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Pelagic speedsters fire up
  |  First Published: December 2012



Bottom fishing has slowed down east of the South Passage Bar over the past month, so my recent charter trips have switched focus and we are now targeting pelagic fish like wahoo, mahi mahi, Spaniards and tuna.

On the run up to the November full moon small wahoo, mahi mahi and small black marlin were smashing trolled baits and lures right along our section of the coast. With a bit of luck this will continue for the next couple of months. The majority of wahoo have been relatively small in the 6-10kg range, but the size will improve in the coming weeks.

Spanish mackerel will also be starting to make their presence felt and a slow trolled livie or well rigged gar will work very well for them, especially if we get quality blue water in close. The Group and Sevens off Point Lookout should see plenty of action for wahoo and Spanish mackerel and the shallow coffee rock reefs in close to Moreton Island will definitely be worth a try for these speedy pelagic species.

This time of year school mackerel can be thick along the coffee rock and although they are still a desirable fish for catching and eating, they can end up being a real nuisance as they hit baits intended for Spaniards and wahoo.

Anglers heading offshore through the South Passage Bar should keep a spin outfit handy when crossing the Bay too as schools of spotty mackerel can turn up just about anywhere there is current and channel edges and bait.

For the diehard bottom fisher, Shallow Tempest and the Cathedrals are still worth a go for snapper, especially around dawn and dusk. There is normally plenty of current out wide, but it can still be worth dropping a jig or a livie for a kingfish or amberjack around structure and bait schools.

Overall January is a good month for targeting pelagic fish offshore from the South Passage Bar, so let’s hope for some reasonable weather so we can get out there and have some fun.

Enjoy your fishing, take care on the coastal bars and if you’d like to join me on charter (max 5 persons), give me a call on (07) 3822 9527 or 0418 738 750.

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