12 October 2018 fishing report

This week’s fishing tips and Gold Coast/ Tweed estuary report brought to you by Big Hit Fishing.

Tip:

It may come as a surprise to some but Brad has some of his best fishing for Mulloway or Jewies in October and November.

To successfully target these silver beasts requires tireless patience and persistence. Firstly find a deeper area of six metres or more, preferably near structure. Focus your efforts an hour or so either side of the tide change as Mulloway hunt for food.

Large soft plastics are good but soft vibes or metal blades even better, Brad has caught many Jew measuring over a metre with 4cm long 7g blades, 6lb braid, 10lb fluorocarbon leader, with 2-4kg 7 ft long rods, and 2500 size reels.

Finesse is what tempts them, even in the middle of a hot and sunny day. Repeated slow drifts through an area with Jew marking on the fish finder (look for arch shapes) with a teabagging method and slowing your drift if necessary by kicking your motor into reverse or using your electric motor.

This way you hold the lures in the bottom strike zone long enough and in the fish’s face. You need to be moving though to make them chase.

To learn the finer points of this method book a charter with Brad, the knowledge you’ll pick up in a day is priceless!

An added bonus of this style of fishing is the bycatch of big flathead, bream, and occasionally even Mangrove Jack.

Tweed fishing report:

At the time of writing we have some heavy rain pushing through the Gold Coast and Tweed region including the mountain catchments.

Hopefully it continues for the next week, great for the farmers, and great for fishing. Get out there in the next few weeks as the fishing really fires up.

Some solid flathead featured on Brad’s boat this week as well as some summer whiting on surface lures, and Mulloway.

Gold Coast/ Broadwater:

Clint has had a lot of charters with parents and young kids during the school holidays. Keeping the rods constantly bending is the name of the game for the kids, and there has been a ton of winter whiting around the 20-25cm mark in the broadwater to do just this.

They are easily caught on yabbies and Ecogear Zx40 blades smeared with Sax scent, anywhere between Sundale bridge and Sovereign island. Making up the rest of the daily catch has been flounder, tarwine, sand whiting, flathead, small snapper, small tuskfish. One of the best spots this week was just West of Seaworld boat ramp.

Like the Tweed, expect the rain to really rejuvenate the fishing in coming weeks, with bigger mangrove jacks, flathead, sand whiting, and solid Tuskfish making an appearance. Very exciting leading into our busiest months for charters.

Prime areas to fish will be Carters bank, Crab island, east of Ephraim island, and the Capri and Benowa areas up the Nerang river. If the water is dirty try gold, flashy, red and darker coloured lures with orange bellies. Lightly weighted yabbies work really well after rains.

Any questions or to book your private and personalised charter feel free to message us anytime.

Cheers
Smithy & Clinto

Connect with us on social media here:
[cn-social-icon]

This week’s photos from our Tweed and Gold Coast fishing charters:

Share this article on Social Media:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

Book your fishing charter today!

Related Articles

23 March 2024 fishing report 🎣

THIS WEEK’S GOLD COAST AND TWEED ESTUARY FISHING REPORT  23 March 2024 TWEED RIVER by Smithy At Tweed river the flathead will continue to increase in numbers and size, and there will be whiting, mulloway, trevally, and bream biting too on Samaki vibes and Ecogear Zx. To book a private lure fishing charter with Brad

Read More »

9 March 2024 fishing report 🎣

GOLD COAST ESTUARY FISHING REPORT by Clinton 9 March 2024 Yet again this week the big sand whiting have been widespread through the Gold Coast broadwater, Nerang river, and local surf beaches.  Best bait to target them is yabbies in the broadwater and lower river, beach worms and blood worms up river and beaches. There

Read More »

3 March 2024 fishing report🎣

GOLD COAST ESTUARY FISHING REPORT by Clinto 3 March 2024 Yet another week of hot weather and a bounty of big summer whiting again in Nerang river. It was good to see some stable weather with light breezes and brief rain showers.  Once again the big whiting have been the dominant species, but they are

Read More »