By JACK MANGROVE
OFFSHORE things have been a bit tough weather-wise for the smaller boats – for the larger craft that did manage to get out they were well rewarded with a great haul of fish.
The charters headed up to Double Island last week and were rewarded with venus tusk fish, amberjack, snapper, coral bream, hussar, squire and pearl perch. Another of the charters made their way to the Barwon Banks with some outstanding results – gold band snapper, hussar, venus tusk fish, moses perch and snapper all hit the decks.
For the smaller craft, a trip to Sunshine reef, Halls reef and Jew Shoal also were rewarding with pan-sized snapper, sweetlip and cod.
For the fisherman who can’t get offshore, the Noosa River has started to fire up as we start moving into the warmer months with the warmer humidity.
Spring means one thing: “mangrove jack”.
Anglers get very excited at this time of the year with a lot of anglers heading up between the lakes casting lures at the structures that line the Noosa River.
Jacks are an ambush predator hiding under ledges and in mangrove roots waiting for a passing morsel of food. Suspending lures are a favourite as well as soft plastics and live bait.
Quality trevally seem to be everywhere in the river with quality golden trevally taken off Gympie terrace as well as in Woods Bays and around the back of the sound.
Good sized bream are still in good numbers with quality fish from the sand bags, Gympie Terrace and the river mouth. Tailor are also in the mix coming in on the high tide.
Quality whiting have been taken around the frying pan and this may mean the start of the summer run – fish will starting moving in from offshore and concentrating in the deeper channels on low tide and the shallow sand flats on the high tide.
A great way to fish for summer whiting is to use surface walkers and poppers while using an ultra-light finesse rod and reel. Floating leader is a must because fluorocarbon line sinks which can interrupt the action of the surface lure you are using.
For the anglers that love the sand between their toes, the beach scene has also been firing. Tailor are still on the move with the stretch between Teewah and Double Island producing some quality greenbacks. Flathead bream and the ever-present dart are also inhabiting the same gutters.
So, on behalf of Jack Mangrove, best of luck on your fishing adventures.
