Tags: Fishing report. Tide times. Fishing spots. Moreton Bay. Brisbane. Queensland
Most offshore fishermen who spend the extra time and effort sounding around looking for new ground or reef structure will all know the benefits of finding those isolated and sometimes unfished locations and marks that hold great quality fish. Spending hours and even days sounding around looking for new grounds and usually unmarked bombies and reef structure can be very rewarding and produce some outstanding fishing.
Featured Image(above): Winter time, clears skies, calm seas and great snapper
Having a good quality sounder and transducer setup will enable you to get a good clear reading of the bottom even when travelling at 20knts or more. Even reasonably small areas of coffee rocks or kelp patches can hold some great fish. Knowing what certain bottom features look like on a sounder at speed takes time to master. When there’s no swell or wind around, makes the best time to go sounding for new ground.
There are literally hundreds of unmarked locations and spots to find, some of which could be potentially unfished locations. Having a few spots like this will enable you to get away from the highly fished popular locations. Not all fish species like the cover of rocky reefs and real hard bottom structure and caves. Many species follow bait movement and will shoal up and hang on sandy bottoms and sometimes very featureless and barren areas well away from any reef systems or structure.
Winter time means pearlies
Certain drift lines and currents push Microscopic animals and planktons along which then attract the baitfish schools and usually not too far away are the bigger predatory fish. Some species like red emperor, snapper, nannagi, cobia and gold spot snapper will frequently be caught in these somewhat barren areas and generally will be bigger fish. Winter now is fully upon us and the water temperature has dropped down a few degrees. Over the next month expect to catch squire, jewfish, bream, tailor, winter whiting and the odd big longtail tuna cruising throughout the passage.
I’ve seen 10 -20kg longtail tuna cruising up as far as the mouth of Ningi creek. One afternoon we followed one school of longtails, which moved up the passage on the high tide from Red Beach, right the way up to the bridge and then pushed back out of the passage on the runout tide feeding and chopping on bait the whole time. We ended up catching 3 longtail tuna, the 3 fish all weighed between 11kg and 13.5kg.
Around the bridge snapper, jewfish, sharks and the odd Queensland grouper getting caught. Try cuttlefish heads, live pike or mullet, squid or Bonito fillets. The bream have really increased in both sizes and numbers in the passage at the moment. Try the bridge,112’s, cooks rocks, avon wreck, tiger rocks and the edges of the oyster leases at the mouth of Ningi. Mullet gut, pillie fillets, prawns and bonito fillets the better baits. Winter whiting are widespread at the moment with the passage holding some good schools at the moment, no need to head out in the bay to chase them.
The tailor has started to show up although not as crazy as the action in the passage last season. Hopefully, in the next couple of weeks, they show up in better size and quantity. In the bay, there has been some great snapper, jewfish and cod. Try the ledges, wrecks and artificial reefs. Livies, cuttlefish heads, Bonito, squid and big pillies the better baits. The area between Caloundra 5mile and the 12mile fishing great at the moment for pearlies, snapper, moses perch, parrot and cobia.
Winters sunrise on the bay
Also hutchies, roberts, brennans, tempest, wide Caloundra and the coffee rocks holding some great fish. As we are in the middle of the annual whale migration north, always keep a good eye out for whale pods moving past.
Over the last couple of years, the whales seem to be getting a lot more curious and inquisitive towards boats so always stay aware and alert, especially out offshore at night. So yet again another great time of the year to get out and enjoy the Bribie area and Moreton Bay. Tight lines and “don’t destroy what you come to enjoy”.
Tide Times
Click here to see Bribie Island Tide Times
Other Articles
https://thebribieislander.com.au/fishing-report-bribie-island-may-2018/