By Jack Mangrove
Anglers have again been spoilt for choice with some great weather over the weekend.
Anglers headed offshore in numbers with some outstanding results.
There have been some quality snapper coming from the inner reefs with nice numbers being boated from Jew Shoal and Little Halls. First and last light periods with lightly weighted baits on light line has been the best method.
Sunshine Reef has seen good numbers of squire feeding throughout the day as well as sweetlip, parrot and the odd trout.
Nice sized pearl perch are coming from North Reef as well as some quality snapper.
Some anglers in larger craft braved the elements and headed for the Hard and Double Island bagging some quality fish including Moses perch, pearl perch, venus tusk fish, sweetlip, snapper and amberjack.
The outer reefs are still fishing well with the Banks being the pick of the spots. Big snapper upwards of 90cm have been reported with the good old floated pilchard doing the honours.
Pelagic activity has also increased with plenty of school and spotted mackerel around the closer reef. The free divers that shoot the area around Point Arkwright have been reporting large spanish mackerel with one diver managing a 19kg fish.
The river has also been firing with the run up to the full moon, Woods Bays has produced some outstanding trevally over the last week with a couple of cracker fish giving anglers on light gear a real run for their money.
Flesh baits like mullet and bonito strips have been working well on the bream with some larger sized fish coming in on the tide.
The Gympie Terrace stretch of the river was packed last week with families enjoying the perfect fishing weather for Father’s Day.
Prawns, yabbies and live worms were all productive on the bread and butter species like whiting and bream.
Quality flathead continue to be caught with large females over the upper limit of 75cm regularly boated, after a quick photo responsible anglers have been releasing these large breeders. Soft plastics have been great for enticing a bite and the prawn profiles in red and chartreuse have been the pick. Fishing the run out tide around banks and drop offs has been where most of the quality fish have been bagged.
We have seen some nice Jewies at night from the deeper gutters around the Maroochy River mouth and the Maroochy North Shore, fresh tailor fillets, mullet fillet or a large clump of worm are prime baits for jew.
Fishing the tides and good gutter selection will greater increase your chances of quality bream and tailor on the Noosa North Shore.
Good whiting have been plentiful with the start of the run out tide seeming to be the most productive. Fresh beach worms or freshly pumped yabbies have been the outstanding baits.
So on behalf of Jack Mangrove, best of luck on your fishing adventures!
