SE Qld Fishing Report 1 May 2014

[Member]

SE Qld Fishing Report 1 May 2014

With the cooler weather and calm conditions moving in the beaches are becoming a more popular fishing destination particularly if you are fishing with kids or the family. Close to Brisbane popular beaches that are fishing well are the shores around Wynum, Nudgee or the beaches off the Gold Coast. If you want to travel a little further a field you will be rewarded and the eastern beaches of Moreton and Stradbroke Islands are fishing great at the moment.
 By keeping it simple and using baits which are local to the are like sea worms or pippies should see you tangling with bream, whiting, flathead, and the odd Jewfish. Using pilchards is more popular when targeting larger flathead, tailor and Bigger jewfish. Focus your attention on inshore gutters and cast your baits at the mouth of these gutters, as fish will be waiting there chomping up food that gets washed into the gutter.

 Bass are affected by the cooler weather in the dams and they are starting to show their schooling behaviour in Somerset and Wivenhoe dams. Bass are being caught in the deeper waters off Pelican point and Queen Street in Sommerset and Platypus Cliffs in Wivenhoe. The same method is being utilized and that is trolling deep diving lures like the OSP Blitz and Power-dunks or the Smak Golden child lures.
 Once you locate the school stop trolling and try vertical presentations like Ice jigs, blades or Jackall Tn60s will work very well. Catfish are still proving to be a problem for bait fishers but they are fun to catch and though may look ugly larger ones can put up a real fight on light gear. Hopefully the cool weather slows these whiskered pests down and lets the bass or yellow belly find your bait.

 The mouth of the Brisbane river has picked up over the last week and reports of snapper, Jewfish and larger flathead is welcome news. Fishing for these fish in the mouth is fairly easy as they will all hit similar presentations. If you are keen to relax and send a few baits out and wait for the bites try using baits of Pilchards, mullet fillets or squid and focus on the numerous drop offs that make up the shipping channel. Watch the tides and vary the amount of lead you are using to just keep your bait on the bottom but allow a little movement to impart some action in your bait.
 If luring try the same locations and use lures that are going to get to the bottom like Jackall Transams, Keitech Swing impact or Norries Spoontail Soft plastics. These lures provide a lot of vibration in the water and appear to a wide range of species. Cast onto the shallow side of the drop offs and work your lure near the bottom down the drop offs. Hopefully across the path of a large predator looking to ambush baitfish.

[Member]

Both arms of Hinze fishing well using live shrimp in the timber.
 NPD still inconsistent with good catches one day and slow the next the schools still moving around and you have to search for them.Wednesday was a bit slow but the quality was good with 8 of the bass between 45 and 49cm.
 Cheers
Ray