Fishing close to river and creek mouths will be the best option this week according to the Tackle World Bundaberg team, who say recent rain has impacted these areas:
INSHORE / OFFSHORE
The inshore reefs have been firing lately and with the good weather last weekend and earlier this week there have been plenty of cracking fish caught.
Drifting the reefs jigging plastics or vibes has been the go-to strategy to get a few tasty reefies.
The pelagics have also been smashing bait so keep an eye out for birds working, having a rod already rigged up with a metal slug is a great idea.
This weekend’s weather forecast isn’t looking as favourable as we would like at the moment, so be sure to check the latest weather reports before heading offshore.
BURNETT RIVER
With the recent rain the river is full of freshwater and debris.
Fishing close to the mouth will be the best option to get a few fish.
There have been good numbers of bream and flathead at the North Wall on the run-in tide.
Oily baits like mullet and pilchard will be the best in this dirty water.
The crabs will be on the move so be sure to throw the pots in, mullet heads and chicken frames are my go-to baits.
ELLIOT RIVER / KINKUNA BEACH
With the Elliot being a smaller river system, the water will not be as dirty.
The whiting and dart are definitely still a great target species.
Pealed prawns, squid and sand worms are my go-to baits and I like to use a running ball sinker rig with a size 4 to 6 long shank hook.
Gutters and shallow sand flats are the best places to fish especially when using burley. Drifting with the tide is also a great way to cover ground.
KOLAN RIVER / BAFFLE CREEK
The recent rain has affected both of these systems so most of the fishing will be done towards the mouth.
Big grunter, whiting and flathead have been on the flats so using fresh prawns as bait and drifting these flats has been super effective.
If lure fishing is your thing, I recommend a bloodworm coloured curl tail grub or a 70mm Samaki vibe in the pearl shrimp.
LAKE MONDURAN
With the recent rain the dam has risen to 85 percent and the cooler weather has slowed the fish down a little bit.
The key has been to work your lure slower and use longer pauses to ensure your lure sits in the strike zone for as long as possible.
With the water rising I would be looking in Bird Bay and in the Basin as there will be lots of newer points and tree lines to fish.
Slow rolling plastics over newly submerged grassy points should see a few fish getting caught.
Until next time, tight lines
Nathan Sutton
Tackle World Bundaberg
