Sunshine Coast Fishing Report | Thursday 21 March 2024

Welcome to this week's Sunshine Coast Fishing Report. Unsuitable fishing conditions have continued this week, with rain and wind hampering many efforts to wet a line. There have been a few decent breaks in the weather however, which has seen a few fishos finally manage to sneak offshore. We are starting to see an improvement in river fishing, however more rain is forecast, which will slow down the process of clearing the brackish water. It's been all about the Jacks this week, as they don't mind the dirty water or rainy conditions. Monday's full moon should hopefully generate a bit of fishing action.

Another week of tricky conditions has resulted in not many boats venturing out due to strong winds and big swells. A break in the weather yesterday saw a few boats sneak out, with reports of Marlin, Sailfish and Wahoo on the 8 - 10 Mile, and Tuna near the blinker. 

The Spanish Mackerel Season reopens from Midnight tonight, so hopefully the weather improves this weekend! We've got quality Garfish in store that we sourced from Northern NSW and froze fresh, which is perfect slow trolled or floated to chase Spanish Mackerel. 

There will still be plenty of Reef Speicies and Tuna in close and Mahi Mahi at the FADs once we can finally get out. Early on Sunday morning, or Tuesday next week look to be the only promising options for the coming week. As always, make sure you check conditions before heading out. 

Berkley PowerBait Hollow Belly 4"Fishing the Maroochy River continues to be tough due to weather conditions, but those who have braved the wind and rain have reported a few good catches. Mangrove Jacks have been firing in the dirty water, and have mostly been active at night time. Live baits and prawn imitation lures like the Pro Lure Clone Prawn have resulted in some nice catches in the high 50cm range. Paddle Tails like Gobblers Lures Paddle Shad 3.75" and Berkley PowerBait Hollow Belly 4" have also claimed some nice catches. 

Flathead are still active throughout the river, taking just about anything on offer. Try around creek mouths if you're chasing big Flatties. Trevally are also being caught in good numbers, and have taken a liking to smaller lures and plastics retrieved with speed. Try Keitech Easy Shiner 2" or Gobblers Lures 2.6" Shrimp.

Some nice Whiting continue to be caught from Chambers Island to the mouth on the top of the tide. Live beach worms and live yabbies are claiming the bigger ones, with catches of up to 40cm reported. There's still a few Grunter, Moses Perch and the occasional Tailor about too. 

The Noosa River has also delivered some nice Mangrove Jack catches this week, with catches up to 59cm reported. They've mostly been caught during night sessions on live bait or the 95mm MMD Splash Prawn which has been working well off the top. Pro Lure Clone Prawns and Holt Productions Swimprawns are also seeing some great results. Trevally have also been active, with some nice GT's caught off the top. Bassday Sugapen 58F has been the lure of choice.

The Mangrove Jack theme continued in Caloundra this week, with plenty of Jacks on the chew. There's also been plenty of bread and butter species caught in the passage this week during breaks in the weather.

Beach fishing has been pretty good this week if you can sneak a spot out of the wind. The gutters are holding some nice fish, with some nice Dart and Whiting reported over the last couple of days. 

Freshwater fishing continues to be challenging. Decent falls have continued this week into our freshwater catchments, which has resulted in high water levels and discoloured water. In these sorts of conditions fish can be picky, so stick with a soft plastic paddle tail for your best chance at enticing Bass, Tilapia, Yellowbelly and Sooty Grunter.

Late last year, Corinne was appointed to the Queensland Government Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) Crab Fishery Working Group as the Fishing Tackle Industry representative. The working group met in Brisbane yesterday to discuss both commercial and recreational crabbing, and proposed reforms both industries. Fisheries Queensland is currently seeking public feedback on proposed recreational fishing reforms aimed at ensuring sustainable practices and responsible fishing sector growth.

The main reforms being considered are:

1. Recreational Fishing Gear Changes
   1. Banning opera house style traps
   2. Banning lightweight crab pots and new minimum gear specifications
2. Size and Possession Limit Changes, and a New Closed Season
   1. Separating possession limits for crimson and saddletail snapper and other considerations
   2. New Black Jewfish Closed Season
   3. Increasing possession limits for Black Jewfish
3. Expanding the Stocked Impoundment Permit Scheme
4. Banning Recreational Take of Coral

You can read more about the proposed reforms in the Recreational Fishery Discussion Paper available here. If you would like to provide feedback on any of these reforms, you can complete the online survey here or email fisheriesmanagers@daf.qld.gov.au.

When we started Bait Master Fishing and Tackle, we made the decision not to stock lightweight pots due to the impact they have on our environment. We only stock premium heavy duty pots from Crab'n Gear and metal pots from Crabcatcha.

Don't forget you'll now find us in Maroochydore at 3/99 Aerodrome Road, opposite Aldi. We are open this weekend from 9am to 2pm on Saturday and Sunday. We've got your weekend sorted with plenty of premium Gar, whole frozen mullet and live beach worms!

Tight lines,

Trent & Corinne
Bait Master Fishing and Tackle

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