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Cobia and snapper turn it on
  |  First Published: October 2007



Now that we’re looking down the barrel of October the waters should be warming up nicely.

This year the seasons have been a little different – for a start, the water temps have been a lot colder. You only need one change in a pattern up here in Queensland and all the locals start talking about cyclones. I don’t know whether we’ll get one this year, but I do know this season will be different from the last five years because the fish are notoriously responsive to water temperature changes. Hopefully it will bring good fishing and no cyclones – just a couple of nice low pressure systems that will cross the coast and fill our tanks and dams.

Over the last couple of years we have had two major cyclones go outside Fraser Island and we’ve been very lucky that none have hit the coast. The council has relaxed a lot of its building laws because we haven’t had a major cyclone since 1974, so here’s hoping we don’t get one! With a bit of luck we’ll just get good rains, warm currents and superb fishing.

Monduran Dam

The fishing on the dam was slow during August due to the low water temperatures. However, September is traditionally the time when things start to pick up, and certainly October and November will see some great fishing. The shallows are the best place to target, as the fish love to hide and hunt in the warm, shallow water.

Offshore Fishing

The offshore fishing has been great as usual with cobia and snapper being the catches of the month. Plenty of livebait can be found on all the reefs, but large schools of yellowtail have been proving annoying. The schools seem to like hanging beneath boats where all the fresh food gets dropped down over the side.

Livebait fishing is often hopeless in situations like this. A good alternative is to grab your baits and move to a location where there are no baits. This can make all the difference between a good trip and a great one, with just one big fish making it all worthwhile.

Gamefishing

On a recent trip the water temperatures were so low we didn’t hold much hope of decent fishing. The water was green and around 21°C – not very encouraging – but with some pencil-sized bait outside of the 13-mile crossing we put the gear in the water anyway. Then, out of the blue, a black marlin came to the surface and jumped all the way around the boat after failing to hook up. Having this fish jumping around the boat was just as spectacular as catching it, as the fish jumped over 15 times! It was a great thrill for the customers on the boat who hadn’t seen a marlin before. When then started jigging and nailed some huge amberjack and cod.

The GTs are a little slow on the shoals at the moment, but as we move into the warmer months we’ll see some big fish bite on the full moon.

Just a reminder that the Hervey Bay game Fishing Club’s annual tournament is coming up. It runs from November 16-18, with categories for vessels less than 7.5m and over 7.5m. There’s plenty of good fishing at that time of year, and mother shipping is available for boats without accommodation.

The fishing is good on the inside of the island, allowing you to fish in relatively calm waters close to the island. The flyfishing is good also, with plenty of species available in ideal crystal clear water – a good opportunity to become one of the few people who have caught a marlin on fly. For more info you can contact me at Bundaberg Game and Sports Fishing Charters on 0427 590 995.

See you there!

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Paul Rosman and his son Jimbo with some quality cobia.

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