“CLARKIES” GOLD COAST FISHING REPORT 6 April 2023

6 April, 202318 July, 2023in Fishing, News by admin

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Fishing Report

Marissa out fished the boys and caught some nice Flathead on a charter with Brad Smith Fishing Charters on the Tweed River

Hi Everyone, hope you are all having a nice week, the year seems to be flying by fast with school holidays in full swing and Easter upon us. The weather has been pretty average to start school holidays with strong winds from both the south and north, making conditions hard for fishing on the Gold and Tweed Coasts. At the time of writing my report Good Friday was looking like the pick of the days for getting out and catching some fresh seafood. Easter Sunday is not looking too bad when it comes to wind, with some light to moderate unseasonal westerly winds on the forecast. No rain around at this stage, it is looking pretty dry if you are planning to spend Easter outdoors fishing, camping or boating.

I hope everyone has a great and safe Easter break. Let’s check out what’s been on the bite this week.

Easter School Holidays

Brett with a nice sized Big Eye Trevally caught and released fishing bait schools in the Broadwater_

This year seems to be flying by fast with Easter School Holidays in full swing this week. Holidays are always a good time to get the kids motivated and out of the house and have a crack at catching a fish. It’s great to see kids out having a go off the local jetties and beaches. If you are new to fishing and keen to get the kids involved, I recommend dropping past and see your local tackle store as they will be more than happy to help you get started from the right gear, bait selection and even a few spots to try your luck with the kids.

Keep it Simple

All you need is a basic light estuary combo with 6 -9lb line, a running sinker rig with a size 3 to 4 sinker, and a size 2 to 4 bait holder hook should do the trick on most species you may find of a local jetty or beach like; Bream, Flathead and Whiting. A few spots to try your luck land based are Tweed River, Currumbin Creek, Tallebudgera Creek, Nerang River, Marine Stadium, Broadwater Parklands, Main Channel near Seaworld, Grand Hotel Jetty, Lands End, Runaway Bay Canal Entrances, Paradise Point Jetty, Coomera River and Jacobs Well. Bream should be around in good numbers, just use a bit of burly if you are fishing off a jetty and drop the line over the side. The fish will be sitting under the jetty using it for shelter. If you cast out a mile you may not do as well. If you have a boat, try having a look around Wavebreak Island, Sovereign Island, Coomera River, Pimpama River, The Never Fails, Jacobs Well, Bedrooms, Tiger Mullet Channel, Crusoe Island, Cabbage Tree Point, Canapia Passage and the Logan river for a feed of Bream, Whiting and Flathead. Kids will have fun pumping yabbies and they make great bait, also try using Prawns, Worms, White Pilchards, Squid or Mullet Fillet.

Muddies

Mud Crabs have been pretty active the past few weeks with some nice feeds being caught. We haven’t had much rain so far this year to flush them out – the big tides seem to have done the trick. Trying further upriver will be worth a look, the Tweed River, Coomera River, Paradise Point, Aldrshots, Pipmpama River, Jacobs Well, Cabbage Tree Point, Logan River and Russell Island will be worth a try. Fresh Mullet, Fish Frames and Raw Chicken make the best baits.

Ash had a good day at Jumpinpin landing a few Flathead on soft plastics

There were plenty of boats out chasing Banana Prawns last weekend with mixed success. If we get a bit more rain (but not too much), it should help to flush them out in better numbers. Some of the Prawns were a pretty decent size (which is a good sign) – being in the right spot at the right time is the key to success. Most of the usual spots are producing Prawns such as Jacobs Well, Cabbage Tree Point, Little Rocky Point, Powerlines, Logan River, Karragarra Island and the Salt Works at Mac Leahy Island. Fingers crossed you can locate the Prawns and get a few good casts in before the crowds arrive. Best to look around a tide change and use the biggest legal sized top pocket net you can successfully cast.

At Sea

Spotted Mackerel were around in big numbers again last weekend with boats having success fishing from Mermaid Reef north to Jumpinpin again finding multiple schools of fish to cast on. They have started to quieten off this week by the sounds of the reports coming in. With the weather not looking too bad over Easter, it may be worth heading out to try your luck. Always make sure you have the most up to date forecast before hitting the water. Most fish were located by keeping a keen eye out for surface action like water splashing and birds diving into the bait schools. There has also been a plenty of Tuna swimming with the Mackerel. Casting metal slugs from 25 to 40 grams has worked well. You can try using a bit of wire when the fish are thick, if a strike is hard to come by just use a plain mono leader for better lure presentation. Fishos also scored a few nice Snapper, Tuskfish, Trag Jew, Moses Perch, Maori Cod and Jewfish on the 18 and 24 fathoms reefs the past week.

The local waterways and boat ramps are always a busy place during peak holiday times, just remember everyone is out to have a good time. Be patient, have fun and be safe during Easter.

Brett with a nice School Jew caught in the Tweed River in a deep hole with Brad Smith Fishing Charters

LINKS & INFO

If you have any great catches or photos you would like to share, please email us and let us know how you went. brett@coomerahouseboats.com.au or brett@fishotackle.com.au

Stay up to date with all fishing regulations in Queensland https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries

Fisho Tackle and Coomera Houseboat Holidays now have Hire follow the link to view http://www.coomerahouseboats.com.au/our-fleet-type/hire-tinnies/

Seabreeze is a great website to access a local forecast http://www.seabreeze.com.au/graphs/

Good luck with the Fishing. Brett

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“CLARKIES” GOLD COAST FISHING REPORT 31 March 2023

31 March, 202327 June, 2023in Fishing by admin

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Fishing Report

It’s been a mixed bag of weather so far this week on the Gold and Tweed Coasts, with hot days due to Northerly winds at the beginning on the week, and a Southery change coming through bringing with it a cool change with much milder conditions, making spending time on the water much nicer. At the time of writing my report the swell was looking ok for the weekend, but we have a bit of rain on the way by the looks of it. Let’s have a look at some options for the weekend ahead.

Offshore Fishing

Ben White with a good sized Wahoo he landed off the Gold Coast recently.The fishing offshore the past week has been great with some nice catches reported, Ben White (see photo) had a great trip coming up trumps landing a good-sized Wahoo recently. The pelagic action of the Gold Coast has been fantastic the past few weeks and it hasn’t slowed down yet. Wahoo are the speedsters of the ocean and are on many fishos target list. When they first hit the run is electric, flying off at top speed, dumping a heap of line off the reel in seconds. Trolling either metal heads, resin heads or diving lures anywhere from 6 to 12 knots will usually attract a strike if they are in the area. They like good quality clean water and will also hang around fads.

Schools of Spotted Mackerel have been showing in great number again this week, with keen anglers getting out amongst the action and scoring a great feed. Once again, the Mackerel are widespread anywhere from Mermaid Reef north, to the Jumpinpin Bar in depths from 13 fathoms out to 24 fathoms depending where you choose to have a look. Keeping a keen eye on the surface for water splashes from feeding fish, on the sounder for show of fish mainly mid water, and an eye on the sky for birds diving on bait fish pushed to the surface by the predators.

Geoff with a trophy sized Snapper he caught off the Gold Coast last weekend.

You will also find a mixture of Long Tail Tuna, Mac Tuna, Striped Tuna and even a few Yellow Fin Tina feeding with the Mackerel. The best way to target fish when they are feeding on the surface is casting metal slugs 25 to 45 grams depending on the size of bait, also try surface poppers and stick baits. The reefs have also been producing some nice Snapper in close, like the trophy sized one Geoff landed last weekend (see photo). There has been plenty of bait around the 18 to 24 fathoms grounds off the God Coast, have a good look on the sounder when choosing where to fish. Float lining will always produce the better-quality fish as the bait is presented more naturally. You will also find a general mixed bag of Moses Perch, Tusk Fish, Trag Jew, Maori Cod, Silver Jew and few Spanish Mackerel still showing up.

Banana Prawns

A few Banana Prawns have been caught during the week. No big numbers yet, but as the temperature start to ease and we get a bit of rain, they should start to come on in better numbers. The smaller tides last week are also not ideal, they seem to respond better on the bigger tides. The best time to look is an hour before and an hour after a tide change as they tend to pop during this time. Depending on pressure from anglers they can be active for few hours each tide. Try looking in the usual areas like Jacobs Well, Cabbage Tree Points, Little Rocky Point, The Power Lines, Logan River, Redland Channel, Karragarra Island and Macleay Island. A top pocket net is a must, a maximum length of 12ft is allowable and worth getting, as when the net drops it slowly closes making the diameter that reaches the Prawns a lot smaller especially in the deeper water.

George did well catching his first ever Flathead on a charter with Brad Smith Fishing Charters on the Tweed River.

The Broadwater and Jumpinpin was a little slower than normal due to small daytime tides. The fish tend to respond and bite better when there is more tidal flow. The bait schools of whitebait didn’t push up as far in the Broadwater during the week. It’s best to look for the colour change where the clean water meets the dirty water as this area will often produce better fish. There was still some nice Bream, Whiting, Flathead, Tarwhine, Mangrove Jack, Estuary Cod, Tailor and Trevally landed.

QUOTES FROM THE BOATS

Geoff with a trophy sized Snapper he caught off the Gold Coast last weekend.Brad from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

“Here we are again at the end of another week on the Tweed. I have to be honest, I had to work hard again this week to produce some fish, with the water temperature still very high up around the 28-to-30-degree mark, and a fluctuating barometer. But as guides we work hard and keep our composure and trust our experience to get the job done for our valued clients. The key was very similar to last week and that was to fish deep on the bait schools holding in the holes and to cover some water trolling through the channel contours of the river. The best results came from jigging the holes with Ecogear zx 40 and Ecogear breamer vibes, and when it came to trolling the Slam, hard bodied minnow worked very well. The species caught were Flatties, Bream, Big Eye Trevally, Whiting and small School Jewies.”

Clint from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

Gavin from Sea Probe Fishing Charters has been finding some nice Dolphin Fish for his customers of the Gold Coast.

“Fishing in the Broadwater has been steadily improving this week. We are nearly at my favourite months of the year, April to December. There have been tons of small bait fish coming in, a slight drop in water temperature, and a nice bit of rain. It is coming alive big time. The December to March king tides are over until later in the year thankfully! Daily catches have included Sand Whiting, Winter Whiting, Dusky Flathead, Bartail Fathead, Flounder, Tuskfish, Snapper, Tarwhine, Bream, Tailor, Moses Perch and Yakka. MMD soft prawn vibes and Ecogear ZX40’s have been catching the most fish. Best areas have been the deep hole, Southport West channel, Wavebreak West channel, Runaway Bay channel.”

Gavin from Sea Probe Fishing Charters reports:

“There are still lots of Spotted Mackerel schools to target in close It has been excellent this year with the odd Spanish as well – catching them on slugs 15grams to 25 grams, also Dolphin Fish on the fads.”

LINKS & INFO

If you have any great catches or photos you would like to share, please email us and let us know how you went. brett@coomerahouseboats.com.au or brett@fishotackle.com.au

Stay up to date with all fishing regulations in Queensland https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries

Fisho Tackle and Coomera Houseboat Holidays now have Hire follow the link to view http://www.coomerahouseboats.com.au/our-fleet-type/hire-tinnies/

Seabreeze is a great website to access a local forecast http://www.seabreeze.com.au/graphs/

Good luck with the Fishing. Brett

“CLARKIES” GOLD COAST FISHING REPORT 23 March 2023

23 March, 202327 June, 2023in Fishing by admin

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Fishing Report

Hi Everyone, hope you are all having a nice week, we had some great weather last weekend and to start the week, which was well overdue. The light winds and a small swell give fishos a great opportunity to get out for a fish on the Tweed and Gold Coasts. As the week progresses, the heat has eased a bit with a southerly wind direction. At the time of writing my report, it looks like a few showers will develop and the southerly winds increase over the weekend ahead. Always have the most up to date weather forecast before heading out on the water.

The final Spanish Mackerel Closure for Southeast Queensland ended on the 21/3/2023 giving anglers the green light to chase a feed.

Let’s have a look check out what’s been on the biting this week.

GOLD COAST BROADWATER

Brett with a nice sized Tailor caught in the Broadwater this week.

The Broadwater has been fishing very well this week with many schools of white pilchards moving through the main channels, making for an easy feed for any predators searching for a meal in the area. I headed out on Monday to fish the morning high tide change in the Broadwater, conditions were pretty good with very little wind. Not much weed in the water and a lot less boat traffic to contend with compared to a normal weekend on the Gold Coast. There was plenty of bait showing up on the sounder, which was a great sign, the edges of current lines seemed to be a good spot producing both bait and predators working the bait schools. The bait was mostly mid water, once a school of hungry Tailor or Trevally showed up it didn’t take long to push the bait to the surface and erupt into splashing and surface action, which is always great to see. I was throwing a mixture of metal slugs and soft vibes that were inhaled as soon as they hit the water. Some of the Tailor were extra large greenbacks that put up a great fight and are not too bad to eat as long as you bleed them straight away and get them onto ice. Most of the Trevally landed were Big Eye and some were a good size, I also found a few Brassy Trevally keen to take a lure. When the soft vibe lure made it to the bottom, I also managed to land a few small Grunter, Moses Perch and Bream making for a good few hours on the water. It always pays to keep an eye om the sounder for signs of life, an eye on the sky for bird activity and an eye on the water for any splashes of indicating surface activity and fish to target.

The conditions were great last weekend with light winds and small swell seeing plenty of keen fishos head out offshore in search of a feed. In close from Palm Beach and Mermaid Reef North to the tip of South Stradbroke Spotted Mackerel were around in good numbers with plenty of happy fishos landing a nice feed. Anglers has success by either anchoring up and getting a burly trail going and fishing with a mixture of WA Pilchards and live Yakka’s. Unfortunately, sharks respond to the burly trail and the struggling fish like a dinner bell and managed to tax their fair share of the catch. Crews had better luck following the bait balls and surface bust ups, throwing a mixture of metal slugs, surface walkers and surface poppers getting good results. Hopefully the shark numbers ease over the next week which will make fishing a bit easier and less frustrating.

ON THE BITE

Karen had a good night fishing the Nerang River landing a great feed of quality Whiting with Wayne Young.

Both the 18 and 24 fathoms reefs have been fishing pretty well for a mixed bag of Snapper, Moses Perth, Tusk Fish, Trag Jew, a few Cobia and some top quality Jewfish coming onboard. Best baits are WA Pilchards, whole large Squid, Bonito Fillet, Mullet Fillet and live Yakkas.

The bigger tides this week has given the system a bit of a flush out, with a few nice Mud Crabs having been caught by anyone keen to soak the pots. The Coomera River, Pimpama River, Tipplers Passage, The Never Fails, Tiger Mullet Channel, Jacobs Well, Cabbage Tree Point, Russel Island, Karragarra Island and the Logan River have all produced a feed. Whole Mullet, Fish Frames and raw Chicken pieces all make great bait.

QUOTES FROM THE BOATS

Brad from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

Jan arrived on holiday from Canadian winter to a heatwave here but caught some nice flatties on a charter with Brad Smith Fishing Charters on the Tweed River

“What an extremely hot week it was, especially for the clients that I had today who arrived from Canada. It is not only the land temperature that is hot but each day I have completed my trips around midday, the water temperature on my sounder had climbed to just over 30 degrees. We caught Flathead, Bream, Whiting and small School Jew in the deep holes where I suspect that the water was a bit cooler on the bottom. My tip for the week is get on the water early and fish the deep holes and keep hydrated by drinking lots of water and let’s hope this mini heat wave passes soon.”

Clint from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

“The fishing for me this week has been tough. This time last year we already had massive floods, while this summer has been relatively dry and now hot. That’s Australia! We are approaching cooler months from April onwards, and with that there will be a lot more (and bigger) Flathead, Flounder, Squid, Tailor, Winter Whiting, and many more that I love to target on my charters. This week in the Broadwater there was some ok fishing on the Southern flats for whiting and a few Flathead, while in the channels the better fishing was in the mornings with the run in tide for Flathead, Moses Perch, Tarwhine, Bream. Once the tide ran out the soupy looking hot green water did not produce much. Best bet at the moment is fishing early morning on the high tides, or at night.”

Gavin from Sea Probe Fishing Charters reports:

Gavin from Sea Probe Fishing Charters getting his customers on to some great quality Jew Fish off the Gold Coast

“There has been plenty of Spotted Mackerel still in close what have been excellent this year with the odd Spanish, catching them on slugs from 15grams to 25 grams. A few Dolphin Fish showing up on the fads, but the current is very strong out there. Some cracking quality Jewfish in the closer reefs.”

LINKS & INFO

If you have any great catches or photos you would like to share, please email us and let us know how you went. brett@coomerahouseboats.com.au or brett@fishotackle.com.au

Stay up to date with all fishing regulations in Queensland https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries

Fisho Tackle and Coomera Houseboat Holidays now have Hire follow the link to view http://www.coomerahouseboats.com.au/our-fleet-type/hire-tinnies/

Seabreeze is a great website to access a local forecast http://www.seabreeze.com.au/graphs/

Good luck with the Fishing. Brett

“CLARKIES” GOLD COAST FISHING REPORT 16 March 2023

16 March, 202318 July, 2023in Fishing, Houseboat Holiday Activities by admin

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Fishing Report

We have seen more hot, dry and windy conditions on both the Gold and Tweed Coats this week making conditions a bit hard at times when chasing a feed.

The Northly winds are not ideal and sometimes turn the fish off biting in some areas. By the weekend we are looking at another Southerly wind change moving through hopefully kicking fishing back into gear.

At the time of writing my report Sunday was looking like the pick of the weekend with lighter winds expected, the swell is tipped to pick up a bit, so be cautious if thinking about heading offshore through the seaway.

Let’s check out what’s been on the biting this week.

Banana Prawns

Reports of a few Banana Prawns being caught around the northern end of the Gold Coast is a welcome sign for those fishos that chase a tasty feed each year. A lack of rain this summer has resulted in a later than normal start to the Prawns showing up around the Gold Coast. Hopefully we will see better numbers as the weather starts to cool off. Last season seemed to go forever but a lot of that can be contributed to an extremely wet 2022.

When thinking about targeting a feed of Prawns a quality top pocket cast net should be one of the most important items on the list. A good net will increase your catch rate when the prawns are on. Bottom pocket nets are best when chasing bait fish or casting the shallows but not ideal for prawns as they take forever to remove your catch from the net. The top pocket nets are designed to be used in water over the depth of the length of the net, when casted the prawns will make their way up towards the top of the nets into a specially designed catch pocket that secures them from escaping and is very easy to unload quickly so you can keep casting. Some good spots to start looking are Jacobs Well, Rudy Maas, Cabbage Tree Point, Powerlines, Salt Works, Logan River, Redland Channel, Russell Island and Macleay Island.

Always keep your eyes peeled for boats casting nets as this is usually a giveaway that they have found Prawns. Keep a keen eye on the sounder for activity mostly hard to the bottom, is saying that when they are thick you can find them mid water and even on the surface if you are lucky. It can be intimidating getting caught up in the middle of 50 to 100 boats all casting and bumping into each other, most fishos know that manners are the key to having a good day.

Offshore Fishing

Depending on the forecast for wind and swell heading offshore might be an option on Sunday. There have still been plenty of schools of Spotty Mackerel mixed in with Tuna and Bonito busting up right along the length of the Gold Coast north to the top of South Stradbroke Island chasing the numerous number of bait schools in the area this week. To locate the schools keep an eye on the sky for birds diving and also an eye on the horizon for water splashing from feeding fish. You can try casting a mixture of different sized lures until you manage to match the size of the bait they are feeding on as it can sometimes be hard to temp them with a larger lure.

Broadwater Fishing

The Broadwater and Jumpinpin have been has been a little slow at times when the Northerly wind has been blowing. At least the winds will tend more Southerly on the weekend. It will be worth a look around for a feed of Whiting, Bream, Flathead and also a few Tailor have been caught again hanging around bait schools. Try fishing around the edges of sandbanks and any deeper holes you can find on the sounder. Wave Break Island, Paradise Point, Aldershots, Jacobs Well, Bedrooms, Tiger Mullet Channel, Crusoe Island and the Logan River are all good areas to have a look. Live Bloodworms, Beachworms, Herring and Yabbies make the best bait. Prawns, White pilchards, WA Pilchards and Blue Baits will also work well on the Flathead, Bream and Tailor.

QUOTES FROM THE BOATS

Brad from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

“This week I decided to move further up the river and take a look around the mid to far upper reaches of the Tweed River. The results were not fantastic, but it is hard to judge any area when the barometric pressure was as low as it was and has been over the last few weeks. But hard work and good techniques combined with good lure choices and patience will always get a result. Speaking of lure choices I tried the new MMD Prawn Vibe this week and I have to say I was impressed with this little lure and will be using them regularly. I used a Spike It pen and painted the underneath part of the head with orange as I am a fan of having orange under most of my lures and spiced it up with some good old Smithys UV prawn Sax scent. The lure with it’s very fine and controlled vibration produced Flatties, Bream, Whiting and School Jew. ”

Clint from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

“This week I continued fishing the deeper channels North of the seaway and we caught a mix of fish including lots of flathead, moses perch, small snapper, flounder, whiting on MMD soft prawn vibes, Zman plastics, yabbies, and whitebait. There has been a lot of bait fish moving into the Broadwater chased by tailor and trevally. It’s so much fun casting lures into surface bust ups and getting that savage strike. The water has cooled a bit from offshore current and could cool more after this weekend with the arrival of some rain. The water has been very clear but this rain won’t do much to change that. Nothing like this time last year when we had big floods. Find the bait, find the fish.”

Gavin from Sea Probe Fishing Charters reports:

“There has been plenty of Spotted Mackerel from Palm Beach Reef north to the Pin Bar trolling and also just using just pilchards and live bait. The 24 fathoms have been producing some nice Jewfish on live baits and plastics. ”

LINKS & INFO

If you have any great catches or photos you would like to share, please email us and let us know how you went. brett@coomerahouseboats.com.au or brett@fishotackle.com.au

Stay up to date with all fishing regulations in Queensland https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries

Fisho Tackle and Coomera Houseboat Holidays now have Hire follow the link to view http://www.coomerahouseboats.com.au/our-fleet-type/hire-tinnies/

Seabreeze is a great website to access a local forecast http://www.seabreeze.com.au/graphs/

Good luck with the Fishing. Brett

“CLARKIES” GOLD COAST FISHING REPORT 9 March 2023

9 March, 202318 July, 2023in Fishing, Houseboat Holiday Activities by admin

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Fishing Bliss on a Houseboat Hire Holiday and More

As we head towards the weekend the swell was forecast to ease, the wind was also due to ease and tend more E/NE, with some rain also expected to fall. Depending on how much rain we get it might be worth soaking a few crab pots for a feed of Mud Crabs.

It may be worth a look offshore this weekend, at the time of writing the report the swell looks like easing and the wind dropping but a bit of rain on the way, just make sure you check the latest forecast before heading out.

Tuna and Mac

Reports of good catches of Spotted Mackerel are good news for fishos keen to get out and catch a feed. The bait has been pretty well spread out between the bait grounds out to the 24 fathom reef off the seaway the past week or so and this is attracting schools of predators including Spotted Mackerel, Striped Tuna, Mac Tuna and Yellow Tuna sometimes all swimming together making each cast a bit of a lucky dip. Some of the Spotties are a pretty good size and put up a great fight. Keep an eye out for any surface action and birds diving as these are tell-tale signs on predatory fish actively feeding on a bait school. The best way to fish the school is to try to get down-current and let them come to you, if you drive too close or over the school they will spook. Try to match the hatch as close as possible, this means choosing the correct size lure to cast, a mixture of metal slugs, surface walkers, surface poppers and soft plastics. The predators get fixated on the school of bait and will generally not hit a lure that is too big or too small. It is a great visual way to fish and very rewarding to get a surface hook up. If the surface action settles down it is always worth having a drop on the 18 or 24 fathoms reefs for Snapper, Spangled Emperor, Moses Perch, Tusk Fish, Trag Jew, Silver Jew, Maori Cod and Cobia.

Houseboat Fishing

Good quality Whiting like the elbow slapper Eric caught on his houseboat holiday are being caught the past week on live bloodworms, beachworm and yabbies for bait. The rivers continue to produce the best quality fish in the mid 30 to 40cm size range, which are great fun to catch on light tackle. They never give up pulling line all the way to the boat or shore if you are land based. The esplanade of the Broadwater from Paradise Point, Runaway Bay all the way through to Labrador will offer good land-based fishing for a feed of tasty Whiting. If you are fishing land based, I use the same approach as when I’m in a boat, fish a certain length of the bank, if you don’t get a bite or a legal fish after 15 minutes just keep moving along until you find fish actively feeding. Some other good spots to fish are the ever-reliable Nerang River, Wave Break Island, Coomera River, Pimp ama River, Jacobs Well Shoals, Bedrooms, Cabbage Tree Point and the Logan River. Keep the gear as light as possible and a good tip is not strike at the fish when you are getting a bite, just let them hook themselves.

Fishing Structures

The hot weather so far during March has been good for fishos chasing Mangrove Jack on the Tweed and Gold Coast. Once the weather starts to cool down during Autumn, they will tend to go off the bite. Fishing heavy structures during the night (in the past week or so) has seen some very solid fish caught like the one Callum Woodbury managed to land in the Nerang River. Mangrove are dirty fighters and can pull line of a reel at a great rate of knots even if you struggle to pull line off by hand. You must be in go mode all the time when fishing structure like rock bars, rock walls, bridges, jetties, pontoons and fallen trees. If you give them an inch you will be busted off in a second on the structure. Live Mullet, Herring, Silver Biddies, Pike and Winter Whiting are all prime baits. Mullet Fillet and dead Poddy Mullet also make great bait and will usually get a bite if the fish are at home. Try the Tweed River, Currumbin Creek, Tallebudgera Creek, Runaway Bay Canals, Coomera River, Jacobs Well and the Logan River.

QUOTES FROM THE BOATS

Brad from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

“I had a few days off the water this week, but I still put in a couple of days on the water. The barometer was once again very low as it has been for the best part of this month which really makes the bite slow, but with hard work comes success. Deep water jigging proved to be the most successful technique and provided us with a mixture of Flatties, Bream, Grunter, Tarwhine and small School Jew.”

Clint from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

“The fishing this week has again been challenging but as Smithy said, with hard work comes success and we have to grind it out to find fish. I did have some good bite sessions with one day producing a number of legal Flathead using MMD soft prawn vibes on the shallow flats, and other days fishing deeper using the same lures plus yabbies and Ecogear Zx40 blades and catching Jewfish, Trevally, Flathead, Tuskfish, Flounder, Snapper and Winter Whiting.”

Gavin from Sea Probe Fishing Charters reports:

“Mackerel, Stripe Tuna and Yellowfin schools have been great off the coast only a few miles out, spinning and trolling for them have been working well a lot of fun on light tackle. Dolphinfish are starting to show up on the fads again and Wahoo on the 36 and 50 fathom lines.”

LINKS & INFO

If you have any great catches or photos you would like to share, please email us and let us know how you went. brett@coomerahouseboats.com.au or brett@fishotackle.com.au

Stay up to date with all fishing regulations in Queensland https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries

Fisho Tackle and Coomera Houseboat Holidays now have Hire follow the link to view http://www.coomerahouseboats.com.au/our-fleet-type/hire-tinnies/

Seabreeze is a great website to access a local forecast http://www.seabreeze.com.au/graphs/

Good luck with the Fishing. Brett

“CLARKIES” GOLD COAST FISHING REPORT 2 March 2023

2 March, 202318 July, 2023in Fishing, Houseboat Holiday Activities by admin

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Fishing Report

Hi Everyone. I hope you are all having a nice week. We had a few good weather windows during the week to get out for fish, which was good news whilst the Spanish Mackerel season was open.

Unfortunately, the weather is not looking good for the weekend with the southerly winds picking up on Friday and the swell increasing offshore for the Gold and Tweed Coasts. At the time of writing my report Sunday was looking the best.

Let’s check out what’s been on the bite this week.

Mud Crabs

The rain we had a couple weeks ago seemed to do the trick on the mud crabs around the Gold Coast with some good catches reported. It has been a relatively dry summer compared to normal, we usually rely on heavy rainfall to flush the mud crabs out. The bit of rain we had recently was just enough to stir up the mud crabs and push better numbers out of the creeks to target.

It will be worth soaking the pots if you are heading out for a fish. Some good areas to try are Tallebudgera Creek, Currumbin Creek, Brown Island, Paradise Point, Coomera River, Pimpama River, Aldershots, The Never Fails, Tipplers Passage, Jacobs Well, Tiger Mullet Channel, Cabbage Tree Point, Russell Island and the Logan River. There have also been pretty good hauls of sand crabs from similar areas particularly on the edges of most main channels throughout the Broadwater and Jumpinpin.

Best bait for mud crabs is whole mullet, fish frames and raw chicken pieces. I recommend using a bait bag for best results. The bait bag deters small fish, eels and crabs that get into the crab pots from being able to steal the bait before it’s had a chance to attract the larger crabs. Just make sure you are up to date with all the rules and regulations before targeting a feed.

https://www.qld.gov.au/recreation/activities/boating-fishing/rec-fishing/rules/limits-tidal

If you are going to be leaving your pots out overnight try to set them late in the evening and pick them up at first light to avoid having them checked. When crabbing during the day, I try to stay close by and have a fish in the area so I can keep an eye on the pots.

The Spanish On Pause

We had a couple of weather windows during the week and Ben White took advantage on the nice conditions and managed to score himself a great quality Spanish Mackerel trolling lures around the 24 fathom reef of the Seaway.

Unfortunately those looking at fishing for a Spanish the next close has started on 1/3/2023 and extends to 21/3/2023. Once the closure ends it will be fine to target a feed of Spanish.

https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries/sustainable/legislation/management-changes-for-east-coast-spanish-mackerel

Bottom fishing has been a bit slower the past week, but some lucky fishos have managed to catch a feed of Snapper, Moses Perch, Tusk Fish, Trag Jew, Silver Jew from the closer reefs whilst out wider on the 36 and 50 fathom grounds a few Snapper, Pearl Perch, Yellow Tail Kingfish, Samson and Amberjack have been landed, with live yakkas having produced the better quality fish.

Looks like the wind and swell will be back up over the weekend – always have the latest forecast before deciding to head offshore.

The Broadwater has also been a bit quiet at times, Jason (see photo in report) managed to catch and release his first Jew Fish on a recent trip. It is worth persisting around the sandbank edges and weed beds for a feed of Whiting, Flathead, and Bream, on both lures and baits with live yabbies being the pick.

QUOTES FROM THE BOATS

Brad from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

“The fishing this week was a little slow with the tides and gusty south-easterly winds. We still managed to find a couple of fish by working our lures along the fringes of the river and the odd deep hole that provided some protection from the wind. The species caught were Flatties, Bream, Whiting and a couple of small Big Eye Trevally and Jacks. I am looking forward to next week’s better tides, as well as being excited about trying out MMDs new prawn vibes as they look super cool.”

Clint from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

“Another tough week of fishing with big tides and strong wind. I’m very much looking to smaller tides this coming week to fish the Broadwater. The catch this week included a few Blue Swimmer Crabs, Dusky and Bartail Flathead, Sand and Winter Whiting, Flounder, Squire, Tailor, Tarwhine, using beach worms, Ecogear vibes and MMD soft prawn vibes around Runaway Bay. I used the MMD vibes for the first time and their strike rate was impressive on Flathead. We will be using them a lot.”

Gavin from Sea Probe Fishing Charters reports:

“There have been good catches of Spanish Mackerel in close using live bait and spinning with slugs. Out wider here has also been some goog hauls of Snapper, Pearl Perch and Kingfish. Also, plenty of hard fighting Blue Marlin on the shelf targeted by trolling lures.”

LINKS & INFO

If you have any great catches or photos you would like to share, please email us and let us know how you went. brett@coomerahouseboats.com.au or brett@fishotackle.com.au

Stay up to date with all fishing regulations in Queensland https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries

Fisho Tackle and Coomera Houseboat Holidays now have Hire follow the link to view http://www.coomerahouseboats.com.au/our-fleet-type/hire-tinnies/

Seabreeze is a great website to access a local forecast http://www.seabreeze.com.au/graphs/

Good luck with the Fishing. Brett

“CLARKIES” GOLD COAST FISHING REPORT – 20 October 2022

20 October, 202218 July, 2023in Fishing, Guides, Houseboat Holiday 101: From Novice to Expert, Houseboat Holiday Activities, News by admin

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Fishing Report – 20th October 2022

The Week Ahead

Last weekend and early in the week were pretty good days for getting out and about and trying your luck at catching a fish. It looks like we are going to see the rain return and the wind and swell pick up for the weekend with some stronger N/NE winds forecast for the Gold and Tweed Coasts. If you are keen, try to stick to the rivers and sheltered waterways when getting on the water this week. It always pays to have the most up to date weather forecast before deciding to go. Let’s see what’s been on the bite this week.

Whiting Are Biting

With the wind tipped to increase over the weekend and rain on the forecast finding a sheltered area out of the wind will be the best plan if your keen to go fishing. Whiting will be a great target this time of year, quite good numbers of nice fish have been caught lately and they go pretty well on the table when is comes to a great feed of fresh fish. A few spots to try your luck that will give you a bit of respite from the wind are the Nerang River, Coomera River both South and North Arms, Pimpama River, Jacobs Well and the Logan River will all hold nice schools Whiting. Both the incoming and outgoing tides will produce fish, it’s just a matter of having a good look around and try a few different spots until you can find better numbers of fish on the bite. I will usually give each spot about 15minutes before deciding to move on.

Whiting will tend to feed best when the tide is flowing well, this stirs up the bottom and makes feeding a lot easier for the fish. When the tide goes slack, they will disappear and all you usually catch is Bream, once the tide turns and picks up the fish normally come back on the chew. Up the rivers you are looking for a mixture of sand or mud bottoms with plenty on bumps with high and low spots as this is prime Whiting territory, water depths can differ from 1m to 4 metres deep. You can also mix it up bit a and have a look around the tops of shallow sandbanks and wade around. The best banks to choose are ones with plenty of yabbie holes and these will hold better numbers of fish looking for a feed.

When choosing a rod and reel combo a light estuary outfit around minimum 7ft long rod with a soft tip action matched with a 1000 to 2000 sized reel spooled with 6 to 9lb mono will work well. A long 6lb fluro carbon leader, size 4 to 6 bait holder hook and a sinker size to keep your baits on the bottom, usually size 3 to 4 ball will do the jobs. If you are targeting the shallow flats on foot, you will normally just be casting unweighted yabbies for the most natural bait presentation possible. Best baits are live bloodworms, Beachworms and Yabbies.

Flathead

Flathead have been around in good numbers again this week with some very nice fish being caught from around Jumpinpin and the Broadwater. The water quality has been pretty good lately, fingers crossed we don’t get too much rain and the system doesn’t get too dirty. Most of the larger quality fish have been caught around and closer to the open ocean entrances, the larger female fish tend to attract good numbers of smaller male fish making a good target if you are chasing a couple of Flathead for a feed. If you are catching plenty of smaller fish, this means there is usually going to be a bigger fish in the area to target. Fishing the deeper water can be hard work when the tide is running quick, you will have to run a lot heavier jig head on the soft plastics or more up to a bigger heavier soft vibe to make sure these are keeping in contact with the bottom keeping you in the strike zone. Always keep an eye on the sounder for bait fish as the hungry Flathead won’t be far away. The best spots to try are the Gold Coast Seaway, Currigee Channel, Wave Break Island, Crab Island, Jumpinpin Bar, Kalinga Bank, Green and Gold Bank, Crusoe Island, Tiger Mullet Channel, Canaipa Channel and around the western side of Russell Island.

QUOTES FROM THE BOATS

Brad from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

“This week’s big tides produced some excellent fishing particularly on the early morning making tides. The deep holes were on fire with ZX 40 lures doing some real damage worked along the bottom in 8 to 14 metres of water. The big tides also allowed me to get high up onto the flats with trolled Pontoon 21 lures doing the job in these areas. The species caught this week were a heap of Flatties and School Jew as well as the odd Bream, Whiting and Giant Trevally. ”

Clint from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

“The Nerang River and canals fished quite well this week but the numbers are now tapering off. A mix of Flathead, Bream, Jewies, and Trevally on Ecogear ZX40, Samaki vibes, Pontoon 21 crackjacks, Zman ST Grubz and 6th Sense soft plastics. There are also plenty of good size Whiting widespread throughout the system. Bloodworms work best up the river, yabbies best from Sundale bridge and North. You can usually buy live bloodworms from the bait shop at Arundel. This coming week we have some excellent tides for fishing the Broadwater banks. I’m looking forward to chasing some hard fighting big Whiting, Bream, and Flathead on 3 lb line. Sport fishing at its best and I still have some days available.”

Gavin from Sea Probe Fishing Charters reports:

“With the weather being all over the place we are still managing to get out and getting amongst some great Dolphin Fish around the fads and on the bottom some Snapper, Trag Jew, Tusk Fish. In close still few Cobia to be caught with plenty of Mac Tuna on live baits.”

LINKS & INFO

If you have any great catches or photos you would like to share, please email us and let us know how you went. brett@coomerahouseboats.com.au or brett@fishotackle.com.au

Stay up to date with all fishing regulations in Queensland https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries

Fisho Tackle and Coomera Houseboat Holidays now have Hire follow the link to view http://www.coomerahouseboats.com.au/our-fleet-type/hire-tinnies/

Seabreeze is a great website to access a local forecast http://www.seabreeze.com.au/graphs/

Good luck with the Fishing. Brett

“CLARKIES” GOLD COAST FISHING REPORT – 29 September 2022

29 September, 202218 July, 2023in Fishing, Guides, Houseboat Holiday 101: From Novice to Expert, Houseboat Holiday Activities, News by admin

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Fishing Report – 29th September 2022

It was good to see plenty of sunshine and light winds earlier in the week giving everyone some nice conditions to get out and throw a line in. It’s also been good to see plenty kids out making the most of school holidays trying their luck at catching a fish. As we head towards the long weekend, unfortunately it looks like we are in for some strong southerly winds and a big increase in swell offshore. If you were thinking about heading offshore it would be best to wait until next week and keep an eye on the weather to ease. With a large amount of fresh water still moving through the local system after last week’s excessive rainfall, finding some clean water to fish in will improve your chances of scoring a fish. Let’s have a look at how the fishing has been this week.

Offshore Snapper

For those lucky enough to have some time off during the week managed to get a few nice weather windows to head offshore for a fish. Ben White did just that and came up trumps with some top-quality Snapper after a great session on the 36-fathom line. Current dependent, both the 36 and 50 fathom grounds have been fishing well. You will still need to have a good search around to locate a patch worth fishing but if you put in the time and effort there are some great quality fish on offer.

The 36 and 50 fathom reefs have been producing a good mixed bag of Snapper, Pearl Perch, Yellow Tail Kingfish, Amberjack, Samson Fish, Trag Jew, a few Cobia and the odd Dolphin Fish can be found hanging around the fads. In closer the 18 and 24 fathom reefs have seen some pretty good fishing in the past week for those keen to get a early start and have a good look around on the sounder. Fishos have reported some nice Snapper, Tusk Fish, Moses Perch, Trag Jew, Maori Cod, Silver Jew Fish, Cobia and the odd legal Pear Perch. As it can get a bit busy in closer, it pays to spend the time having a good look around on the sounder trying to locate the best shows of either bait or fish to drop on. I will normally try not to sit in amongst too many boats, as the extra fishing pressure and sounder noise can quite often shut the fish down. If you are planning to anchor up getting a good burly tail on the go will again increase your odds and landing the better-quality fish in the area. Just make sure you have the latest weather forecast before planning your next trip offshore.

Quality Fishing in the Waterways

The water quality in the Broadwater and Jumpinpin is slowly getting better after the large amount of rain we received towards the end of last week saw a massive amount of run off from the local catchments, seeing the Coomera River and Logan River water levels rise considerably, putting a lot of fresh water into the local area. Finding clean water is often the key to success when conditions are very average. I always try to look for the distinct current lines where you can easily see where the fresh water meets the salt, as this is usually where the predators will be on the hunt. Bait fish that gets washed out of the rivers will tend to school up on the current lines in search of some cleaner water.

The best spots to try your luck are the open ocean entrances of the Jumpinpin Bar and Gold Coast Seaway. Try to plan your trip to fish the last 2 hours of the run-in tide and the first hour of the run-out tide when the water quality will be at its best and you will also get the tide change bite period. Fishos have been landing some great quality Jewfish, Trevally, Tailor and some big Flathead in the deeper water. Either live baits like Pike, Mullet, Herring and Yakkas or soft plastics and soft vibes have been doing the job. Always spend the time to have a good look around on the sounder for signs of bait and predatory fish.

Gold Coast Flathead Classic Competition

The Gold Coast Sportfish Clubs Flathead Classic has been in full swing this week, seeing just over 600 anglers trying their luck and catching and releasing as many Flathead as they can over a 3 day fishing period. There has been plenty of pre fishing going on earlier this week to try to re locate fish, as the rain and freshwater flush would have dispersed a lot of fish that anglers had found before the rain. Most teams spend weeks on the water before the comp trying top work out where the fish are and then follow their movement through the Broadwater and Jumpinpin. A good number of large breeding female fish can be found closer to the ocean entrances in the deeper water lying in wait for an easy feed to swim past. Both the Jumpinpin Bar and Gold Coast Seaway and the adjoining channels will be a great spot to look, especially after the rain, as there should be a good number of bait schools hanging around these areas. The flush has caused a fair bit of snot weed to more around the area. You may have to move around a bit to suit your style of fishing. Try using larger heavier weighted soft plastics and soft vibes to target these areas. Once the water cleans up a bit more the fish will spread out a bit wider again and will be found in the usual areas like Brown Island, Aldershots, Tipplers Passage, Jacobs Well, Cabbage Tree Point, Tiger Mullet Channel, Kalinga Bank, Canaipa Passage and the Logan River to name a few.

QUOTES FROM THE BOATS

Clint from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports:

“Well what a change since last week. The water went from being too clear to muddy overnight on Thursday, with a deluge of rain falling over the Nerang and Coomera River catchments. I went for a look yesterday, there was some nice-looking water on the top of the tide, and colour lines which will fish well next week. After flooding I always look for bait fish activity, if they’re there the bigger will be as well. I caught about 30 Whiting yesterday up to 40cm. This changes the game as far as estuary fishing plans go, with the deeper holes and areas near river mouths being the best to target. The Flathead classic is on this week, and anglers can probably expect some dirty water to contend with, especially on run out tides. Stock up on uv and dirty water lure colours like pearl/ white, gold, red, and other dark and flashy shades, and scent will help too. On the high tides the Flathead will get right up on the shallow banks and inside mangrove areas, then on the big run outs they’ll sit in deeper holes and drains out of the main current. We have been catching heaps of fish in the Broadwater on lures and yabbies, with the best areas being along South Stradbroke Island from the Seaway to Browns inlet, and the main channel from the Seaway through to Sovereign island. Flathead, Flounder, Tarwhine, Bream, Winter Whiting, Tuskfish, and Sand Whiting have been widespread from 0.5 metres deep out to 7 metres deep. Best lures have been Samaki vibes in ghost bait and whitebait colours, Ecogear Zx’s in 411 & 440 colours, and soft plastics such as 6th Sense, Gobblers, Ecogear Balt, and Zman. There is plenty of snot weed around now, if it gets too thick to fish just move a few hundred metres and you can find clearer sections. Tricky tides this coming week with bigger run outs, but the rivers will be muddy so find places that don’t run overly hard near the mouths and that have cleaner water, such as on edges of the shallow flats, and along the edges of channels.”

LINKS & INFO

If you have any great catches or photos you would like to share, please email us and let us know how you went. brett@coomerahouseboats.com.au or brett@fishotackle.com.au

Stay up to date with all fishing regulations in Queensland https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries

Fisho Tackle and Coomera Houseboat Holidays now have Hire follow the link to view http://www.coomerahouseboats.com.au/our-fleet-type/hire-tinnies/

Seabreeze is a great website to access a local forecast http://www.seabreeze.com.au/graphs/

Good luck with the Fishing. Brett

“CLARKIES” GOLD COAST FISHING REPORT – 26 August 2022

26 August, 202227 June, 2023in Fishing, News by admin

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Fishing Report

Friday 26 August 2022

Hi Everyone, hope you are all having a nice week, as we head towards the Gold Coast Show Day Long Weekend at the time of writing the report it looks like we will see some moderate winds but unfortunately there is a pretty good chance of rain hanging around. Given the conditions, if you can put up with a bit of rain it will be well worth getting out for a fish on both the Tweed and Gold Coast waterways. Let’s check out what’s been biting and some good options for your Long Weekend.

Where They’re Biting

The fishing offshore has been pretty good the past week with fishos finding a few weather windows to head out and chase a feed. Good numbers of Snapper have been on the chew for those lucky enough to find a school to target. At the time of writing my report it looks like the southerly winds might be up over the weekend and then start to ease Monday, just make sure you have the latest forecast before heading out on the water. Once again, the close reefs off the Seaway have produced some good quality Snapper on the dawn or dusk bite and also on the tide changes which are best times to target fish on the 18 and 24 fathom grounds. Finding good ground to fish is the key to success in close, I always try not to fish too close to other boats, opting to have a good sound around and try to find a show to target away from the crowds this will increase your chances of catching fish. It’s worth having a good look on the sounder when choosing a spot, finding a show of bait or fish arched up is a good indication it’s a spot worth having a drop on. If you are not catching fish in the first 15 minutes or so I would usually recommend moving on and trying another area of the reef, even a small move of 50 metres can make a big difference. Catches from the 18 to 24 fathom grounds this week have included Snapper, Jew Fish, Cobia, Trag Jew, Maori Cod, Moses Perch, Spangled Emperor and Tusk Fish. Out wider on the 36 and 50 fathom reefs current depending fishos have scored some great feeds of Snapper, Pearl Perch, Cobia, Tusk Fish, Yellow Tail King Fish, Amber Jack and Samson Fish to name a few species.

Fishing Competitions

The King of the Pin competition was held last weekend with plenty of keen anglers giving it a go, by the sounds of it the comp was a great success with lots of happy winners taking out some great prizes in their chosen categories. The comp saw a good mixed bag of species like Jewfish, Tailor, Flathead, Bream and Whiting landed, to name a few.

Bait Schools

The Broadwater and Jumpin Pin are holding lots of bait schools at the moment, this in turn has seen plenty of good-sized Tailor being caught this week. The best time to target Tailor is the last couple of hours of the run-in tide when the water quality is at its best and the first hour of the run-out tide. The deeper main channels seem to be the best spots to target the Tailor, the bait schools tend to hold up against the current lines in the deeper water and will move towards the surface when being attacked by hungry predators. When looking for fish to target, always keep an eye on the sounder for signs of life to indicate either bait schools or schools of lager fish like Tailor in the area. Birds searching a current line or diving hitting the water is a great sign as it usually tells us that fish are actively feeding at that time. When searching try trolling a mixture of diving lures to cover ground until you get consistent hook ups, once you have found fish you can then look at switching to throwing metal slugs as they can cast a long distance: work quickly or let sink, to attract fish feeding deeper. If there is plenty of surface action, try a surface popper or a stick bait for an exciting surface strike. Some good spots to look at the Gold Coast Seaway, Main Currigee Channel, Mouth of the South Arm of the Coomera River, Aldershots, Jumpinpin Bar, Kalinga Bank, Crusoe Island, Mouth of Tiger Mullet Channel, Short Island and Canaipa Passage.

Flathead

Flathead catches have also been very consistent this week with some great fish being landed in the Broadwater, Jumpinpin and the Local Rivers of the Gold and Tweed Coasts. A mixture of soft plastics, soft vibes, glide baits, trolling hard body lures and drifting baits have all done the trick on the Flathead.

From The Lads

Brad from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports the weather was awesome this week and so was the fishing earlier in the week but unfortunately the back end went a bit quiet. The reason the last couple of days went a bit slow was the lack of run in the tides and a major barometer drop. It is amazing how you can have the best sounders as well as equipment and techniques and mother nature’s little tantrums have the last say. It was not like we didn’t catch anything over the past couple of days we just got less fish and worked harder to get them. The fish caught this week were Flatties, Bream, Whiting, School Jew and Mangrove Jacks.

Squid

Clint from Brad Smith Fishing Charters reports this week again there was lots of Squid in the Broadwater. It is now peak season for them, and they should be on for the next month. I will be doing lots of Squid fishing and chasing nice fish as well, so book in your private charter soon. Limited dates available. The Squid are now bigger and more numerous in their usual areas both sides of Crab Island, Biggera and in all the holes from Seaworld to Sundale bridge. Look for areas 4-6 metres deep and use 2.5 and 3.0 size squid jigs. My favourites are Ecogear Dartmax in colours including green, gold, white, orange, pink, and purple, red in cloudy conditions. Cast them out far enough that they will reach bottom then either drift or slowly lift and drop and retrieve. Other than the Squid there are some nice Flathead on the flats and in the channels, plus Flounder, Bream, Winter Whiting and Tailor. I have been noticing the bite including the Squid has been dropping off during each day as the barometer drops. This week we have some nice size tides for channel fishing in the Broadwater, and casting lures over the edges of the sandbanks.

Snapper Season

Gavin from Sea Probe Fishing Charters reports Snapper season opened on the 16th and weren’t they on the chew bagging everyday along with Pearlies, Tuskies and also Dolphin Fish still hanging around on the 50 fathoms taken on pilchards and squid.

Links & Info

If you have any great catches or photos you would like to share, please email us and let us know how you went. brett@coomerahouseboats.com.au or brett@fishotackle.com.au

Stay up to date with all fishing regulations in Queensland https://www.daf.qld.gov.au/business-priorities/fisheries

Fisho Tackle and Coomera Houseboat Holidays now have Hire Tinnies follow the link to view http://www.coomerahouseboats.com.au/our-fleet-type/hire-tinnies/

Seabreeze is a great website to access a local forecast http://www.seabreeze.com.au/graphs/

Good luck with the Fishing. Brett [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_raw_html]JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJjYm94LTVTbTQ3M0p3RHpJZ01TRlklMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZkaXYlM0U=[/vc_raw_html][stm_sidebar sidebar=”651″][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Cook That Thing On Your Hook!

9 March, 202027 June, 2023in Fishing, Guides, Houseboat Holiday Activities, Recipes by editor

Fresh fish and chips taste completely different from the cardboard filled cups of soggy chips or paper wrapped greasy fish and chip dishes you buy from your local takeaway. I know that there are some great takeaway places who can produce amazing fish and chip dishes, but seriously, if you can catch, clean and cook a fish within an hour, you will not believe the difference in the taste!

I am salivating as I type this for you, and I may just need to go and put a line in the water so I can enjoy this dish for dinner tonight! Just follow the 5 steps below and you can experience the magic of this taste bud tantalising delicacy yourself.

Step One:

Head to Coomera Houseboats and book in the best vessel for your fishing adventure. Check out the recipe below and make sure you take the couple of ingredients that you will need – except for the flathead, as it is almost guaranteed that you will reel in the biggest, tastiest flathead on the Gold Coast!

Step Two:

Make sure you bring your fishing rods or grab a couple for your crew at our bait and tackle shop on-site. We also sell the best bait and accessories to ensure that the local fish bite!

coomera2 — Cook That Thing On Your Hook! 51

Step Three:

Untie your houseboat, put on your captain’s hat and head out to one of the best fishing spots around.

The fishing and crabbing on the Gold Coast is great! One of the features of our magnificent cruising area is the abundant fish and crab life that inhabit our waterways and are available to you – if you can catch them.

Step Four:

So, for today’s mouth-sized morsels you now need to catch the best flathead around. Easier said than done? Not at all!

Speak to our staff when you arrive and they can give you hints and tips on how and where to catch a good size flathead for your dinner. You can also ask the staff at the bait and tackle shop on site when you are buying all the necessities you need for a victorious fishing trip.

coomera3 — Cook That Thing On Your Hook! 52

Step Five:

OK, you have the equipment, you have circled the best flathead fishing spots on the Coomera Houseboats Cruising Map, everyone is aboard, and the frying pan is at the ready…. Look out flathead, here we come!

After a relaxing hour or so motoring to your secret fishing spot, throwing the lines in the water, and having a lovely beverage or two (except for the captain who is, of course, completely sober and in control of the vessel) … you have done all the hard work and the flathead has been caught, cleaned and is ready to cook!

“But” you say loudly, “How do we cook this thing on our hook?” This is the easiest part of the day! Here is my tried and true, easiest ever and most mouth-watering recipe for fresh flathead fillets and crispy potato wedges.

Fresh Flathead Fillets and Crispy Potato Wedges

Ingredients:

Baby potatoes
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled and bruised (or garlic and herb seasoning)
Salt & pepper
Olive oil
An amazing flathead, freshly caught and expertly filleted, cut into thick strips
Flour
1 tablespoon chopped chives (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat your houseboat oven to 210°C.

2. Cut the potatoes into wedges and microwave on a microwaveable plate for 4 minutes.

3. Transfer potato to a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper.

4. Add the garlic, (or garlic and herb seasoning) and sprinkle generously with salt, pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil.

5. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes (while your flathead is cooking) or until crispy and golden.

6. Toss the flathead fillets in a little flour, salt and pepper, and shake off any excess.

7. Heat a non-stick frying pan with a little olive oil and cook the fish in batches for 4 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

8. If desired, sprinkle the chives over the potato and serve immediately with the fish.

And … there you go, the easiest, tastiest dinner for your family, just like that!

Now that you are salivating and wanting to taste amazing fish for yourself, head over to our website, choose the best vessel for your fishing adventure and book it.

Make sure you send us pics of your mouth-watering flathead dinner dishes that you have created aboard one of our Coomera Houseboat vessels. Happy sailing (and cooking!).