Report supplied by Tackle World Townsville
November 5, 2021
Freshwater
The Ross river weirs are starting to producing some action on big barra but this is probably due to more hooks in the water than usual, after the salt water barra closure come into affect on the 1st November. If you are fishing these areas make sure you have a current Stocked Impoundment Permit.
The freshwater creeks and streams to the north of Townsville are also firing as the temperature really starts to heat up the sooty grunter and jungle perch are also starting to get very aggressive smashing surface and small minnow lures on a regular basis.
Creeks, Rivers & Beaches
With the barra off limits for the next 3 months it is important to do your best treat any accidentally hooked barra with care and get them unhooked and back in the water as soon as possible.
The jacks have really fired up with good reports coming from those using small minnow lures around the 80 to 90mm size range. Skipping soft plastics has also taken off in recent years with the jacks really responding to this form of fishing. The key is to try to skip the plastic as far back into the under growth as possible and then it is about trying to get it back out with or without a fish attached. This is were a weed-less set up is ideal.
The Hinchinbrook area has really been producing some cracker jack sessions in recent weeks with the same techniques getting the results. The finger-mark have also increased in numbers lately in the area with soft vibes accounting for some nice fish lately.
Not a lot to report from the beaches but the mouths of many of the creeks along the Northern Beaches have been producing some nice grunter with reports of fish to 60cm making up catches on the tides leading up to todays new moon.
Crabs Crabs and more Crabs, how quick things can change and when it comes to crabs and prawns it is just about casting the net or setting some pots every time you head down your favourite creek or river for a fish. The local creeks and rivers around Townsville and many of the systems in the Burdekin are all producing some great crabs lately with reports of most bucks being big and rusty which typically means they as as full as a boot.
Offshore & Bay
Not a lot to report offshore with the Coral Reef Fin Fish closure and the windy conditions putting a holt to any reef fishing.
However there has been reports of some good finger-mark in the bay on the tides leading up to the new moon tonight.
Also worth a mention is the number of big Spanish mackerel around the rocky headlands and islands at the moment with trolled wolf herring accounting for some nice catches. The size of the mackerel as also on the increase out wider with reports of some big mackerel coming for the reefs also on the last run of good weather.
The finger-mark reports really dropped off over the last week however things should start to improve as we get closer to the new moon late new week.
October 29, 2021
Creeks, Rivers & Beaches
It’s all about the barra this weekend with it being the last chance to catch a barra before the 3 month seasonal barra closure from 1st November to 1st February starts.
It looks like a great weekend to end the season with perfect tides for all all forms of barra fishing with the bait fishos enjoying midday low tides with options to fish most areas in your favourite creek or river on the changes in the tide. The lure anglers are sure to find these tides ideal also with a high tide early morning and late afternoon allowing for access to just about any stretch of the system with the knowledge that they will get in and out off any area they wish to work over for the day.
Big mullet or mud herring seem to be the go to baits with the water temperature really getting up there lately and the barra looking to bulk up for the summer months. Hard body lures, large paddle tails and soft plastics prawns have been smacking the barra over the flats and around the snags while the soft vibes are still the getting the fish in the deeper areas around rock bars and mud ledges.
The Hinchinbrook area continues to produce some nice fish however it has been a little tough to find good patches of barra lately while the Mangrove Jacks seem to be keen to smash anything cast close enough with plenty of surface action deep in the mangroves accounting for some great jack sessions.
There seems to be a continued run of flathead and school size grunter around with both lure anglers and bait fishos enjoying catches of these fish lately
Offshore & Bay
Another good weekend with slight winds however the tides do look better than last weekend so there should the coral trout catches should continue around the reefs and the reds should play the game over the shoal areas. The key seems to be fishing a little deeper with the water temperature particularly warm over the shallower areas of the reef at the moment
The boats heading wide in recent weeks have been reporting some great catches fishing the deeper waters on the edge of the continental shelf. With mainly nannygai, red emperor and rosy job fish filling their ice boxes, this is where an electric reel comes into its own.
If you have the ability to travel out wide this is the time as there are numerous species in these areas at the moment from Blue and Black Marlin Yellow Fin Tuna, monster Dogtooth and Wahoo. With both trolling, jigging and live baiting working well. Further offshore for those that love to test their gear to the max there has been some epic tales from those chasing the mighty Dogtooth Tuna. These fish will test anyone and are not for the faint hearted but the rewards are great – if it was easy everyone would be doing it.
The Spanish mackerel catches are starting to ease a little but still enough action to chase these fish around the pressure points and drop offs both inshore around the islands and offshore around the reefs.
The fingermark reports really dropped off over the last week however things should start to improve as we get closer to the new moon late new week.
There are some massive schools of Mack-Tuna and Blue Fin Tuna around and it is just a matter of looking for the birds.
October 22, 2021
Creeks, Rivers & Beaches
The full moon has seen some nice barra running along the beaches with fish willing to take live baits on the incoming tide. The northern beaches has been producing fish however after the moon things might slow up a little. There has also been a few nice grunter working along the beaches and the creeks mouths also with fresh gar fillets in particular and large prawn baits pulling some nice bites.
The local creeks are fishing well with reports of barra in most of the systems with most of the action happening around the mouths this time of year. The Haughton river is full of nice barra at the moment with good fish often feeding along the sand bars and gutters.
The finger-mark are also on the increase with some nice fish starting to show up in catches with those using live herring finding good fish on any ridge or structure sounded up in the deeper sections of the creeks or rivers.
The Hinchinbrook area has been fishing well however the barra and jack have been quite through the middle of the day probably due to the heat. The key seems to be the tides that just start to push early morning or late afternoon that have been producing the better sessions, with the first of the incoming tide tending to be the peak bite time at the moment. Not a lot of grunter reports from the area lately which is strange as October around the moons is usually prime grunter time. There has also been some nice queenfish and bigger GTs starting to push up into the creeks with poppers and soft vibes pinning some nice fish of late. The whiting, bream and flathead are still being caught around the river mouths so worth a look if you like chasing these bread and butter species.
Offshore & Bay
The good offshore conditions continue this weekend and there should be some nice fish willing to play the game with good catches of coral trout lately and some great sessions reported on the reds particularly around the Davies area.
Further offshore for those that love to test their gear to the max there has been some epic tales from those chasing the mighty Dogtooth Tuna. These fish will test anyone and are not for the faint hearted but the rewards are great – if it was easy everyone would be doing it.
The Heavy Tackle season is in full swing and there should be a bunch of game boats heading offshore this weekend in search of a monster black marlin with a few tagged so far this year already. No 1000lbrs yet but maybe this is the weekend.
The Spanish mackerel continue to take floating baits of lie fusilier around the reefs early morning and late afternoon. The islands are also still holding good fish with trolled wolf herring getting the better fish. Reports of grey mackerel continue to trickle in with those in the no using small minnow lures to entice these rather picky fish.
The fingermark numbers continue to increase with plenty of fish stacking up on any of the inshore wrecks and rocks throughout Cleveland Bay and aboard.
October 8, 2021
Creeks, Rivers & Beaches
The tides look good with the late afternoon out-going tide ideal for chase barra as the water drains off the flats concentrating the bait and ultimately the barra. Reports have been good lately with plenty of barra starting to stack up throughout most of the local creeks and rivers. The rock walls around town are also starting to hold some nice barra with any pressure points along these areas tending to be the hot zones. Trolling lures and casting hardbody lures around these areas has been working will lately with the quality of barra well and truly on the increase.
Grunter also continue to get caught around the mouths of most of the systems running into Bowling Green Bay and Cleveland Bay with fresh prawn and mullet baits working well. Many of the rubble patches in the Bays have been producing the larger specimens with some 70cm models taking small live gar or fresh squid baits.
The Hinchinbrook Channel is also fishing particularly well lately with some quality barra and jacks smashing lures and soft plastics. The first push in the tide off the low has really been producing some nice action recently.
Offshore & Bay
With all coral reef fish back on the target list and the winds remaining relatively fishable there will be plenty of boats looking to catch a feed of reef fish. Reports before the close were good with plenty of trout around the reef edges with isolated bommies holding good numbers of trout. The larger schools of reds were found in slightly deeper water and that is likely to continue as we head into the warmer months. Plenty of Spanish mackerel around with good catches reported from many of the reefs and Islands. The Palm Island group is holding some nice mackerel lately with trolled wolf herring and garfish producing some nice fish. There has also been the odd report of grey mackerel throughout Halifax Bay and around Maggie with some nice fish taking small slices and metal jigs worked around the school.
Interestingly I had a report last weekend from an angler that the greys were going off on IKA jigs which are a squid imitation jig and not traditionally used to chase mackerel. You just never know what turns a fish on from day to day that’s why fishing is such a great pastime.
The action well offshore has been a little patchy with the big girls “Black Marlin” being a little hard to find recently but this weekend fingers crossed there are a few more fish in the area. There are reports that a warmer sea surface current has pushed down to around the outer reefs off Lucinda which is a great sign as this can often make the difference with these pelagic fish as they follow the big bait schools of tuna and others.
The fingermark reports are on the increase with some nice fish caught last weekend is looks like the key is live squid with stories of fish only willing to take live squid leaving any dead baits for the pickers.
September 30, 2021
Creeks, Rivers & Beaches
The tides this weekend look ideal for fishing the beaches with the late afternoon incoming tide the perfect tide for chasing a few barra on live baits or lure. The northern beaches were on fire on the last set of larger tides so would expect there to be some nice fish caught again on these tides.
Flat head continue to be a good option with some nice fish still willing to take soft plastics worked around the creek mouths on the out-going tides with fish often staying in the drains and undulations as long as possible. Flathead with often sit in very shallow water so don’t be afraid to fish an area only a few inches deep.
The tides around the new moon and full moons over the next couple of months are prime grunter tides with the weather playing the game also I would expect to hear of some nice catches over the next week. Many of the smaller bays throughout Cleveland Bay including Horseshoe around Maggie and inside Bowling Green Bay should produce quality grunter on these tides.
The edges along the flats throughout Hinchinbrook have been fishing well lately and the early morning and late evening tides should fish well.
Not much to report on Mud crabs lately with reports being quite hit and miss lately. From here on in over the warmer months you will find the rain starts to play a major role in the mud crab reports.
Reports have been all over the place lately with the barra and jack reports being a little quite in the locally local creeks and rivers with fish being marked on sounders but tending to be a little hard to get them to bite. Report from those fishing the Hinchinbrook region have been having a ball with plenty of fish being caught during the recent Hinchinbrook Catch and Release Tournament with Cattle Creek in particular fishing very well.
Offshore & Bay
The calm conditions over the next week should see plenty of boats heading offshore in search of a feed of coral reef fish – just note the closure if you are chasing reef fish. October is a great time to chase big Spanish mackerel and the tides on the new moon often fish particularly well as the dark nights tend to concentrate the feeding throughout the daylight hours resulting in better catches for anglers.
This tends to also be the case for most pelagic fish with Marlin also tending to follow this pattern. There are few boats heading offshore this long weekend in search of the big girls with Heavy Tackle season in full swing.
Not a lot to report on the finger-mark but that should start to change with good weather and the new moon next week the dark nights are ideal for catching squid which in turn are the perfect baits for big fingers.
| 14/2/2020 Hi everyone if you are heading out on the water this weekend make sure you cover up and put plenty of sunscreen on as it is going to be a scorcher with temps in the high 30s as a result of the Northerly winds. At this stage Sunday looks the pick of the days with a change in the wind direction to a more East South East direction. This change should bring the fish on the bite. Freshwater The Barra reports in the weirs have slowed in the last few days it a bit of a waiting game at the moment for those that like fishing the Ross River. We really need a heap more rain to get the weirs flowing to get things firing again. Until then it is more likely that the fish will feed around the moons. Once again if you are fishing the freshwater sections of the Ross you will need a SIPs permit. Creeks, Rivers & Beaches The beaches have been fishing well lately with good report of Barra being caught using live baits as the tide pushes the bait schools up close inshore on the still nights. The creeks and rivers continue to produce good Barra with the creeks like Crocy, Alligator and even the Ross fishing well lately with live baits once again catching good numbers. Most of the creeks and rivers around Townsville have been producing good grunter lately which is a little odd for this time of year but no complaints from those enjoying the good run of grunter. With the extremely hot temperatures at the moment many of the better catches of fish seem to be coming from the deeper banks and ledges were the water temperature is likely to be more to the liking of the fish. Offshore & Bay Lately it seems to be all about the Grunter with heaps of fish being caught throughout Cleveland Bay and Bowling Green Bay with fish around the 60 to 70cm mark taking well-presented squid and slab baits. It is also worth mentioning the finger-mark continue to play the game with good fish being caught lately throughout Halifax Bay, around Cape Cleveland and Maggie Island. Cape Cleveland is loaded with squid at the moment and as a result the predatory fish are there in droves with big schools of finger-mark in the areas, good Barra and some cracker bar cheek trout also feeding on the squid. Offshore the reefs have been a little hit and miss with some good reports mainly coming from those fishing the deeper water around the 60m plus. Reds seem to be making up most of the catches lately with the trout and lippers a little slow lately in the shallower waters. The closer reefs produced some Spanish mackerel around the 20kg mark last weekend on the big tides so not sure how they will be feeding this weekend with the smaller tides this weekend. Dive Still heaps of diving opportunities of late as the winds have stayed reasonable enough to still poke out. Some nice catches of BIG Spanish mackerel were reported off John Brewer reef, with spearos utilising the big tides and fast water to their advantage and burly in a few big specimens. Inshore the big tides have kept inshore Vis to a placid 1-2m however some Barramundi and Fingermark have been taken by those willing to be patient and search for pockets of better Vis. This weekend it’s going to be HOT so making sure you have a full complement of protective equipment for both diving and transiting between spots ‘Slip Slop Slap’ as the saying goes. 7/2/2020 Hi everyone the conditions offshore have been nice lately with winds forecast around the 10 knots making for some great reef and shoals fishing. Freshwater The Barra have slow a little in the weirs but all we need is another drop of rain and that will fire up again. Many of the fish seem to have settled down and don’t seem to be moving much throughout the system but if you can find a few schooled up with the full moon over the weekend they should be keen to feed. Working surface lures like the Raptor Fizzer and stick-baits on a bright night can turn up some great Barra action. Once again if you are fishing the freshwater sections of the Ross you will need a SIPs permit. Creeks, Rivers & Beaches The Barra have also really started to fire up in the salt with heaps of reports of big fish being caught around the mouths of many of the creeks running into Bowling Green Bay. They seem to be schooling up at the moment so there could be more rain on the horizon – fingers crossed anyway. Reports have come in from guys catching good numbers up the systems also but they seem to be really bunched up so if you can do the miles and find the fish they should be keen to bit on the lead up to the moon also. To the north the creeks are also fishing very well with Cattle producing some great sessions casting lures and soft plastics. If you love fishing the Hinchinbrook area Missionary Bay is the places to be with some great catches coming from that area of late. The Avicenna banks in the Northern section of the Channel have also producing some nice fish in recent weeks. The crab reports have slowed a little but still worth dropping a few pots with the odd report of some nice crabs willing to enter a well set pot. A little tip always set the pot so the current runs in line with the funnels particularly if your pot has only 2 funnels. Offshore & Bay The reports have been good with those chasing reds reporting nice catches in water from 40 to 80m with cuttlefish heads and squid baits producing nice fish. The coral trout and red throat emperor have been a little slow recently but with the lead up to the full moon on Sunday there should be more fish willing to play the game as the tides pick up into the weekend. With the bigger tides this weekend look for the areas of the reef holding large fusilier schools. These sections of the reef usually also hold some nice trout and other predatory fish. Closer inshore throughout the bay the fingermark and quality grunter catches continue with both baits and soft plastic vibe style lures working well lately. Dive There has been plenty happening offshore with clean reefs and plenty of fish. The Trout have been plentiful and BIG with some good reports of 65cm+ fish being taken. Inshore there has been plenty of interest in targeting Barramundi, but as of yet nothing coming from the Townsville region. A little further north there been some solid fish caught however again these reports have been isolated. The bigger tides this weekend may keep things dirty in the Bays however if you can find a patch of clean water off the back of Maggie Fingermark are sure to be around. Remember if you are going for a dive, dive safe and never take more than you need. 31/1/20 Freshwater The weirs in Ross River will be really pumping and there should be plenty of barra willing to play the game with those casting lures and soft plastics likely to have a ball over the next few weeks. Those fishing the weirs in the freshwater sections in recent days under the Stocked Impoundment Permit have been getting good barra. The key to the bite seems to be all in the retrieve with those working lures as slow as possible getting the bite. Once the bite turns off try using a fizzer has rejuvenated the bite with fizzers like the Raptor Fizzer a great option. Look for areas of runoff where there is water draining into the Ross River itself these areas often flush all sorts of frogs and insects into the main system and the barra will be lined up looking for a feed. If the water flow picks up look for areas where the bait fish are likely to be pushed by the current often the back eddies as these areas will also attach the barra looking to gorge themselves on the balled up bait schools. With the first push the barra tends to like larger profile lure and big paddle tail soft plastics but it is a try and see fishery and it is best to have a few options to give you the best chance of success. This is both in colour and size profile when it comes to lures and soft plastics. Just a quick reminder that cast nets are not permitted in freshwater so if you like using baits you will need to catch the baits on a line. Once again if you are fishing the freshwater sections of the Ross you will need a SIPs permit. Creeks, Rivers & Beaches When it comes to the saltwater sections of the creeks and rivers the freshwater influence is also likely to have an effect on the fishing with access the biggest issue with all the rain chopping up roads. But if you can get into your favourite system there should be some nice barra schooling up around the mouths and pushing up trying to get into the freshwater lagoons just depend on what stage they are at. Once again look for areas were the bait will be pushed up into eddies and around the mouths of the run off drains. The rain will also get the mud crabs on the move with plenty of freshwater flushing the big full bucks out of their holes. The mud flats should produce plenty of crabs with reports already flowing in of good catch over the flats at the mouths of most of the creeks in the area. Not sure about the beaches with all the rain but there can be some nice barra pushing along the open beaches in search of an easy meal. Offshore & Bay Before the rain there were heaps of reports of monster grunter being caught in the bay with fish around the 70cm happy to take fresh mullet and squid baits. There was also some nice grunter taken on soft vibes from those chasing finger-mark which is always a welcome capture. The finger-mark numbers have also been good but it is a little hard to know what influence the rain will have on them initially. There was continued reports of nice Spanish mackerel caught trolling the usually spots last weekend with the calm conditions so while ever the fresh remains inshore these fish should stick around. It however is heavily dependent on the rain as these fish will move on pretty quickly if the salinity drops likely to head future offshore. The reefs have been fishing ok lately with reports from last weekend a little hit and miss but with the constant reports of sharks which is really becoming quite an issue for any one heading offshore these days. Dive Good weather for Ducks that’s all I can say with this rain about. Earlier in the week only a small handful got out and about with most of them heading to Palm and Rattlesnake Islands. The vis was good enough from all reports and with enough time and persistence everyone managed to scratch up a feed. The good news is the fresh flush will be great for reducing the amount of marine stingers from our waterways, as well as give spawning fish the ideal conditions to get the next generation of fish underway. In general Jellys are not fond of the fresh water after heavy rains in some cases it even kills them. Never the less always wear protective equipment when diving over summer. Just a quick one from me as it’s been a quiet week. If you do manage to get out remember dive safe and never take more than you need. 24/1/20 Freshwater With the rain lately and the stormy weather the barra in the weirs are starting to move around a little and surface lures like the Raptor Fizzer are working a treat. The weirs will only get better and better with more rain. Although the barra season is still closed you can still fish Ross River Weirs but you must have a SIPs permit to do so which can be easily purchased online. Creeks, Rivers & Beaches This weather pattern is stirring things up in the creeks and rivers with heaps of Jacks willing to smash anything that moves. In particular small minnow style lures and the weed-less Zerek vibe and Ecooda Prawns have been working a treat of late fished deep in the snags. Slab baits and small live baits are also getting smashed fished on a paternoster rig. Worth taking the pots as the muddy reports are starting to improve and even better the quality of the crabs are also getting much better which is great news for everyone that loves a good feed of crabs. This rain should also stir up the prawns so it could be worth keeping an eye out for prawns skipping on the mud banks in your prop wash. Perfect baits or even better cooked up there is nothing sweeter than a feed of prawns caught and cooked fresh. Offshore & Bay The hot stormy weather of late has really fired up the big finger-mark with some great reports of fish being caught on live baits around Cape Cleveland. There has also been some nice grunter in the area with fish around the 70cm mark caught recently. There has been a bit of rain around the Cape over the last few days so it could push a lot of mud crabs out of there holes in the area and the mud flats throughout the Bay should really fire up this weekend on the bigger tides. There has been a few report of Spanish mackerel lately with some nice fish being caught trolling wolf herring and big gar around the Palm Island Albino Rock area and the shoals out the back of Maggie. The wider more isolated reefs with shoals in the 60-80m of water have been fishing quite well with reports of big red emperor and nannygai. There doesn’t seem to be as many sharks around these more isolated reefs which ultimately can be a huge factor these days as to how many fish you get to take home for the table. Electric reels are becoming more and more popular for those fishing these deeper areas and it is easy to understand why after you pump and wind a few big red from 80m on a standard reel. Dive With all these storms and showers about it has been a bit of a ‘cat and mouse’ game getting a good enough window to head out. Last Sunday presented a decent opportunity with many spearos getting out to the reef and bagging a good feed. Reef Jacks seem to be in good numbers and size with heaps of divers getting amongst these quality fish. Closer to the mainland the surprisingly the local inshore vis has been amazing, however the warm waters are littered with marine stingers so appropriate protective swimwear need to be worn at all times. The Australia Day long weekend should be a good one with showers still forecast for the Monday, so if you are heading out, be safe and remember to never take more than you need. |
16/1/20
| Freshwater If we get any decent rain over the weekend it could really fire up the Weirs and get the barra feeding. Look for areas that could concentrate bait fish and if there is any run off areas that could potentially push insects and frogs in the system. This will depend a lot on the amount of rain if any, but we can only hope. Although the barra season is still closed you can still fish Ross River Weirs but you must have a SIPs permit to do so which can be easily purchased online. Creeks, Rivers & Beaches This time of year often sees some nice queenfish working along the beaches feeding on small bait fish with live gar the ultimate bait for these guys in these areas. If you can’t find any gar then surface poppers and stick-baits that mimic a fleeing garfish are ideal. There has also been some nice salmon caught along the many beaches to the north and south of Townsville with fresh mullet slabs accounting for many of the better fish. The mouths of most of the local creeks and rivers on the incoming tide have been producing some nice salmon lately. If you can find any structure in the deeper stretches in these same locations there should be some nice fingermark in the area also. Live herring are the perfect bait for these fish it can just be a little hard to keep them alive sometimes. A few tips that might help keep herring alive: 1: Put them in a separate live bait box to all other baits and replace the water regularly until there are no more scales and excrement as this is what ultimately kills them and all the other bait. 2: If the water is on the warm side put a few cubes of ice in the water to drop the water temperature slightly as the top layer of the water can sometimes be quite warm this time of year. 3: Don’t over crowd your bait tank and plenty of air pumped in the water or regular changes of water are a must with when trying to keep any bait alive. If we manage to get some rain over the weekend then it should be just what is needed to get the mud crabs on the move. Often the first flush of decent rain will see plenty of crabs caught so if you are there early the results will come your way so might be worth taking a few pots if you are heading down the creek this weekend. Offshore & Bay The change around the low tides late into the night both Saturday and Sunday look ideal for chasing a few fingermark around Cape Cleveland and the back of Maggie. Also should be some nice fish to be found throughout Halifax Bay. A specially designed squid light can be used to attract the squid to your boat on a dark night. They can be caught via a number of methods. One is via landing net with mono mesh to cut through the water quietly as they can move fast. If possible try to scoop from the squids head end as their natural reaction is to squirt ink and escape. Two a Drawstring castnet can work well cast over the school. Lastly simply cast the edge of the light with a squid jig on a small rod and reel – with a slow retrieve. If you managed to get a bunch of live squid then you are sure to get amongst the fingermark as they just can’t seem to resist a live squid. The offshore reefs and shoals should produce some nice coral trout and reds but this time of year you tend to find the better numbers a little deeper with bommies in the 30m zone a good place to start when looking for trout this time of year. The better catches of reds also tend to come from the wider grounds in deeper water during the summer months and fingers crossed this weekend could be worth a look. Dive If you are heading out for a dive this weekend make sure you cover up as the stinger season is well and truly in full swing. |
12/12/19
Freshwater
The weirs have been fishing a little better on the moon with those using surface poppers and fizzers accounting for a few nice on the moon light nights. If you are fishing the weirs you need to make sure you have a SIPs permit.
Many of the freshwater location to the north and out the back of the range have been fishing well for sooty grunter with small surface poppers and stick baits working well early morning – late afternoon.
Creeks, Rivers & Beaches
This time of the year the creeks and rivers are a bit like a broken record with the same fish being caught with like the might Mangrove Jack and the off limits Barramundi which are often caught chasing jacks. Try to release all the barra as quickly as possible so reduce the stress on them.
There have been some nice reports of Blue Salmon around many of the mouths of the creeks and rivers both to the south and north of Townsville. Those fishing the beaches have also been encountering the odd bluey with fresh mullet slabs producing some nice fish.
Still plenty of mud crabs around but there is a lot of empty crabs so you will need to do some sorting to get a feed. Rain should bring the better crabs on but just not sure when we will get any.
Offshore & Bay
The reef is the place to be this weekend if you can get out as the conditions look ideal for chasing the many reef species that are found on our magnificent Great Barrier Reef. One in particular that has been making up a good proportion of the catches lately is the Coral Trout. Look for the corners of the reefs with some good current flow and you should find some nice trout. It is also worth keeping an eye out for the schools of fusiliers as you will find many of the predatory species on the reef love feeding on fusiliers. Everything from the pelagic species like mackerel to the brutes of the sea the mighty GT and many other species like Coral Trout.
There have been some good reports of Mahi Mahi aka Dolphin fish wide of the Palm Passage in recent weeks. These fish are awesome fun to catch as they do everything an angler wants in a fish, scream drag, do plenty of aerial jumping and look a picture beside the boat. Just beware they do go absolutely crazy once they come into the boat.
Dive
The reefs are still producing good fish with numerous reports of quality Coral Trout being taken off the Local reefs. Plenty of Spearos who got out last week reported the fish size to be above average and thus very welcome additions to the esky.
Report 6/12/19
| Freshwater The weirs seemed to have slowed up a little with the sudden change in temperature with the water temperature getting up over 30 degrees in some places. This change is likely to be the cause of the Barra going a little quite. If you are fishing the weirs work the deeper wholes as the temperature is likely to be more to the liking of the fish until they get use to the higher temperatures. If you are fishing the weirs you need to make sure you have a SIPs permit. Creeks, Rivers & Beaches The warmer temperatures will also start to play a role in the fish throughout most of the creeks and rivers around Townsville. A lot of the better fishing will be confined to the deeper wholes and banks with cooler water the draw card for most of the species this time of year. The jacks continue to be the good news story with nice fish smashing both baits and lures alike. Small minnow style lure with a tinge of red can work well as the Jacks get rather aggressive over the next few months. The Barra are around in good numbers at the moment so make sure if you accidently hook one try to release them as quick as possible. Although now really a species we talk too much about in summer but I had a recent report from the Burdekin area that there was a bunch of big whiting caught recently in one of the creeks so maybe it is worth a look on the beaches around the top of the tides. It is also worth a mention there has been a few mud crabs around just that most are only ½ full at the moment. Hopefully this should improve over the next month or so and once we see a bit of rain get ready to catch a good feed for Christmas. Offshore & Bay The reef has been fishing well lately with good numbers of Red Throat Emperor being caught along with some nice trout. Bommies in the deeper zone over 30m seem to be producing the better trout of late and this should continue over the summer months. It is still worth floating baits or trolling a lure around the reefs with plenty of Spanish mackerel being caught in recent weeks. Those heading to the outer reefs and fishing the deeper water are starting to encounter some very nice Dogtooth Tuna. Jigging metals and trolling deep diving lures are the best ways to tangle with one of these guys but be warned it will hurt they do have some unmatched power. Expect to lose some gear as these fish are dirty fighters and if you can’t stop them they will try to brick you, which is all part of the fun. Inshore the finger-mark catches are improving with good fish being caught around both Cape Cleveland and to the south Cape Upstart and many of the Islands throughout Halifax Bay. Both baits and lures are accounting for their fair share of fish. Once again find bait and you should find some hungry finger-mark. Dive Plenty of action over the weekend with the annual North Queensland Bluewater Invitational comp being hosted by the Townsville Skindiving Club. This year plenty of fish were weighed in including Sailfish, Dogtooth Tuna and Wahoo to name a few. Generally spearos dive from 6-7m trailer boats and head out wide in search of 3 pelagic species each. It’s incredible, and were so blessed to live in a place where we are able to target and catch world class fish right here in our own backyard just an hour or 2 offshore. Closer to the mainland the headlands have been producing good trout and fingermark as well. The waters are well and truly warm now and with that the very real threat of marine stingers so be sure to use a wetsuit/stinger suit if you are poking out for a dive. |
Report 29/11/19
| Freshwater The weirs are still the place to flick a lure if you need your Barra kick as part of the Stocked Impoundment Program you can still catch and release Barra caught in the freshwater sections of the weirs during the closure. You just need to make sure you have a SIPs permit. If you love fishing impoundments and travel to places like Tinaroo (Atherton Tablelands) and Peter Faust (Near Proserpine) and would love to have a fishery like that on your doorstep then get involved and show your support go to the website link below and complete the survey or drop into our shop (Tackle World Townsville) and filling in a paper copy of the Ross River Dam Survey. The more support there is to open the Ross River Dam to recreational use the better – I personally think it would be awesome to have a fishery like this so close to Townsville. https://haveyoursay.townsville.qld.gov.au/ross-river-dam Creeks, Rivers & Beaches There have been some good reports lately of prawns in the creeks running into Bowling Green Bay but as usual with prawns often they are gone by the time you get to report any catches. It might be worth making a mental note and get ready to chase a few prawns on the next moon cycle. The crabs seem to be improving in terms of quality with more and more full crabs entering pots of late. The mouths of gutters, mud drains and mud flats are great places to set a few pots. I have always been a fan of the first few hours of the falling tide as you tend to get the better crabs during this time in the tide. In terms of fish there are still good reports of big Jacks in most systems with fresh slab baits, small minnow lures and soft plastics working well. Weedless soft plastics are a great option when chasing jacks has they can be worked through some pretty thick snags where other lures just can’t go and these places are often were you find a good jack or two. Offshore & Bay The condition look good for chasing red emperor and nannygai this weekend with options of both tidal flow during the day and neap tides at night making fishing a little easier in some of the deeper areas often known to hold good reds during the early evening. The shoals between reefs in the 40 metre plus range are the ideal places to catch these fish this time of year as the water tends to start to heat up the reds will start to look for deeper water. Cuttlefish heads and large squid are ideal baits for these fish. If you are chasing them during the daylight hours and would love to catch one on a jig then the IKA jig is the best in the business. The coral trout reports were very good before the closure so I would expect there to be plenty of nice fish hitting the deck this weekend. Coral Reef Fin Fish Closure ends tonight at 12 midnight so bring on the weekend this is the last of the closures on reef fish so let hope the winds stay light and there is plenty of opportunity to get offshore over the next month or so. The inshore reefs and fringing reefs around the islands have been holding good Bar-cheek trout lately with surface stick baits and shallow diving lures working well in these areas. The only thing is it can often be hard to hold these fish out of structure in shallow water but one thing for sure it is a plenty of fun trying. Finger-mark numbers are also on the improve with good catches coming in on both baits and lures alike with those fishing the night producing some nice fish on live squid. Squid lights are a must if you are looking to catch some live squid this time of year – look for a light that gives of a green glow as there is just something about the green light that works exceptionally well. Further offshore the heavy tackle marlin season continues with boats still working the grounds wide in search of the 1000lber when the weather permits. Dive Preparations are well underway for this year’s NQBI, best of luck to all the competitors; we look forward to hearing all glory stories come weigh in 5pm Sunday. Closer to home the local reefs has still been the pick of most with the big tides pushing bait into big school on the pressure points. Plenty of Macks still getting about with a few bigger late season specimens starting to move in, very typical for this time of year. The sharks have fired up with this warmer water, so good diving practices are even more important, always have a dive buddy and an emergency plan. Again good luck to everyone from the Townsville Skindiving club on your comp this year. |
Report 21/11/19
| Freshwater Despite the Barra closure the weirs of Ross River are a great option for those of us that love chasing Barra. As part of the Stocked Impoundment Program you can still catch and release Barra caught in the freshwater sections of the weirs during the closure. You just need to make sure you have a SIPs permit. If you love fishing impoundments and travel to places like Tinaroo (Atherton Tablelands) and Peter Faust (Near Proserpine) and would love to have a fishery like that on your doorstep then get involved and show your support go to the website link below and complete the survey or drop into our shop (Tackle World Townsville) and filling in a paper copy of the Ross River Dam Survey. The more support there is to open the Ross River Dam to recreational use the better – I personally think it would be awesome to have a fishery like this so close to Townsville. https://haveyoursay.townsville.qld.gov.au/ross-river-dam Creeks, Rivers & Beaches With the new moon next week the tides are on the larger side making some creeks and rivers a little harder to fish. However places like the Hinchinbrook channel should fish well this weekend. Many of the creek to the north of Townsville fish well on these sorts of tides with good reports of Jacks in recent days coming from these areas. It is also worth mentioning the crabs with good numbers on the move however the word is there are a lot of empty crabs so it might take a little work sorting through your catch to get a good feed. Offshore & Bay The reports from those heading offshore have been very good lately with heaps of quality reds being caught with some of the biggest largemouth nannygai I have seen in a while. The coral trout numbers have also been very promising with fish still being caught in both the shallow and deeper bommies. There has also been a good run of bar-cheek trout around the Islands lately with shallow diving lures working well on these fish. It can just be a little hard to stop the larger specimens in such shallow water. If you are heading out remember there is a Coral Reef Fin Fish Closure that runs from this Sunday to Thursday making all coral reef fin fish protected during this period. That aside you can still target finger-mark and from all reports there has been some nice fish caught lately. Guys fishing Cape Cleveland using live squid seem to be producing quality finger-mark while those that prefer fishing daylight hours are catching some nice fish on vibes and soft plastics with the Islands in Halifax Bay the go at the moment. It is also worth checking out the Shipping Pylons, if they are holding bait there is every chance there will be finger-mark in the area. Halifax Bay is continuing to hold good numbers of grey mackerel with some nice fish caught lately trolling small spoons and minnow lures. These mackerel are very a tune to the size of the bait they are eating so try to match the hatch with these macks for the best results. Further offshore the heavy tackle season continues with boats from last weekend tagging a few marlin in the 200 to 300lb size range. Dive A little quieter this week as the Northerly winds mixed up the conditions somewhat. The reefs were still firing with plenty of pics of trout and RTE doing the rounds. Mackerel are still making up the bulk of the bluewater species with a few hard luck stories of good sized wahoo doing the rounds. Inshore diving has been rewarding for local divers who put in the effort with some good fingermark and tuskies frequenting the box. Stingers are defiantly here as well, so ensure you have the right level of protection to mitigate getting stung. Remember, if you are heading out be safe and never take more than you need. |
Report 17/10/19
Freshwater
The weirs have been fish very well lately and they could be worth a cast or two late arvo if you are looking to get out of the house. The sooty grunter are get quite aggressive on the strike as the water temperatures starts to rise and there has been some great reports of surface sessions using small poppers and stick baits with the Jackson RA Pop enticing plenty of strikes.
Creeks, Rivers & Beaches
Inshore the barra are on the chew with good fish willing to take both live baits and lures alike. The tides look ideal for fishing the larger systems that run into Bowling Green Bay like the Haughton, Morrissey’s or the Barratta’s. With the neap tides this weekend it looks like the ideal time to jig soft vibes around the deep corners and ledges in the systems particularly if you can sound up some bait.
The guys using live baits should also be able to fish areas of the creeks and rivers that often run to fast. There are some nice deep banks in these creeks loaded with snags which should fish well on these tides. Live mullet or mud herring are the perfect baits this time of year. The angler flicking prawn imitation soft plastic like the ecooda prawn and zerek shrimp often like these tides as it allows them to zone right in on fish pushed up against snags, using as light a rig as possible to get the bite.
The mangrove jack action has also been good of late with some nice specimens being caught in recent weeks throughout most of the creeks and rivers around Townsville.
Fingermark numbers are on the improve in the same areas with some nice fish willing to take live greenback herring and soft vibe lures in most of the deeper stretches of the rivers. The new samaki vibe colours, in particular the salty and lime stripey are real winners and have been smashing the fingers in recent days.
Offshore & Bay
The mackerel have been on the chew with big spotted mackerel around the 6-7kg mark along with Spanish mackerel in the 10 to 15kg range in the same areas with the inshore shoals like the Mack patches off Cape Cleveland really fishing well.
There have also been good reports of mackerel to the north with quality fish starting to show up around the Palm Islands and the Rib reef area. Trolling big gar seems to be doing the trick on the shoals and reefs. As usual it is hard to beat a wolf herring when trolling around the rocky headlands and offshore islands.
There have also been a few guys casting popper around Sally with some great results with both mackerel and queenfish playing the game.
The reds continue to be caught on the shoals with the usual report of sharks taking their share of fish, it is hard but if the sharks move in it is best to move on. They just seem to have an endless pit for a stomach and it is just a shame to keep feeding them with top shelf fish. Cut your losses and try new ground.
The reef fishing was a little hit and miss last weekend with some good reports of trout and others reporting ordinary catches. Bait schools, water movement and plenty of shifting from bommie to bommie are the key to catching plenty of fish bottom bashing the reef.
Report 10/10/19
Freshwater
The weirs have been fishing well lately and I would expect there to be plenty of barra on the chew over the next few days around the new moon. The full moon is a great time to work surface lure like stick baits and fizzers as the moon allow the barra to hone in on the silhouette of the lure and often the lure that do this best are dark colours and don’t underestimate a black surface lure in these circumstances.
Creeks, Rivers & Beaches
The fishing has been great lately with plenty of mangrove jacks on the snags in many of the northern creeks. Cattle, Ollera and Taylors have all been producing plenty of jacks on both baits and lures. Grunters have also been caught right throughout the area with Hinchinbrook channel producing some nice fish of late. The systems throughout the Bowling Green Bay region should also produce some nice grunter this weekend with perfect tides, moon phase and time of year.
The finger-mark reports have continued with some nice fish being caught on live green back herring. The anglers using soft vibes have also been finding some nice fish in the deeper holes and ledges around the mouths of the creeks.
As mentioned last week there are still some nice barra working along the northern beaches and the next few weeks should see this continue. October is a great month for chasing barra and the reports from the recent 4lb club Barra comp in the Hinchinbrook suggests the barra sizes and numbers are on the increase in the area.
The beaches are also starting to produce a few Barra particularly around the northern beaches area with Toomula a hot spot in recent weeks.
Offshore & Bay
With such great weather there have been plenty of boats heading offshore and the reds seem to be playing the game with good reports of Large Mouth Nannygai to the north on the shoals off the Palms. The slasher group of reefs have really being on fire lately with plenty of quality coral trout in the area.
There has been good report of Spanish mackerel on most of the reefs in the area and the fish around the 10kg mark are starting to school up in good numbers on the shoals off the Burdekin and Townsville with the 12mile off the Alva Beach a regular hotspot and the Mack patches and areas around the Bomber and out to shark shoal all holding good numbers of mackerel.
There have also been plenty of tuna schools around the Arab reef with both Mack-tuna and long tail tuna schooling up in these areas.
The grey mackerel schools are still working throughout Halifax bay with some nice patches in the area in the last couple of weeks. Just to remind you if you are chasing these guys you will have to match the hatch and smaller metal slices and spoons are often the best way to catch greys.
Report 3/10/19
Freshwater
As things start to heat up the weir barra should start to become more and more active with good report in recent days of fish smashing surface lures like, stick baits, poppers and fizzers worked around the edges of the banks and weed patches during the early hours of the night. Remember your SIPs permit if you are fishing the freshwater sections of the Ross River.
Creeks, Rivers & Beaches
The tides either side of the day time high look quite good for chasing barra and jacks in most of the systems around Townsville. The temperature increases as the head into the warmer months will really get the barra fired up. They will also start to feed on larger baits with mullet and mud herring making the perfect baits this time of year. It is also worth up-sizing your lures and plastics as we head toward the latter part of the year.
There have also been plenty of reports of finger-mark in the creeks in recent weeks with live green back herring a go to bait for these guys. The guys jigging the deeper wholes and ledges are also producing some nice fish on soft vibes.
The beaches are also starting to produce a few barra particularly around the northern beaches area with Toomula a hot spot in recent weeks.
Offshore & Bay
Before the change came through Thursday there were a few boats that managed to get out offshore and the reports were all similar – sharks, sharks and more sharks but apparently they are in decline. If they are they are getting bigger and smarter.
Those that managed to dodge the sharks reported good catches of trout and lippers on the reefs while the shoals continue to fish well for reds.
The guys using jigs don’t seem to have the same problems with sharks as they are usually not anchoring on an area and there isn’t the bait smell in the water. Change in depth can also sometimes work with many guys reporting less shark activity in deeper areas away from the reefs. It is just a matter of chopping and changing until you work out what is happening on the day.
In terms of pelagic there are heaps of tuna schools around at the moment and small metals cast into the schools can turn into a ton of fun on light gear.
Spanish mackerel have been a little hit and miss but there seems to be some nice fish around the 12 mile off the Burdekin and there seems to be some nice fish starting to show up on in the usual spots to the north of Townsville. Trolling garfish on the shoals is the preferred method while those using wolf herring around the rocky headlands seems to get the job done.
Report 26/9/19
Freshwater
The new moon should get the Barra in the impoundments interested so this
weekend the weirs caught fire with peak bites times likely to be late afternoon
early morning. Stick baits and paddle tail soft plastics worked very slowly
have been producing the goods in recent days. Make sure you have a SIP’s Permit
if you are fishing the weirs in Ross River.
Creeks, Rivers & Beaches
The tides are quite big this weekend so there is likely to be a lot of run. An
hour or so either side of the changes on big tides can be very productive
particularly on the bends where they tend to become unfishable once the tide
starts to crank up. The reports have been good lately with some very nice
grunter into the 60s being caught up most of the creeks and rivers around
Townsville. The Jacks have also continued to terrorise lures and soft plastics
with the Hinchinbrook Channel really firing in recent weeks. There have been
reports of plenty of quality jacks working mud banks on the falling tides
feeding on jelly prawns. The shallow diving Jackson snubby has been a real jack
catcher in these areas and well work having one in your tackle box if you don’t
already have one. The barra reports are on the improve and it looks like they
will only get better as we head into October. There has also been some good
report of fingermark being caught in many of the deeper creeks and rivers
running into Bowling Green bay with fish around the 50cm mark showing up in
recent weeks. These guys love greenback herring, so if you can find a patch for
bait you have a good chance of landing a few fingermark around the mouths of
these systems.
Offshore & Bay
The tides look ideal for fishing the flats and rocky bays throughout Cleveland Bay with good reports of Barra being caught in these areas on the larger tides. The new moon also should produce some nice fingermark, if you can catch some live squid there are sure to be some nice fingermark to be found around Cape Cleveland. The tides on the lead up to the new moon is also a great time to chase grunter with areas like Red Rock Bay inside Cape Cleveland, Horseshoe Bay on Maggie and Cape Bowling Green all great options this time of year.
There was heaps of grey mackerel around last week so would expect them to still be around most of the usual spots throughout Halifax Bay this weekend. Remember to match the hatch with these guys and your day will be a very productive one.
The Spanish mackerel should be around in good numbers on these tides with the rocky headlands of Cape Cleveland, Cape Upstart and the Palm Islands idea spots to chase these fish. Wolf herring are a must in these areas with the bigger Mack’s often coming unstuck by a slowly swam wolf herring.
The shoals and reef itself should also fish well this weekend with big tides and the old saying “No Run No Fun” being very true this weekend with heaps of run there should be plenty of fun.
Report 13/9/19
Freshwater
The weirs should fish alright on the lead up to the full moon with fish likely
to take surface lures during the night. Although it might sound strange to
think fish in the freshwater can be influenced by tides as obviously there are
none but so often the bite times mirror the same as those you would expect in
the salt. Many a good session in the freshwater often comes around the changes
in the tides in the salt. Yes weird but it just seems to happen like that.
Creeks, Rivers & Beaches
The tides suggest the fishing should be quite good in inshore this weekend with
the Hinchinbrook Channel one of the hot spots at the moment with good fish
being caught over the flats in recent weeks. Once again find the banks holding
good schools of bait and there is likely to be barra and jacks not far away.
Shallow diving lures like the Jackson Snubby have been dynamite worked slowly
over the flats and snake drains that are found throughout the Hinchinbrook
area.
The bream continue to play the game in most of the creeks and rivers that run
into Bowling Green Bay with fish around the 40cm mark being caught on fresh
bait like prawns and mullet.
The Northern Beaches have been fishing ok in recent times with good flathead to
be found on most of the beaches however Toomulla in particular has been fishing
particularly well with good barra and jacks starting to show up in the area.
Report 6/9/19
Freshwater
The weirs are fishing ok with some nice barra being caught in recent times on
large swimbaits worked slowly over the returning weed patches. The sooty
grunter have fired up in recent weeks with good sessions reported from Keel
Bottom to the freshwater reaches of the Herbert.
Creeks, Rivers & Beaches
The local creeks and rivers have been fishing well lately with good numbers of
bream in most of the systems with the odd quality grunter being caught also in
the same areas. Blue salmon seem to be around in good numbers also with fish
schooling up in the deeper holes on the bends of the creeks and rivers. Soft
Vibes are working well jigged in these areas.
The barra have been good this year and it looks like we should be in for a good
few months as things start to warm up. At the moment most of the better catches
are coming from those guys fishing the shallows with heaps of fish working the
shallows over the flats and around the mouths of mud drains. There has been
quite a lot of jelly prawn in the gutters lately and these areas are prime
locations to chase barra.
The Hinchinbrook Channel and the Haughton seem to the be pick of the systems at
the moment and many of the lure guys are reporting good sessions in skinny
water, once again find the bait on a bank and work the area as there will be
fish somewhere in the area.
The beaches have been producing a few whiting and the best time is the size of
the fish has been very good. Beaches to the north of Townsville have been
producing some nice flathead in recent weeks with soft plastics and strip
mullet baits accounting for some nice flathead on the falling tide. The anglers
following the tide out are finding good fish.
Offshore & Bay
Over the last few days there have been good reports of red emperor and nannygai on the shoals, while the coral trout in the deeper water around the 30m mark are also playing the game which is great to hear. There also has been some good report of solid spotted mackerels mixed in with the Spanish mackerel on the shoals.
Finally the mackerel numbers seem to be on the improve around the Palms and my favourite when it comes to the dinner table there has been some very nice grunter being caught in recent days with fish up around the 70cm mark being caught lately which is a cracker of a grunter in anyone’s books.
Report 22/8/19
Freshwater
The weirs have been producing a few monster Barra in recent days with a couple
of fish over the metre mark caught last night on hard bodies. Just remember you
need a SIPs permit if you are fishing the freshwater sections of the Ross
River.
Creeks, Rivers & Beaches
The afternoon incoming tide look the best with good reports of bream and
grunter in the deeper creeks while the shallower sand based systems have been
producing good whiting and flathead.
The beaches to the north and south of Townsville should also fish well late
afternoon around the top of the tide. There has also been a few Barra willing
to play the game in recent weeks with live prawn producing the best results for
those willing to put the time. If you prefer to flick a lure or two prawn
imitation soft plastics are likely to produce the best results.
Offshore & Bay
The Townsville Game Fishing Club’s Billfish Challenge runs over the next few days with over 20 boats fishing over the next few days. In recent weeks there has been a few Marlin and Sailfish caught and released on the Northern Grounds so hopefully there is plenty of fish to entertain the anglers. Good luck to all the competitors it is usually a cracker of an event.
Cape Cleveland has been producing a few nice Spanish mackerel in recent weeks with trolled wolf herring accounting for most of the quality fish. The changes in the tides are the ideal times to fish this area.
The Bay continues to produce school mackerel on metal slices, small minnow lures and floating pilchards. With the weed beds inside Cape Cleveland and the Shipping Pylons the pick of the spots.
Report 2/8/19
Freshwater
With the winds up this weekend the freshwater reaches around Townsville could
be a great option. Ross River Weirs seem to be starting to fish well again
around the moon.
Creeks, Rivers & Beaches
The morning tides look good for chasing a few bream, whiting and flathead with
both tides either side of the high looking quite fishable compared to the late
afternoon tides which will be pushing in quite fast. Fishing the gutters and
sand drains as the tide drops off the flats should produce some nice whiting
and flathead. While the deeper banks holding shell and rock are likely to be
great places to look for a good feed of bream.
In terms of the barra the Haughton seems to be fishing quite well lately with
prawn style soft plastics working well lately. The Hinchinbrook Channel should
fish well this weekend with good tides for the area, with some nice fish likely
to be feeding up over the flats. Shallow diving lures like the Jackson Snubby
have been working well in these areas of late.
Offshore & Bay
There has continued to be good reports of black jew being caught on vibes
jigged around the pylons in the bay. The reports of mackerel continued while
the winds played the game however it looks like the winds will be up this
weekend with the big high in the bite. It looks like a weekend for the creeks
and rivers or one to go over your gear and gets things sorted for when the
winds drop out.
Report 27/6/19
Freshwater
The upper reaches of the Burdekin have been fishing ok lately with those
looking to have some fun chasing the drag screaming sooty grunter – probably
one of the hardest hitting fish pound for pound.
Closer to home if you are chasing Barra in the Ross River weirs make sure you
have a SIP permit.
Creeks, Rivers & Beaches
There are still good reports of blue salmon numbers in most of the creeks and
rivers around Townsville with prawn and strip baits working well. There has
also been the odd thready getting caught from those jigging vibes in the deeper
holes throughout the systems.
The crabs have been full as a boot and it is well worth setting a few pots if
you are heading down the creek to wet a line. The bream numbers are also on the
increase in most of the local creeks and rivers and should only improve over
the next few months. Bream respond very well to burley so make sure you set
down a good trail under your boat when chasing these guys as your catches will
dramatically increase once you do. Prawns and chicken breast strips are great
baits for bream.
Offshore & Bay
Cleveland Bay has been fishing very well lately with heaps of bait starting to
concentrate throughout the area. There have been a number of reports in recent
weeks of nice black Jew being caught around the shipping pylons and various
locations in the Bay by those fishing the night tides. Live baits seem to be
the best option and live squid in particular are producing the best results.
There is still plenty of finger-mark throughout the bay so don’t be surprised
if you encounter one of these great fish also.
The school mackerel numbers are very good with plenty of fish taking lures,
metal slices and baits alike. Once again the better catches seem to be coming
from fishers that put the time into setting up a good burley trail and floating
pilchards on gang hooks without wire.
The Spanish mackerel reports have slowed mainly due to the weather but I am
sure once the winds settle and boats can get back out on the grounds there will
be plenty of macks to be had.
Report 21/6/19
Freshwater
The weirs in Ross River continue to produce the odd barra with those willing to
put the casts in. Slow retrieves and those using lures and plastics that are a
little different in action and look as the run of the mill seem to be getting
the bite.
Once again if you are fishing the freshwater sections of Ross River you will
need a SIPs permit.
Creeks, Rivers & Beaches
With all the herring in the creeks there has been plenty of Blue Salmon in most
of the creeks feeding into both Cleveland and Bowling Green Bays. Try to match
the hatch and if possible get your hands on some herring and you should be half
way to catching a good feed of salmon.
There continues to be good numbers of Pikey Bream in most of the creeks and
rivers around Townsville and the Burdekin. Whiting catches have gone a little
quite but with the temperature drop it might bring them back into the creeks.
Phillips landing and Alva Beach to the South are known hot spots and the
Northern Beaches also great locations to chase these fish. Whiting are the
perfect fish to catch with the whole family.
Offshore & Bay
The bay continues to produce plenty of school mackerel with those setting up a
good burley trail and floating pilchards having a great day on the water. Cape
Cleveland has been producing some nice Spanish mackerel in recent weeks with
those slow trolling baits having good success along the rocky headlands of the
Cape and out around Salamander Reef.
The shoals continue to produce Spanish mackerel but the sharks have been
playing havoc in these areas off late with good fish regularly being shared
with the taxman.
The reef fishing has been red hot with heaps of report of coral trout and red
throat emperor being caught from just about every reef system in our area. The
shoal fishing has also been on with good numbers of both large mouth nannygai
and red emperor being caught using baits like squid and cuttlefish to being
caught on jigs and soft plastics. It really has been a fish frenzy over the
last week with reasonable conditions to get offshore.
Report 7/6/19
Freshwater
For those willing to put the casts in there are still good barra to catch in
the weirs. They just seem to be responding to smaller paddle tail plastics
worked extra slow.
Creeks, Rivers & Beaches
The barra seem to have adjusted to the temperature drop and are starting get
hungry again with some good reports of fish willing to take lures and live baits.
This time of year the barra really start to stack up on particular snags along
a bank. Shallow banks are often the place to start searching first as the water
temperature is often slightly warmer. It is also a good move to reduce the
leader weight and the size of lures and soft plastics you are using during the
cooler months. Live prawns are the go to bait for barra during winter. Last but
not least look for banks holding bait like herring.
The direction of the winds have been pushing over the beaches and resulting in
some nice clear water in close in recent days. This tends to bring the bait in
closer and as a result you start to see schools of bigger predatory fish like
trevally, queenfish and salmon pushing along the beaches.
The Northern Beaches have been producing a few nice whiting and flathead in
recent times for those willing to brave the cooler mornings.
Offshore & Bay
The fishing offshore has been none existent this week and it looks like there
won’t be much over the weekend but fingers crossed later next week we can get
some calmer conditions. Early last week from those that managed to snatch a few
days through the week and get offshore reported good catches of coral trout on
the reefs and the Spanish mackerel were going off on the shoals. Exciting times
ahead all the signs are there for one of the biggest mackerel seasons in a long
time we just need the weather gods to help us out.
There is plenty of bait on the billfish ground so the game fishers could be in
for a great season as well. With reports of plenty of small fish off Cairns and
the fishery going off around Fraser Island at the moment, all is looking good
for a few good years for the light tackle game fishers.
Report 16/5/19
Freshwater
Much the same as last week as the temperature drops the weirs are likely to get
harder and harder to get the fish to fire however the little bit of rain
through the week may have some influence on the Barra. The full moon this
weekend should also increase the activity in the weirs with surface lures a
great option on a moon lit night.
Creeks, Rivers & Beaches
The fishing have been quite good lately with reports of plenty of Blue Salmon
being caught with fresh prawns and strip baits working well around the mouths
of the creeks and rivers on the run out tide. The Barra are also around in good
numbers with fish starting to switch to the bigger prawn baits as the
temperature drops. Both live prawn and imitation prawn lures like the Zerek
Live Shrimp rigged weed-less are both great options around the snags. In the
deeper wholes soft vibes are still accounting for their fair share of good
Barra. It is also mentioning that quite a few larger fish have been marking up
on sounders but are proving hard to get to bite at times. Reducing the size of
your lure or soft plastic down around the 3 to 4” mark and using lighter leader
can sometimes get a bite out of these bigger fish.
Once again the mud crabs continue to play the game with good
catches continuing over the last few weeks. Just in the last week there have
been some very good reports of both quality and quantity when it comes to
muddies. The Bohle River and the local creeks in the bay have been crabbing
very well.
The beaches are also starting to fish well with some nice reports of big
flathead starting to trickle in with soft plastic prawn lures or grub tails
working well on a very slow retrieve as the water pushes out through the
undulations in the sand bars.
Offshore & Bay
On repeat from last week the winds are up so there is not likely to be much
opportunity to get offshore but once it drops out it will be on for young and
old with so many great signs of a cracker mackerel season.
Report 18/4/19
Freshwater
The weirs have stopped flowing so many of the barras will start to scatter out
once again and it will be back to fishing for them before the big wet. Surface
lures at night are a great way to entice a bite from these fish. The
traditional slowly worked paddle tail soft plastics are also often rewarded
with nice fish in the weirs. Remember if you are fishing the freshwater
sections of the Ross River you need a SIPs permit.
Creeks, Rivers & Beaches
Over the weekend the tides will have a lot of run in them and the crabs should
be on the move so it will be well worth putting a few pots in. The other tasty
crustacean and probably my favourite the prawn should also be around in good
numbers around the full moon. On the fishing front the last few hours of the
out-going tide look good for chasing a few barra with big tides this will allow
the water to drop out of the mangroves. The creek mouths and drains will be good
places to concentrate as the tide drops off the flats. Both lures and live
baits have been catching their fair share in recent days.
There have also been some good reports of grunter in many of the creeks around
the Burdekin with fish up around the 50cm willing to take well-presented baits
with large prawns and mullet strips working best. Look for a bit of back water
with such big tides it is very important that you get your baits to the bottom.
Offshore & Bay
Once again and again the record player is on repeat – Offshore fishing out of
the question this long weekend with strong winds forecast. It is almost as if
we are already in the traditional winter pattern with calm conditions very
early morning with winds picking up around 8-9am. So if you are looking to
sneak over to the Island and get out of the wind it is best to get out early.
This also applies to all heading over to huts at Cape Cleveland and Cape
Upstart.
Report 12/4/19
Freshwater,
Creeks, Rivers & Beaches
The weirs are still producing barra with Aplin’s probably the place to be
land-based over the last few weeks and it is likely to stay that way until the
water stops dribbling over the weir wall. Once that happens we should see most
of the action back in the freshwater sections and back to the usual with most
action around the moon.
Remember if you are fishing the freshwater sections of the Ross River you need
a SIPs permit.
The tides are slowly improving and as we get into the weekend
there should be more movement in the tides with the morning tides probably the
best for crabbing. The first few hours off the top of the tide is often a great
time to crab as you tend to get the better male crabs start to move first.
The afternoon tides look good for flicking a few lures around the snags or
soaking a few live baits. There has been a few nice barra caught in recent days
and in terms of baits both mullet and large prawns have been producing some
very nice fish. It is also worth mentioning the good reports of prawn in the
creeks making it easy to catch bait and if you get onto a good patch plenty for
a feed also. Top pocket cast nets are a great way to chase prawns in the deeper
holes.
Offshore & Bay
Once again the record player is on repeat – Offshore fishing is probably not an
option again this weekend with the winds around the 20knots for most of the
weekend. If you are looking to sneak out into the bay the early mornings have
been ok for a few hours before the winds get up but once again that is a day to
day observation that one needs to make before heading out.
Report 5/4/19
Freshwater,
Creeks, Rivers & Beaches
The fishing around Townsville continues to improve with some nice barra willing
to take both live baits and lures. Slowly worked paddle tail soft plastics have
been producing plenty of action in recent weeks. Grunters are also on the
increase with some nice fish being caught in recent days with fresh prawn and
slab baits doing the trick.
The Hinchinbrook area is fishing particularly well with many reports of good
catches of barra, jacks and grunter but one thing to consider is the areas you
are targeting in such a large system. In recent days the southern end is
fishing well for jacks and grunter but the barra don’t seem to be playing the
game. However the guys fishing the northern end of the channel are reporting
the barra as being very active. The Hinchinbrook channel is an amazing place
and this is just a perfect example of this.
This time of year the mud flats and drains are the prime stops to cast a lure
or well weighted soft plastic with plenty of barra often found in these areas
feeding this time of year.
On the crabbing front most of the buck crabs seem to be a little on the soft
side at the moment but should be nice a full just before Easter which is great
timing. There have been heaps of female crabs in the pots of late so there is
quite a lot of sorting through them to find a decent take home crab.
Offshore & Bay
Offshore the fishing has been a little hit and miss with some reporting good
catches of coral trout and lippers while others have been struggling. But there
is one thing that seems to be quite consistent and that is the reds with plenty
of quality large-mouth nannygai to be found in many of the shoals.
Closer inshore the Fingermark are the fish to be targeting with good number
around the shipping pylons and many of the regular spots like Cape Cleveland
and the back of Maggie.
Report 21/3/19
Freshwater,
Creeks, Rivers & Beaches
The little bit of rain around over the last few days has stirred up the prawns
and crabs with some nice prawns around the mouth of the Ross River at the
moment. The crabs on the other hand have been on the move also with the systems
running into Bowling Green Bay probably producing the higher catch rates. With
the larger tides you will just have to make sure you work the flats or put your
pots in areas of back water where the current is not as strong.
There is also good reports of barra though out Ross River in both the
freshwater and saltwater reaches – just remember if you are fishing the
freshwater sections of the Ross you must have a SIPs Permit.
With the larger tides at the moment and calm conditions should see the larger
predatory fish move closer in shore in search of bait fish. Pallarenda and Ross
Bay are good places to start as there has been some nice queenfish and trevally
working these areas lately. The Northern Beaches should also fish quite well on
these tides with the best time on the making tides.
Offshore & Bay
The fishing around Townsville has been good lately and this weekend should be
no different with some nice fingermark being caught in recent days around the
back of Maggie and Cape Cleveland. There has also been plenty of squid in these
areas which make great baits for fingermark or even better just cleaned, cooked
and eaten I personally love a good feed of fresh calamari.
Green squid lights are a great way to attract the squid to your boat at night
however with the full moon on us it can often make it more difficult however if
it stays a little overcast the moon doesn’t play as big a part. Throughout the
daylight hours fingermark will take all sorts of lures from metal jigs to soft
vibes and soft plastics in general. They can also be caught trolling lures with
bright colours on overcast days and lures with plenty of flash on the brighter
days as a general rule.
Offshore the reef fishing has been improving as the tidal flow increases with
both Coral trout and red throat catches starting to play the game. It is just a
matter of trying to find areas with just the right amount of tidal run. The
shoals have also been producing good red emperor and nannygai with the peak bit
times around the changes in the tide just before the current pickup too much
and you need a kilo of lead to keep you on the bottom.
Report 3/8/19
Freshwater,
Creeks, Rivers & Beaches
Reports have been good with plenty of Barra and Jacks willing to take lure and
baits. With larger lures and live baits seem to be the preferred options for
the Barra at the moment. The Barra are a little spread out at the moment so
don’t be afraid to do a bit of moving around to find them. Vibe style lure have
also been working well with some nice thread fin salmon being caught while
jigging the deeper holes through the creeks and river around Townsville.
Don’t forget the crab pots the reports have been good in
recent weeks with some reports of 3 and 4 bucks per pot from some of the local
creeks with the incoming tide tending to produce the better catches.
Offshore & Bay
The last couple of days have been nice out on the bay in the mornings with flat
conditions allowing for most to get out and fish the pylons and headlands.
There was a bunch of squid around Orchard Rock at the back of Maggie earlier in
the week with those fishing the area reporting nice catches using squid jigs.
There has also been some nice fingermark captures in recent days with some nice
fish being caught around the some area, Cape Cleveland and the Shipping Pylons.
The bays inside the Cape have been producing some nice
grunter in recent weeks with fish working up into the shallows during the
incoming night tides.
Offshore the reports have been good from those that have managed to sneak out
with good nannygai catches on the inshore shoals.
Report 21/2/19
Freshwater,
Creeks, Rivers & Beaches
If there is anything positive to come out of this it will be the long term
effect such an event has on the fishing. Over the next couple of years the
fishing will be great with all the creeks and rivers getting a good clean out.
The injection of nutrients into the whole system will produce plenty of food
for bait fish and in turn their numbers should grow fast and where there is
bait there will be plenty of predatory fish in hot pursue. It seems to have
started already with good reports of Barra and jacks in the creeks and plenty
of great catches of reef fish in recent days.
It is also worth throwing in a few crab pots with the fresh chasing most crabs
out of their holes. With good reports from those crabbing the flats in the bay
and the deeper stretches of the smaller creeks.
With all the creeks and rivers pumping so much freshwater there is a lot of
Barra moving along the beaches and out around the rocky headlands and of Cape
Cleveland and Maggie Island.
Offshore & Bay
With the calm conditions over the next couple of weeks there
should be plenty of opportunity to head offshore, just keep an eye out for
floating trees. It is best to restrict your travel to daylight hours at the
moment. Running into some of the monster trees floating offshore at the moment
would bring a trip to an abrupt end.
If you come across any weed mats or floating logs over the next few weeks it
will be well worth taking a closer look as these surface structures often
attract heaps of fish and in particular are great places to catch triple tail.
Soft plastics and lures cast around these surface objects can result in a day
to remember.
Reports from those that have recently fished offshore have been positive with
many reporting very good catches of coral trout and both red emperor and large
mouth nannygai.
Off Townsville the flood plum spilling out of all the major rivers seems to
have pushed about 15mile offshore with a distinct transition line between salt
and fresh quite visible. This line is also a great place to troll a few lures
with a lot of bait tending work along this line.
Report 1/2/19
Freshwater,
Creeks, Rivers & Beaches
With so much freshwater stirring all the baitfish up it is a great time to
target these big Barra. Before the dam went over the weirs were fishing very
well however with so much water pumping down the system at the moment it will
be a little hard to find areas to fish and stay safe. However once the water
settles down we should see one of the best Barra seasons we have seen in a long
time. These sorts of rain events are gold for fishing generally with the old
saying “drought on the land drought at sea”. There is definitely no drought in
North Queensland this year.
If you do intend fishing the weirs once things settle remember you will need a
SIPs Permit as these areas are stocked impoundments and are part of the
Queensland government scheme.
From all reports the Barra in the weirs have been taking smaller than usual
paddle tail soft plastics however it is always a good idea to have a variety of
sizes and colours as these fish tend to change their focus depending on the
river conditions.
Once the Barra season opens on midday Friday there will be plenty of
opportunity to fish the beaches and areas along the strand as there should be
some nice Barra working along these areas. The areas around the mouths of the
small creeks running out into the bay should be ideal stops to cast a few
lures.
Although there is a lot of freshwater influence in most the creeks and rivers
there has been some good reports of crabs. This rain should push most of the
crabs out of their holes and into the main creek channels.
Offshore & Bay
The rain and wind has kept most offshore anglers at home so there isn’t much to report this week. Hopefully after the rain things might settle down and if we can get some calm weather there should be plenty of baitfish concentrations and where there is bait there should be plenty of bigger fish.
Report 25/1/19
Creeks,
Rivers & Beaches
With good reports lately of nice prawn in the creeks there should be plenty of
fish also in the systems taking advantage of this and feeding on them. Jacks
and the odd quality grunter seem to be the talk at the moment with some nice
fishing willing to take both prawn lure imitations like the Zerek and Ecooda
live Shrimps and live prawns if you can get your hands on some. The best option
to catch prawns is to use a cast net around the drains and gutters as the tide
drops out. It is also well worth throwing in a few crab pots as the reports
have been good lately. If we get any more rain it will only increase the crab
and prawn catches over the weekend.
Freshwater
Although there hasn’t been huge amounts of rain to really get the water pumping
over the weirs there has been enough to get a few big Barra interested with
some nice metre plus fish being landed in recent days. The full moon is great
time to flick a few surface lures around the weed edges in Ross River during
the twilight hours. Large paddle tail soft plastics are also great options this
time of year. Don’t forget if you are fishing the Weirs you do need a SIPs
Permit.
Offshore & Bay
It is just becoming a copy of the week before and the week before that and so on once again the conditions forecast this weekend up around the 20 knots there isn’t much chance of getting offshore. It might be a good weekend to get yourself set for the Barra season opening in just over a week’s time.
Proudly Brought to you by:
Danny & Rosalie Brooks
Tackle World Domain Central
Ph. 07 4725 1266
danny@tackleworldtownsville.com.au
