Southern
OLD
Succulent species on the cards BRISBANE
Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com
As we get towards late summer, anglers will continue to be spoilt for choice fishing Moreton Bay and surrounding waterways. The prominence of some fish species has been unusual over the last few months and I feel many species are a little late this year. Occasional downpours and frequent winds have created somewhat murky conditions for inshore waters. This isn’t always a bad thing however it does minimise activity of many pelagic
and with better water clarity we should see improved numbers. Anchoring around the Measured Mile beacons whilst deploying ganghook rigged pilchards will commonly reward with screaming drags. A pilchard floated aft around the bay islands, artificial reefs or even whilst drifting the bay flats chasing whiting is often a successful ploy. Trolling spoons along the edges of prominent banks in the Rous, Rainbow, Pearl and Small Ships Channels is likely to reward. These same areas can be drifted with pilchards or trolled with deep diving minnow lures especially at the start of the run-in and most of the run-out tide.
any moment. Longtails commonly range from around 8kg to 15kg in Moreton Bay but specimens to over 25kg are caught every season. Longtails are exceptionally hard-fighting fish, and minimum 10kg is recommended when chasing them. Heavier is advisable if you want to shorten the fight and if you want to release any unwanted fish in decent condition. Shortening the fight will often decrease the chance of a shark taking your hooked catch, which is a common occurrence at times. Fly fishing for longtails is a lot of fun and often gives you the upper hand when they are eating small profiles. It
Grunter have become more common in the bay over recent years. Mark caught this solid specimen on a Samaki Thumpertail soft vibe. species such as mackerel and tuna which prefer somewhat cleaner conditions. Many demersal species and predatory estuarine species have flourished in such conditions and great reports have filtered in over recent weeks for species such as mangrove jack, estuary cod, threadfin salmon, mulloway, snapper and sweetlip. There has even been some decent catches of squid, crabs and banana prawns at times. Let’s look at a few species that should be on the catch cards over the coming month. MACKEREL Both mackerel and tuna species should increase in prominence during the coming months. Although it has been a little slower than usual over the warmer months, baitfish presence should increase and inshore water clarity should improve providing we do not have any serious downpours. During February anglers began to notice increased numbers of school mackerel around the shipping channel beacons and vertically spinning these with chromed slugs and slices would often produce a bag limit with a bit of effort. This should continue to improve 26 MARCH 2023
Surface feeding schools are also possible to locate at times but as yet the numbers have been minimal. Both school and spotted mackerel will roam close to the surface looking for bait, often indicated by a V-shaped wake. There were a few reports of spotted mackerel being randomly caught during February. However, I have not heard of any surface busting schools, probably due to lower bait concentrations and water clarity. I feel a lot of species are a little late this year so hopefully March will see some mackerel mayhem. TUNA Longtails have been conspicuous by their absence for most of the summer period, however as we move into cooler times, numbers should hopefully flourish. A few quality fish have been taken on live baits fished around the shipping channel beacons, current lines and artificial reefs, but the surface-busting schools have been limited. However, it is always worth having a rod ready rigged with a chromed slug, pencil popper, stickbait or jighead rigged jerkshad plastic whilst transiting the bay, as schools can pop up at
is easier to cast a minute fly utilising the weight of the fly line than it is to cast a 5g or 10g slug on a spin rod. The 1:1 ratio of a fly reel provides real hand-tohand combat with the fish- a great challenge. The coming months should see an increase in the prevalence of longtails within Moreton Bay but every year is different so we will just have to wait and see. Mac tuna numbers should also be on the increase with larger surface busting schools common in areas such as the Kianga Channel, Pearl Channel, Paddock area, inside the South Passage Bar, Rainbow Channel and possibly the Naval Reserve Banks. They are often harder to hook than longtails, being very profile orientated when feeding on schools of baitfish. Whilst lacking the eating quality of longtails they still give a great fight and are fun to catch. The salted fillets from mac tuna make exceptional baits for reef fish, tailor and even bream when cut into strips or cubed. Even when fresh, mac tuna fillets are excellent bait with plenty of blood and oil to bring fish in from a distance away. Bonito will also be
prevalent during March, often being found in large surface feeding schools. Both Watson’s and Australian bonito can be caught by spinning small chromed slugs to surface feeding schools. Small baitfish profiled flies can also work a treat and you will have a lot of fun on this species with a #5 or #6 weight fly outfit. The Australian bonito have a similar flesh to mac tuna and are mainly suited for bait but the Watson’s bonito have a much whiter flesh and are good when lightly grilled on the barbie or smoked. Let’s hope we see an increase in baitfish and pelagics in the bay during March which results in some exciting surface feeding schools. ESTUARY BRAWLERS Both mangrove jacks and estuary cod should be around in good numbers over the coming months for those who make the effort to specifically target them. The only damper on this action will be flooding rainfall which will greatly lower the salinity in the estuaries and force many species further out into higher salinity areas. Both species are commonly caught around structure such as mangrove snags, rock walls, bridge pylons, pontoons and other submerged structures in the rivers, creeks, estuaries, harbours and canal developments. Both hunt in a predatory manner and will adopt ambush locations where they can dart out to engulf any morsel that passes by. Estuary cod can also be caught out into the bay around the artificial reefs and the retaining walls on the eastern and northern sides
Spotted mackerel have been a rarity in the bay this season, but Jordan managed to score this tasty specimen in February. of mud island. Working lures so that they bang and rattle across the rocks or other structures will quickly get their attention. Jacks will often hold in calmer spots adjacent faster flowing water that will bring forth food items such as baitfish and crustaceans. They are lightning fast in their attack, often hitting the lure on their way back to the snag which gives them the upper hand in escape. It is advisable to use 7kg to 15kg line, have a sturdy drag setting, a good thumb-lock on the spool plus some luck on your side to subdue the better specimens. Any jack over 40cm will give a good account of itself, and the 50cm plus models are a real challenge. Specimens to well over 60cm have been caught recently in the saltwater environs, and even bigger
Chris with a pair of great bay snapper. These fish are always on the cards for those fishing the artificial reefs and bay islands.
have been caught in some of the land-locked lakes. Live baits of mullet, herring, pike, prawns and biddies make great fare for targeting both species. Small rock crabs can also work, especially for estuary cod. Baits are fished close to the structures, generally pinned on a suicide or kahle pattern hook with just enough sinker weight to keep it in the desired location. The action for jacks and cod will taper off a bit as the water temperatures cool so get out and target them now. SQUID During February many begin to notice increased numbers of squid in eastern Moreton Bay locales such as the weed beds north of Tangalooma, Amity Rock Wall, Rous Channel, Comboyuro and Rainbow Channel. Whilst generally not a prime time for squid, the warmer months can still produce for those who search out weed, reef, rubble and rocky areas that have good quality, crystal clear water running over them. There have been a few caught in certain areas on the western foreshore of the bay, but dirtier water conditions have limited opportunity much of the time. If water conditions continue to improve during March, squidding could be rather productive in many areas of the bay. Often at this time of the year the squid are quite large as they are last years hatch (most only live for 12 months to 18 months). If conditions are right, March squidding will definitely pay dividends. PRAWNS At the time of writing we hadn’t seen any decent numbers of quality prawns in the SEQ area. This will likely improve during the coming full moon (February) or even throughout March. The Pine and Caboolture rivers are
