We have all seen some huge falls around the region with some major and minor flooding across the region.
As expected, the amount of fresh water coming down river has seen the river turn a dark brown color. With the levels rising in the Noosa River, we are all hoping it gets the much-needed flush we haven’t had for many years.
The bar has also been off limits due to the cyclone swell hitting it head on, making Mooloolaba the safer option.
With offshore on pause, attentions have turned to the river for two main targets, with the fishy one being the mangrove jack and the other the mud crab. For mangrove jack anglers, your best bet is to find the structure and see if you can find the baitfish. Try looking for any birds hanging around in numbers as trevally will ball up baitfish and mangrove jacks often follow them around.
There are two schools of thought for jacks fishing. One is to go in hard and heavy running 50lb leaders and 30lb main lines. The other is, of course, running 6-10lb and taking your time.
Maybe if you haven’t tried you can spool your reel up with fluorocarbon for the better presentation and abrasion resistance vs running a short leader. This is something you can get away with as jacks don’t often take a lot of line and usually head straight toward structure.
Live baiting is one of the best ways to catch jacks but for those who like a challenge then soft plastics are the next best thing. With the dirty water you are best to use something from Keitech as they have the best action and are loaded with squid scent. If not, then be sure to grab one of our many scent options like Pro Cure which is a gel. You will find that gels adhere to plastics far better and last longer.
The beauty of bigger paddle tails is they really appeal to flathead which are also feeding in the lower part of the river. You would be best to focus your attentions around the sandbags and the rocks. Try to find locations out of the main current like the entrance to Woods Bay and aim to fish after the high tide to make the most of the cleaner water.
For those with boats, be sure you take a spread of crab pots upriver as the mud crabs have been running in good numbers this year. You are allowed four per angler. Just be sure you don’t leave pots in the main boating channel as many anglers fish at night and these present a boating hazard.
Surf fishing will start to improve as the swell subsides and the waters clear up.
Whiting have been present as have smaller bream and some dart reaching over 40cms. For those chasing bigger fish, now is the time to do so as the dirtier waters and lots of suspended matter let big fish hunt undetected. For bait anglers, big slabs of mullet and whole squid work well just be prepared to deal with rays and sharks as they too will be on the hunt for a feed.
Freshwater fishing is also on pause as Borumba is impossible to reach as it sits at over 100 per cent. SEQ water are releasing a lot of water which has caused major flooding of the lower crossings. This make access impossible so do not attempt to cross.
Lake MacDonald is just under 120 per cent which means its going to be dirty. The bite is more than likely going to be achieved with the aid of heavy-weighted soft plastics, vibes and, of course, jerk baits on the pause. Look at smaller lures like the Ecogear SX, Rapala Jack Deep and the Zerek Tango Shad.
Now for all the latest information log onto fishingnoosa.com.au for up-to-date bar and fishing reports, don’t forget to drop into Tackle World Noosa, Noosa Boating and Outdoors and Northshore Bait & Tackle in Marcoola for all the right equipment, bait and advice to get you catching. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and remember tight lines and bent spines!
