping the fish. This time, I let the fish make lots of runs and then maneuvered my keeper bag, like a landing net, under the fish. I shortened the line and pulled the fish into the bag. I then took out the hook in the bag. This was the best fish of the day at just under 60cm.

This one took a Cajun Chicken

I continued wading across the flats and soon caught two more Flathead on the same soft plastic, about 50cm long. With a full bag it was now catch and release for the rest of the day.

A bag of Bribie Flathead

A bag of Bribie Flathead

I had reached a sandy patch by the green channel marker and decided to try the DUO Tetraworks Bivi small hard body vibe lure. After a couple of casts I found some Pike. The lure may have worked on the Flathead but the problem was getting passed the Pike. I caught seven Pike in ten casts and realized that I was not going to beat them.

The DUO Bivi could net get past the Pike

I swapped back to a GULP Jerkshad – this time in the Satay Chicken colour. The Pike left this alone so I turned around and started to wade back in the direction of the old oyster jetty. At the edge of the weed banks I found the Flathead again. I caught another six on the way back to the bridge – all were legal size, from about 50 to 60 cm. They all went back for someone else to catch.

Satay Chicken for this one

The weather was perfect and the fishing matched the weather – shame about the tax return!

Conditions were perfect

The spectators were unimpressed

Bribie Island – The bridge and surrounds – 5 June 2012

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Tuesday

I was back on local turf and although the wind did not look promising at least the rain was holding off. At 4.30 am I set off for Bribie Island to see if I could find some Flathead. Looking back over the blog and my fishing diaries, May to October have produced by far the best catches of Flathead for me. I have been busy with other things this year, so I hardly fished in April and May and I am planning to make up for it in June / July.

I started under the bridge on the mainland side with my light spin rod and reel: Loomis GL2 and Shimano Stella 2500. I was using 6lb braid and a 12lb fluorocarbon leader. I started with a 1/8th 1/0 jighead and a GULP 4” Minnow soft plastic in the Smelt colour.

It was about 5.15 am and the tide was just starting to build up momentum for the run out. There were a few jumps on the surface under the lights. I cast at them and felt the odd bump and grab, as the smaller fish made their inquiries. I caught a small pike that jumped clear of the water to grab the plastic. Then I got snagged on the small piece of reef just south of the bridge, so I decided to give the small DUO Tetraworks Bivi vibe lure a try. I picked an orange coloured model and tied it on. I love this lure. It has a great action at low speed and a good profile. Fish will often grab it as it is paused on the bottom. In this terrain I had to keep it moving or I would lose it to the rocks. After a few casts, it did the trick – a tiny Flathead grabbed it, just to the north of the bridge. I got rid of the fish and carried on. I caught a few more Pike but could not find a better fish.

After about 30 minutes of peppering the area with casts, I moved across to the other side of the bridge and had a fish around the lights. The tide was running in now but the wind was blowing all the weed and debris across into this area, so it was difficult to fish with the Bivi lure. There is now a nice ridge in the sandbank along here and some good weedy patches. There are nearly always Pike along here and I caught a couple. Then a small Whiting grabbed the Bivi lure – there was no shortage of variety.

As the sun came up I moved down to the sandy drain in front of the Seaside Museum, towards Bongaree. I fished along the edge of the tea tree stained water that was running out of the drain. I had been monstered by a big fish here, a few weeks ago. It had grabbed a big plastic (Jerkshad) and taken off. I only had the light rod and could not subdue it. Today, I started with the DUO Tetraworks Bivi and, after a few casts it produced another fish. Unfortunately, it was another tiny Flathead. I swapped back to a GULP Jerkshad soft plastic in the Satay Chicken colour. I cast around, gradually moving to the south, along the drop off. I felt a few bites and lost the tail from the Jerkshad. I swapped down to a GULP3” Minnow in the Nuclear Chicken colour and something grabbed it on the first cast. It was another small fish and I could tell by the mad headshakes it was a Tailor.

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The water was now too deep to fish along here. I stopped for a chat with Colin – who always has his finger on the Bribie fishing pulse and he brought me up to date on what is biting where. It is good to know someone is keeping the Flathead on their toes. There have also been a few bigger Tailor and the occasional Jewfish around. As the water temperature drops there should be a few more Tailor.

By now, the wind was up but I was too cold. I went off to find a hot cup of coffee. It was a beautiful, if breezy day and the massive full moon had been clearly visible all morning. Nothing for dinner though! I think I am paying the price for not putting in the hours – fishing can be a hard taskmaster.

Yeppoon – Double Head – 27 May 2012

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Sunday

On Sunday lunchtime I had to fly home from Rockhampton. In Yeppoon, it had rained all night and was very cold but by Sunday morning the weather was perfect.

I did not have much time so I decided to return to the rocks at Double Head. I arrived just before dawn and followed the path out to fishing ledges. It was about 5.45 am and low tide would be around 8.00 am. I set up with a small 20g metal slug. I was fishing with my Berkley Nomadic 1-4 kg travel rod and a 20g slug is about as big as you can throw. As the sky started to change colour, I cast the slug in all directions but could not raise a bite.

At about 6.15am, the sun was just coming over the horizon and suddenly the bait fish started leaping around, in close to the shore. I was now fishing with a GULP Jerkshad soft plastic in the purple and black colour. I felt a few solid bites, but could not hook up. I down-sized to a GULP 3” Minnow in the Nuclear Chicken colour, on a 1/8th 1 hook, jighead and carried on casting. I was now using only 10lb leader in my desperation to land a fish.

Once the sun was up the bait activity died away. The water was a milky mess with all the fresh water from the night before pouring out of the creeks. I moved around the headland casting in all directions but the water was now very dirty on the bottom of the tide. Finally I hooked up with a small Bream but I failed to find the monsters this spot is famous for.

Finally a clear, cold dawn
The water got murkier as the tide receded
Nice steep edges
Interested observer
Plenty of fishy structure
Eventually I found a small bream

By noon I was on the plane heading for Brisbane and already planning my next trip to this part of the world. Hopefully the weather will be kinder next time.

Yeppoon – Rosslyn Bay & Double Head – 26 May 2012

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Saturday

Once more I have allowed myself to be diverted from my true purpose in life. Yes – I have been engaging in that most dreadful of pursuits – earning a living. I have hardly wet a line in three weeks and I have been missing one of my favorite periods of the year.

It was time to fish – so on Saturday I found myself near Rockhampton and decided to stay for the weekend and have a fish around Yeppoon. There are lots of options along the coast in this area. I decided to start on the rockwalls at Rosslyn Bay Boat Harbour and the exposed rock ledges at the foot of Double Head.

Unfortunately, the weather tried its best to derail my plans. Saturday 4.30 am, I woke to light rain and no wind. I drove down to the harbour and fished around the lights and the edges of the pontoons and felt a few touches. I tried big and small soft plastics but could not raise a solid bite. As it grew light I moved down to the entrance to the harbour and cast all around but still could not stir any interest. Low tide was at about 6.30 am and the water was a milky brown colour. I could not see any bait around.

I walked out onto the rocks in front of Double Head. This area looked seriously fishy, but the water was very murky on the bottom of the tide. I walked across the small bay and out, around the headland until I could walk no further. The rain was coming and going and the wind was picking up. The tide had now started to run in – there was no sign of the sun.

A miserable morning on the rocks – Yeppoon
There is good fishing access all around Double Head
Looked very fishy – Double Head
My first Blue Salmon
Another baby Salmon?

I tried a small hard body vibe lure and then a bigger popper. I swapped back to the soft plastics and put on a GULP 3” Minnow in the Nuclear Chicken colour on a 1/8th 1/0 jighead. After a few casts, I felt a bite in close to the rocks. I paused for a few seconds and then set the hook. At last, a fish. It wasn’t very big but it was a new species for me – what the locals call a ‘blue’ Salmon. It looked like a Threadfin Salmon to me – perhaps they are the same thing? It was about 45cm long, so I took a few pictures and threw it back. The next cast produced a smaller fish – I think it was a baby Salmon? And then it all went quiet again.

The wind turned colder and the rain started to get serious so after 5 hours of fishing, I gave up. It can be hard exploring new ground, especially in crappy weather, but it’s always better to fish, than not to fish!

Bribie Island – The old oyster jetty – 7 May 2012

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Monday

I was time to hit the flats and weed beds of Bribie Island. The weather forecast was pretty much perfect – no wind or rain and we would have a low tide at about 4.00 am.

I set out at about 4.30 am. The moon was full and, with a clear sky I did not need the headlamp, as I waded out under the bridge at about 5.30 am. This is a great time of year to be fishing. The mornings are crisp, but not too cold and the sunrises are fantastic.

I started on the mainland side under the bridge. Now I am not a ‘tree hugger’ but like any serious fisherman I care about the environment. Just recently, a large area of woodland has been flattened just behind the old oyster jetty – huge gum trees, pines and mangroves all torn down. The area now looks like a bomb site. Apparently, a new ‘eco’ resort is on its way. I would have thought it could have included some more of the beautiful old trees. I am glad it will provide jobs and I hope what they build will invigorate the area – but I am not convinced.

I waded down out under the bridge cast around in the rocky area, just to the south. I was using a GULP 2” Shrimp in the Banana Prawn colour and my first customer was a Pike. There were plenty of prawns jumping and I presume that is what the Pike and Moses Perch were feeding on, under the bridge lights.
I carried onto the south. I swapped to a GULP Jerkshad in the Lime Tiger colour, but the bigger plastic did not get the fish going. After about 15 minutes I swapped down to a GULP 3” Minnow in the Pearl Watermelon colour. This produced results – on the first cast I felt a solid bite, but could not connect. Three slow retrieves later, in the same spot, I got the fish. It was a small Flathead about 35cm long.

SANDSTONE POINT - SMALL FLATHEAD LOCATIONS

SANDSTONE POINT – SMALL FLATHEAD LOCATIONS

I kept going south and picked up 7 more fish on the flats on either side of the Oyster Jetty, over the next 2 ½ hours, but unfortunately only one was over 40cm. I swapped plastics between the bright and dark colours, big and small. I certainly caught more fish on the 2/3”plastics, I could not get a bite on the bigger ones.

They may have been small today but where there are small fish, there are big mothers – so I will be back out looking for them again soon.

Caloundra – Power Boat Club & Diamond Head – 3 May 2012

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Thursday

I was back on home turf and decided Caloundra was the best bet for Thursday morning. It’s getting a bit colder but the bonus is that you don’t have to get up quite so early to fish the dawn.

I arrived in front of the Power Boat Club at about 6.00 am, just after first light. High tide had been at 5.20 am and it was close to full moon. Light south easterly winds were forecast but around dawn the water was completely flat.

I was fishing with my Loomis GL2 light spin rod and Shimano Stella 2500, now loaded with 6lb braid and a 10lb fluorocarbon leader. The water temperature feels like it has dropped considerably since I was last fishing up here, a few weeks ago.

It was a fairly crisp sunrise on Thursday

It was a fairly crisp sunrise on Thursday

I started with a GULP Jerkshad in the Curry Chicken colour on a 1/8th 1/0 jighead. There were a few schools of bait in close to the shore and these scattered as I pulled the plastic through them. Sometimes they would scatter in all directions but I could not get a bite. I swapped to a 2” GULP Shrimp in the Banana Prawn colour. I worked the plastic along the edge of the weed beds and just after 7.00am, I came up tight on a small Flathead – just under 40cm long.
I tried a small DUO Tetraworks Bivi vibe lure for a while and I felt a few hits but could not hook anything. I swapped back to a GULP Shrimp in the Peppered Prawn Colour and caught another Flathead that was just too small.

The GULP Shrimp got them going today

The GULP Shrimp got them going today

I gave up and drove down to the flats in front of Diamond Head. I waded out to the weed beds and started to cast around. The water was running out fast and it had turned pretty dirty. I think there must have been some pretty heavy localized rain over night.

Angry Flathead - Caloundra

Angry Flathead – Caloundra

Another small Flathead slammed the GULP Shrimp. I pulled it in. This one was just over 40cm, but one fish would not feed my mob so I let it go. With no more action I packed up at about 9.30 am went back to the car.

They were all just the wrong side of 40cm

Port Lincoln & Coffin Bay – 20 April 2012

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Friday

On Friday it was Port Lincoln and Coffin Bay, in South Australia. Unfortunately there was no time to fish in Coffin Bay but I did manage a quick, early morning, land-based fishing session in Port Lincoln. I was staying in the Lincoln Hotel, which is a great spot. I looked over the maps and checked a few online fishing forums and decided I would try fishing for an hour or so, on dawn, at Snook’s Landing.

I drove out in the dark and parked up just as the slight glow began on the horizon. I rigged up with the GULP 2” Shrimp soft plastic in the Banana Prawn colour on a 1/8th 1/0 jighead and started casting around. It was a misty morning and again there it was dead calm with no breeze.

As the sun started to illuminate things, I worked out the lay of the land. I was on a rocky foreshore just beside a jetty and a Tuna pen. It did not look like there were any fish in the pen but who knows. A local had explained the day before that the Port Lincoln commercial fishermen actually ‘ranch’ the Tuna here. They find the big schools out to sea and then throw huge seine nets around them. The tuna are not landed at sea but are transferred, by divers into a cage and towed back to the pens in the Spencer Gulf. The tuna are in the pens for only a few months and are fed local baitfish to fatten them up. Then they are gradually harvested and exported, usually for the global fresh sashimi market.

The pen was a few hundred metres away but I hoped its presence would mean there would be some fish hanging around. I moved along the shore casting around and quickly losing a few rigs to the rocky bottom. As the sun blazed over the horizon I saw a few surface bust ups and felt a few bites. Then I saw some prawns skipping along the surface and cast straight in front of them. The fish hit the soft plastic on the drop and took off. There was a bit of head shaking but it was only when I pulled it up on to the rocks that I could see what looked very like a large Pike – which I believe is often confused with the Snook in these waters. I took a picture and sent it on its way.

The sun on the water seemed to have got things going and every now and then, there were surface bust ups and bait jumping close to the shore, as something attacked. I had found my favourite GULP 3” Minnows in the Pearl Watermelon colour and I was now using these. After a few casts I felt a solid hit and line was peeling. Then I saw a tiny Salmon break the surface and start leaping around. I was amazed at its power to strip line despite its tiny size. I pulled it in and released it. It was probably only between 20 and 25cm long!

Just before dawn at Snooks Landing – SA
Sunrise over the Tuna pen
Snook or Pike – Port Lincoln – SA
A decent Pike/ Snook
Serious sunrise at Port Lincoln – SA
More small Salmon at Snook’s landing
There were plenty of small Salmon
Pristine Waters at Coffin Bay – SA
Salmon busting up at Coffin Bay – SA

The pattern was now set and for the next 30 minutes I caught about 10 fish this size. The school of Salmon would swim around the bay; herd the bait towards the rocks and then attack. I would cast into the area and the fish would grab the lure as soon as it hit the surface. Unfortunately, by about 8.30 am I had to go.

Later in the day I did find myself briefly, at Coffin Bay and although there was no time to fish, I watched a few holiday makers catch some nice King George Whiting and, again witnessed the Salmon slamming into the bait schools on the surface. South Australia Cockles (which looked like Pippis in Queensland speak) were the preferred bait. This is a very special spot and Landangler has definitely marked it down for a return visit.

Port Augusta Wharf – A few Salmon – 18/19 April 2012

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On Wednesday I found myself in Port Augusta. The estuary was right in front of my motel so I could not resist another attempt at catching a fish in South Australia. Landangler does not get to fish much when he is working but sometimes you just have to go for it.

I had read the stories of massive Kingfish being caught on live baits, down by the Power Station cooling water outlets. I had about an hour free and a light spin rod, so Kingfish were off the agenda. I decided to fish along the rock walls on the eastern side of the estuary, beside the old wharf.
Summer is hanging on in South Australia and the sunrise was instant and bright. The water was clear with a bit of strap weed floating around on the rising tide. I cast around along the rockwall and very soon felt a few bites.

I was fishing with 10lb fluorocarbon leader, a 1/8th 1/0 jighead and a GULP Shrimp in the Banana Prawn colour. After a few casts a fish grabbed the lure at the base of the rocks. My first fish caught in South Australia, was a humble Flathead. They look a little different to the ones I am used to in Queensland but I expect they taste just as good. It looked like it was a little under 40cm and after a few pictures I threw it back.

The sun was well over the horizon now and the flies were already buzzing. I felt a solid bite then hooked a fish which took off like a rocket. I could see it was small but it was really pulling hard. It leapt clear of the water a few times and I could see it was a small Australian Salmon. I got it up to the rocks – photographed and released it.

A local fisherman explained they taste quite good when they are small and they are a common catch here. I carried on fishing for another 30 minutes and caught another tiny Flathead.

I came back the next morning for another try. I started on the rockwall just before dawn and again the first fish was a small Flathead followed by an even smaller Salmon.

Port Augusta – Small Salmon
Calm and crystal clear
Plenty of tiny Flathead
A Port Augusta Flathead
The rockwall by Port Augusta Wharf
Port Augusta just before dawn
The Salmon took a range of soft plastics

I moved down to the end of the wharf, where I could see a few fish feeding. Every now and then the bait would go flying in all directions. I put on a GULP 3” Minnow in the Pearl Watermelon colour on a 1/12th 1 jighead. The water was clear and still and the tide was very slowly running in. The lighter jighead would let the plastic fall slowly through the water column.

After a few casts there was a solid attack and I was on again. It was another Salmon. As I pulled it in it was followed by the whole school. It was only around 25cm long but again it fought like a fish double the size. I took a few snaps and then threw it back.

I caught about five more as the school moved around the wharf, but at by 8.30am I had to finish my session. It was good to catch something in South Australia.

Adelaide – Myponga Rocks – 15 April 2012

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I have just returned from a week of work in South Australia. I did manage a few morning sessions around Adelaide over the weekend but I did not do very well. I fished the rocks on dawn at Myponga on Sunday.

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This is a beautiful spot about an hour to the south of the Adelaide CBD. All I had was a cheap Finnor reel / Quantum rod spin combo that I picked up at Adelaide Tackleworld. They spooled it with some 8lb braid and I fished with a 10lb leader, 1/8th 1/0 jigheads and various GULP soft plastics. The water was crystal clear and there were lots of nice looking rocks and ledges.

I came across a group of local fisherman who explained they catch Snook (Pike), Small Salmon, Whiting, Drummer, Snapper and the occasional Tuna – mainly using fresh cockles or squid for bait. They had not had a touch as I passed.

I wandered up and down the rocks for a few hours but I could not raise much interest. Occasionally, I would lose the tail of a soft plastic minnow grub or shrimp to a small fish. I had a couple of quite aggressive hits – which I think were Salmon – but who knows?

Like anywhere, you have to put in the time to learn where the fish are and what techniques will be effective. Unfortunately, as a visitor, you rarely have much time but it is always good to get out and have a look around.

Maundy Thursday – Caloundra – Golden Beach – 5 April 2012

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Maundy Thursday

Rain, wind, swell, wind, swell – well at least the rain seems to have moved on, but the wind and swell look like they will be sticking around for the whole of Easter. Unfortunately that means that we keen fisherman are all herded in to the few sheltered stretches of estuary that exist along the coast. There are a lot of people looking to wet a line or put the boat, jetski, kayak, dinghy in the water over this weekend and the next one.

My tip for increasing you chances of catching something – start early. Fortunately not everyone is willing to get up in the middle of the night to catch a fish. Most people don’t consider a 4.00 am start relaxing! This means the water is less likely to have been disturbed before you get to it and also means you usually get to fish the calmest few hours of the day – around sunrise.

With all this in mind I set off for Caloundra at about 4.30 am on Thursday morning. It was full moon so it would be a big high tide at around 8.15am. When I arrived, the wind was already starting to rustle the trees and cast a ripple on the surface of the Pumicestone Passage. It has been a while since I have fished here. The water was considerably cooler but much clearer on the top of the tide.

DUO, the Japanese lure manufacturer has sent me some more lures to try out, including the Tetraworks Bivi in a few more colours. This a great lure that has caught a few Flathead for me and with the cooler weather on the horizon, I am sure it will also prove to be a great Bream lure.

It is a hollow body microvibe lure and the colour I was using today was almost black with some rainbow colouring. It is a sinking lure, 3.8 grams and 40mm long. I was back to fishing with my lightest spin rod and reel combo – the Loomis GL2 with a Shimano Stella 2500 reel. I had the reel loaded with 8lb braid and 10lb fluorocarbon leader.

DUO TETRAWORKS BIVI - Great lure in this darker colour


I started on the sand flats in front of the Caloundra Powerboat Club. The tide was still coming in. I cast all around the area of weed banks that line the edge of the various channels, where the boats are moored. It wasn’t long before I felt a nudge and then a solid hit. I was on to a fish. It took a bit of line and it was moving quite fast. It was a decent Bream – perhaps just under 30cm, but it was only just hooked. I started back towards the shore but just as I got a good look at it – it wriggled free and was gone.

Small Flathead - big soft plastic


I trudged back to the weed beds and carried on peppering the area with casts. About 10 mins later I had another solid knock – so I let the lure drop back down. When I lifted it I had a fish on. It was a small Flathead just under legal size. I took a few pictures and released it. A few cast later I hooked up with a bigger one – but again it wriggled free before I could walk it back to shore.

I decided to swap to a soft plastic and put on a GULP 4” Minnow in the Pearl Watermelon colour. This worked but again the fish was too small. I carried on until around 9.15 am but by then the wind was howling again so I gave up.

Caloundra - Pelicans

Iluka – Shark bay – Plenty of Variety – 30 March 2012

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Friday

Unfortunately the wind and swell were up again so my favorite Rocky spots were out of bounds. It was however, a beautiful clear morning. The wind was from the south at about 10 knots but there were also gusts from the west which made things very cool, once my legs were wet.

I started at Shark Bay with the light rod. I focused on the shallows, on the west side of the rock platform. There is often a Flathead lurking in here, amongst the rock bars and sea weed. I started with a big soft plastic – a GULP Crazylegs Jerkshad in the Curry Chicken colour on a 1/6th 1/0 jighead, with 12lb fluorocarbon leader. I had a few hits and then lost the tail. I moved down in size to a GULP 3” Minnow in the Smelt colour on a 1/8th 1/0 jighead and 8lb fluorocarbon leader.

The down-sizing converted the bites to fish but only tiny Moses Perch and then a Long Tom. I moved along the edge of the platform and there was a bite on almost every cast, but nothing significant. When the Tailor are around this is a great place to cast a 65g slug on the big rod.

I watched another great sun rise and kept catching small fish. Soon it was time to call it quits for the week. It had been a challenging week. The weather had made things tough, as it often does, but I had found some good fish – particularly the Bream. I had seen a few Tailor in the waves but only caught one from the rocks and one in the river. I always think that its a good trip if you are catching stuff and there was plenty of variety.

I managed 10 species this week – Bream, Flathead, Tailor, Luderick, Trevally, Jewfish, Moses Perch, Long Tom, Pike and even a few tiny Whiting. The weather had been too difficult for the hard bodies, so everything was caught on soft plastics.

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I drove back to Brisbane in the afternoon and as I unloaded the car, I was already considering my options for avoiding the wind and the Easter crowds to find some fish.

Iluka – Browns Rocks – The Clarence River – 29 March 2012

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Thursday

After a disappointing morning on the rocks, I decided to try fishing the Clarence River in the afternoon. I drove along to the Browns Rocks area. I passed the wharf and drove down to the area in front of the old oyster farm and then put on my waders.

There is a large section of weed beds just to the south of the oyster farm. The weed beds grow on the edge of the main river channel and hold plenty of bait. All the recent rain had left the water murky, but I arrived just before the top of the tide and so the water was as salty as it would get.

I was fishing with my light spin combination and decided to come right down to 8lb fluorocarbon leader. I started with a GULP 2” Shrimp soft plastic in the Banana Prawn colour. The first few casts produced a few hits from small fish. They were very aggressive so I expect they were small Tailor. They often hang around here.

I moved along, parallel with the shore, casting into the run in tide and retrieving fairly fast to avoid getting tangled in the weed. I caught and released a couple of tiny Bream. Then I suddenly had a much bigger fish on. It was not very fast but it had plenty of power. It was not moving like a Flathead and was making plenty of long runs. I walked slowly back to shore and tightened the drag as much as I dared. I saw some silver and some stripes and then realized it was a good sized Luderick. I landed it and decided it would be dinner. I do not get these very often and they taste good. Once more the GULP soft plastic had proved irresistible.

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The session continued with a Flathead, a chopper Tailor and a few more small Bream. There were plenty of fish around but no big ones. I should come back to this spot at dawn or dusk – one day!

Iluka – Shark Bay – 5 April 2012

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Thursday

On Thursday morning the weather had improved considerably, with a clearer sky and less wind, but the swell was still up. I decided to start at Shark Bay on the rock platform. There was a bit of west in the wind and it was quite cool.

Sunrise Shark Bay - Iluka

I started on the west side and could not raise a bite. I moved across to the rocks on the east side. There are a number of ridges on this side with small inlets in between each. The surf was smashing into these but it was just possible to cast into the white water. I tried a few bays and caught another couple of good Bream – the bigger of the two was over 35cm. This time I was using the GULP 3” Minnow Grub in the Pumpkinseed colour again, but on a 1/6th 1/0 jighead. I carried on fishing for a while and dropped a few more fish – which could have been small Tailor or more Bream.

Shark Bay Bream - Light leader and a paddle tail lure

Then I stopped to clean the two Bream in the rock pools. When I had finish I took them over to the surf to rinse them off. I shook them under the water for perhaps ten seconds and when I looked down, two Wobbegongs were ready to steal them. I pulled the fish out of the water and quickly put them away in the keeper bag. I suggest you mind where you tread around here, as they must always be pretty close by.

Plenty of Wobbegongs in the shallows

Iluka – Frasers Reef & the Rockwall – 28 March 2012

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Wednesday

No trophy fish yet but plenty of fish around, if the weather would let me get at them. Wednesday morning brought heavy showers and grey skies and a 10 knot southerly wind. The wind had been from the south for a while and the swell was around 2 metres. It was too hard to fish Woody Head or Iluka Bluff, but with a morning low tide I could get out on to the rocks at Frasers Reef.

I walked out on to the rocky promontory just before 6.00 am. Even with a fair swell you can fish the northern edge of these rocks but as usual in these parts, you lose plenty of gear.

I started with the heavy rod, 30lb fluorocarbon leader and a 3/8th 3/0 jighead. I chose a big soft plastic again – the GULP Crazylegs Jerkshad in the Lime Tiger colour. I lost my first rig to the rocks on the first cast. I re-rigged and moved around casting into the foamy water. After a few casts I felt a solid bite and pulled up the plastic minus its tail.

I put another on and cast back out. This one was hit on the drop but there was no hook up. Then, as I carried on the retrieve, the fish came back for a second swipe and I got it. I played it in on the swell and pulled it over the rocks – a 50cm Tailor – the first Tailor of the week. I was hoping for a few more, but I never found them. I presume they are cruising the headlands all the time, looking for the bait schools. If they are right in front of you, you may have a few minutes to cast at them – then they move on. When I gutted it, it had an empty stomach, like all the other fish I had caught this week. I have not seen any bait schools and maybe there is not much to eat.

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There were no more fish that morning and the swell continued to build so in the afternoon, I decided to fish the Iluka rockwall. The wall is quite sheltered from strong southerly winds and there is currently a good gutter forming where it meets the beach. I was using the light spin rod and started with a few GULP 4” Minnows in various colours. These did not arouse any interest so I swapped to a GULP 3” Minnow Grub in the Pumpkinseed colour. I think the grub tail can sometimes stir a bit more interest when fishing in the surf. I was using a ¼ oz 1/0 jighead to overcome the wind and swell and I was rigged with 12lb fluorocarbon leader. After a few casts, I lost the tail on the soft plastic but when I re-loaded and cast out again, I felt a solid tug and then a good run. I had the fish hooked and it took a bit of line. The swell was a challenge, but eventually I pulled another good Bream clear of the rocks.
Then the rain arrived again and I gave up. Only two fish for the day – hardly spectacular but enough to keep me at it!

Brooms Head – The Sandon River – 27 March 2012

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Tuesday

On Tuesday afternoon the wind and swell were up again, at Iluka, so I decided to drive down to fish the lunchtime high tide on the north side of the Sandon River – near Brooms Head. This is a very shallow estuary but it is sheltered from the wind and can produce some good fish.

I parked on the roadside, just past the first set of shacks, but before you reach the main camp ground. I arrived at about 12.30 pm, just after high tide. I put on my waders and picked out my light spin rod, the 6’6” Loomis GL2 which I am now fishing with Shimano Stella 2500. This is the perfect light weight estuary combo for flicking soft plastics and small hard-bodied lures.

Along the shore line there is lots of structure left over from the now abandoned oyster leases. There are also plenty of weed beds and sandbanks. It’s a perfect spot for wading around and flicking soft plastics.

I started with a GULP 3” Minnow in the Smelt colour. I loaded it on a 1/8th 1/0 jighead, I was not expecting any really big fish so I dropped right down to an 8lb fluorocarbon leader. There are a few oyster covered rocks around but generally it is a sandy bottom.

The tide was just beginning to run out so I cast up river and let the lure sink to the bottom. Then I slowly bumped it back towards me. I gradually moved along parallel with the shore repeating this process. I was wading in a about a metre of water and casting out into no more than two metres.

I soon had a fish – a tiny 25cm Flathead – I released it and carried on. I caught three more over the next twenty minutes – all about the same size. Then, as I reached a patch of slightly deeper water, something hit hard and took off for the middle of the channel. I tightened the drag a little – it was way too fast for a Flathead, and too powerful for a Bream. I tightened up the drag a little more and started to get some line back, but it was still pulling hard. After a couple of minutes, I could see stripes and silver and realized it was a small Trevally. I got it up on the shore, photographed and released it.

The mouth of the Sandon River near Brooms Head
The Sandon River near Brooms Head
The first few Flathead were about 25cm long
Small Trevally pull hard on the light gear
I finally found a couple of legal size Flathead
Another just legal size Flathead
A Sandon River Flathead

I moved further along the shore towards the river mouth. The tide was now running out strongly and the sky was ominously grey. Now I switched to the GULP 3” Minnow in the Banana Prawn colour. A few casts with this lure and I finally caught a Flathead that was just about legal size. I decided to let it go and moved on. The next fish was a small Bream and then another Flathead that might also just have been legal.

Buy now the grey skies were on top of me and the rain started spitting so I beat a hasty retreat to the car as the downpour started.

Iluka – Frasers Reef – 27 March 2012

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Tuesday

There had been some very heavy showers through the night and at 5.30am, when I left the cabin, it was still pitch black with low cloud cover. But the wind seemed to have dropped so I headed for the rocky headland just to the north of Frasers Reef.

First light was well after 6.00 am but I could tell from the sound of the sea and the lack of spray crashing over the top of the rocks that I was in with a chance. I waited for about 20 minutes and watched the swell as the waves sets came in. It was a fairly light sea with the swell below 1.5 metres, but every 15 minutes or so a bigger set of waves would come through and soak everything. As it was just past the dark of the moon the tidal variation was still very big. On the turn of the tide, which had been at around 5.30 am, the swell can also behave erratically – so you always have to keep your eye on it.

I have felt-soled rock fishing boots which I ordered online from Cabelas in the US – http://www.cabelas.com. I currently have the Cabelas Ultralight 2 Felt-soled Wading Boots and I am very happy with them, so far. With the high Australian dollar they are currently reasonably priced at about A$80.00 a pair. They provide excellent grip even on the slimiest surfaces and also provide good ankle support. My last pair lasted about 3 years which I think is pretty good considering the work out I give them.

I started with the heavy rod and loaded up with a 3/8th 2/0 jighead, 30lb fluorocarbon leader and a Gulp Crazylegs Jerkshad soft plastic in the Lime Tiger Colour. I fished around in the pre-sunrise light for a bit, lost a few jigheads to the rocks and copped a soaking from a few waves. It is rarely easy fishing this spot.

As the sun came over the horizon I switched to a GULP 4” Minnow in the Vader colour – which has been successful here before. On the first cast I felt a tug, on the second I had a fish. It was a small Jewfish, about 43cm long. I snapped it and let it go. I peppered the same area with casts and about five minutes later I felt a solid bite. The fish took a bit of line and I thought it was well hooked. I put some pressure on but then the line went slack and it was gone. It was no monster but probably a bit larger than the previous one. Now I was fired up but repeated lure changes could not raise another fish and after an hour I moved further south along the rocks – in the direction of Frasers Reef.

I was now fishing with the GULP 4” Minnow soft plastic in the Vader colour again, still with the same weight jighead and leader. I cast out into the foamy water at the base of the rocks and felt a solid hit. I was probably 4 metres above the water line so I slowly tightened the drag and lifted the fish up onto the rocks – it was another good sized Bream – about 35cm long. The rain and perhaps the dark of the moon seemed to have the big Bream fired up. I continued to fish all along these rocks but could not find anymore and at about 10.00 am I gave up and went in search of breakfast.

Iluka – Shark Bay – 26 March 2012

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Monday

Iluka is pretty much fishing heaven – but even in fishing heaven you still have to deal with the weather. I was up early – way too early. I found myself standing on the beach looking out into the dark at Frasers Reef at about 5.15 am. When I say dark, I mean pitch black. There was virtually no moon and there was plenty of low cloud. There wasn’t much wind, a light south easterly, but I could tell from the sound of the crashing waves, there would be too much swell to fish the rocks safely here.

I walked back to the car and drove along to Shark Bay – a couple of kms to the north. When the wind is blowing and the swell is up you can still fish off the rocky outcrop here. It is sheltered from the big seas by Woody Head. I started with the big rod, the Daiwa 9 foot Demon Blood, a 3/8th oz 3/0 jighead, 30lb leader and 20lb braid. I put on a 5” Gulp Jerkshad in the Lime Tiger colour. I cast out from the rock platform, over the kelp into the foaming water. I almost instantly got snagged. That is the problem in this location. I tried a spinning a 65g raider for a while, but I soon lost that too.

I switched to the lighter rig – a 7’6’ Nitro spinning rod, ¼ oz 2/0 jighead, 12 lb leader and 8lb braid. I put on a GULP Crazylegs Jerkshad in the Lime Tiger colour and tried again. It was now about 6.30 am and the sun had just come over the horizon. Low tide had been at about 5.15 am. The lighter jighead pulled through the kelp and got snagged less easily. After a few casts, a fish hit my plastic. It felt pretty solid. I let it take line and then pulled it over the kelp beds with the aid of the swell. It was a good size bream – just over 35cm.

I carried on in this location for another 30 minutes and then moved to the southern side of the rock platform. I stuck with the lighter rod and the same soft plastic. I concentrated on the foamy water, in close to the rocks and after a few casts I had another fish. This one was fighting hard and there were rocks everywhere. I took it slow and let it take line when it needed too. I gradually increased the drag pressure and pulled it towards a gap in the rocks where I could land it. I saw a flash of silver and on the next wave I pulled it on to the rocks. Another Bream – a thumper at just under 40cm.

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I carried on fishing here for another hour. I had a few more hits but could not hook any more fish. Eventually, the tide and swell pushed me off this headland and, as I cleaned the two Bream, the heavens opened and I got soaked. I had managed two good fish in less than ideal conditions – not a bad start to the week.

Ballina – The Richmond Estuary – 25 March 2012

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Sunday

After far too long working, I am now back fishing and I decided to start with a trip down to Iluka, to fish from the rocks. The weather does not look very promising this week, but sometimes you just have to go for it.

I left Brisbane on Sunday morning and decided to stop off at Ballina on the way down. The wind was howling but I had never fished the Richmond River, so I pulled out my soft plastics rod and reel and wandered out onto a promising sand bank on the north side of the Richmond River Estuary. It was about 10.30 am and the tide was running out. I found a stretch of mangrove lined shore and walked along the edge casting and retrieving a GULP 2” Shrimp soft plastic in the Peppered Prawn colour on 1/8th 1/0 jighead.

The Mullet were everywhere – they were so thick that the plastic kept knocking against them as I retrieved it. Every now and then it would come back with a few Mullet scales on. I worked my way along the bank and I was surprised at how clear the water was, considering how much rain has fallen recently. I felt a few hits but I think these were just the curious Mullet or whiting.

After an hour or so I felt a solid bite and struck. There was not much weight but I had a fish – a tiny cod. I put it back, packed up and headed on to Iluka. Hopefully the weather will be kind enough to make fishing the rocks a possibility when I get there.

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Bribie Island – The Museum Drain – 4 March 2012

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Sunday

I am still working, and slowly getting used to just fishing at the weekend. It’s not much fun is it? Still I can’t complain – I have nearly finished my work project and will be back fishing, full time, in a few weeks.

This morning I drove up to Bribie Island for an early start. It would be a 2.1m high tide at about 6.30 am. I arrived a bit before 5.00 am and started fishing under the bridge on the Island side of the Passage. The tide was running in strongly and was approaching high. The session started with a soaking from an early morning shower. I fished around under the bridge with a soft plastic minnow and had a few bites but could not hook anything. The tide had lifted the weed and, as usual it was floating around in the eddies and clogging up the lure. After 20 minutes, I decided to move on.

I drove down to the drain in front of the new museum. I walked down the rockwall and out, along the sand bank, that runs along the southern edge of the drain. As dawn broke there was a bout of surface feeding, just at the mouth of the fresh water drain. I put on a GULP 3” Minnow in the Banana Prawn colour on a 1/8th 1/0 jighead and positioned myself just to the north of the drain, about 10 metres from the shoreline. I then cast back towards the drain mouth. When there is a 2m high tide the drain mouth is covered by about 1.2m of water. The predators move up in to this area on the rising tide, very quickly, to feed on the fish, crabs, worms and grubs that are washed out through the mouth of the drain. Once the sun was up I could clearly see where the tea- tree stained, run off meets the sea water coming up the Passage. This is a good area to concentrate on. I cast up, under the bridge over the drain and slowly bumped the lure along the bottom. I lost a couple of tails to small fish and changed for a new plastic, each time.

The surface attacks continued, something was feeding on the bait schools that were siting just out of the current, close to the shore. A few more casts and I felt a bite. I struck a bit too soon and pulled the lure out of the fish’s mouth. I dropped the rod tip again and paused for a count of five, then struck. This time it was on and it took off. Fortunately it swam away from the clump of mangroves. I played it out and when it seemed tired enough I pulled it slowly up the rock wall for a few photos. It was a Flathead just over 50cm long. I let it go and went looking for more.


A few more casts in the same spot and I had another fish on. It was a smaller Flathead this time – just over 45cm. I measured, photographed and released it. I cast around closer to the bank and felt a few bites, close to the bridge structure. Then the line went tight on a smaller fish. It was a Moses Perch and I suspect these were what had been causing the commotion on the surface earlier.

I only had a few hours so I had to stop at about 7.00 am. The water was fairly clear and although the midges were buzzing around everywhere, conditions were pretty much perfect. I am looking forward to getting back out again soon.