December 31, 2020
BUNDABERG INSHORE
The inshore reefs are still producing plenty of schoolie mackerel! Fast retrieving flasha spoons and floating pilchards out will get you the bite. There’s a few spanish mackerel roaming around as well so be sure to float a gar or live bait out the back. There’s been some very nice grassy sweetlip and squire being caught as well. Using squid and prawns on the bottom has been getting most of the bites.
THE BURNETT RIVER
There’s been some cracker mangrove jack being caught in the Burnett. Working hardbody lures over the rock bars and on the edge of the bridge pylons has been getting plenty of the bites. Live baits such as sprat and poddy mullet has been doing the trick for the jack as well. With the full moon this week, the whiting have been in good numbers as well. I’ve heard of a few 40cm+ being caught. Yabbies and beach worms are definitely your go to baits. Don’t forget to drop the crab pots in as well. Plenty of tasty mud crabs have been getting caught!
THE KOLAN RIVER AND BAFFLE CREEK
Plenty of flathead have been chewing in the Kolan and Baffle over the past week. Slow rolling paddle tail soft plastics over the bottom has been the standout technique. There’s also been some 1m+ queenfish being caught at the mouth of these systems. Surface poppers and small metal slugs has been getting most of the bites. Also, there’s been some cracker sized mangrove jack and mud crabs being caught in these two systems as well so don’t forget to set a line for a jack and drop the pots in.
LAKE MONDURAN
Some 1m+ barra have been caught up at Lake Monduran over the past week. Plenty of the barra have been caught on the tops of the trees in the deeper water. The early morning bite has been the standout time to put a few on the deck. Jackal Squirrels, Samaki Redics and Molix Shads have been the standout lures. Remember to fish the points that the wind is blowing into and don’t be scared to fish the deeper water.
December 24, 2020
BUNDABERG INSHORE
With the massive amount of bait on all the inshore reefs at the moment, both school and Spanish mackerel have been keeping anglers entertained. If you can reach the bottom, some nice snapper, grunter and grass sweetlip have made their way into the ice boxes.
BUNDABERG OFFSHORE
Over the past week it was great to see plenty of anglers venturing out offshore to stock up with fresh reef fish for Christmas. By all reports, sharks were a big problem for most, but it was good to see some trophy reef fish landed including some nice red emperor, coral trout, grass sweet lip, red throat emperor, and parrot fish. Spanish mackerel were in big numbers on most of the popular marks out offshore from Bundaberg.
THE BURNETT RIVER
Mangrove jack have really fired up in the Burnett this past week. All the popular spots like Toft Rocks, Kirby’s Wall, Fairymead Wall and Strathdee’s are all firing. Mud crabs in the Burnett River are on the move now since the rain last week. Some absolute studs were caught last week so let’s hope this continues for Christmas.
THE KOLAN RIVER AND BAFFLE CREEK
Both of these systems are popular at this time of the year. Mangrove jack are on most anglers’ wish list and for good reason. These fish fight well and are fantastic eating. Jack love rock bars and snags and can be targeted with hard and soft plastic lures, and also with well-presented live and strip bait. Bread and butter species like bream, whiting and flathead have all been on the chew with fresh yabbies and prawns getting the job done.
LAKE MONDURAN
How good is it to see Lake Monduran back to its former glory. The holiday park is packed and the barramundi are on the bite. Barra over the magic meter are becoming common either trolling or casting. The new Jackall Super 115 Squirrel lures are working extremely well on Monduran barramundi since their release onto the market last week. Let’s hope this action improves into 2021, making Monduran the number one place to catch your impoundment barra.
December 17, 2020
BUNDABERG INSHORE
After the big south east winds last weekend, the schoolie mackerel should be thick this weekend on the inshore reefs around the Bundaberg area. With the early morning low tides, the water should be quite clear around sunrise. My favourite time to pull Flasha spoons for mackerel is always when the sun just pops up. There’s been some cracking sized grunter and squire being caught as well so definitely have a few drops on the bottom with bait or soft vibes.
BUNDABERG OFFSHORE
With the waxing moon this weekend, the reef fishing should be ON. Fingers crossed the weather plays the game, because a lot of us sure are itching to get out. The tides aren’t huge this weekend so I think both the deep and shallows should be fishing quite well. Pilchards are the favourite bait for the shallows when chasing coral trout and red throat emperor. For the deep water when chasing reds, mullet fillets get the job done.
THE BURNETT RIVER
With the rain we’ve experienced over the past week, it has stirred the mud crabs right up. Some really good quality crabs are being caught too, so be sure to put the pots in. There’s been some cracker sized mangrove jacks being caught on the rock bars and bridge pylons as well, so definitely try your favourite jack tactics this weekend. Low tide is definitely our favourite time to chase them. The flathead have still been in crazy good numbers. Slow-rolling 3” Zman paddle tail soft plastics has been getting most of the flatty action.
THE KOLAN RIVER AND BAFFLE CREEK
These two systems are turning it on, with the mud crabs as well. Plenty of people have been getting an awesome feed just in time for Christmas. Plenty of very solid sized mangrove jack have been caught as well. Live baits and hardbody lures have been getting most of the action. There’s been some very nice sized whiting caught as well. Pumping yabbies early in the mornings this weekend and fishing the incoming tide should get you a very tasty feed.
LAKE MONDURAN
Lake Monduran has been producing some very solid barramundi. Plenty of the fish that have been caught have been in the high 80’s and 90’s. With the water temperature being quite high, plenty of the fish have actually been caught in the deeper water. Slow-rolling paddle tail soft plastics on the bottom has been getting plenty of attention. The Jackall Squirrel’s and Samaki Redics sure have been catching their share as well. Remember to fish with confidence!
December 8, 2020
BUNDABERG INSHORE
With the winds up this weekend around the Bundaberg area, getting out early to chase a few schoolie mackerel or even to troll for spanish mackerel, while searching for the schools of schoolies will be the best option to get a feed of fish. Have ready any type of Flasha lure or metal slug while trolling around. Once the school is found, cast into them and let the lure sink for about 10 seconds. Then use a fast retrieve and hang on. Always remember, before heading out check the local weather forecast.
BURNETT RIVER
Before heading for a fish, put the crab pots out for a few hours as good reports of some muddies are coming in. With the warmer weather starting there is plenty of bait around which in turn, is bringing the predatory fish through the river system.
Flathead are starting to show up in bigger numbers. Casting a 3” to a 5” soft plastic drifting over the flats has been producing the goods. Flathead will take plenty of different baits like prawns, sprat, mullet strips or even pilchards to name a few.
Grunter will also take the same baits and lures if they are in the same area. This warmer weather has certainly got the mangrove jack stirred up. Casting surface lures early morning around rock bars and tight into mangroves has been the standout technique. Fishing in the same area, sprat, mullet strips or even big fresh prawns will get you a good feed.
THE KOLAN RIVER AND BAFFLE CREEK
These two rivers fish very similar to each other as the weather warms up, with plenty of mangrove jack caught around rock bars and in snags. Both rivers have been producing their fair share of grunter also. Using sprat, prawns and mullet strips will catch both species.
Good reports of whiting are also coming in. Pumping yabbies on the low tide and fishing the incoming tides will produce a feed of the best eating fish in the sea.
LAKE MONDURAN
Monduran is a place you will need to fish at the right time in the right area. As a lot of fishermen have found out, it is the dam of a thousand casts or what some would call Lake Misery.
A lot of local fishermen have worked out certain areas to fish on certain wind directions, moon phases or even tide times which can also be a bite period. Having this sort of knowledge can improve your fishing and catch rate from no fish in a session to maybe half a dozen. Knowledge can give you power! There have been good reports of barramundi and plenty of them in the past week. Casting soft plastics and Jackall squirrels has been catching the most fish.
This week, fishing has been a bit tougher. Like I said, it could be a moon phase or inconsistent wind direction, only the barra know.
December 3, 2020
BUNDABERG INSHORE
There has been some good numbers of school mackerel being caught at and around the local reefs out from Bundaberg by trolling well rigged baits. Flasha lures and metal slugs retrieved quickly back to the boat have been doing the damage. Regarding the weather, there are a few short windows open on Friday and Saturday morning but be sure to check the latest forecast before heading out.
BURNETT RIVER
There has been some good numbers of flathead coming on the chew with most being caught on the smaller hard body lures and soft plastics in the shallows. Some good grunter are still being caught using soft plastics in the deeper holes in the river and on the rocky bottoms. When heading out don’t forget to take the crab pots. There has been some good numbers being caught in the rivers and creeks around the Bundaberg region.
THE KOLAN RIVER AND BAFFLE CREEK
With the hot weather we have been getting lately, the mangrove jacks are loving it, with some cracking fish being caught using live and dead bait and top water lures. Fishing the rock bars and heavy timber early in the morning and late in the afternoon should catch you a feed.
There have been some good numbers of flathead caught and summer whiting have been showing up as well.
LAKE MONDURAN
Some great barramundi have been caught at Lake Monduran by using soft plastics from 4inch to 10inch and casting them into the trees and onto the wind-blown points. Make sure to check the wind direction then slow-roll the lures back to the boat. There has been some really good numbers down the front of the dam in Bird Bay. A little tip: there has been a lot of fish around the weed island in Bird Bay with most of the big fish being caught in the afternoon and into the night.
November 26, 2020
BUNDABERG OFFSHORE
With the full moon occurring this coming Monday, the fish out at the reefs off Bundaberg should be chewing this weekend. With the bigger tides in the mornings I’d be chasing the shallower fish such as coral trout and red throat emperor, then fishing for red emperor and other deeper species in the afternoons. Using pilchards and 5” soft plastics will get you the bite in the shallows and big flesh baits will work a treat in the deep. Fingers crossed the weather plays the game!
BUNDABERG INSHORE
The bait is super thick on all the inshore reefs at the moment, and because of this the mackerel sure have turned up in good numbers. Fast-retrieving spoons vertically off the bottom and floating pilchards down with around 60lb leader should get you into some of the action. There has also been some nice grunter and grassy sweetlip being caught on the bottom. Early mornings and late afternoons have been the hot bite times.
BURNETT RIVER
The Burnett River has been producing some crazy numbers of cracker-sized flathead. Slow-rolling paddle tail soft plastics across sand and gravel bars has been doing most of the damage and there’s a high chance you’ll also catch a mangrove jack as by-catch. The crabs are also starting to fire up. I’ve seen some crackers being caught over the past week and with the full moon tides the crabbing should only get better.
THE KOLAN RIVER AND BAFFLE CREEK
Both the Kolan and the Baffle systems have definitely been the standout systems for mangrove jack over the past week. Most of the jacks have been caught on hardbody lures and live baits. Poddy mullet has definitely been the standout bait. With the full moon the whiting should be chewing as well. Beach worms and fresh yabbies are definitely the best baits. Again, don’t forget to throw the crab pots in to get a tasty feed of crab!
LAKE MONDURAN
The fishing at Lake Monduran is definitely super exciting at the moment. There has been some trophy sized barramundi being caught up to 115cm. Slow-rolling larger sized paddle tail soft plastics over wind-blown points has been getting plenty of attention from the bigger fish. The Jackall Squirrels and Samaki Redics sure have been catching their fair share of barra, especially in the timbers. Remember to fish with confidence – you never know when that 1m+ barra will smash your lure!
November 19, 2020
BUNDABERG OFFSHORE
Running true to form, the Bundaberg area had good weather during the reef closure last weekend and now that it’s all open again, we are back to ‘normal’. This weekend’s forecast is not looking too bad with 10-15 knot east /south-easterly winds predicted. As always, check your local weather forecast prior to heading out.
BUNDABERG INSHORE
At this time of year schoolie mackerel are in full swing right along our coastline. Casting Halco Twisties and Flasha spoons off the bottom will get you good results. It is always worth floating lightly-weighted pilchards as this can be a deadly technique to land a few schoolies. For anglers fishing closer to the bottom plenty of nice grunter and grass sweetlip have been keeping anglers entertained.
BURNETT RIVER
It was great to see so many people out and about fishing on the Burnett River last weekend. Mangrove jack have really turned on over the past week. Areas such as Toft Rocks, Splitters Creek and Fairymead Bend have been working well now that the days are getting warmer. Other species such as flathead and whiting have also been on the chew around Paddy’s Island and Rubyanna. Finally, some nice muddies were caught last week with the bigger tides flushing out some good-sized bucks.
THE KOLAN RIVER AND BAFFLE CREEK
The mouths of both the Kolan and Baffle systems have produced some trophy sized flathead. Berkley Gulp and Daiwa Bait Junkie soft plastics have both been working well with those monster flatties. The upper reaches are still producing plenty of mangrove jack. Casting top water lures such as the MMD 95mm Splash Prawn against mangroves and rock bars is a super exciting way to fish for mangrove jack.
Once again, a few muddies have fired up in the Kolan and Baffle. Let’s hope this continues as we get closer to Christmas.
LAKE MONDURAN
Over this past week Lake Monduran has produced some cracking barra. One of our local Bundaberg anglers managed to land a 115cm barramundi last weekend on a Jackall Squirrel. This was a magic fish and goes to show just what a world-class fishery we have here right on our doorstep. The Monduran Anglers and Stocking Association released another 19,000 baby bass into Lake Monduran last Monday. Lake Monduran is one of a few Queensland impoundments with a healthy supply of both bass and barra. It is fantastic to see quite a few barra around the meter mark being hooked. Catching them from in amongst the timber is extremely challenging but it’s all part of the fun!
A few things to look out for – MASA is running a fantastic Christmas raffle. There’s $5,000 in prizes for a $5 ticket. Tickets can be purchased either instore at Tackleworld Bundaberg or online through Monduran Anglers & Stocking Association Facebook page.
In other news, there is an online survey to keep track of the amount of barra and bass caught out of Lake Monduran to try to improve this fishery even more. This can be done on the Monduran Anglers and Stocking Association Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Monduran-Anglers-and-Stocking-Association-174163239452642 where you can download their new APP, then scan the QR code and enter the details of your catch.
November 11, 2020
At this stage it looks like the weather for the Bundaberg area for this weekend could go either way, and anything can happen so keep an eye out for the latest forecast before deciding to head out.
BUNDABERG INSHORE
The inshore reefs are still producing some very nice grunter. Early mornings and late afternoons are the hot bite times. Working soft vibes and soft plastics off the bottom will get you the bite. Also using squid and prawns as bait will get you the good results. There’s still been plenty of schoolie mackerel around as well. Fast-retrieving Flasha spoons vertically off the bottom and trolling small hardbodies will get you into the mackerel action. If you’re more into using bait, mackerel will always fall for a pilchard.
BURNETT RIVER
The Burnett River has been producing some very nice flathead. Most of the flatties have been caught on slow-rolling paddle tail soft plastics. You will be in with a good chance of hooking a mangrove jack as a by-catch as well.
There’s been some very nice sized late seasoned bream too. Kirby’s Wall has been a standout spot. Also, with the big new moon tides don’t forget to throw the crab pots in!
THE KOLAN RIVER AND BAFFLE CREEK
This weekend the Kolan and Baffle will be all about the mangrove jack and whiting. There’s been some awesome numbers of jack being caught. Most of these fish are being caught on hard body lures and live baits. The late afternoon incoming tides will be the hot time for your whiting fishing over the weekend. Yabbies and beach worms are definitely the standout baits.
LAKE MONDURAN
Lake Monduran is still firing. Plenty of 80cm+ barra have been caught. The shallow windblown points have been the place to find good numbers. My favourite bite time is definitely first light in the morning so make sure you get up there nice and early. Jackall Squirrels and Samaki Redics have still been the standout lures. Remember to fish with confidence! You never know when that big barra boof will happen.
November 5, 2020
BUNDABERG INSHORE
With the winds looking a bit all over the place around the Bundaberg area for this weekend, it might be time to do a little maintenance on the bigger boats or stick to inshore. There have been good reports of schoolies all along the coast from Burnett Heads to Elliott Heads. Casting out slugs and flasha spoons or floating out pilchards will pick you up a nice feed. Remember to check your local weather report before heading out.
BURNETT RIVER
There have been good reports of flathead and grunter caught on lures all through the Burnett River using 3” and 4” soft plastics. When casting, cast your lure up current as far as possible and let your lure sink to the bottom. Using a hop retrieve off the bottom should pick you up a feed of flathead and grunter. With northerly winds warming the water, mangrove jack are starting to fire. Casting surface lures early right into the mangroves will get you a few fish. If casting around rock bars or rock walls, try using a 4” Z-man paddle tail soft plastic with a weedless hook. If you’re looking to catch a mangrove jack on bait, try using mullet fillet or live sprat. If by any chance anyone catches a salt-water barramundi as by-catch, it must be released unharmed and as soon as possible. It is closed season from 1st November 2020 to 31st February 2021.
THE KOLAN RIVER AND BAFFLE CREEK
Both the Kolan and the Baffle have been fishing well for flathead, grunter and mangrove jack . Now the water temperature is on the rise, the red dogs are becoming more active. Casting 4” paddle tails has been working well. Pumping yabbies on the low tide and fishing the incoming tide has also been producing a good feed of whiting over the flats.
LAKE MONDURAN
With the northerly winds blowing and the water temperature on the rise, Lake Monduran has been on fire. Following that northerly wind onto points and into the backs of bays has been the key. Once you find a good area, casting a well-presented suspending lure like the Jackal Squirrel or B52 will give you the best opportunity to get that trophy fish. If you keep on persevering and persisting the fish will come.
October 29, 2020
BUNDABERG INSHORE
The schoolie mackerel have been thick around the Bundaberg area over the past week. Fast-retrieving Flasha spoons vertically off the bottom and trolling medium size hardbody lures will get you a nice feed. In order to get the bite, remember not to use wire for schoolies – stick to 80lb leader.
BURNETT RIVER
The Burnett River has been producing some very nice flathead and grunter. The Zman soft plastics seem to be getting most of the action. Look for bait that is sitting on the sand bars and gravel beds, and the grunter and flathead won’t be far away. Keep an eye out for the prawns as well. A few people have been lucky and have been getting their bag limit pretty quickly. Also, don’t forget to put the crab pots in. The full moon tides should make the crabs become active.
THE KOLAN RIVER AND BAFFLE CREEK
There has been some very nice mangrove jack caught up the Baffle and the Kolan over the past week. Slow-rolling paddle tail soft plastics out of mangroves and over rock bars has been getting most of the action. Also, a few anglers have been smacking the jack on surface lures. Early mornings and late afternoons are the best time for surface fishing. Also, there has been some very nice whiting caught. The afternoons this weekend on the full moon incoming tide will definitely be an inviting time to chase them. Again, don’t forget to chuck the crab pots in.
R: Dale Smith with a barra he caught at Monduran
LAKE MONDURAN
With the northerly winds and the full moon this weekend Lake Monduran should be firing! The windblown points and bays are definitely where to fish. Slow-rolling large paddle tail soft plastics has been getting the attention on the big barramundi. Also, the Jackall Squirrels and Samaki Redics have been catching their fair share as well. Working these hardbodies with quite an aggressive twitch, then long pauses is the standout technique that I like.
October 20, 2020
BUNDABERG INSHORE
With the Coral Reef Fin Fish closure finished now we can get back into it. There is still some school mackerel being caught using metal lures retrieved quickly back to the boat, or by dropping them to the bottom and then retrieving them back to the top. Floating out a well-presented pilchard should also land a mackerel or two. There has been a few good tuskys, red emperor and coral trout all caught before the closure. With the wind not looking too good for the Bundaberg area for the next week, always check the weather forecast before heading out.
BURNETT RIVER
There has been some good-sized mangrove jack caught over the past week using weedless Zerek Prawns fished hard in the snags. Also using 4’’ paddle tails on the rock bars casting along the rocks and retrieving them back to the boat is the go. There are still reports of some big whiting being caught using sand worms and yabbies in the shallows. The flathead are starting to fire as well, fishing the sand bars on either side of the tides. There are still some prawns in the deeper holes, so don’t forget to throw the net in.
R: Tia Saint with a nice Red Emperor she caught before the Coral Reef Fin Fish closure.
BURRUM RIVER
We are seeing some good-sized squid still getting around on the sand flats in the Burrum at night. The best method of catching them is using a big spotlight and hand spear walking around in the shallow sand flats. The sand crabs are still out the front of the Burrum River so it might be worth throwing the pots in overnight to get a tasty feed. Back up the river they are still catching the odd grunter and whiting with the mangrove jack and barramundi starting to come on the chew due to the warmer water.
LAKE MONDURAN
The water temperature in Lake Monduran is rising and the past week has seen some good barramundi being caught. The biggest one reported went 107cm, once again using the suspending hard bodies in and around the trees. The paddle tail plastics up to 7’’ on the windblown points have been doing the damage with most of the big fish being caught down towards the front of the dam. With the warm weather upon us we should see a lot more fish caught this season. Just remember that the salt-water barramundi closure starts 1st of November to the 1st February but we can still enjoy the fresh-water barramundi and bass in our Queensland dams.
October 15, 2020
BUNDABERG INSHORE
With the Coral Reef Fin Fish closure being from the 14th to the 18th of October, the reef fishing around the Bundaberg area will be out of the picture this weekend. Lucky there’s plenty of schoolie mackerel on the inshore reefs to keep us amused. Fast-retrieving Flasha spoons off the bottom and sinking lightly-weighted pilchards to the bottom will be the standout techniques. Remember to stay away from using metal leader for schoolies, as this will put them off the bite. Using 60lb and 80lb leader will be fine.
BURNETT RIVER
The Burnett River has produced some very nice barramundi over the past couple weeks! I’ve heard that quite a few that have been caught are measuring up towards the metre. Soft vibes and big live baits have been getting the bite. With the big tides this weekend, fishing the tops and bottoms of the tides will be super important to be there at bite time. There has been some very nice grunter and bream caught in this system as well. Don’t forget to throw the crab pots in with these big day and night tides.
KOLAN RIVER AND BAFFLE CREEK
The mangrove jack in the Baffle and the Kolan have really started to fire up with these warmer days. Plenty of 50cm+ have been caught in both these systems. Slow-rolling paddle tail soft plastics out of mangrove roots and rock bars has been the standout technique. I’d be thinking about going to the areas with less run because the new moon tides will be pushing some water around. There has been some very nice sized whiting being caught as well. That new moon should definitely get them chewing so pump some yabbies and fish the incoming tide and get a tasty feed.
LAKE MONDURAN
The water temperature in Lake Monduran is on the rise and so is the mood of the barramundi. It’s fantastic to see so many anglers back at the lake chasing barra. Last weekend plenty of barra were caught close to the magic metre on suspending hard body lures and 5” to 7“ soft plastics. Even trolling hard body lures in the main basin has also been working well. Let’s hope this action continues throughout the summer.
R: Ashley Schiffke with a 60cm cod
October 8, 2020
BUNDABERG OFFSHORE
Finally, at this stage the forecast for the Bundaberg area for this weekend is looking okay for the offshore anglers to sneak out and have a crack. Due to the ordinary weather we have had for the past few weeks, we have not had many reports so fingers crossed there will be plenty of trophy fish caught this weekend. As always, make sure you check the forecast before heading out.
BUNDABERG INSHORE
As Mitch reported last week, there is still plenty of school mackerel right along the Bundaberg coastline. Targeting schoolies with metal slugs is fantastic fun and a great way to secure a fresh feed of mackerel. Plenty of nice grunter and grass sweetlip have been keeping anglers entertained when they are fishing closer to the bottom.
BURNETT RIVER
With the past few weeks of warmer weather, summer species like barramundi and mangrove jack have really started to fire up. Samaki vibes have been working well in the deeper water through the Town Reach and prawn-style soft plastics have been working well around the rock bars and walls in the Burnett River. Rumour has it, there were a few nice prawns down at the Port in the deeper water. With the amount of bait in the Burnett, the quality of the flathead, grunter and bream has been outstanding.
KOLAN RIVER AND BAFFLE CREEK
Both the Baffle and Kolan systems have fished well over the past week. Plenty of grunter, flathead, queenfish and big whiting have been on the chew. Mangrove jack are starting to become a common capture in both systems with lures and bait working equally well. Don’t forget we have our Mangrove Jack competition running for the month of October and November. Call into the shop to grab your icon and T & C’s. Mud crabs were a little slow over the school holidays; but gauging on the number of bucks that are just undersized, it’s only a couple of weeks before they fire up big time.
LAKE GREGORY
It’s great to see this magical small impoundment once again full of the bass and saratoga on the bite. One of the exciting ways to fish this impoundment is to throw surface lures. There is nothing better than watching your lure being taken as you are working it back to the boat.
LAKE MONDURAN
The water temperature in Lake Monduran is on the rise and so is the mood of the barramundi. It’s fantastic to see so many anglers back at the lake chasing barra. Last weekend plenty of barra were caught close to the magic metre on suspending hard body lures and 5” to 7 “ soft plastics. Even trolling hard body lures in the main basin has also been working well. Let’s hope this action continues throughout the summer.
R: Corey Hanks with the nice grunter he caught in Baffle Creek
October 1, 2020
BUNDABERG INSHORE
The schoolie mackerel have turned up along the Bundaberg coastline in awesome numbers over the past week. Pretty much every patch of structure from Burnett Heads to Elliott Heads that holds bait will have mackerel all over it. Even the guys fishing off the rocks have been getting their share. Fast-retrieving metal slugs and lightly weighting pilchards will get you the bite. I usually only run 60lb fluorocarbon leader. There’s still been some trophy sized grunter getting around on the inshore reefs. Fishing for them in the late afternoon into the night seems to be the best bite time.
BURNETT RIVER
The Burnett River has still been producing some of the best flathead fishing I’ve seen! Plenty have been caught around the port area. Slow-rolling paddle tail soft plastics and using sprat as bait have been the standout techniques. I’ve heard of a few barra starting to get caught in the Burnett as well, so definitely throw some of your soft vibes in the deep holes and around the bridges. Remember to fish one hour on either side of low and high tide while chasing barra. Don’t forget to keep a cast net in your boat because there’s still some really nice prawns getting around.
KOLAN RIVER AND BAFFLE CREEK
The mangrove jack are starting to chew in both the Kolan and the Baffle systems. The Zman 3” Minnowz has been getting most of the bites. The flathead and grunter have still been in good numbers towards the mouth as well. There’s also some solid queenfish chasing the bait at the mouth of the Baffle so make sure you have a popper in the boat if you want to get some super fun surface action. Don’t forget to throw the crab pots in as well – with the full moon this week the bigger tides will have them moving.
LAKE MONDURAN
Lake Monduran is definitely the standout place to fish around the Bundaberg region at the moment. With plenty of the barramundi being caught now so close to a metre, it’s getting super exciting. Fishing the wind-blown points and bays is the key. The Jackall Squirrels and Samaki Redics are getting plenty of the bites! Remember to fish with confidence and you’ll be sure to get one.
September 24, 2020
BUNDABERG INSHORE
The weather forecast for this weekend for the Bundaberg area isn’t looking the best with the wind starting to blow from Thursday onwards. It might be time to get the light gear out and hit the river systems. As always, make sure you check the latest forecast before heading out.
BURNETT RIVER
With the warmer weather here the grunter are firing, with reports of them being caught up to the 70cm mark. The 3” to 4” paddle tails and the 50mm soft vibe are the lures of choice. The flathead are starting to be caught up in the shallow water in the one to two metre depth range. The 3” to 4” paddle tails and the curly tails seem to be the pick. Little hint: the Blood Worm colour is the go! The bream are still being caught using mullet strips, chook gut and prawns. If you’re thinking about using lures, try the new Daiwa Bait Junkie range in the 2.5 inch. In the Kirby’s Wall to Strathdee’s stretch, the places to look for are the sand and gravel beds and the rock walls. Make sure to throw in the cast net because the odd prawn is still around. Mud crabs are starting to show up, so it might be a good idea to take a few pots as well.
KOLAN RIVER
The Kolan River is still seeing a good run of whiting and flathead being caught. Pumping yabbies on low tide and fishing the incoming tide on the shallow sand flats and gutters should get you a feed. Soft plastics and hard body lures are good choices as well. A good choice for both species is the 70mm MMD Splash Prawn retrieved quickly over the sand flats.
BURRUM RIVER
With the big tides there has been a few reports of some good barramundi and mangrove jack being caught by fishing hard in the snags and slow-rolling a paddle tail out of the snag. Also, don’t be afraid to use a well-presented live bait or a nice strip bait. With the warmer weather, that means warmer water temperatures and the barra and jacks both love the warm water!
R: Shane Anderson with a grunter
LAKE MONDURAN
Lake Monduran is starting to fire and with the water temperature rising, a few good fish are being caught. Hard bodies as well as soft plastics are the lures of choice. As we know, Lake Monduran can be a hard place to fish, that’s why doing your homework is the key. Wind-blown points and bays are a good place to start. Water depth also plays a big part in catching or not catching. The Jackall Squirrel and the Zerek 5” Flat Shadz are the lures of choice. Using the Flat Shad in the bays with a long cast and slow-rolling on the shallow points and flats is the key. For the Jackall Squirrel, fishing hard in the snags and twitching a few times with a long pause seems to be doing the damage.
September 17, 2020
BUNDABERG OFFSHORE
The weather for the Bundaberg area over the next few days isn’t looking best for offshore anglers. It’s time to dust off the smaller tinnies and move into the river systems. Always check your local forecast before heading out.
BURNETT RIVER
Spring is here, with the weather feeling like winter one day and summer the next. Put the crab pots in before heading out for a fish as there’s been good reports of a few crabs being caught after the rain recently. Also, good-sized prawns are being caught in the Burnett River so take yourself out and get yourself a feed. The hot spots to try are behind Millaquin and at Strathdees. There are still plenty of flathead in the river. If you’re wanting to chase them on lures, try using a 3” to 5” soft plastic; drift along until you catch a fish then drift through the same area hopping your lure off the bottom. For the bait fisherman try using a piece of mullet fillet or whole pilchards. Drifting through drop-offs and channels should pick you up a feed. A few nice sized grunter are also being caught using soft plastics or small vibe lures. If using bait, try using fresh prawns or small white bait. The odd bream is still being caught using bait such as prawns, chook gut, mullet gut and mullet strips. If you’re wanting to use lures, try using 2.5” to 4” plastics like curl tails or flick baits.
BAFFLE CREEK AND THE KOLAN RIVER
These two river systems have been fishing very well, with a lot of shallow rock bars and plenty of bait through the systems. There have been good reports of mangrove jack and barramundi starting to show up. A good flesh bait or large size mullet is the best bait. Grunter and good-sized flathead are also being caught. Pump yabbies at low tide and fish the incoming tide over the flats, and this will get you a good feed of whiting also.
LAKE MONDURAN
Barramundi in Lake Monduran can be temperamental at the best of times, so to give yourself the best chance to catch one, you need to put yourself in the right area at the right time and use the right lure. Firstly, do your homework, grab yourself a map, sit down then find the wind-blown bays and points. This is the area you want to target. Barramundi in dams will usually have a bite time and this can be around a tide change, even though dams are not tidal. The moon phase can affect the fishing and the best time to fish can be leading up to a full moon. Lure selection for catching barramundi can be the key to catching fish or going home empty handed and frustrated. Best lures to use for barra are suspending lures for either shallow or deeper water. Colour is also important for clear or dirty water. Use natural, or silver colours for clear water, and dark, bright or gold colours for dirtier water. The most important thing to have is patience. Put all these things together and the fish will eventually come.
September 10, 2020
BURNETT RIVER
Anglers who put in the effort in the Burnett have been well rewarded with some cracking estuary species caught during this past week. Now we’re into the second week of spring, more mangrove jack photos are being posted on social media. A few barra have also fired up and should only get better over the coming weeks. Bread-and-butter species like winter whiting, bream and flathead have been keeping anglers entertained. There was a good run of prawns in the usual haunts, as well as mud crabs which usually turn up in better numbers during September.
BAFFLE CREEK AND THE KOLAN RIVER
Once again, the humble flathead has been the fish of the week in both the Baffle and Kolan systems. It’s great to see so many photos coming into the Tackle World Flathead competition. A few anglers are starting to explore the upper reaches of Baffle Creek. Grunter, mangrove jack, trevally, queenfish and estuary cod are starting to fire up around the many rock bars in the Baffle. Once again, September is a prime time to target a few mud crabs in both the Baffle and Kolan, so don’t forget to throw in a few pots when you head out this weekend.
LAKE CANIA
Lake Cania is one of my personal favourite impoundments to fish at this time of the year, and with the school holidays coming up, it’s a great spot for family fishing and camping. The Australia bass can be caught in schools as well as around the edges of the lake. As the days warm up the mighty saratoga will become more active and they are a fantastic by-catch while chasing the bass. Lake Cania is currently holding at 49% water capacity so there is still plenty of water to fish and explore.
LAKE MONDURAN
Lake Monduran has really started to hit its straps during the past few weeks. Most of the team from Tackle World Bundaberg had a cracking weekend chasing barra at the lake last weekend. The amount of barra we are seeing on side-imaging is fantastic. The water level at Monduran is currently at 55% and it’s great to see some weed growing around the edges once again. Most anglers we talked to are managing to get at least a few hook-ups per session, but due to the size and condition of these fish, staying connected can be challenging. I landed a couple of barra on the weekend using the good old Jackall Squirrel. The Zerek 5” Flat Shad in the new absinthe black colour was also doing the damage.
September 3, 2020
BUNDABERG OFFSHORE
We are heading into my favourite time of year for chasing the big red emperor! Big flesh baits and live baits are definitely the key to get them. Also, the trout fishing has been pretty amazing even in the closer patches like the Fifteen Mile and the Eighteen Mile. I’ve seen plenty caught over that magic 6.5kg mark. The grass sweetlip are still chewing hard too. You can’t beat the fight they give and how tasty they are on the plate!
BUNDABERG INSHORE
The size and the numbers of grunter on all the inshore reefs has been eye opening. Plenty of these fish have been 70cm plus. I’ve found most of these fish have been caught one hour on either side of high and low tide in the slack water. Plenty are being caught on pilchards, mullet fillets and larger sized prawns. If you’re more into the lure fishing I find the 20g soft vibes and 5” soft plastics really effective. The schoolie mackerel have been chewing pretty good as well. I had a cracker session on them recently throwing Flasha spoons. Remember to always search for the clearer water while targeting mackerel.
BURNETT RIVER
With the water warming up the barramundi and mangrove jack are definitely starting to become foremost in our minds. The Town Reach has always been my favourite part of the river to chase them. One hour either side of low tide has always been the bite time for me. Using solid-sized live baits or soft vibes, and around 80mm hardbody lures will get the job done. There has still been some cracking-sized bream being caught so don’t put away your bream gear just yet!
BAFFLE CREEK AND THE KOLAN RIVER
The fish of the week for both the Baffle and Kolan systems is definitely your flathead. Some absolute rippers have been caught with pics being sent in for our flathead comp. Get the kids involved, we need some more entries from the junior category. Slow-rolling paddle tail soft plastics over sandbars where there’s signs of bait will put you in with a pretty high chance of getting a hook up with a flatty. The mangrove jack are starting to chew as well. Fishing the rock bars and mangrove roots on the out-going tide should get you into the action. Also, don’t forget to throw in the crab pots because there were some awesome quality crabs caught last weekend.
LAKE MONDURAN
Lake Monduran is starting to become super exciting. The numbers of barra we have been side-scanning up has been crazy. Most of the barra that have been caught have been 80cmplus. Finding the windblown points and bays is super important as this is where the fish will be. The Jackall Squirrels and Samaki Redics have again been the standout lures.
August 27, 2020
BUNDABERG OFFSHORE
With the weather forecast looking a bit ordinary for this weekend, it’s time to do a little bit of boat and trailer maintenance. Change those bearings and grease the trailer, fix any electrical problems on the boat and just give the boat a good tidy-up. Also, check to see if your rods and reels need any maintenance. If you can’t do it yourself, take it to your local tackle shop that offers these services and they can do it for you.
BUNDABERG INSHORE
For those fishos who don’t mind chasing a few pelagics, there have been good reports of schoolie mackerel and tuna busting up and being caught at the mouth of the Burnett River. Casting slugs and Flasha lures into the schools and then using a quick retrieve should get you a feed. If you’re wanting to troll, use small hard body lures.
BURNETT RIVER
Bring on summer!! With the cooler weather still with us for the next few weeks blue salmon, flathead, bream and whiting will be the main species. There have been good reports of flathead being caught using 3” to 5” soft plastics and bait fishermen have been using mullet strips and large prawns. The blue salmon have been caught using soft vibe lures in the Town Reach around the bridges on the incoming tide, and at Fairymead Hole mainly on the outgoing tide. Pumping yabbies on the low tide and fishing the sand flats as the tide moves in should pick you up a nice feed of whiting. Bream are starting to slow down a bit but there are still good reports of good sized fish being caught. Mullet gut, chook gut, prawns and mullet strips are just a few of the baits being used.
BAFFLE CREEK AND THE KOLAN RIVER
Good reports have been received of both Baffle Creek and the Kolan River fishing well at the moment with good trumpeter coming from both systems. Prawns and sprat have been the common baits. Flathead are also in good numbers using soft plastics drifting over the flats. Remember to cast up-current. Sinking the lure to the bottom and the using a “hop, hop” retrieve will catch you more fish. For the guys who love a good feed of whiting, pump your yabbies at low tide and get right up into the shallows waiting for the tide to come in. All the hard work will pay off in the end.
LAKE MONDURAN
With the cool westerly winds blowing on the dam over the past week, fishing has been tough. For a couple of die-hard barra anglers that love their barra fishing, there have been reports of a few 70cm to 90cm fish being caught. Once the fish have been found, then the fun starts. When trying to get that fish to bite, casting and patience is the key. Bring on summer!!
August 20, 2020
Isn’t it great that the daylight hours are starting to get longer and the temperatures are just starting to rise? This is always a magic time of the year to get out and explore what the Bundaberg region has to offer.
BUNDABERG OFFSHORE
The anglers who were lucky enough to have some time off earlier in the week and venture offshore all reported catching a quality mixed bag of reef fish including coral trout, red emperor, parrot and sweetlip. It’s exciting to see so many anglers using jigs, soft plastics and the Tiger Baku Baku jigs from Shimano with excellent results.
BURNETT RIVER
Some good reports have come in from the Burnett during this past week. Plenty of impressive flathead have been caught, measured and submitted during the Tackle World Bundaberg flathead competition this month. Winter whiting have finally showed up off Burnett Heads and are fantastic fun to target with light gear when the weather permits. Bream, grunter and blue salmon have been other popular species keeping anglers entertained this week.
BAFFLE CREEK AND THE KOLAN RIVER
Both Baffle Creek and the Kolan River systems are really fishing well. The mouths have been home to some monster queenfish and trevally. Further up the systems the flathead have been responding well to both lures and fresh baits. A few mangrove jack are starting to become aggressive and will continue to improve as we get closer to summer. There have also been some nice mud crabs caught this past week.
LAKE MONDURAN
Even though the water is crystal clear at the moment, the number of barramundi willing to smash your lures is on the improve. One technique that has been accounting for barra up to 95cm is casting 6” to 8” soft plastics over shallow flats in the late afternoon. Once again, the action should only improve over the coming months, hopefully with barra up to the magic metre mark common this summer. If you’re planning a trip to Lake Monduran, drop into Tackle World Bundaberg for an up-to-date report on this awesome fishery.
FUTURE FISHO
Check out the photo of young Hudson Schiffke, who is passionate about fishing. In conjunction with the Bundaberg Sports Fishing Club, he’s been presented with a certificate from the Australian National Sportsfishing Association (ANSA). His certificate is for a “Sub Junior Australian Record for capturing a 370mm Dart Common”. Congratulations Hudson! This is our future generation of fishos, so take a kid fishing and make their day!
August 13, 2020
BUNDABERG OFFSHORE
For the boaters who took the opportunity to get offshore from Bundaberg over the past week, there has been really good reports of red emperor, coral trout, parrot and heaps of grass sweetlip being caught out wide. This weekend looks like it’s shaping up to be another good one for those boats wanting to chase a few red fish. Remember to check your local weather forecast before heading out.
BUNDABERG INSHORE
For the smaller tinnies that want to poke their nose out the front for a fish, there have been reports of good-sized grunter on the inshore reefs such as the Two Mile and the Cochrane Artificial Reef. If you’re wanting to chase a few schoolies, try casting a slug or Flasha lure around the mouth of the Burnett. A lot of fish are on the small side, but there are plenty around.
BURNETT RIVER
The Burnett at the moment is fishing very well for bream and flathead. Using good sized baits or casting 3” to 5” soft plastics will pick you up a good feed. Blue salmon have also been a trophy fish to catch. Casting soft vibe lures has been the gun approach. Firstly, find the fish then cast up-current sinking it to the bottom and working it back to the boat with a rip-and-hop technique. For those keen bream fishermen, try anchoring in your favourite hole, berley up and bring the fish to you. Best baits are prawns, mullet, chook gut, mullet gut and white bait. If wanting to try your hand at lure fishing for them, using a lightly-weighted jig head with a 2” to 3” soft plastic cast over the flats or along the rock walls should pick up a feed, remembering to cast up-current.
BAFFLE CREEK AND THE KOLAN RIVER
Both the Baffle and the Kolan systems have been holding good numbers of flathead. Casting soft plastics around the flats in the Baffle has been producing most fish due to the abundance of weed moving in the system, preventing anglers from being able to troll. Trolling hard body lures in the Kolan has been the easiest way to get a feed of flatties. Use a lure that will bump into the bottom and you will improve your catch rate. Pumping yabbies at low tide and fishing the in-coming tide over the sand flats will get you a good feed of whiting.
LAKE MONDURAN
With the cold weather and light winds, the water in Monduran has been so clear and fishing has been tough. A few fish in the 70cm to 80cm range have been reported. Let’s hope for warmer temperatures in the coming month so we can all get back out there and hopefully get one of those metre sized fish that are in there.
August 6, 2020
OFFSHORE
The fishing offshore from Bundaberg has been red hot! With the sharks calming down people have had a chance to get the trophy fish up. Some of the sizes of the coral trout that have been caught around the Fifteen Mile area has been crazy. We are coming into my favourite time of the year for chasing red emperor. Using big baits and concentrating on the tide changes will get you the bite. Fingers crossed the weather plays the game for us this weekend! Just remember to check the local forecast before heading out.
INSHORE
The grunter have been in really good numbers over the past couple weeks. Jigging soft vibes and lightly-weighting squid to the bottom will get you into the grunter action. Early mornings and late arvos seems to be always the hot time. There has also still been some squid getting around . Looking for them in front of the lighthouse at Burnett Heads is a great place to start.
BURNETT RIVER
The Burnett River has been producing some cracker bream and flathead! The Town Reach has definitely been one of the standout areas for both of these species. Towards the mouth there has been quite a few schoolie mackerel getting around. Trolling small hardbody lures and drifting with unweighted pilchards have been the standout techniques. There has also been some good quality mud crabs being caught. With the size of the tides dropping I’d be putting your pots more so in the main channels.
BAFFLE CREEK AND THE KOLAN RIVER
Both the Baffle and the Kolan systems have been producing some tasty whiting. Fishing the morning incoming tide will be the go. With the small tides I’d be fishing more towards the mouth. There has been some cracker sized grunter as a by-catch as well. The mangrove jack are also starting to have a chew. Slowly rolling paddle-tail soft plastics over rock bars and out of the mangrove roots has been doing the trick.
LAKE MONDURAN
It’s finally the month when Monduran starts to heat up! Quite a few of us are becoming super keen to go out there again. A few anglers have been heading there and are already catching some very nice barra. Jackal Squirrels and Samaki Redic lures have been getting most of the bites. Remember to fish the windblown points, and fish with confidence.
SNAPPER AND PEARL PERCH SEASONAL CLOSURE
The Qld seasonal closure for snapper and pearl perch came into effect from 12:01am on 15 July and will run until 11:59pm on 15 August. During this time snapper and pearl perch are “no-take” species to protect them during spawning and to help rebuild stocks.
July 30, 2020
BUNDABERG OFFSHORE
Once again there might be some small windows of opportunity to get out and wet a line off Bundaberg this weekend. The few boats that headed out last weekend, although it was a little rougher than the forecast, managed to land plenty of impressive reef fish, including coral trout, green job fish, red emperor, grass sweetlip and parrot. Let’s hope the forecast comes good this weekend. As always, check the latest forecast prior to heading out.
BURNETT RIVER
The Burnett is still producing plenty of quality estuary fish with flathead, bream and grunter being the three most talked-about species. The river mouth is fishing very well with plenty of winter whiting just offshore from the Burnett Heads Lighthouse. Small school mackerel have been in good numbers all along the coastline, and some cracking bream over 40cm along the North Wall. There is still a few blue salmon hanging around Rubyanna and the Fairymead Bend with 30gr Samaki Vibes the key to success on the salmon. The Town Reach has seen a few three-tooth jew schooled up and they are awesome fish to catch on light gear. Up towards Splitters Creek some nice flathead and summer whiting have fired up and should only improve this weekend with the full moon on Tuesday next week.
BAFFLE CREEK AND THE KOLAN RIVER
Baffle Creek and the Kolan River have also been firing with good reports of flathead, grunter, bream, whiting and queenfish being caught. Using yabbies, beach worms and small prawns has been the most effective way to catch the bream, grunter and whiting. Casting poppers and stick baits at the river mouths for queenfish and small GTs is always exciting.
ELLIOTT RIVER
With the full moon early next week, this weekend should be prime time to target some summer whiting with yabbies and beach worms in the shallows. A few nice mangrove jack are just starting to fire up around Shark’s Nest and this will only improve over the next few months.
LAKE MONDURAN
As most keen barra fishermen know, three or four days before the full moon is the ideal time to target these awesome sports fish. Even though the water temperatures are low, plenty of barra between 60cm and 95cm have been willing to play the game. Stand-out lures include the Lucky Craft Pointers and the new Samaki Redic range, which have both been kicking a few goals.
SNAPPER AND PEARL PERCH SEASONAL CLOSURE
The Queensland seasonal closure for snapper and pearl perch came into effect from 12.01am on the 15th July and will run until 11.59pm on 15th of August. During this time the snapper and pearl perch are “no-take” species to protect the fish during spawning and to help rebuild stocks. More information can be found on the Dept Agriculture and Fisheries website.
July 23, 2020
BUNDABERG OFFSHORE
For those who didn’t manage to get out over the last weekend certainly missed out – with the weather being so good the smaller boats had a chance to head a bit further offshore. There were reports of red emperor, coral trout, red throat sweetlip and parrot being common catches. The weather around the Bundaberg area for this weekend is looking average, so if you are wanting to get out, check the latest local weather forecast before heading out.
BUNDABERG INSHORE
For those with smaller boats wanting to fish the inshore reefs, good reports of grunter and grassy sweetlip have been common. While fishing the bottom, have a floating pilchard out the back for any mackerel cruising through. Also, have a metal slug or Flasha lure ready and waiting for any schoolie mackerel in the area. Just a reminder for any snapper that are caught – they need to be released immediately with the current snapper closure being in effect until the 15th of August.
BURNETT RIVER
The Burnett River is fishing well for bream and good sized flathead. Popular baits for catching both of these species are prawns, sprat, mullet strips and chook gut. If you’re wanting to have a go with lures try using a 2” to 4” curl-tail soft plastic. Drifting with the current, casting up-current and using a hop-and-lift off the bottom should get you a feed of both flathead and bream. Before going for a fish throw the crab pots in as there has been a few caught recently. Also, if you are around the mouth of the Burnett, try casting a slug or Flasha lure out as there has been schoolie mackerel caught regularly.
BAFFLE CREEK AND THE KOLAN RIVER
There have been good reports of good sized flathead being caught in the Baffle using soft plastics around the flats and drop-offs. The plastics have been working better as there has been plenty of weed. This makes the trolling of hard body lures unsuccessful as they get caught up in the weed.. Pumping yabbies and fishing the flats on the in-coming tide has been producing a good feed in both the Baffle and the Kolan systems.
LAKE MONDURAN
With the winter temperatures still below twenty degrees, this dam just keeps on producing the barra. Fishing wind-blown points and spindly timber areas to where the wind consistently blows, or the backs of bays into which the warmer water is pushed have been the areas to fish. Afternoon has also been the best time to fish as the water warms up through the middle of the day. Cast any type of suspending lure like a B52, Jackall Squirrel or Lucky Craft, and leaving it sit for ten to twenty seconds. If there are any fish in the area this technique should pick up a fish or two.
July 16, 2020
BUNDABERG OFFSHORE
Lately, the fishing off Bundaberg and 1770 has been awesome! Plenty of trophy-sized coral trout and red emperor has been caught. Using pilchards and live baits will get you into some tasty trout, and big flesh baits will get you some red emperor action. Remember to fish the tide change, as that one hour on the tide change can definitely change your day. There has also been plenty of pelagics offshore. Even a few small marlin have been caught on most of the popular fishing grounds off Bundaberg.
BUNDABERG INSHORE
The inshore reefs have been producing some cracking grunter and grassy sweetlip. Most of these fish are being caught early in the mornings and late afternoons. There has been also some nice sized squid around. The shallows off Elliott Heads seems to be the hottest spot for these.
BURNETT RIVER
The mouth of the Burnett River has been alive with plenty of schoolie mackerel and tuna over the past week. Trolling hardbody lures and fast-retrieving metal slugs around the bait will get you into some action. Stick with around 60lb leader while chasing the schoolies. Stay away from the wire and your catch rate will increase crazily. There has also been some cracking bream being caught and most of them are being caught on small soft plastics and small vibes. Also, don’t forget to drop the crab pots in – the new moon tides will get those crabs moving.
BAFFLE CREEK AND THE KOLAN RIVER
Both the Baffle and the Kolan systems have been producing some ripper flathead and whiting. The flathead have been loving slow-rolled paddle-tail soft plastic over super-shallow sandbars. Pumping yabbies at low tide and fishing the incoming afternoon tide will get you into a nice feed of whiting. Again, don’t forget to throw the crab pots in. The three metre tides will get them moving.
LAKE MONDURAN
Lake Monduran is still fishing well considering how cool this weather is. Quite a few barra have been caught, measuring up into the 90cm range and they are tanks! The shallow windblown points have been where all the barra action has been. The new Samaki Redic lures have been getting the bite for most anglers.
SNAPPER AND PEARL PERCH SEASONAL CLOSURE
The Queensland seasonal closure for snapper and pearl perch came into effect from 12.01am on the 15th July and will run until 11.59pm on 15th of August. During this time the snapper and pearl perch will be “no-take” species to protect the fish during spawning and to help rebuild stocks. More information can be found on the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries website at https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries/sustainable/sustainable-fisheries-strategy/fisheries-reforms
July 9, 2020
BUNDABERG OFFSHORE
At this stage the offshore forecast for the Bundaberg area is looking fantastic for this weekend. Plenty of big boats ventured out offshore in the first week of the school holidays between Burnett Heads and 1770. Plenty of coral trout, red emperor, red throat emperor, grass sweetlip and hussar have been on the chew around the offshore reefs. The Barjon and Althea are both holding plenty of baitfish, spanish mackerel and cobia. If you reach the bottom, there is a fair chance of hooking a grass sweetlip, nannygai or a snapper.
BURNETT RIVER
The Burnett River has continued to fish well. At this time of the year flathead are one of the most common captures around the sand bars and rock walls. The bream fishing is starting to improve with some crackers caught recently. Some nice summer whiting were also on the chew with the big tides around the full moon last week.
BAFFLE CREEK AND THE KOLAN RIVER
There have been some excellent reports of big grunter up to 70cm caught recently in both the Kolan and the Baffle systems, as well as plenty of monster flathead, jobfish, bream and whiting to keep everyone entertained.
LAKE CANIA
Lake Cania is always a popular destination during the school holidays and the good news is that plenty of Australia bass have been caught. Once the bass have been located with your sounder, they have been responding well to casting soft plastics, blades, tail-spinners and the Gang Banger G2 spoons which have all been working well. Even though the temperature is a bit cold at this time of the year, the fishing can still really turn it on.
LAKE MONDURAN
This barra fishery continues to produce the goods even in winter. Most of the barra caught last week were in the afternoon with some anglers landing up to five or six fish per session. The new Samaki Redic hard body lures have been accounting for plenty of Monduran barra. Let’s hope this continues and by the end of the year Lake Monduran will be the place to come to land your metre barra.
SNAPPER AND PEARL PERCH SEASONAL CLOSURE
The seasonal closure in Queensland for snapper and pearl perch will come into effect from 12.01am on the 15th July and will run until 11.59pm on 15th of August. During this time the snapper and pearl perch will be “no-take” species to protect the fish during spawning and to help rebuild stocks. More information can be found on the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries website.
July 2, 2020
BUNDABERG OFFSHORE
With the weather around the Bundaberg area being a bit up and down over the past week, Saturday is looking like the best day for the weekend. There have been good reports of fish with red emperor, coral trout and grass sweetlip being the best catches. As always, make sure to check the latest weather report before heading out.
BUNDABERG INSHORE
For the smaller boats that want to get out the front, there are reports of schoolie mackerel being all along the coast. Casting Flasha lures with a quick retrieve is getting the most rewards. Snapper and large size grunter have been caught on the inshore reefs and using squid or pilchards will certainly get you a feed. If you’re wanting to cast a lure, the Samaki Vibe and 5” Flick Bait have been the most popular. The winter whiting have finally started schooling at the mouth of the Burnett River and at Burrum Heads. If you want to get a good feed of the best eating fish in the ocean, try your luck in these areas.
BURNETT RIVER
With the temperatures starting to get cooler, the blue salmon and bream are starting to move further up the Burnett ready to spawn. There are good reports of blue salmon being caught through the Town Reach and around the bridges. Casting soft vibes and blades has been picking up most fish. The bream in the river are only going to get bigger and fatter with fish roeing up and ready to feed. Mullet gut, chook gut, prawns, mullet strips and bonito are just a few baits that bream like. If you’re wanting to cast a lure, the 3” to 4” curl-tail soft plastic is a favourite.
BAFFLE CREEK AND THE KOLAN RIVER
The Baffle and the Kolan are two systems that are producing quality flathead and good sized whiting. Using larger baits like whole sprat, white bait or hardy heads has been producing the larger fish. If wanting to cast a lure the 3” to 5” soft plastics have been a good option. Using fresh prawns, yabbies and beach worms on the incoming tides over the sand flats should get you a feed of large whiting.
LAKE GREGORY
With the water level dropping and the pressure of fishing, the fish have been a little scattered. Once you find a school, cast out over the top and let it sink to the bottom then slow retrieve back to the boat. This should pick you up a few fish. Soft plastics and Jackall TN60s have been the stand-out lures.
LAKE MONDURAN
With the weather being as cold and windy as it has been, Lake Monduran is still producing good sized barra with three fish at a metre each being caught over the past two weeks. Find those key areas to fish, like wind-blown points and the back of bays. Suspending lures like the B52s, Jackall Squirrels and RMGF Scorpions are a few lures that have been doing the damage.
June 25, 2020
BUNDABERG INSHORE
Some cracking snapper and grunter have been caught around the Bundaberg area over the past week. The Four Mile Reef and the Cochrane Artificial Reef off Elliot Heads have been the hot spots. Drifting over the top and the edges of the Four Mile working soft plastics and soft vibes will get you into the action. At the Cochrane Artificial anchoring or spot-locking is the go. I find using burley pellets will improve your catches there at times. Also there has been some winter whiting getting around. In front of the lighthouse off Burnett Heads is where it’s at. Using Gulp Worm soft plastic beach worms always gets the bite!
BURNETT RIVER
Plenty of blue salmon, bream and grunter have been caught in the Burnett over the past week. Fishing the last two hours of the out-going tide has been the go. The Town Reach has definitely been the hotspot. From live-baiting to throwing all sizes of soft plastics and soft vibes – it’s all been working well. With the smaller tides again this weekend having a throw with the cast net for a few prawns is definitely not a bad idea.
BAFFLE CREEK AND THE KOLAN RIVER
The Kolan River and Baffle Creek have been producing some very nice whiting and flathead. Some of the whiting have been in the 40cm+ range. Fishing the incoming tide over shallow yabbie bars will get you the bite. Using fresh yabbies and beach worms with a size 6 long shank hook is the go. The flathead have been loving small paddle-tail soft plastics being slow-retrieved over sand bars . If you’re more into bait fishing the trusty old sprat will get you onto some flatty action. Don’t forget to throw the crab pots in because there was some ripper crabs caught last weekend.
LAKE MONDURAN
Lake Monduran has still been producing some solid barra. There has been plenty caught in the mid 80cm range. Most of the barra bites have been in the shallows on the wind-blown points. Mid to late afternoon has been the hot bite time. Jackal Squirrel hardbodies and your paddle-tail soft plastics have been doing the trick.
June 18, 2020
BUNDABERG INSHORE
With the weather around the Bundaberg area looking a bit up and down over the past week, Sunday is looking to be the best day on the weekend to poke your nose out the front to have a fish. There have been plenty of schoolie mackerel along the coast. Try trolling smaller hard bodies or casting smaller chrome slugs once you find the fish. The Cochrane Artificial Reef is also fishing well with a few snapper and grunter being caught. For those who want to have a go at lure fishing for them, cast out a 20g vibe and hop it back through the water column. Remember to check the latest weather forecast before heading out as it can change very quickly.
BURNETT RIVER
As the weather cools over the next month, more and more bream and blue salmon will school in the upper reaches of the Burnett River. If you’re targeting these species with bait, try using prawns and mullet. If using lures for salmon use 20g to 30g vibes hopped through the school. When targeting bream on lures, a favourite of mine is a 3” or 4” curly-tail soft plastic. Also, small crank-baits pulled down along the rock walls will catch a few fish. The prawns are still in the river, and the bottom of the tide has been the best time to throw a net for these. Put the crab pots in before you go fishing as there are still a few crabs around.
BAFFLE CREEK AND THE KOLAN RIVER
Both the Baffle and the Kolan have been fishing well for flathead, bream and whiting. With the water temperatures dropping, only a handful of mangrove jack have been reported. When targeting mangrove jack, try the rock bars in shallow water as this is where the water may be a few degrees warmer. When bait fishing try live sprat, mullet fillets, or fresh prawns. If lure fishing in these areas the 3” and 4” Z-Man Diesel Minnow rigged weedless will be a good option.
LAKE GREGORY
This little dam is fishing very well at the moment. At this time of the year the fish school in the main basin and chew their heads off, with 20 to 50 fish being caught in a session. Casting out soft plastics, blades or even slugs you would use for tuna has been catching the most fish. The retrieval you need is to cast out over the school and let it sink to the bottom, then use either slow-roll back to the boat or a hop-and-wind retrieve. This should put plenty of fish in the boat. This time of the year is a great time to take the family out to learn how to use lures or to just enjoy catching fish.
LAKE MONDURAN
With the cooler weather coming in, the water temperature in Lake Monduran has definitely dropped, and in saying that, it can put some anglers off. However, for the mad keen barra fishermen putting in the time and effort, they are rewarded with good catches. The secret in the winter time is that afternoon sessions are usually better than mornings, because as the day goes on the sun has a chance to heat the water. Even if it is one or two degrees, that can make a big difference. Wind-blown shallow points and bays are key areas to cast a lure, as the wind pushes the warmer water into these areas which in turn make the barra feel more comfortable. Casting Jackall Squirrels, B52s and other suspending lures into these areas with a longer pause of up to 20 seconds can make a difference in your catch rate. Barra still need to feed. Maybe a little slower and not as much, but they still feed.
June 11, 2020
BUNDABERG INSHORE
The inshore reefs out from Bundaberg have been producing some cracking grunter and snapper. Some of the grunter have been 70cm plus. My favourite way to chase both of these fish is by working Samaki 20g vibes all through the water column. Looking at your sounder and finding the bait will put you in the right spot. Remember, you don’t need much structure for both these species. I find fishing where the bait is will get you the bite, rather than fishing on heavy structure. Also, don’t forget to throw the squid jigs in. There are quite a few starting to show up on our coastline.
BURNETT RIVER
The bream and blue salmon have been the talk of the river over the past week. Most of the bream have been caught in the upper reaches. Fishing the rock bars with lightly weighted baits and soft plastics has been doing the trick for the bream. Most of the salmon have been caught in the town reach on 20g and 30g soft vibes. Try to target them on the bottom of the tide and remember to keep mixing up your retrievers. The prawns are still around as well. With the small tides again this weekend it will be well worth having a throw for them.
BAFFLE CREEK AND THE KOLAN RIVER
Baffle Creek and the Kolan River have been producing some ripper flathead, bream, whiting and the odd late season mangrove jack. The flathead have been loving small paddle-tail soft plastics being slowly worked over shallow sand bars. The whiting have been towards the mouth biting on yabbies on the incoming tide and the bream have been mostly caught on the shallow rock bars. The jacks have been caught in the upper reaches mostly with the Lucky Craft Pointer and live baits. Also, there has been some good quality mud crabs being caught. With the small tides this weekend I’d be running the pots near the main river channels.
LAKE MONDURAN
Lake Monduran has still been fishing pretty well. With the cooler weather I’d definitely be focusing on the afternoon bite. After the sun warming the water up all day, the shallows in the afternoons have been where it’s at. Working Jackal Squirrels with aggressive twitches with long pauses has been getting the bite. Remember to fish the windblown points and bays.
June 5, 2020
How good is it that there are now no travel restrictions within Queensland, and Queenslanders are free to explore just what the Sunshine State has to offer! It is also awesome to see that most camp grounds are back up and running a little earlier than expected.
BUNDABERG OFFSHORE
With the Bundaberg Show holiday last Thursday, and the weather being amazing, it seemed like everyone with a bigger boat was out on the water. By all reports the reef fish were on the chew and everyone caught close to their limit. I know the guys on Truansea Charters had a cracking day on Monday, landing plenty of coral trout, grass sweetlip, parrot and spangled emperor. Let’s hope it won’t be too long before the weather comes good again so we can get out and explore the deep blue.
BUNDABERG INSHORE
Some local gun anglers have been testing their gear on plenty of cracking grunter that seem to be around in good numbers on the inshore reefs off Bundaberg. These switched-on anglers have been using 20g Samaki Vibes fished close to the bottom with great success. There has also been a few school mackerel and tuna inhabiting most of the popular close way-points off Bundaberg.
BURNETT RIVER
Anyone who has been on the Burnett River in the past week or so will know that the prawns have been on! Any decent sounder can be used to identify prawns on the bottom. Prawning cast nets in either 10ft or 12ft with a chain bottom and top pocket are ideal for prawning in deeper water. With all the bait in the river, species like bream, blue salmon and flathead become a more common capture during the winter months. Winter whiting are also just starting to show up out the front. The whiting can’t resist Gulp Sandworm soft plastics, cut into inch pieces and fished like bait on the bottom.
LAKE MONDURAN
Even though we are now into winter, the barramundi in Lake Monduran still have to feed. We’re finding that afternoon sessions have been way better. Casting Jackall Squirrels and the new Samaki Redic DS 80 has been accounting for plenty of barra between 70-90cm. As I mentioned, it’s important to support the local camp grounds, so let’s hope the back half of 2020 will be better than the first.
COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS IN QUEENSLAND
The Queensland Government health directions from 1st June 2020 states Queenslanders are permitted unlimited travel and overnight stays within Queensland only. Gatherings of up to 20 people are permitted for indoor and outdoor non-contact activity. A reminder to abide by the social distancing regulations and practise good hygiene. For further information, visit: https://www.covid19.qld.gov.au/government-actions/roadmap-to-easing-queenslands-restrictions which will show Queensland’s Roadmap to the easing of the COVID-19 up until July. These restrictions may change at short notice if there is an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases.
May 27, 2020
BUNDABERG OFFSHORE
With the weather around the Bundaberg area being good for the previous few days, reports of good fish have been coming aboard with coral trout, red emperor and grass sweetlip being just a few of the reef species being caught. Also, a few Spanish mackerel are around, so get a floating pilchard out the back for any cruising fish coming through. Before heading out, always check the latest weather forecast as it can change in a heartbeat.
BUNDABERG INSHORE
As the weather starts to cool there have been good reports of nice size snapper being caught off the close inshore reefs. For those smaller boats wanting to get out and about, there have been good reports of pelagic species like tuna and mackerel being caught using metal slugs and Flasha spoons. If you’re wanting to chase a Spanish mackerel, troll a dead bait like bonito or gar. If wanting to troll a hard body, use a larger lure like a Halco or Samaki Pacemaker. Remember, to find the bait, find the fish.
BURNETT RIVER
There have been good reports of blue salmon turning up in the river as the weather cools. Casting soft vibes has mainly been producing the goods with sprat and prawns being the productive bait. Putting in the time on these fish is a must as they may come on the bite for half an hour to an hour and then move on. As water temperatures start to cool the larger bream will move up the river ready to spawn and they will become more prolific and ready to feed on baits like prawns, chook gut, mullet fillets and chicken breast, just to name a few. For anyone wanting to chase them on lures, a light outfit of a 2kg to 5kg rod with a 2500 size reel with about 6lb braid and 10lb to 15lb leader will do the job. With so many lures of choice, one of my favourites would be a 3” to 4” curl tail soft plastic, and also small crank lures around the rock bars. When fishing for flathead, use the same outfit, move out a little wider and fish off the bottom. This should pick up a good feed of flatties. Before heading out, put the crab pots in as there are still a few mud crabs about.
LAKE GREGORY
For those who don’t mind a bit of fresh water lure fishing, Lake Gregory (Isis Balancing Storage) is going off! During the winter time, the bass school in the main basin and it’s just a matter of casting over the school with a soft plastic or blade, hopping or low-rolling the lure back to the boat. This will catch you a few fish. There have been good reports over the past few weeks with 30 to 40 fish in a session being the norm.
LAKE MONDURAN
With the travel restrictions lifted over the past couple of weeks, a few mad keen anglers have been heading up to Lake Monduran to hook into a few barra. Fishing the wind-blown points has been the key to success. Casting Jackall Squirrel lures when the fish are up higher in the water column, or soft vibe lures and heavier soft plastics rolled and hopped along the bottom has been producing the most fish.
REAL DEALS PROGRAM
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May 21, 2020
BUNDABERG INSHORE
The inshore reefs are starting to produce some really nice snapper. I’ve heard reports of a few being caught over 80cm. My favourite bite time for them is at very first light. Working Samaki vibes through the bait always gets the bite for me. Also, slowly sinking pilchards and squid down will get you some live action. Remember, the snapper don’t just sit on the bottom all the time, I’ve caught most of my snapper higher up in the water column. The spanish mackerel and tuna are still around as well. Fingers crossed the south-westerly winds will let us get out early in the mornings this weekend.
BURNETT RIVER
The Burnett has been fishing and prawning red hot this week! Some cracker sized blue salmon and grunter have been caught as well. The grunter have been taking a liking to Gulp soft plastic’s and live sprat. The bluey’s have been smacking the 20g and 30g vibes being worked back to the boat on the bottom of the tide. The prawns have been plentiful as well. They have been mostly caught in the deeper holes in the system at dead low tide. Don’t forget to throw the crab pots in as well as the new moon tides will get the crabs moving this weekend.
BAFFLE CREEK & THE KOLAN RIVER
The Baffle and the Kolan have been producing some really nice whiting and bream. Fishing the late afternoon incoming tide with beach worms or fresh yabbies will get you a good feed of whiting. As it gets dark, I like to move right up on the sand bar and fish super shallow. The bream have been smashing small soft plastic’s and small prawns at high tide right on top of the rock bars. The crabs and prawns have been plentiful as well so don’t forget to throw the crab pots and cast net in.
LAKE MONDURAN
There’s been some nice barra being caught over the last couple of weeks. Most of the barra that have been caught have been over 80cm. They are mostly getting caught in the shallows on Jackall Squirrels and larger sized paddle tail soft plastics. Remember to fish the wind-blown points and keep an eye on your side scan for barra cruising past and the changes in the water temperature.
R: Ashton Anderson with a bass caught at Lake Gregory last weekend.
May 14, 2020
It was good to see a few people finally able to get out and about in the Bundaberg area, making the most of the magic conditions for Mother’s Day last weekend.
BUNDABERG OFFSHORE
With last Sunday by far the better day to head offshore, most of the local boat ramps were busy. The fishing was red hot with most boats reporting captures of coral trout, grass sweetlip, red emperor, parrot and some big hussar. Unfortunately sharks were an issue again with lots of quality fish taken. Let’s hope this winter we get a few more chances to fish offshore than we did last year.
BUNDABERG INSHORE
All the inshore reefs were popular last weekend. With the amount of bait on the reefs, pelagic species like mackerel and tuna were around in big numbers. The snapper have been scarce but some big grunter and grass sweetlip made their way into the ice-boxes last weekend. The first signs of winter whiting are showing up along the coastline with the cooler weather, along with a few nice squid.
BURNETT RIVER
As the water temperature starts to cool down species like bream, flathead and blue salmon start to fire up through-out the Burnett River. Flathead haven’t been too fussy, willing to take any well-presented bait or soft plastic. Some big blue salmon have been testing anglers’ skills with soft vibes between 20-30gr ideal for targeting these awesome sports fish. The bream numbers are also increasing along most of Bundaberg’s popular rock walls. Strips of mullet or fresh river prawns have been doing the damage this past week.
LAKE GREGORY
During the travel restrictions, this awesome little impoundment has been an excellent option for a day trip for Bundaberg residents. Australian bass and saratoga have been on fire, willing to bite on a wide range of lures. Bassman Spinnerbaits are still among my favourite lures for targeting both species at this time of the year at Lake Gregory.
LAKE MONDURAN
With recreational travel restrictions being raised to 150klms within your region, a day-trip to Lake Monduran will be within range for most people in the Burnett area. Some of the Gin Gin locals have been having up to ten-fish sessions, with barramundi up to 95cm starting to become a handful to land. Castaic 5” and 7” soft plastics rigged on half-ounce jigheads have been doing the job on the bigger barra in the slightly deeper water. Let’s hope we can get in another good month or so of good fishing before winter sets in.
COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS IN QUEENSLAND
The Queensland Government health directions from 15th May 2020 states Queenslanders are permitted to leave their homes (principal place of residence) for recreation within a 150km radius – for day-trips only. Gatherings of up to 10 people are permitted for outdoor non-contact activity. A reminder to abide by the social distancing regulations and practise good hygiene. For further information, visit: https://www.covid19.qld.gov.au/government-actions/roadmap-to-easing-queenslands-restrictions which will show Queensland’s Roadmap to the easing of the COVID-19 up until July. These restrictions may change at short notice if there is an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases.
May 7, 2020
BUNDABERG OFFSHORE
The offshore fishing out from Bundaberg has been red hot over the past few weeks. The captures of coral trout and grass sweetlip have been impressive! Most of the sweetlip are being caught on mullet fillets, and the trout are chewing on pilchards. Remember to sit on your favourite spots on the change of tide. There has also been plenty of spanish mackerel being caught. Floating gar out the back while your bottom bashing will be well worth it. Fingers crossed the weather plays the game for this weekend. Remember to always check the latest forecast before heading out.
BUNDABERG INSHORE
The inshore reefs have been firing lately. With all the bait getting around, the pelagics have been turning it on! This cooler weather will get the snapper on the scene as well. Throwing 20g soft vibes and 5” soft plastics will always get you good results. The size of the grunter that are being caught in the late evening into the night has been crazy. Most of them have been caught on lightly-weighted squid and prawns. There has been some nice squid getting around as well so don’t forget the squid jigs!
BURNETT RIVER
With the cooler weather turning up, the bream have started to show up in good numbers. I’ve heard of some rippers being caught on the rock bars on Zman Grubz. There has also been some cracker blue salmon starting to turn up. These are super exciting fish to target on light spin gear. Using prawn imitation plastics and vibes is the way to go to catch them. Don’t forget to throw the crab pots in because we’ve got big full moon tides this week.
KOLAN RIVER AND BAFFLE CREEK
The Kolan River and Baffle Creek have been producing both whiting and mud crabs. For the whiting, fishing the morning incoming tide will be the go. Fresh yabbies and beach worms are the deadly baits for them. The quality of the mud crabs is getting better. Keep in mind the night tides this weekend are way bigger than the day tides. Don’t forget to throw some paddle tail soft plastics into the snags because there is still some cracking mangrove jack being caught.
April 28, 2020
BURNETT RIVER
For those fishing the Burnett who want to spend the day out, put in the crab pots first as there have been reports of good-sized chocolate bucks coming in.
With the weather starting to cool down, the mangrove jacks will start to slow as the water cools, but if you want to keep chasing them and are using lures, get into the shallows or rocky areas where the water is warmer. When bait fishing, try using live bait such as sprat or prawns.
There have been good reports of a few good-sized grunter being caught with a lot of little ones in between. Keep persevering until that big one comes along.
With the cooler weather upon us, it’s time to get the bream gear out as the bigger fish will eventually start moving through the river system to spawn. There are plenty of baits to use when fishing for this species, such as mullet, prawns, sprat, mullet gut, chook gut and chicken breast to name a few. When chasing bream, it’s a good idea to bring the fish to you and have a light berley mist in the water.
With the big flathead coming into the river to spawn, now is the time to get out and flick a lure around. For those who haven’t used a lure before and want to give it a go, flathead would be one of the easiest fish to learn on and catch. The gear you need to get is a graphite rod around the 2-4kg or 3-6kg, a 1000 or 2500 size reel, spooled with 6lb to 10lb braid and 8lb to 16lb leader on the end for abrasion resistance against rub-offs. The type of lure to use can range from different lengths and colours. One of my favourites would be a 4” Curl Tail Grub in the Bloodworm colour. The techniques to use for catching flathead is the basic “hop and drop”. The best tide to target flathead in my opinion is the run-out tide as the flathead will move into positions to ambush bait as it is coming off the shallow flats or creek mouths. It’s up to the angler to find these areas by drifting around to find any good drop-off that goes into the deeper water. When casting your lure, make sure you have a heavy enough jig head on your plastic to get you to the bottom because that’s where the flathead live. You do not want to go too heavy as this will make your lure look very unnatural. The size to use will range from 1/4oz to 1/2 oz jig heads, depending on depth of water and the run in the current at the time. When casting your lure, cast as far as you can up-current, hopefully with the wind at your back. When the lure hits the water let it sink to the bottom. You will know it’s on the bottom when your braid goes slack and relaxes. Then start your retrieve by giving the rod tip two sharp flicks upwards and then allow it to fall to the bottom again. When sinking your lure back to the bottom it is important to keep in contact with your lure as this is when the fish will come from underneath and take the lure, thinking it’s a dying baitfish or prawn. It is up to you to make it look that way. Once you hook that first fish your confidence will grow and then you can find new areas to put this technique into practice. The important thing is to keep on casting.
March 24, 2020
BUNDABERG INSHORE
The inshore reefs have been firing the past week! The numbers of 1m+ queenfish at the four mile and the artificial reef off Elliott Heads has been crazy! I found if they are hanging around the bottom, 20g Samaki Vibes were perfect to get the bite. If you see them up towards the surface, throwing Halco Rooster Poppers is as exciting as a hit can get. There’s also been plenty of school mackerel being caught. Fast retrieving flasher spoons and sinking lightly weighted pilchards will get you a good bag. Fingers crossed the weather will play the game. As always, check the forecast before heading out.
THE BURNETT RIVER
The Burnett has been fishing really well. The amount of flathead that’s been caught has been awesome. I’ve heard of a few anglers catching over ten in a session! Jigging Gulp soft plastics over sand bars and the edges of rock bars has been the go-to places. The prawns have also turned up. Most of the deeper holes throughout the river has been the best spots. The best time to target them is one hour each side of the low tide. Don’t forget to throw the crab pots in because there’s been plenty of nice muddy’s on the move!
THE KOLAN RIVER AND BAFFLE CREEK
These two systems produced some cracking sized mangrove jack last weekend! Most these fish are being caught over shallow rock bars with either paddle tail soft plastics or live baiting with poddy mullet. The whiting has also been in awesome numbers! With low tide early in the mornings, it’s a perfect time to pump yabbies at first light and fish that incoming tide. Nothing beats a fresh feed of whiting! Also, the crabs have been plentiful in both these systems too. With the smaller tides, I’d be crabbing more around the main channels this weekend.
LAKE MONDURAN
Lake Monduran has still been producing the barra! The barra seem to be heading back up in the shallower water with the water temp dropping. Working the shallow timber edges will be well worth a go. Jackall Squirrels has again been a standout lure to use. That early morning bite has again been the standout bite time. Remember to fish the wind-blown points.
March 19, 2020
BUNDABERG INSHORE
The inshore reefs around the Bundaberg area should be firing this weekend. With all the bait around, fishing in close this time of year is super-exciting. The queenfish and spanish mackerel have been in full swing. Fast-retrieving Flasha spoons vertically off the bottom and throwing poppers on the surface are super-exciting and effective ways to catch them. There’s also been some cracker snapper being caught early in the mornings. Jigging 5” soft plastics off the bottom and slow-sinking pilchards and mullet fillets will get you the bite. Let’s just hope the forecast plays the game! As always, check the forecast before heading out.
THE BURNETT RIVER
The Burnett River has been producing some cracker grunter and flathead. Most of these fish are being caught on Gulp soft plastics in all sizes. They have been hanging out on the scattered rock bars and gravel beds. There’s also been some cracker whiting caught, up to the 40cm models. Pumping yabbies at low tide and fishing the incoming tide in the upper reaches should get you a very tasty feed. I usually use 8lb leader and size 6 long shank hooks to target them. With the new moon tides this weekend the crabs should be on the move as well. There has been some great catches over the past couple weeks.
THE KOLAN RIVER AND BAFFLE CREEK
Over past week, in both the Kolan and the Baffle systems there has been some cracker mangrove jack caught. Most of these fish are being taken on Lucky Craft Pointers and on live baits on the shallow rock bars. The whiting, bream and flathead have also been in good numbers. Baits and soft plastics have both been getting the good results. It will be well worth putting the crab pots in this weekend. I’d be putting them up the back of the drains with the big tides. Don’t forget to keep the cast net handy because there’s been some rumours of some nice prawns getting around.
LAKE MONDURAN
With the weather starting to cool down slightly, the barra fishing at Lake Monduran is starting to fire up again. Some anglers are starting to catch over five barra per session. Fishing the heavy timbers early in the mornings in around 15ft of water with Jackall Squirrels should get you into some live action. Also remember to always fish the windblown points and fish with confidence.
M: Pierce Jeffrey and Mitch Bayer with the mud crabs they caught last weekend.
R: Rodger Cowell with 2 nice red emperor he caught off Burnett Heads recently.
March 12, 2020
This weekend, it looks like fishing will be restricted to the local Bundaberg estuaries and impoundments due to the wind that has been generated from the low pressure system that has slipped down the Queensland coast during the week. Remember, if you plan on going fishing, always check the latest weather forecast before heading out as conditions can change very quickly.
THE BURNETT RIVER
It is great to see the Burnett River starting to clean up and plenty of fish on the chew. Good numbers of flathead have been caught between Rubyanna and the mouth of the Burnett, with the Berkley Powerbait 4” Nemesis accounting for heaps of nice flatties. Estuary cod up to 60cm are still along the North Wall, so make sure your gear is up to scratch so they don’t bust you off. There are heaps of under-sized trumpeter in the Burnett at the moment but anglers putting in the effort have been rewarded with a few crackers over 50cm.
THE KOLAN RIVER AND BAFFLE CREEK
Both the Kolan and the Baffle have been crabbing very well over the past week with the bigger tides. Some massive whiting were caught on yabbies and beach worms on the shallow sand bars towards the mouth of both systems as well. Mangrove jack have slowed a bit but should improve as the Kolan and Baffle both clean up.
R: Monduran Anglers and Stocking Association member, Kevin Charteris releasing fingerlings into Lake Monduran.
LAKE GREGORY
If you’re keen for some surface action, the Isis Impoundment (Lake Gregory) has been producing some quality bass and saratoga early morning. Once the sun rises you can target the weed edges with Spinnerbaits. Some nice bass have also been caught on small blades and soft plastics in the main basin. This small impoundment is an excellent place to refine your skills and to try different techniques.
LAKE MONDURAN
Last Friday, the Monduran Anglers and Stocking Association released another 73,000 barramundi fingerlings into Lake Monduran. Most of the boats were fitted with oxygen bottles to keep the baby barra healthy and run them a lot further up this fantastic impoundment. March, April and May are my favourite months to fish Lake Monduran and with the average size of the barra being caught better than 80-100cm, it promises to be an exciting next couple of months. For the latest information on Lake Monduran drop in store or give me a call at Tackle World Bundaberg.
March 5, 2020
BUNDABERG INSHORE
With the amount of rain we’ve had around the Bundaberg area over the past month, things are starting to settle down and fishing the inshore has really improved. There has been plenty of bait around the inshore reefs which, in turn has sent the pelagics into a feeding frenzy. Trolling large-sized diving lures will pick you up a spanish or two. Having the pilchard as a floater out the back while bottom-bashing will do the job also. If you come across any birds working, casting out a slug or a Flasha lure should pick up a feed of schoolie mackerel.
THE BURNETT RIVER
As the rain has slowed down over the past week and the salt is pushing back up the rivers, bait will start moving back through the system and fire up those predatory fish like mangrove jack and barramundi. Setting out a live bait like a sprat or poddy mullet will certainly get these species excited. If you can’t get live bait, then a large sized prawn or slab of mullet will also do the job.
If you like a good feed of crabs then definitely throw the crab pots in. Good reports of good-sized bucks are coming in from all rivers. Remember – the new laws on possession is seven (7) crabs per person and fourteen (14) per boat. Good reports of flathead and grunter are also coming from the river. Using 3” to 4” soft plastics and drifting through the deeper holes and over drop-offs has been working well. When chasing these two species cast your lure as far up current as possible and allow it to sink to the bottom using a hopping method. Repeat all the way back to the boat. Hopefully, this technique will get you a feed.
THE KOLAN RIVER AND BAFFLE CREEK
Put the crab pots in! The Kolan and the Baffle have been crabbing really well. With the amount of fresh that has gone into both of these systems, things should start to settle down and the bait should move back in and liven things up. When moving through the river and creek remember to find the bait and you will find the predatory fish. Throw your cast net in to catch your live bait and in the same area, fishing with a lightly-weighted sinker with a live sprat should pick you up a good feed of mangrove jack or barramundi.
R: Liam Duffy with the nice mangrove jack he caught in the Burnett River recently.
LAKE MONDURAN
With the amount of water that has gone into Lake Monduran in the past month the water level has finally stabilised and the fishing is improving. With most of the weed having died off from the water level dropping, and with the shallows being bit warm, most fish are being caught either on the troll or by casting to the tops of trees in deeper water. Jackall Squirrels and larger soft plastics have been the go-to lures. If trolling, Classic lures have been the pick.
FEBRUARY 27, 2020: Even though the Bundaberg region has received some welcome rain and most of the rivers and creeks are running a little fresh, plenty of quality estuary species are being caught in the Burnett River. The rock walls from the mouth down to Kirby’s Wall are still producing some nice bream, mangrove jack and estuary cod. Mud crabs have really fired up since the rain and will be a fantastic option this weekend. Also, it shouldn’t be too long before we see a good run of prawns back in the Burnett River.
THE KOLAN RIVER AND BAFFLE CREEK
Once again, both the Kolan and the Baffle systems have become a little dirty due to the recent rain. Around the mouth in the slightly clearer water, queenfish, dart and whiting have been active. A few prawns have showed up but crabbing should be on everyone’s to-do list as there has been some cracker mud crabs caught in both systems.
THE ELLIOTT RIVER
There is a good number of dart and whiting to be caught at the mouth of the Elliott and along Coonarr Beach. Further upstream in the Elliott around Shark’s Nest some barramundi, mangrove jack and bream have been responding well to lures and well-presented baits. Once again, the Elliott will be well worth a crack for a few mud crabs and prawns while the water is slight off-colour.
FRASER ISLAND
My son and I were fortunate enough to spend a few magic days on Fraser Island last week. We had a ball catching plenty of nice dart, bream and whiting on the east coast from Orchid Beach to Indian Head. Fresh beach worms and pippies are the gun baits at this time of the year. Fraser is an awesome spot to spend a few days and I don’t think it will be too long before we will be going back there.
LAKE MONDURAN
The good news for the barra anglers is that not a lot of water has come into Lake Monduran and the water levels have remained stable. The barra are finding comfort back up in the shallows with Rapala Shadow Raps, Lucky Craft Pointers and weedless soft plastics accounting for plenty of barra. Anglers trolling in the Main Basin with lures that dive between two and three metres have also been doing well with barra up to the magic metre mark.
FEBRUARY 20, 2020: With the rain we’ve had around the Bundaberg area over the past few weeks, there is bulk bait on all the inshore reefs. The number of big grunter that have been caught has been crazy! As the water clears up the mackerel should turn up everywhere on the inshore reefs. Fishing for them with lightly-weighted pilchards and Flasha Spoons will get you a ripper feed. Just keep an eye on the wind forecast – it could go either way this weekend.
THE BURNETT RIVER
The amount of bait scattered in the Burnett at the moment is awesome to see. With the big tides this weekend there should be plenty of salt being pushed up to the town reach. The best two species to target this weekend would have to be the barramundi and mangrove jack. My favourite way to catch them is slow-hopping Samaki vibes in the deeper holes and working Lucky Craft Pointers over rock bars and heavy timber snags. Also, if you’re in the system towards the bottom of the tide keep an eye out for prawns.
KOLAN RIVER AND BAFFLE CREEK
The Kolan River and Baffle Creek have been producing some cracker flathead lately. Trolling small hard body lures over shallow sandbars has been getting some awesome results. Slow drifting with sprat, and hopping paddle tail soft plastics off the bottom will get you into some flatty action as well. There has been some 50cm+ mangrove jack caught in both these systems. Live-baiting with poddy mullet has been very effective. Don’t forget to throw the crab pots in. With the fresh and big tides working together the crabs should be on the move.
LAKE MONDURAN
There are still good numbers of barra being caught in Monduran. With the rainfall we’ve experienced over the past few weeks the dam water level is pretty stable, which should help the barra bite. The early morning bite has still been the standout time to fish. Slow-rolling Jackall Squirrels and paddle tail soft plastics has been the standout technique to catch the barramundi.
February 13, 2020
BUNDABERG OFFSHORE
All the rain we have been receiving around the Bundaberg area lately can only be good for the future fishing.
The bigger boats that headed offshore over the previous weekend ended up getting good feeds of red emperor, coral trout, nannygai and a lot of red throat emperor. With the sharks in big numbers on the reefs, it pays to move around a lot to try to avoid all your catch being eaten by them.
BUNDABERG INSHORE
The amount of rain that we have had during the week can only make the inshore reefs better. All the fresh pushing through the river and out the front helps with bait movement and gets all the pelagic fish coming in close to the shore. So, if you don’t mind a little bit of a shower, poke your nose out around the mouth of the Burnett to find a bit of bait movement and get a feed..
THE BURNETT RIVER
Get the crab pots in – there are good reports of good-sized bucks coming from the Burnett with plenty of jennies mixed in. Always remember to release the girls unharmed.
Barra are on the bite. If you’re not scared of the dark, get yourself some live bait and sit in the town reach around any type of structure to hook one of these iconic fish. Also, plenty of flathead are being caught in the river system by using soft plastics over drop-offs and deeper holes. Happy Rock Craws have been one of the favourites. Bull sharks have been a good sport fish in the Burnett River, and using big slabs of whole mullet will hook you up.
THE KOLAN RIVER AND BAFFLE CREEK
Both the Kolan and the Baffle have been fishing and crabbing very similar with good mud crabs coming from both systems. Mangrove jack are on the chew with live bait being the most popular. Casting surface poppers or fizzers close to structure will have you hooked up in no time. Using 3” to 4” Diesel Minnows is another good method to pull these red devils away from home. Flathead and grunter are always a good by-catch while fishing these techniques.
LENTHALLS DAM
With this little dam near Maryborough on fire at the moment, some good reports of good-sized fish have been coming from it. Dale from Tackle World Bundaberg did a trip to Lenthalls last weekend and came up trumps with his first metre fish for the year. The new Spangled Perch Jackall Squirrel was the go-to lure. A Stocked Impoundment Permit is required to fish this dam. The gates open at 6.00am and close at 8.00pm.
LAKE MONDURAN
With the water temperature still on the warm side, your best option is to head out into the deeper timber casting hard body lures like the Jackall Squirrels or bigger soft plastics like the Squidgie Slick Rigs. Casting lures around the tops of trees will get you the bite. Trolling is also another option in that deeper water, and there have been good reports of fish in the 80cm range caught by trolling 10ft Classic lures.
February 6, 2020
THE BURNETT RIVER
With the full moon falling on this Sunday the fishing in the Burnett River should be hot! With the barramundi season just opening, you’d be crazy not to target them. My favourite way to chase the barra is with 20g soft vibes. Fishing the tide change is definitely what to aim for and looking for any sort of structure which is holding bait will get you the bite. The mangrove jack have also been in full flight as well. Plenty of 50cm+ jack have been caught over the past week by slow-retrieving Lucky Craft Pointers and 4” Zman Minnowz over shallow rock bars. There has been a few prawns getting around as well so don’t forget to throw your cast net in.
THE KOLAN RIVER AND BAFFLE CREEK
With the huge tides this weekend the mud crabs should be on the move! Crabbing up the back of the tight shallower creeks will be the go. There’s been some cracking size grunter being caught in both these systems. Slow-hopping Gulp soft plastics with lightly-weighted jig heads has been the standout technique. The flathead have also been in awesome numbers towards the mouth of these two systems. Slow-rolling paddle tail plastics will definitely get you the bite. Drifting with sprat will get you a tasty feed as well.
THE ELLIOTT RIVER
With the full moon the whiting should be on the chew this weekend. Pumping yabbies at low tide and fishing that incoming tide will get you a tasty feed. I’d be fishing for them towards the mouth. There has also been some cracker flathead being caught at the mouth. Heaps of anglers have been catching them by trolling small hard body lures towards the bottom of the tide. There has been a rumour of a few prawns being caught towards the back of the river as well.
LAKE MONDURAN
Lake Monduran has been producing some very high quality barra. Plenty of fish over 80cm are being caught daily. The bigger fish seem to be getting caught in the deeper water at the moment. Using large paddle tail soft plastics with heavy weighted jig heads will get you down into the strike zone and let you work your plastics hard. The Jackall Squirrels are still the standout lure with most fish being caught on them. With the full moon being on Sunday night it should give you some good confidence that the barra will have a hot bite sometime over the weekend. First light in the mornings is definitely my favourite time to chase them this time of year.
January 30, 2020
BUNDABERG OFFSHORE
By all reports, the bigger boats that headed to the islands out off Agnes Water all managed to boat plenty of quality fish including red throat, coral trout, red emperor, grass sweetlip and parrot. Let’s hope the weather holds out and anglers can have another crack this weekend.
THE BURNETT RIVER
The big news is that the barra season is open after midnight on Friday, 31st January 2020. I’m sure that plenty of local anglers are itching to get out and chase these fantastic sports fish in the rivers and creeks around Bundaberg. Some really nice mud crabs have come out of the Burnett this past week. Prawns have been patchy but should improve over the next few weeks.
THE KOLAN RIVER AND BAFFLE CREEK
Now that the school holidays are over, the boat traffic should go back to normal. Both the Kolan and the Baffle hold good numbers of barramundi so it will be interesting to see how many are caught this weekend. Mangrove jack continue to be active smashing both live baits and soft plastics fished around rock bars in both systems. Around the sandbars towards the mouth some excellent whiting, flathead and dart have been keeping holiday-makers and locals happy.
THE ELLIOTT RIVER AND COONARR BEACH
The Elliott River always continues to produce the goods. With the big tides last weekend summer whiting and big flathead were on the chew. Grunter, mangrove jack, moses perch and barramundi will all be worth targeting upstream from Shark’s Nest. This is a great time of the year to chase dart, whiting and flathead along the beach. Dart are usually easy to identify as you can see them in the waves. Best baits for dart are beach worms, yabbies and fresh prawns.
LAKE MONDURAN
There are only a couple of weeks left in the Bundaberg Toyota Golden Barra competition this year. You can still fish for the elusive golden barra until 19th February 2020 and you can register on the website at https://www.goldenbarra.com.au/ Although the impoundment is dropping around an inch per day, good numbers of barra have continued to bite. Better numbers of barra are holding in slightly deeper water and either trolling the timber line or casting lures such as Jackall Squirrels or Luckycraft Pointers through the tree tops has been deadly on the Monduran barra at this time of the year.
January 23, 2020
With the forecast for the Bundaberg area looking good for the Australia Day weekend, it’s time to get out and do what most Australians love to do – be on the water boating and fishing.
BUNDABERG OFFSHORE
For the guys hoping to get offshore for the weekend, the weather is looking fantastic. Reports from previous weeks have been great with good sized red emperor, coral trout and sweetlip filling the eskies. As has been reported most weeks recently, the sharks have been getting their fair share. As most good fishermen know when being sharked and losing fish, just move on and go to your next favourite spot. Otherwise, the sharks will hang around and take 90% of your catch. Remember, before heading out always check the latest forecast for an update because the weather can change in a heartbeat.
BUNDABERG INSHORE
For the smaller tinnies that want to get out the front, there have been good reports of greys, schoolies and Spanish mackerel all along the coast. Casting vibes, Flasha spoons and trolling good-sized hard body lures has been picking up the most fish. If you want to have a bottom fish, casting vibes around the inshore reefs such as the Cochrane Artificial or the Two Mile has been producing good-sized grunter. If bait fishing, try good-sized prawns.
THE BURNETT RIVER
With the great lot of rain we’ve had over the past week, the mud crabs are in full swing with good numbers being reported, so if heading out for a fish, put the crab pots in first before fishing. With all the fresh water going into the Burnett stirring up all the nutrients the bait fish have been moving up through the system. In turn the predatory fish come in following the bait, with mangrove jack, large flathead and grunter on the target list. Barramundi have also been caught, but it is still closed season for the barra until the 1st of February. If you do happen to catch a barra, release it as soon as possible.
LAKE GREGORY
This little impoundment is a gem for anybody looking to catch a bass or saratoga on a lure, or even to learn how to lure fish. It’s a great place to take the kids for a bit of time out on the water. If you like early mornings, cast surface poppers for an hour or so. As the sun rises move a bit wider along the weed edges casting lipless crank baits or spinnerbaits and this should result in larger fish. When the bite slows, move to schooling fish and slow-roll soft plastics or blades through the school and back to the boat. This should result in good numbers of fish. If looking to target saratoga, cast spinnerbaits into the timbered area.
LAKE MONDURAN
To get that barra fix, Lake Monduran is the place to be, and there has been good reports of size and numbers of barra with ten to twenty fish being caught in a session. As the dam levels are dropping and the weed is dying off, the water temperature is on the rise. Barra are moving into the deeper water suspending around tree tops where they feel more comfortable. Casting suspending lures in and around the tops of trees will produce the goods. Lures like the Jackall Squirrels, Luckycraft Pointers, B52s and slow-rolling big soft plastics like big Slick Rigs are some of the lures of choice. With barra fishing, persistence pays off.
January 14, 2020
How good is it to receive at least a bit of rain around the Bundaberg area over the past week? Let’s hope this continues into the rest of 2020. With only one week left of the school holidays, next week is looking like a great chance to get out and wet a line.
BUNDABERG OFFSHORE
Apart from a few showers, the offshore forecast is looking fantastic over the next few days. Plenty of nice red emperor, coral trout, grass sweetlip and red throat emperor have been caught recently. The only down side is that almost everyone we talk to has had a problem with losing fish to sharks.
BUNDABERG INSHORE
Most of the inshore reefs along the Bundaberg coastline are fishing very well. Grey and school mackerel are around in good numbers and are being caught using lightly-weighted pilchards on gang hooks. Another popular technique has been using 20g soft vibes fished closer to the bottom. You can catch almost anything using this technique on the shallow reefs, but plenty of quality grunter have been keeping anglers entertained lately.
THE BURNETT RIVER
With the little bit of rain, the Burnett continues to produce some nice mud crabs. A few prawns have also showed up around Rubyanna and through to the Port. Estuary cod are in plague proportions along all of the rock walls, as well as some cracking mangrove jack and flathead. It’s great to see good numbers of northern whiting come back into the Burnett also, with fresh yabbies and prawns working a treat.
LAKE LENTHALL
This small impoundment near Maryborough has been a favourite for many years and I can report that it is fishing very well for Australian bass and barramundi. At this time of the year the barra are playing the game on both suspending hard body lures and weedless soft plastics. The latest barra that we have landed was 83cm, which was fantastic fun. Just keep in mind that you need a Stocked Impoundment Permit to fish Lenthalls, and the gate is opened by the local Ranger at 6.00am and closed at 8.00pm each night. You can camp at the lake overnight on well-maintained camp grounds.
LAKE MONDURAN
Lake Monduran has been another very popular destination over the school holidays for anglers chasing the Golden Barra. Although the water level in Monduran is dropping quickly, plenty of barra are willing to play the game. The hot technique has been casting to the tree tops in 6-8 metres of water. Anglers have had success casting Luckycraft Pointers, Jackall Squirrels and large soft plastics through the tree tops. Try to look for the biggest tree with the most structure as these often hold more barra. Most of the barra are finding comfort in the deeper water with the water temperature over 30 degrees.
January 9, 2020
BUNDABERG INSHORE
The grey and school mackerel are in good numbers on all the inshore reefs off Bundaberg at the moment. Fast-retrieving 50g Flasha spoons and Halco Twistys vertically off the bottom has been getting most of the bites. If there’s a bit of run in the tide, setting pilchards out in the mid-water column will get you into some action. There’s also some cracker grunter being caught as well, and most of them are being caught on 20g soft vibes and 5” soft plastics. Let’s just hope the weather plays the game!
THE BURNETT RIVER
The Burnett River has been really producing the goods with some cracker mangrove jacks! Most of these fish are being caught on 4” paddle tail soft plastics slowly rolled off the rock bars. Also, setting live baits such as poddy mullet and sprat on the rock bars and deeper holes should get you some great jack action. A few lucky anglers have been catching fingermark while using live bait as well, so keep that in mind. The fingermark are super-tasty on the dinner plate. Don’t forget to throw the crab pots in because the morning tides are well over three metres at the moment, so the crabs should be on the move.
BAFFLE CREEK AND THE KOLAN RIVER
The Baffle has been producing some cracking flathead and queenfish towards the mouth. Most of the queenies are being caught on surface lures. Look for stressed baitfish on the surface and work your popper over them. Mix up your retrieve – sometimes they like long pauses between your pops. The flatties have been taking a liking to 3” Zman MinnowZ, and the Electric Chicken is the standout colour.
The Kolan has been producing some ripper mangrove jacks and mud crabs. Most of the jacks are being caught on Luckycraft Pointers and live baits. The favourite hooks to use for livies are the 4/0 and 5/0 Mustad Big Guns.
LAKE MONDURAN
Lake Monduran has produced two one-metre plus barra over the past two weeks, which is super exciting! With the water levels dropping so quickly now there are plenty of new snags in the lake. I think fishing the heavy timber is the go at the moment. There’s very little weed and lily pads in the dam at the current time so fishing the timber is a must. Remember to fish with confidence – don’t let that dam beat you.
January 2, 2020
BUNDABERG OFFSHORE
With constant winds blowing around the Bundaberg area for the week, fishing offshore will be a little uncomfortable. For anglers wanting to have a go in the bigger boats, check the latest forecast to be safe before heading out.
BUNDABERG INSHORE
For those in smaller boats who want to poke their nose out the front, a few Spanish mackerel have been reported not far off the shoreline from the mouth of the Burnett River right along to the Elliott River. Also, while trolling, have a spoon or slug rigged. That way, if you run into any birds or bait boiling on the surface you can have a quick cast for any schoolie mackerel or spotties that may be feeding on the bait.
THE BURNETT RIVER
There have been good reports of mangrove jack and some big size barramundi being caught as by-catch leading up to Christmas. For any angler who does catch a barramundi in the closed season, please handle the fish with care and release it as soon as possible to give that fish a chance to spawn and make the river better for future fishing.
For those who want to start using soft plastics, flathead would be one of the easier fish to target. Firstly, get into your local tackle store and pick up a combo with about 6lb to 10lb braid and grab a few soft plastics. Try drifting along the sand or mud flats and casting up-current while working the lure with a lift-and-drop action. Once you have caught a fish in the area, anchor up and fancast or repeat your drift. Try different areas using this same technique and you should pick up a feed of flatties.
BAFFLE CREEK AND THE KOLAN RIVER
The Baffle and the Kolan are the two systems that are probably crabbing the best at the moment, so when heading out fishing, throw in a couple of crab pots beforehand. There are good reports of mangrove jack and good-sized grunter being caught. Fresh bait is always the best bait, so if you can cast-net a sprat or pump a few yabbies, this will be your best bet to get a good feed of fish. Casting 3” to 4” soft plastics around the mangrove edges or rocky ledges should pick up a feed of jacks or some good by-catch.
LAKE MONDURAN
For all the barramundi addicts who need a barra fix, Lake Monduran is on fire at the moment with reports of a metre fish being caught and a lot of 80cm to 90cm models coming in. Monduran is coming back to the days of old!
If you’re looking to go to Monduran for the first time, when launching your boat, look to see which way the wind is blowing and head in that direction. The wind will act like a current and fish will move with that current. Find yourself a good bay or point with a bit of weed or structure on it and tie up to a tree. Casting with the wind to and around the point may produce the goods. Best time for bite time is early morning. Once the sun is a bit higher on the water go a bit deeper with your lures – the fish may have moved a bit wider from the bank. Lures to use are good suspending lures like the Jackall Squirrels, the B52 and for a little bit deeper and wider, the good old Squidgy Slick Rig in 110mm or 130mm.
Also, that $150,000 golden barra hasn’t been caught yet, so go and give it a try.
