Wet and Windy Fishing Adventures on the Gold Coast

We’ve braved another wet and windy week on the Gold and Tweed Coasts during the school holidays. With limited weather windows, anglers have had to don their wet weather gear for a chance to cast their lines. Despite the challenging conditions, this weekend holds promise, with Sunday emerging as the optimal day for fishing adventures. Stay updated with the latest weather forecast before heading out.

Bull Sharks on the Rise – A Thrilling Fishing Option

Recent rainfall has stirred up the local Bull Shark population, making them an exciting target for anglers. Regardless of water conditions, Bull Sharks are known for their ability to sniff out bait. Whether fishing from the shore or a boat, a basic medium to heavy estuary outfit is will do the job on most of the average sized Sharks you will encounter. I usually use 20 to 30 lb mono or braid for the main line, a length of 60lb mono leader then attached to a nylon coated wire trace from 100 to 150lb about 80 to 100cm depending on the length of the rod to make casting easy and the either a circle or normal J style hook from 6/0 to 9/0 depending on the bait. When using a circle hook make sure you run a loose drag, when the shark starts to run with the bait count to 30 then slowly tighten the drag up and hopefully the circle hook will find its place in the corner of the jaw of the fish. Best baits to use are freshwater eel, pike eel, mullet, or bonito. If you are using eel, a 10 to 15cm piece is sufficient – just make sure you have good hook exposure when rigging the bait.

Some good spots to try your luck are the Tweed River, Currumbin Creek, Tallebudgera Creek, Nerang River, Coomera River, Pimpama River, Aldershots, Never Fails Islands, Jacobs Well, Logan River and around Russell and Karragarra Islands.

Whiting Quest – Easing Rain Offers Prime Opportunities

As the rain starts to ease, anglers can turn their attention to Whiting. Explore the Nerang River and Pimpama River, where runoff is less prominent. Other spots to consider where the water quality will be looking much better are the Tweed River (closer to the mouth), Wave Break Island, Crab Island, Bedrooms, Millionaires Row and the mouth of Tiger Mullet Channel. Bloodworms will make the best bait especially up the rivers. Beachworms and yabbies will work better in the Broadwater and Jumpinpin where there are larger numbers of natural yabby banks. Fish as light as possible, 7 to 9ft rod with a soft tip, 6 to 9lb mono main line, 6lb fluorocarbon trace, 3 to 5ball sinker depending on the flow (due to the big tides at the moment), and a bait holder hook to suit the bait on your choice.

School Jewfish and Mangrove Jack Bonanza at Gold Coast Seaway

The Gold Coast Seaway has become a hotspot for quality school Jewfish and impressive Mangrove Jack. . Drifting live baits is the most productive method to target these awesome fish. Live Yakkas, Slimy Mackerel, Pike, Mullet or Herring are the pick of the baits. If possible, try to time your trip around a tide change which will also coincide with the best bite time. Usually around an hour before and an hour after the tide change is the most productive window. Have a good look for life on the sounder. If you can find bait schooling up or mark a big fish on the sounder that will be a good place to start. I encourage you to fish with a bit heavier gear in the Seaway; if you are too slow to land your fish, the sharks will beat you every time, as they also school up in the same area ready to take an easy feed from fishos. The pipeline and the hole on the end of the North wall are usually the best spots to target.

Bream Frenzy After the Rain – Perfect for Family Fishing

Bream have been around in good numbers following the recent deluge of rain, as they seem to feed well with the extra fresh water in the system and fishos have been catching plenty this week. Bream will eat pretty much anything you choose to use as bait and can be found schooling up in good numbers around most canal entrances, bridges, jetties, pontoons, rock walls and snags like fallen trees. Find the right structure and you should do well, it pays to use a bit of burley to fire them up, pellets will normally work well. They are a great target species for the kids to chase on school holidays.