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Fishing Report - January 11 2008 Hervey Bay Weather Forecast Fishing Report Freshwater Report Lake Lenthalls Report Lake Monduran Report Lake Awoonga Report Fishing Report from Local Guide

▲TopFishing Report - January 11 2008

▲TopHervey Bay

▲TopWeather Forecast

A strong wind warning has been issued by the bureau. Strong SE winds up to 25 knots and rain will keep boaties from venturing out too far today and tomorrow. The weekend could see the winds drop out early morning but is forecast to pick up again later in the day. The tides become smaller this weekend so less run will see us fishing lighter. Boaties planning a trip out into the bay should check the B.O.M link we have on our web site before heading out to far. The rivers and creeks as well as Gatakers should give you a protect area to wet a line away from these S/E winds and by the reports coming in to the shop these places have fired over the last week.

▲TopFishing Report

The fishing has well and truly hit top gear this week with most anglers and our staff reporting back with great catches. Fisho's landed some quality coral trout and sweetlip out wide at the Southern Gutters and off the reefs around Rooney's last weekend. Live baits worked best on the trout. Spotted mackerel in large schools were reported on Sunday north of Wathumba and more towards Rooney's. These fish are taking 50gm Laser lures and half by quarter metal slugs. Brock from Tackle world and mate James fished the Fairway buoy on Monday. They had a spectacular day's fishing with GT's, golden trevally and mackerel all caught using light spin gear and soft plastics. School and broad bar mackerel are around in numbers off Moon Point and the 6 Mile Reef. The Arty fished well on Sunday and Monday for sweetlip, cod and the odd legal snapper. Wayne from tackle world fished the bottom of Woody Island and the Channel Hole for a mixed bag off reef fish. He tells us there are some big sweetlip on the chew around those areas. Fish the last hour of the run in or the last of the run out on 20lb line and leader with just enough lead to drift your baits back down the current. Fresh prawns or hardy heads have been the pick of the baits. Golden trevally are schooling up in the known areas such as the trawler wreck off the NU2 beacon, the Outer Banks and the mouths of the creeks on Fraser Island. Trolling hard bodies and jigging plastics have worked well for these great sports fish. The pier rats report of golden trevally, mackerel and shovel nose sharks on live bait. The first channel has fished well for big bream up to 35cms at night and the odd flathead. There are also reports of good numbers of gar fish in the first channel. River Heads is producing some nice bream at night, and also some school jew taking bream baits on light line is seeing most of these guys step up to the heavy gear to land some nice jew, cod and threadfin salmon off the boat ramps. Paul from Tackleworld fished the Mary River on Tuesday and had just about called it a day when a giant threadfin launched 6 foot out of the water with his bait and it was on. They landed another around the same size of about a metre and a blue salmon was taken on a gold bomber to end the day. Good grunter can be found right through the Mary and Susan Rivers taking yabbies and prawn baits. With this next lot of rain we will receive over the next few days, anglers should be aware of the weed and rubbish flushing down stream and the odd navigational hazard throughout the system not to mention the predators awaiting a feed at the river mouths. Warning to the fisho's leaving their trailers unlocked at River Heads boat ramp. A trailer was stolen from the car park last weekend and anybody with information on this crime should contact the police. With this becoming more common in Hervey Bay a $30 trailer lock could save your trailer. Muddies were on the move last week and should continue. The prawns are coming in from the top of the Burrum River , between the two bridges. A bag limit of a 10 litre bucket applies.

Fraser Island Fishing report courtesy of Sailfish Apartments, Happy Valley : Ph (07) 4127 9494

The eastern beach fishing well for dart and bream. These fish are biting better on beach worm rather than pippies. I am told the last of the run out to low, is very productive. The beaches are free from weed, but care is need while driving the beaches due to wash outs and erosion caused by the previous wild weather.

▲TopFreshwater Report

▲TopLake Lenthalls Report

Anglers have reported that the bass are going off at the dam, and great fun is being had with light tackle, with nice healthy bass being landed and released. Small poppers and jackal type lures have been the main lures causing all of the damage. We now have the Kokoda G-Vibes in stock which are dynamite on the bass. If you want to alter the sink rate of these lures we also now have sticky weight.

▲TopLake Monduran Report

The dam has been hot for some anglers (one report – got smoked by 7 and landed 3) and cold for others ( been there 4 times and got barra 2 out of 4 trips), and other reports that some anglers are catching many fish and others are drawing a blank. Once again the dam has fished well in the back bays with one angler reporting several fish caught over a couple of days. The main areas have been the shallows along Bass straight and the southern end of Bird Bay . The main lure that is doing the damage is the Predatek Spoonbill.

▲TopLake Awoonga Report

The dam has been fairly consistent over the last week with regular catches being reported from anglers. One group reported the following records from their excursion - Bites/bumps/hits 23 - Hookups 9 - Fish landed 7- Hours fished 17hrs. Lures were frogs and Squidgy slick rigs on weed less hooks. Work these lures behind weed beds and drop offs for the best results.

▲TopFishing Report from Local Guide

By Mark “Bargy” Bargenquast

Hi all, what a Christmas weather wise but finally a few good days last weekend. The rain will certainly do the fishing good with more to follow, already the estuary systems are firing with grunter, jew, salmon, bream and lizards biting well on lures and bait. A couple of monster GT's have also made there presence felt in the bay but unfortunately were killed by the anglers, they are certainly not great on the eating department and are a high risk of ciguatera poisoning - enough said. Some big whiting are about and live yabbies or prawns are the good baits, down in the straits some fish have been up to 40cm. Grassy sweetlip have been taken in the bay and the odd snapper are still about. This week should see the winds drop by the weekend but still rainy and wet. Reports I have from Lenthall's dam are the barra are scarce after the winter fish kill but the good news is 12 thousand were released a couple of weekends ago, certainly good for the future. Spotted mackerel are in plague numbers up Fraser when you find them, last week some of my clients had a ball near Rooney's point but sharks were a nuisance, big mack tuna were mixed in the schools and the odd queenfish and trevally. Smaller falling tides this weekend are not the best but the fresh in the system will still make it worthwhile, tight lines.
Mark

If you would like to book a trip with Bargy just give him a ring on 0427 230 261 or visit www.fraserguidedfishing.com.au