By JACK MANGROVE
WHAT a fantastic weekend it was for the last days of the school holidays. It was great to see so many families out enjoying all the Noosa waterways. In the river, fishing has been outstanding with a great many fish and species on offer. Down towards the river mouth the car park rocks have been fishing well for black fish with anglers report their return after a brief hiatus.
There have been some quality fish landed with the best bait being Coolum Cabbage. Make sure you take a long handled landing net as there has been more than a few fish lost as anglers try to pole them in. Woods Bays and the Frying Pan area have been firing with some great tailor on offer, fish to 50cm have been reported with fast retrieved slugs being a favourite lure with anglers. Soft plastics have also been working well and a prawn presentation has also picked up some nice trevally and bream. It’s coming to that time of the year where the flathead seem to grow in numbers in the river and there are some outstanding fish being caught. Work those sand or mud banks with the water running off on a run out tide and you are sure to get a feed. I like the lighter-coloured soft plastics in the clearer water and the brighter colours in the darker water.
On the beach things have also been firing, tailor has been on the mind of most anglers as they head up the Noosa North Shore in search of a good feed. The thought of freshly caught tailor cooked on an open fire in nothing but a bit of butter between two slices of fresh bread is a childhood memory I will always treasure. I believe that fresh is best when it comes to tailor, so only catch what you intend to consume over the next day or two for as soon as it goes in the freezer it’s cat food or bait. The gutter have also been inhabited by dart, bream and the odd jewie. Most of the bigger fish have been taken in the low light periods. So an early start or a fish just on dark is prime time.
Outside the closer reefs have really been fishing well. Good sweetlip, trout, pan-sized snapper, and cod have all been on the menu. Sunshine Reef, Jew Sholes and Chardons Reef have all come up with the goods. Mackerel and tuna continue to be caught with a couple of quality fish taken. Up on North Reef larger snapper, pearl perch, cobia and teraglin jew have all been accounted for. Those anglers that found a window to head out to the Barwon Banks were well rewarded with some outstanding snapper.
So on behalf of Jack Mangrove, best of luck on your fishing adventures!
