Hurray for summer!! Without a doubt one of the best times of year to fish the Fraser Coast is during the summer months. As water temperatures rise we start to see huge schools of longtail and mack tuna enter Fraser Coast waters. Summer whiting start to fire throughout the Great Sandy Strait, various reef species, such as the tasty sweet lip move into shallower reef areas. Threadfin salmon commence beaching themselves in the shallows while chasing jelly prawns, before sliding back into the water to line up for their next run. Prawns build in numbers and start to flick across the water and mud crabs start to march around. Just thinking about what is on offer while fishing the summer months on the Fraser Coast is enough to get your stomach groaning in anticipation of a feed.
Preparation is Key
Now, before you start planning what you are going to gather for Christmas lunch. Let’s talk about a topic which many of us often overlook in the excitement, build up and commencement of summer holidays. If you have been frustrated by the weather over spring. And have not been able to get the boat on the water as much as you would have liked. Or you are bringing your boat out of a long period of hibernation. Then now is the time to start giving your pride and joy the once over.
Book it in for a service. Pull it outside and stick your head in all the hard to reach places to see what condition everything is in. Give your safety gear a thorough check. Make sure everything is in date and in good working order. Check those batteries, electrical fuses, fuel hoses and filters. Make sure the radio still works, your marine rescue membership is up to date. Your charts, gps and sounder are up to date and working well. While you have your maintenance mojo going on, check your boat trailer. When did you eyeball those wheel bearings last and is the winch strap and safety chain still going strong?
It may sound like a lot of hard work and a real downer for the excitement levels but trust me. Getting you, your mates or your family to where you want to go over summer. Launching safely, being safe on the water, having a fun time with no mechanical hiccups. And ultimately making it home safely with that Christmas bounty in the esky is what it is all about.
Back to the Fishing
Let’s get back to the fishing. The Fraser Coast has been gifted by mother nature in being able to provide numerous fishing options, so that regardless of the weather, there is always somewhere to wet a line. On a calm summer day, I cannot recommend enough, taking the opportunity to zip up the inside of Fraser Island, it truly is spectacular. Not only is it a picturesque journey with seemingly endless white sandy beaches to explore, but the fishing is pretty good as well.
Once you have made your way across to Moon Point on Fraser Island you can choose to either hug the beach as you head further north. Or, since Fraser Island offers such good protection from any south easterly winds, you can cruise a few miles out which without doubt will see you cross paths with any number of tuna schools.
Having a good quality spin outfit around the 6 to 10kg mark, spooled up with 20 to 30lb braid, with a stick bait or metal slug tied on, means that within moments you can be amongst the action and hopefully holding on to your rod for dear life, as your favourite reel screams.
Reef Fishing Options
If chasing tuna is not your flavour, then there are literally thousands of patches of reef, gravel and other structure between Moon Point and Rooney’s Point, on which to drop jigs, baits and plastics. Having a good quality sounder, equipped with side imaging helps in locating these. The other option is to stop in at any of the local Fraser Coast tackle stores and the staff will be able to offer up a few of the more well-known marks for you to try your luck on and can also give you some tips of what techniques work best for which species.
When I am not chasing tuna, I tend to stick to using 30 to 60-gram jigs or 5 to 6-inch soft plastics rigged on 1 to 2-ounce jig heads. The weights I use, really do depend on water depth and current flow. You need to ensure your offering gets to the bottom, but it is a fine line between reaching the bottom quickly with a thud or having your jig reach the bottom with a gentle gliding action.
Plan Well
Ideally you need to be prepared to try a couple of different weights and profiles until you get it spot on. With so many jigs and soft plastics on the market today, choosing which one you think will work best can become daunting. My jigs I alternate between a slim and wide profile. With my soft plastics I always go with a more natural looking colour and if that fails, I follow it up with a bright colour, generally something with a splash of chartreuse. No matter what you choose to use, be prepared to hold on. If you spend any time keeping up to date with what is being caught and where, you will know that there have been some monster golden trevally and even more brutal cobia wrestled from Fraser Coast waters of late.
Great Sandy Strait
If you are not inclined to head up the island or the weather is looking a bit sus, then thankfully the Great Sandy Strait, Mary or Burrum Rivers are all great options for fishing. Being summer, remember to pack the bug spray, wear long sleeves and trousers as the sand flies can be brutal in places, especially if there is no breeze.
The bounty on offer in these special waterways is almost too numerous to mention, from summer whiting to metre plus threadfin salmon and everything in between, it really is up to you on what you want to fill your esky with. My advice though, is to have a plan. Unless of course the plan is to simply waste a day sitting in the sun relaxing.
Worth A Cast
Any of the shallow sandbars and mud flats will offer a range of species. I prefer to fish these areas at low tide and specifically target creek mouths and drains. My primary targets include the humble flathead and the ever-entertaining threadfin salmon. Everyone has their own approach, I prefer to keep moving while searching for signs of bait being hunted. If I spot a shower of jelly prawns in a drain, then I will approach silently using my electric motor and pepper the area with a range of lures. Ranging from soft curl tail grubs, soft vibes and 4 inch suspending hard bodies, I again stick to natural colours and if this fail follow them up with bright colours.
A Few Local Tips
The trick I find, is to get your lure right up into the drains, it needs to mimic a small bait fish or prawn that is trapped in the shallow water of the drain and it is making a dash for safety into deeper water. Large flathead and threadfin salmon will more than likely be sitting just outside the mouth of the drain, maybe on a small drop off or in a hole, waiting to herd bait back into the shallows where there is less water to hide in or to attack them from below as they pass over head.
If the tides are not quite perfect or I miss the low tide. I then concentrate my efforts on fishing deep holes or rock bars. Again, having a good sounder can save you a lot of time in locating these. Grunter are a favourite table fish in my household. They can be found in deep holes and caught on a variety of lures or bait. I find that grunter have a soft bite and that you really need to let them take the lure before striking. Once they are hooked they really do make a good account of themselves.
Righto, if you have promised a seafood spread for Christmas lunch then it is time to start planning an epic hunting and gathering trip. Don’t short change yourself or your family by skipping the maintenance and safety checks. Work out which species you want to serve up. Chat to your local tackle store staff, set a plan and then let the adventure begin.