Plenty of variety on the river

Peter Huitema with a 49cm mangrove jack.

By JACK MANGROVE

WHAT a week it has been on the Noosa River, with the wind up for most of the week the river has been the salvation of most anglers. Whiting, bream, tailor, flathead, trevally, mangrove jack and jewies of all featured highly. Starting down towards the mouth, anglers have been getting good tailor as well as trevally on the incoming tide, as the bait moves through the mouth on the tide predators are close behind.
Around in Woods Bays first thing in the morning has been the prime time, trevally have been getting stuck into schools of baitfish on the surface, as the day progresses and the sun gets a little higher in the sky, trevally have been taking soft plastics in the deeper parts of the river.
Along Gympie Terrace the whiting have again been thick, kids have enjoyed catching them on worms, yabbies and peeled prawns. Top water anglers have also been in their element throwing small poppers like the Bassday Crystal Pops and River2sea skinny dogs in the 65mm size. Up around Tewantin Harbour mangrove jack have been taking live baits like herring and poddy mullet at night. Fishing hard up against the pylons should see you tangle with a mangrove jack, make sure your drag is tight as these ambush predator are well hit and run.
On the ski runs we have seen flathead and some nice jew taken. Soft plastics have again been the lure of choice with the Squidgy Pro range working well.
Offshore the wind was up for most of last week but there were a couple of days where anglers headed out, the closer reefs performing well.
Sunshine Reef, Jew Shoals and Halls Reefs all produced quality sweet lips, snapper and the odd coral trout. Up towards North Reef we have seen some quality dolphin fish taken.
For those that have done the big trip out to the Barwon Banks or up to Double Island Reefs have been well rewarded with large snapper, pearl perch, teraglin jew and the odd red.
Pelagics are also starting to make their way down the coast, school mackerel and spotted mackerel have also been taken on a couple of the local reefs.
On the beach things have been equally exciting, with some great jewies coming from the southern beaches as well as nice tailor.
North Shore has been fishing well for tailor, whiting, dart and flathead. Look for those gutters on the low tide and work them as the tide comes in. Mullet, bonito fillet and tailor fillets are all prime baits for jewies.
So On behalf of Jack Mangrove, best of luck on your fishing adventures!