GOLD COAST ESTUARY FISHING REPORT by Clint
1 August 2026
After a run of ordinary weather, the Gold Coast has settled back into classic winter conditions and the fishing has fired up again with plenty of variety.
Our recent trips have started with chasing squid before switching to flathead, flounder, winter whiting and plenty of other species using a mix of lures and bait. Winter is hands down my favourite time to fish vibe lures, with the Ecogear ZX40 continuing to be the standout performer. Vibes are incredibly effective, producing aggressive strikes and catching an amazing range of species, including squid.
The shallow flats are also fishing well for flathead. Sessions of 10 to 40 fish have been common on soft plastics. My go to setup is the S Tackle 4 inch Fish Tail in White Bait rigged on an S Tackle pink 1/4 oz 3/0 mushroom jighead. Add a smear of Fish Goop scent every 10 minutes and you’ll give yourself the best chance of consistent bites. Other plastics that have been working well are Holt productions 3 inch prawns white spot colour, MMD 75mm Pop Prawn yellow gold colour, and Rapala 3 inch Crush City Imposter yabby colour, Samaki 70mm Vibelicious fork tail white bait colour, and for flathead and whiting trolling the Samaki 50mm Redic in Coral Trout colour is lethal.
There hasn’t been a lot of baitfish or tailor around lately, but that should change as we move through August. Squid numbers are still a little behind where they normally are, however they are starting to improve and the size should increase rapidly over the coming weeks.
The Nerang River is holding some quality sand whiting, although they have been very selective. Fresh bloodworms have been by far the most reliable bait for tempting the bigger fish.
My next available charter dates start from 19 August. If you’ve been thinking about getting out on the water, now is the perfect time to book. Winter offers some of the most enjoyable fishing of the year with quality squid, flathead, flounder, winter whiting and plenty of other species all on the cards.
From September onwards the calendar fills quickly as the excellent flathead lure fishing continues before we switch our focus to chasing big sand whiting. We fish everything from wading crystal clear flats with ultra light 3 lb tackle to drifting deeper channels in six metres of water and spot locking along shallow river banks. If you’ve always wanted to experience this style of fishing, make sure you secure your date early before the busy season arrives.
To book a charter with Clint
SMS 0432 990 302 anytime.
Charter options this coming week:
Gold Coast:
For wading charters SMS Clint 0432 990 302 anytime,
Or book instantly here:
bookeo.com/fishing
Or SMS 0432 990 302 to book your charter adventure!
Useful links:
Subscribe to youtube channel:
https://m.youtube.com/channel/UClkPb52-hCxcfI3isXgVLIw
Gold Coast seaway tides:
http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/tides/#!/qld-gold-coast-seaway
Gold Coast weather:
Seabreeze:
https://www.seabreeze.com.au/weather/wind-forecast/qld-gold-coast
Surfers Paradise:
http://www.bom.gov.au/qld/forecasts/surfers-paradise.shtml
Gold Coast marine waters:
http://www.bom.gov.au/qld/forecasts/gold-coast-waters.shtml
Rain radar:
http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDR663.loop.shtml
Finally a huge shout out and thanks to our sponsors, preferred brands and suppliers:
Watersnake
Ark Corp
Step Outside with Paul Burt
Samaki
Sporty’s fishing
S Tackle
Holt Productions
Yamaha motor Australia
Gomexus
Tackle Tactics
Rapala
Crush City
Zman Australia
JML
Ecogear
MMD Fishing
My Lure Box
Sax scent
Cheers
Clinto
SMS 0432 990 302 to book your charter adventure!
