Fishing Report 24 January

[Member]

Fishing Report 24 January 2014

It seems the warm weather and water temperatures in the South East corner has brought the pelagic out to play. Many anglers are reporting goo catches of small Black Marlin, spotted, school and Spanish mackerel off the Gold Coast and northern half of Moreton Bay. Most of these fish are falling for trolled hard body lures like the Halco Laser Pro 160’s in 2m+ divers or Rapala X-Rap Magnums. If you find a school of these pelagics working baitfish near the surface try casting small metal slugs like the Gillie’s Baitfish towards them and retrieve your lure very fast. If you prefer to catch them with bait trolling slimy mackerel around can be very productive on the larger Spanish mackerel.
Estuary Cod are also on the chew at the moment with the warmer water. These structure bound brutes are a lot of fun to catch and are fairly accessible to most people.  If you are without a boat places to start are rock walls, bridge pylons and in and around the canal systems. If you want to target them from a boat inshore reefs, manmade structures like boat moorings and pylons or fringe reefs like those around Peel and Mud Island.  Lure choice is similar for both bank and boat.  Deep diving lures like the Deps Korrigan MR or Jackall Muscle deep will dive into the strike zone fast and have a great wobble that the Estuary Cod can’t resist. A simple cast and slow wind is all you need with these aggressive fish but hang on as they often hit hard and there is always the possibility of them sharing their haunts with Mangrove Jacks.

Sweetwater
In the freshwater many of the dams are slowing down with schools of bass becoming harder and harder to find. Wivenhoe would be the pick of the dams at the moment.  With 4-stroke and fuel injected 2 strokes allowed on the dam now many anglers are showing there is some great fishing to be had. Trolling seems to be the preferred method with the deeper Oar-Gee Plow and Mud Eye 80mm deep diver. Yellow belly and Bass are the most common captures but Mary river cod are showing up on the odd occasion. With the warmer waters around the edges of the dam Catfish are out of control and most bait fishers will back me up there. 
Matthew Osley.

Pic details: Kurtis Hanson caught this 47cm Mangrove Jack while night fishing. His biggest so far.
 
 
Charltons Tackle & Bait
18 Kerwick St
Redbank QLD
4301
(07) 38181677
info@charltonsfishing.com.au

[Member]

Very informative report guys.Keep up the good work.If possible,maybe include any catch reports from the river spots around lowood/fernvale too.Thatd be awesome.cheers.Marty