It’s worth braving the cold

BRISBANE

Gordon Macdonald masterbaitertackle@hotmail.com

With the cold conditions well and truly here, anglers will require a few extra layers and some inspiration to get out and brave the elements. Those early morning starts are less appealing than the warmth of summer, however once you get into the action the effort is worthwhile.

There’s loads of awesome species to target over the coming month with snapper, squid, mulloway, tailor, luderick, bream and others coming to the fore in Moreton Bay and the estuaries. Whack on some warm clothes, fill the thermos with warming fluid and go target some of these prime species.

SNAPPER

Probably the most targeted species in SEQ during the cooler months, snapper are a great sporting target and exceptional table fare. Healthy numbers of fish abound bay waters during winter due to them being in breeding mode. Larger specimens come from offshore into the shallower bay waters to do their best at maintaining healthy population of their species. During this time there is a broad array of size classes from hand sized pinkies to thumping big knobbies. Regardless of size, handle all fish with care and abide by size and bag limit regulations. Even the small specimens need to be carefully unhooked and released as they are the breeders of the future.

Snapper are respondent to both baits and lures. I prefer to target bay snapper with lures, however bait fishing is also highly effective. Key bay areas include the artificial reefs, bay islands, wrecks, deepwater ledges and other structured areas. Sometimes snapper are even caught deep beneath schools of bait being marauded upon by pelagic species. species are all respondent to this approach. Deep water structure, such as the Harry Atkinson, Curtin Artificial, Ammo Barge and Comboyuro Ledge can all be probed with micro jigs, generally in the 40-80g size. These allow you to target those fish sounding directly below the boat. Small octo-jigs can also work in this situation.

Snapper are relatively opportunistic feeders, being rather aggressive at times. I use a lot of soft vibes (especially Samaki Thumpertails) and soft plastics (including jerk shads, crustacean profiles, curl tails and paddle tails) whilst targeting bay snapper. Micro jigs, blades, minnow lures, octo-jigs and many other presentations can all be put to good use. In most areas the general technique is to drift with the current and present your offerings upcurrent. Using an electric motor to spot lock in position is useful when fishing certain structures, such as wrecks. Offerings are best cast up current or across current to offer the best presentation plus the ability to keep the lure in the strike zone. Working soft vibes and plastics by using a series of hops or slow lifts and pauses is generally a successful technique. I commonly just fish vibes by using a flat stick technique using an irregular and errant winding technique with pauses and occasional twitches. This mostly works for me but on any given day it pays to try different techniques and lures to decipher what they prefer.

Quality fresh baits and live offerings are ideal for targeting snapper, however previously frozen offerings such as pilchards, squid, mullet fillet and bonito fillet can all work. A small yakka, slimy mackerel or pike presented close to the bottom on a 3/0 to 5/0 snelled hook rig will rarely go unnoticed. Fresh fillet baits from mullet, herring, bonito, tuna, pike or even grinners can be exceptionally successful. Salted fillets from various tuna and bonito species are a little tougher than unsalted and the oils are condensed somewhat making them ideal baits. Always present baits with subtle rigging, fluorocarbon leaders and minimal sinker weights to offer the best presentation and highest likelihood of success. We have several months of prime snapper fishing ahead of us but now is a great time to target a few of these big bay beauties.

Although prevalent year round, bream numbers will dramatically increase over the coming months with plenty of stud specimens on offer.

Trolling deep diving minnow lures can be very successful also. Lures that dive between 5m and 8m are commonly used. The artificial reefs, bay island margins and other structured grounds up to around 12m in depth are all ideal for this approach. Estuary cod, mulloway, mackerel and several other

SQUID

As the waters clear due to the effects of westerly winds, squid numbers will dramatically improve in inshore waters. Anglers employing egiing techniques from land-based areas around Manly, Wellington Point, Victoria Point, Scarborough, Sandgate, Amity, Dunwich and other popular locations will generally be rewarded for their efforts.

Casting egi (squid jigs) and then retrieving them with a series of hops or a slow winds and pauses will generally get the attention of any squid nearby. Often the squid are very aggressive and will quickly pounce on the jig. However, sometimes they are rather shy and will shadow an egi without striking. Several jig changes can be required to get a strike at times, if at all. Further out into the bay the response is generally more positive and squid (both tiger and arrow) are a little more aggressive. Any locations where clear, clean water flows over rock, reef, rubble or weed is generally worthwhile probing. Even with the water so clear, you will rarely see the squid until they seem to materialise out of nowhere to attack the egi. Several will sometimes shoulder the jig until one finally attacks. Therefore, it often pays to have another rod at the ready because quickly feeding out an additional egi can result in a second secured squid.

Whilst drifting in the channels such as the Rous, Small Ships and Rainbow, dragging an egi behind the boat with the rod in the holder can also work well. A pilchard pinned on a squid skewer and suspended beneath a near neutral buoyancy float is also deadly at times. Use a soft tipped rod to absorb the lunges of the squid and simply wind the cephalopod in slowly whilst keeping the rod tip high. A small landing net is recommended to minimise the chance of copping an ink spray. There is no size limit on squid but a general possession limit of 20 per person.

With water temperatures falling, luderick will begin to come inshore to breed during the coming months. Usually once you observe green weed growing on in water structure, luderick will be around. They will enter the estuaries and rivers en masse, commonly residing and feeding in areas possessing good marine weed growth such as rock walls, harbour pylons, retaining walls and bridge pylons.

Luderick are primarily vegetarians although they will occasionally eat a yabby, peeled prawn or marine worm. Occasionally an aggressive one may even attack a lure however targeting them on such could be a tiresome process. Weed bait is best with string and cabbage weed the most reliable. The purple weed and black weed found on some submerged marine structure will also work at times.

Weed baits are commonly fished on light fluorocarbon leaders and suspended beneath a float. Small split shot sinkers are added to the leader above the baits so that the float is just above neutral buoyancy. Therefore, when the luderick mouths the bait and moves off, they feel almost no resistance from the float. This increases hook ups on these pedantic and wary fish. When the float dips (commonly called a ‘down’) or rises (an ‘up’) the rod tip is abruptly and smoothly lifted to set the hook. The soft tip of a good luderick rod now comes into play to absorb the head shakes and lunges of the fish. Palming a dragless centrepin reel will allowing you to apply pressure at the appropriate time. Luderick are best kept alive until shortly before processing. Remove the black gut lining quickly after dispatch to maximise the flesh quality. I believe that soaking the fillets in saltwater improves the flavour somewhat.

MULLOWAY

A highly prized capture for bay, river and estuarine anglers, mulloway numbers will flourish over the coming months. These large silver slabs are often caught by anglers targeting other species such as snapper and threadfin but specific targeting can definitely increase captures. In the bay, mulloway are most common around prominent structures such as ledges, wrecks and artificial wrecks. Often larger schools can be sounded out using marine electronics and then targeted with lures such as soft vibes, plastics and even micro jigs. Obviously, baits can also work with live offerings reigning supreme over any others. Yakkas, slimey mackerel, mullet, herring, banana prawns and squid all make exceptional live baits. These can be fished in the aforementioned bay areas or in deeper holes, around submerged structure and adjacent ledges in the rivers. In the Brisbane River, try areas such as deeper holes under the Gateway Bridge, Clara’s Rocks, along the Caltex Reach wall, out from the International Cruise Ship Terminal, and the deeper holes at the fronts of most shipping wharves (adhere to distance limitations). Working over these same areas by hopping soft vibes or plastics will also work. During the darkened hours, lighted areas around Citycat Terminals, bankside restaurants and bridges will often attract numbers of crustaceans and baitfish. Both threadfin salmon and mulloway can be caught in these zones during the darkened hours, regardless of tidal stage. Those targeting mulloway closer to the river mouth on either baits or lures are also highly likely to catch some quality snapper. Large live baits are most likely to produce the larger mulloway but the waiting game can be too long between fish for many anglers.

TAILOR

Surprisingly, tailor have been caught sporadically throughout much of last year, possibly due to good bait concentrations throughout inshore waters. However, the coming months promise some prime action for these aggressive predators. Schools of tailor can often be found aggressively attacking bait on the surface in the bay and around the river mouth.

The shallow areas of the bay islands (Mud, Green, Goat, Bird, Peel and Coochiemudlo), along the Amity Point rock wall, around the Sand Hills and the artificial reefs are all good areas to look for tailor conglomerations. However, they are a possibility no matter where you are fishing in Moreton Bay or the Brisbane River. Trolling minnow lures along the retaining wall at the mouth of the Brisbane River or casting lures around lighted areas at night are good options for inshore anglers. Drifting out baits such as pilchards, frogmouths, whitebait and hardiheads, either unweighted or under a small float is a good way to target tailor in areas such as the Manly Harbour rock wall, Scarborough Harbour Jetty, Hornibrook Bridge, Woody Point Jetty, Amity Rock Wall and Shorncliffe Jetty. Early morning or evening high tides offer some of the best opportunity, especially the periods an hour or so either side of the high. Tailor numbers will continue to rise for several months with good numbers around until at least September.

BREAM

Colder months are renowned to be good for bream fishing. Numbers of larger bream gather in inshore waters to breed once water temperatures fall. Whilst bream are a scavenging species and will eat most food sources they come across, they will aggressively attack lures and flies with gusto. They can be exceptional timid or very aggressive, depending on their situation and tidal movements.

As such, many anglers have made almost an art out of targeting them using special (often purpose-designed) lures and honed techniques. Whilst some anglers invest northwards of 100k to set up a boat and tackle to specifically target bream, they are also likely to be caught by a child with a handcaster and rusty hook baited with some leftover Christmas ham. Bream can offer a lot of fun and are probably one of the most common species caught by anglers having their first dabble at saltwater fishing. They are common in all saltwater inshore areas including creeks, rivers, estuaries, canal developments, jetties, harbours, marinas and even landlocked saltwater lakes. Whilst bait fishing requires little more than a length of line, small sinker, hook and some bait, the lure fishing area is now flooded with specific lures resembling common bream food sources such as baitfish, crabs, clams and prawns. Prawns, strips of fillet bait (mullet, herring, pike, bonito, gar etc.), squid strips, chicken fillet, pilchard cubes, whitebait, hardiheads, frogmouths, beach and estuarine worms and a host of other baits will work. Finesse rigging with light leaders, minimal sinker weights and hooks barely visible in the bait will greatly increase results.

Present these near structures such as rock walls, bridge pylons, pontoons, jetties, moored boats and you are in with a good chance. However, bream will roam readily and therefore any bait in the water around sand banks, beaches, mud banks, gutters and shallow reefs is likely to be pounced upon by a bream. Basically, bream are readily caught almost anywhere in the saltwater on an extensive array of baits or small lures.

As you can deduct, the colder months offer some prime species for anglers to target throughout Moreton Bay and the estuaries. Colder conditions require some extra layers of clothing to withstand the elements but once you get near or onto the water you will often notice that it is a few degrees warmer, especially when the wind isn’t blowing. The variety of species on offer will make the effort of a trip worthwhile in most cases with snapper, mulloway, bream, tailor and others highly likely. For those who target them, squid numbers will also be healthy and regular captures should not be too hard from the foreshore or out into the bay. These can provide a tasty meal or prime baits for larger piscators. You aren’t going to catch anything but a cold whilst curled up on the couch so get out and wet line soon.