3 minute read
Outdoor Adventure
Andrew Chorley
GET AMONGST THE HIVE OF ACTIVITY
RED HOT CATCH: A day out on the water proved fruitful for Terry Flux after reeling in this spangled emperor. Hervey Bay Fly and Sportfishing www.herveybaysportfishing.com.au
Springtime on the Fraser Coast is a great time of year on our pristine waterways. With sea and shore birds starting their southern migration, our majestic humpback whales, dolphins and sea turtles, the Bay is a hive of activity. The fish don’t mind it either as we see a transition from winter to summer species start to take place. Fish species like flathead gather to spawn, sand whiting also begin to gather in good numbers and further out on the Bay, mackerel and tuna species start getting active on the surface. With all this in mind, let’s delve into what’s on offer for local fishermen and visitors to our beautiful region as we move into spring.
Local Reefs
On the Local Reefs, school mackerel will be present with trolled lures and whole pilchards working well. Drifting pilchards out the back of the boat is a great way to tempt a mackerel with species like snapper and longtail tuna also falling for the trick. Grass sweetlip will be more active as it warms up, with live herring and whole hardy heads great baits to get that bite. For lure anglers, hopping soft plastics along the bottom will entice a bite from coral trout, cod, and golden trevally around the reefs. Fishing light braided lines from 10-20 lb is the best way to get a bite with light leaders also required to tempt bites.
Wide Grounds and Platypus Bay
For crews heading wide through the southern gutters and beyond, we will still have some of those warm glassy days ahead of us before we see our northerly wind pattern begin. Working the ledges out there with soft plastics will see a range of species like coral trout, moses perch, hussar, trevally, mackerel and more. Spring will also see mac tuna schools turn up, with the circling birds a giveaway where the action is. Mac tuna provides great sport and can be handy baits for species such as coral bream, red emperor, and scarlets. Up in Platypus Bay, we hope to see some snapper fishing continue in September as catches have been down this year. This seems to be due to the lack of big yakka schools which may not have come in this year. Yakka are a food source for the snapper and if the yakka doesn’t move in, the snapper will disappear to the deeper food sources. Longtail and mac tuna can be found near Arch Cliff this time of year and are a favourite for sport fishos. The mac tuna can be fussy at times so drop down to a smaller lure and line class to tempt the bite.
Sandy Strait
September is flathead time in the strait, with many of the creek mouths, ledges and rock bars holding good lizards. Sessions of 20 fish can be enjoyed when you are in the zone, with fish to 80cm being common some days. Soft plastics and vibes worked across the flats is always a fun day out, with golden trevally and grunter sometimes being a welcome catch. Barra will start to become more active as it warms and species like threadfin salmon will also begin to move a bit more in the Mary River. The ledges and channels along the island will see a few chopper tailor schools start coming in with small hard bodied lures and metals working best on the tailor.
Urangan Pier
The Pier is a hot spot for big flathead during September as they gather around the pylons for an easy meal. You can sight fish them off the pier, however they are incredibly wise and only fall to live baits most of the time. Whiting will also be about in the first channel, and big longtail tuna and spanish mackerel will be keen to take live bait off. The best spot to fish for those species is at the end of the pier.
Visit our amazing Underwater Viewing Rooms for some fantastic under the ocean action
