Inshore/Offshore
Unfortunately this week has not held any opportunities for us to head offshore with a cyclone currently sitting East off Cairns causing some very strong South-Easterly winds.
These winds are likely to stick around whilst this cyclone builds and until it passes however as we have seen in the past, the weather off the back of these cyclones is usually quite respectable and can offer some great opportunities for our keen offshore enthusiasts.
For now, maintenance is crucial.
From your reel to your outboard make sure it is all up to scratch so you can capitalize on the next weather window we get!
Burnett River
The mouth of the Burnett has fished really well this week, although this stretch of river has been exposed to the strong winds the fishing has made up for the undesirable conditions.
Big grunter have been the standout fish being caught along with nice cod and flathead particularly along the rock walls on mullet fillet, whole sprat and whole prawns.
The run out tide has been when these fish have been chewing and for the lure fisho’s a soft vibe or a curl tail soft plastic hopped parallel to the rock walls has worked well.
Great numbers of prawns have been around at the Port, the late afternoon low tide has proved to be a good time to target these prawns.
Up the top of the Burnett and in the Town Reach area has seen plenty of barra around, getting one to bite however has not been easy.
Once we get some more Northerly winds these barra should chew more consistently, for now targeting these fish around the tide turns has got the best results.
But there is no substitute for time on the water, those persisting have got the most reward.
Kolan River
The Kolan has fished really well again this week, some big jack have been caught by those using live poddy mullet on the rock bars in this system.
Good sized cod and grunter have been the most common by-catch whilst targeting these jack which for most is a welcomed sight.
Fishing the run out tide has been by far the best time to be fishing for these species, the afternoon run out tide over the next few days is going to be a great time to target these fish.
Allowing plenty of time to catch fresh bait will give you the best chance but if you can’t, dead baits such as whole prawns, sprat and poddy mullet will be your best baits.
For those wanting a fresh feed of fish with minimal effort the sand flats at the mouth of this system have housed some great sessions again this week.
Fresh yabbies cast into the shallows have rewarded anglers with nice sized whiting and bream with the odd legal sized flathead and grunter passing through as well.
The crabbing has also improved this week with the creeks at the mouth of the river producing good results. Any steeper banks or deep holes up these creeks are prime locations to place a pot or two.
Elliott River
The Eliott has yet again provided us with another week of good fishing particularly for the bread and butter species.
We have seen the shallow sand flats continuing to produce some good whiting action during the run in tide this week.
With the tides increasing these fish should still be chewing leading into, and over the weekend.
Fresh yabbies are definitely the go to bait, using a very light leader and some red tubing and beads just above your long shank hook will get you the bite.
If you are wanting to chase whiting on lures fishing topwater is the most effective method.
Small poppers and ‘walk the dog’ style lures retrieved across the flats with a steady retrieve should get these whiting fired up.
Great numbers of flathead have also been caught up in the shallows during the incoming tide, flicking around some small soft plastics in a pink or chartreuse colour has worked well.
During the run out tide, soft vibes hopped along the drop offs has picked up some bigger flathead and grunter as well.
This system has also had great numbers of prawns in it over the last couple of weeks.
The smaller boats that are able to spend longer up this system during the run out tide have found themselves some great schools in the holes as the tide recedes.
Baffle Creek
Baffle Creek has had another good week of fishing with some great reports coming from those who have fished this system.
The standout fish have been the whiting and flathead being caught on the shallow flats.
If you want to get into this action pumping yabbies at low tide then fishing that same area during the incoming tide with your fresh yabbies is a great way to do so.
Some great quality grunter have also been on the move with these fish being caught around the rock bars and along the shallow sand bars and drop offs but during the run out tide.
Hopping soft vibes and curl tail soft plastics have been really effective but if you are more into bait fishing whole sprat or strips of mullet fillet have worked great on these fish.
The mangrove jack have also been chewing, these fish have been smashing paddle tail soft plastic’s and prawn imitation lures worked over shallow rock bars and out of mangrove roots.
If you are more into bait fishing using live or dead poddy mullet and sprat is a good way to target these jack.
The best bite times for them has been first light in the mornings, last light in the afternoons and into the night.
Fishing the last of the run out tide and then fishing the start of the incoming tide in the late afternoons this weekend will be a good chance to target these jack.
Lake Gregory
Lake Gregory has been producing some nice fish this week with bass around the 40-45cm mark being a common sight.
The better quality fish have been found sitting deeper off the weed edges or in schools located in the middle of the lake.
Whilst the water is still dirty dark coloured lures have been working best.
Targeting the edges of the lake is still very effective, but expect to filter through some smaller fish.
The prime time to fish the edges of the lake has been early morning and late afternoon with both of these times housing some great topwater opportunities.
Fishing these topwater lures over the shallows is also a good way to come across a saratoga feeding during the low light periods.
Lake Monduran
This week has seen Lake Monduran produce some good fishing for those putting in the hours.
Plenty of 1m+ barra are being landed throughout the dam on a range of different techniques.
For those casting, ensuring your lure spends a lot of time in the strike zone is a great way to increase the amount of bites you will get.
We have continued to see suspending hardbody lures be very effective with the key being making sure the lure actually suspends, not floats or sinks but sits dead still in the water column.
If you are fishing into the night we have seen slow rolled paddle tail soft plastics and swimbaits become really effective.
The Cast Prodigy 6 inch soft plastics, Sicario DTF’s and Molix 140 Shads are all really good options for this style of fishing.
Focusing around the key bite times, that being the moon rises, sets and above’s as well as the Kolan River tide changes can get a few bites in a short window.
For those trolling in the basin there is still fish being caught, low and slow is the aim of the game.
Getting your big plastics or swimbaits down to about the 15 foot mark has helped to target the less pressured fish and get more consistent bites.
