Amazing spanish and pelagic action * from P28
sized spanish or even a wahoo, which are also very common. I use either a Shimano TLD 20 or a Tyrnos 20 with 30lb mono tied straight to the rig. I find multistrand is better when towing livies because it gives them more freedom to swim side to side and, once hooked up, it also bends easier when the fish is running or sending out big head shakes. While towing, it’s a good idea to put a livie on a downrigger so your bait is in the middle of the water column. I’ve found that if the fish are sitting deep, you can drop a livie down the depth they are schooling up in and drag it straight past their heads, resulting in a hook up and a great feeling of accomplishment. As many of you would know, when Christmas and the new year approach, we tend to get decent storms and big swells. This results in very brown water in the creek, which only then runs straight out to the close reefs, pushing pelagic either down deep or out wider. This gives you the chance to go out a little wider and tow around for mahi mahi and marlin. Spot X is really starting to fire up, with small blacks making their way into schools of jumbo slimies, giving many fishos an awesome fight on lighter gear. The Shimano Tyrnos 20 with 30lb line is more than enough to get a marlin in this area. Thankfully, the coastal bars are looking better than ever before.
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Tallebudgera Creek has a nice channel running through it – the same for Currumbin Creek – making it easy for boats of all sizes to get out past the bars. The Gold Coast Seaway hasn’t changed at all but, conversely, the Tweed River has. Instead of running out to the left as we have for the past 10 years, it is easier to run straight up the guts of the bar or slightly to the right near the pumping jetty. A run-out tide tends to push some pressure waves inside the mouth and out to sea, which can become unpredictable when you’re making the run out over the bar. The current off Tweed has been insanely strong. To the extent that even boats of 6m have found it hard to fish the reefs – including Fidos and Nine Mile. With the current getting up to four knots – crazy! Thankfully that
doesn’t happen too often. Though to tow anything, it has made fishing off Tweed relatively hard. Hard-bodies were ripping out of the water when going against the current and it was almost impossible to tow livies – getting nowhere with the motor in idle. Over the past couple of weeks on trips out to the reef, I found towing livies or dead pilchard on a simple pillie rig most effective on mackerel, for myself and everyone else getting into these fish. As usual, kayakers were getting into mackerel with pillie rigs, while boaties would go for the slower option of towing livies – which can either pay off big time or cause you to strike out and end up with a big fat donut for the morning. Either way, a bad day fishing will always beat the best day at work. As always, tight lines!
A metal lure-eating spanish mackerel for the author.
Quilted oyster doonas revolutionised shellfish reef restoration with 15m of living seawall installed at the Southport School.
Rejuvenating and enriching shellfish populations in Qld
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HE Quilted Oyster Doona stands at the forefront of a revolutionary strategy for shellfish reef restoration, providing a tailored solution to overcome challenges in rejuvenating and enriching shellfish populations across diverse marine environments. The QOD provides a pragmatic and sustainable avenue for shellfish reef restoration and fortifies the structural integrity of marine infrastructure. Rock walls, which are home to a number of critical recreational fish species, are precious marine ecosystems that need to be looked after. By lining these habitats with QODs, we are ensuring the growth and food remain strong, particularly in those intertidal zones. In a global first, QODs are cost-effective, fast and scalable. They transform rock walls into living seawalls, promoting biodiversity and have the capability to bring
back life to once-barren rock expanses. Crafted from a non-degrading flexible gabion blanket, the quilted oyster doona ingeniously transforms revetment walls, eroding banks and pylons into a dynamic habitat. The ‘basket’ is made using 316 stainless-steel welded wire and woven mesh, ensuring robustness and endurance in harsh marine conditions. Central to the QOD’s efficacy is its incorporation of recycled and sanitised oyster shells. With their intricate chemical composition, these shells act as a magnet for spat, fostering an optimal substrate for young shellfish. Including recycled oyster shells creates an inviting haven for shellfish settlement, cultivating vibrant reef ecosystems. Recently, 27m of QODs were installed in a Currumbin Creek tributary on the Gold Coast as part of a civil engineering project.
Bush ’n Beach Fishing, February 2024 – Page 29
