Unseasonable species settle

BRISBANE Gordon Macdonald

As conditions begin to cool on approach to the winter months, we will see a gradual change in the prominence of some species throughout the Moreton Bay region. Many species have been somewhat unseasonal of late, possibly due to varied and often erratic weather patterns.

The Moreton Bay pelagics have been a little quiet over a good portion of the summer months but the action has been rather good of late. Most demersal species have been steady with anglers regularly getting amongst the snapper, sweetlip, tuskfish, whiting, flathead, bream, cod, mulloway and other species in Moreton Bay waters. Let’s see what your best options are likely to be over the coming months.

MACKEREL

Numbers of mackerel were somewhat lesser over the warmer months than we are commonly used to but there were decent numbers around at times. School mackerel were the most prominent however a few spotties were also caught. Although I didn’t hear of any anglers locating the large, surface-busting conglomerations of spotties, the occasional fish was found cruising the surface or feeding along with schools of bonito.

The best I did was two in the one session, both fish spotted cruising just under the surface on a glassy calm day. A cast in their general direction with a chromed slug quickly got their attention. I heard reports of others scoring the occasional spottie around the fringes of the bay islands and the artificial reefs, however in general their numbers were limited. School mackerel stocks were better, although lesser than previous seasons. Murky, often green, water in the western side of the bay definitely had something to do with this.

As the water quality improved over February and March, mackerel numbers also improved. School mackerel began being caught in the Wellington Point to Ormiston area, Small Ships Channel,

Harry Atkinson Artificial Reef, around the bay islands, Rous Channel and many other spots. Cooling water temperatures can often improve mackerel numbers for a short period but as we really come into the cold months the numbers will begin to wane.

During April anglers should try drifting gang hook rigged pilchards or trolling spoons behind paravanes along the edges of the major channels on the start of the run in tide and the first few hours of the run out tide. Pilchards drifted aft around the edges of the bay islands, the artificial reefs and the Sand Hills area will likely reward. Whilst we are historically on the back half of the season, nothing has been consistent of late therefore we may see a late run of mackerel over the coming months. Let’s hope so anyway!

TUNA

Towards mid-February, numbers of longtails began to appear throughout Moreton Bay. Unfortunately, the better numbers were often found just east of the Spit Beacon area which is in the Paddock Green Zone. Occasional bust-ups of feeding fish were located towards the Harry Atkinson, Middle Bank, Shipping Channel (especially between Four Beacons and Comboyuro), Measured Mile and Rainbow Channel.

At times they were easy to approach and would eat almost anything you threw in their direction and at other times were downright frustrating. Good options included chromed slugs, stickbaits to around 120mm, weighted casting minnows, jighead rigged jerk shads (especially 5” ZMan Jerk shads in bubblegum) and baitfish profiled flies. The longtails were often feeding hard and erratically and you had to be lucky to be Johnny-on-the-spot when they sounded. Getting ahead of the feeding fish and cutting the motor was a good ploy at times but their movements were often hard to predict.

There were plenty of quality fish amongst them with specimens over 20kg popping up. Fish of this quality will give you a hell of a fight on the usual 10kg tackle that many anglers use for this pursuit. A heavier stickbait outfit around 20kg is a better option, especially if you want to release these larger fish. Light tackle will result in these fish being totally exhausted by the time they are boatside and they will likely die by the time they are unhooked and set free. Additionally, there is a much greater chance that the sharks will find them before you can land them and we all know how that scenario ends. Longtail numbers can be great as we go into the cooler periods and anglers should have good opportunity to secure a few over the coming months.

SQUID

Already at the time of writing, anglers were beginning to notice better numbers of squid throughout many areas of Moreton Bay. Squid like crystal clear water and when you find this around areas of weed beds, reef, rock, rubble or other structure there is a great chance that a few squid will be lurking. They often appear to materialise out of nowhere as their camouflage skills are extraordinary. They will lurk in such areas awaiting any passing morsel.

The discoloured edges and weed areas in the upper reaches of the Rous and Rainbow Channels are often a good location to probe with egi, especially during the latter half of the falling tide. The edges of the reef at Peel (beware of Green Zone restrictions) and the shallows of Mud and Green also offer great opportunity when water quality is suitable. Casting egi (prawn profiled squid jigs) is the most commonly used technique for probing these areas.

Common technique involves long casts over the area before retrieving. A slow retrieve with occasional pauses or abrupt hops of the jig and longer pauses, to allow the egi to sink, create good opportunity. Light drag settings will eliminate the chance of tearing the spikes on the rear of the jig out of the cephalopod. Just keep the rod tip high and keep the pressure on by constantly winding the handle of the reel (without pumping and winding as you would with a fish).

Netting the squid once boatside will reduce the chances of you receiving an inky blast. Both tiger and arrow squid can be caught with the tigers more common around structure and the arrows in the channels. Both are tasty when lightly cooked on very high heat for a short period.

PRAWNS

Prawning was slow throughout much of the summer months although better numbers began to appear after the full moon in February. Numbers should be good during April although they are fickle creatures that come and go at will. During April I would suggest trying the deeper holes in the Caboolture and Pine Rivers. The Brisbane River can also prawn well at this time, especially after a bit of rain. How long the prawns stay in the lower reaches of the river systems is anyone’s guess but before long they will move out into the bay.

Areas around Shorncliffe, Deception Bay, Sandgate and Nudgee can all fire at this time of the year but only time will tell if this happens. However, now is the time to ensure that your cast net is in good repair and you are ready to roll when they come on. The occasional prospecting trip to likely areas is often worthwhile around the changes of the tide. Even the southern bay locales such as The Saltworks, Giant’s Grave, Jackson’s Hole and the powerlines area can pay dividends, although these usually fire a little later.

A top pocket only, 12ft drop castnet is the best option for prawning. There are plenty of quality, locally made castnets on the market as well as commercially made product. I have been using a Pro Throw net for many seasons now and they are great value and a much better quality mesh than most of the other commercially available nets. Nets additionally sporting bottom pockets will also catch prawns however you will spend a lot of time removing shell grit, jelly balls, mud clumps, sticks and other debris from the bottom pocket. Prawns will almost exclusively be caught in the top pocket therefore the bottom pocket is more of a hinderance than help. The coming months should be great for prawning in the Moreton Bay area.

Bonito

Many surface busting schools throughout Moreton Bay in recent months have been bonito or bullet tuna. These smaller pelagics are generally in large schools and feed fairly hard. Often, they can be seen cruising the surface as they search for prey. Like all pelagics, they can be pedantic at times but a small chromed slug or slice cast in their direction will usually be engulfed quickly.

Watson’s bonito, bullet tuna and Australian bonito all make great fillets baits (especially when salted) however the Watson’s are also decent table fair due to their somewhat whiter flesh. I often brine and smoke them or just lightly grill the fresh fillets on the BBQ plate. An image hereabouts will help you to identify the difference between the Watson’s bonito, Australian bonito and bullet tuna. Often several can be caught in quick succession and a good supply can be secured for future trips.

Snapper

With the weather cooling down, anglers will notice snapper numbers greatly on the improve throughout SEQ. Early in the season we often encounter large snapper coming in from the offshore reefs to breed. Additionally, the number of small snapper is also on the rise. Larger baits often work well as the smaller specimens will have a good chew whilst the larger, more wary fish lurk on the fringes. Before long the temptation of the feeding activity will encourage the knobbies to also to come in for a sample.

Smaller baits will be depleted too quickly whilst these smaller ‘pickers’ are around. Personally, I prefer a good to promote healthy stocks for the future.

Other Options

A lot of other species will still be on the agenda for anglers over the coming month. Whilst the action is

Soft vibes have accounted for a lot of fish but numerous soft plastics have also been put into play. As the waters cool, threadfin will retreat back up the river systems. The upper reaches of the Brisbane

River will produce fish right throughout the winter months, making them a year round species for those who probe the right waters.

Flathead and bream are also serious drawcards for those fishing the creeks and estuaries. Both species will respond well to lures and baits and can be caught in all depths of water. They are the main bread and butter species for many anglers, especially those limited to land-based fishing.

Mulloway numbers will lift over the coming month and I will concentrate more on them in next month’s report. Many will be taken around the artificial reefs by those targeting snapper on both lures and baits. Large live baits are one of the key ingredients for those targeting the larger specimens however plenty of fish to 120cm or more are taken on lures.

Tailor have been sporadically showing up for a month or more now. This is a little unusual but everything is a little out of the norm at present. At times large schools have been found well up the Brisbane River at the mouth of Norman Creek, at Scarborough Reef, Sand Hills area, southern side of Peel and numerous other locations. Many have been encountered by those targeting other species but they are generally a welcome bycatch.

Conclusion

As you can tell, the variety of species available during the coming month or so is rather extensive. Whilst specific targeting will heighten opportunity for many species, many will show up randomly. The weather conditions and temperatures have been rather sporadic in recent months, which has kept things interesting. Availability of some species is surprising for this time of the year, making it hard to predict anything with certainty. However, April should be a great month to get out on the water as cooling conditions will make it a lot more comfortable for many and the variety on offer is rather exciting. Get out and enjoy it.

sized fillet bait from mullet, bonito, tuna, slimey mackerel or pike however whole yakkas, slimey mackerel, squid, pike, herring and even grinners will work well.

Varied lures work well for snapper including soft vibes, micro jigs, soft plastics (including paddle tails, curl tails, jerkshads, prawn profiles and creature baits), blades and even octo-jigs. Often, presentation and retrieve technique is more important than the brand, type or colour.

The coming months will see an increase in the prevalence and average size of the snapper to be caught around the bay island margins, artificial reefs and wrecks through Moreton Bay. You may have to catch and release numerous small fish before you get that one quality keeper. Treat these smaller fish with respect and release quickly likely to have slowed a bit, jacks and cod will still be a serious proposition for those casting lures or deploying live baits around heavily structured areas such as bridge pylons, mangrove snags, jetties, boat moorings, pontoons and rock walls. The closer you probe such structure the greater the likelihood of getting smashed by a quality fish. Avoiding them busting you off in heavily structured areas will require fast reflexes, heavy drag settings, a good thumblock on the spool and some fancy rod work. Obviously, a good dose of luck doesn’t go astray either.

Threadfin numbers have been good in the lower reaches of the Brisbane River and Southern Bay areas. Plenty of quality fish over the metre mark have been caught with regularity by keen, knowledgeable anglers.