queensland Help Advice Needed On Moreton Island Fishing Trip

[EddieBris88]

Hey guys,

I'm heading to Moreton with family this weekend. I don't have a boat of my own but was thinking to hire one of those 4hp tinnies from the resort and try some offshore fishing.

I read a lot about good spots around the north and south end of the island, but I imagine the tinny will be lanuched near the resort which is right in the middle and I dont think I could take it that far with fuel being limited.

So my plan is just to take it out 2-3ks into the bay directly from the launch area (weather permitting), does anybody have any suggestions around any specific spots along the west coast. What kind of line and lures should I use? 

Cheers

 

[kmcrosby78]

I would be very, very cautious with only a 4hp motor mate, the current can rip through the shipping channel. I haven't spent enough time in that part of the bay to give exact advice on where you could and couldn't go, but I would definitely err on the side of caution. Having enough fuel is one thing, but if you don't have the power to handle the conditions it could be fraught with serious danger. Take care.

[GregOug]

I wouldn’t be going far either. Maybe to the Tangalooms wrecks and that’s it. Even then it’d have to be a bloody calm day.

[EddieBris88]

So I just looked at the charts and it looks like the winds will be calm on sunday 8 knots SW, will just have to see how it turns out if its choppy I might just skip it and stay on shore. For anyone else looking though I found this website

https://fishbrain.com/explore

Some handy info on where people have landed fish. I can see that curtain reef looks pretty good. I may give that area a try from the shore.

 

[The Mad Hughesy]

yeah id be super cautious with a small motor. youd probably find that they will only let you go to certain spots with the boat anyway. still lots of fun to be had with flathead, bream etc close in. Even floating out a live bait close to the shore could land you a tuna, mackerel or cobia just on the sand flats. ive seen blokes catch cobia when shark fishing form the beach! 

 

having said that, if you want to chase some good game style fish...i know its winter but there are still sharks around which put up a great fight!

[benno573]

hey mate,

much better option to stay shore based.

if you walk the beaches either north or south of the resort with soft plastics on about a 1/6 or 1/4 oz jighead you will find flathead pretty much anywhere.  look for anything that may concentrate bait - a log, a small gutter, weed or rocks and pepper the area with casts.  you will also find bream, flounder and might get lucky with a tailor or trevally if there is enough bait around.  I like to use natural coloured 3-5" paddle tail lures, gobblers and zmans probably my 2 favourite.  Try to match whiting / hardy heads as they are the predominant prey in the area.

tip - avoid the area directly in front of the resort and around the wrecks.  go to area where there is few if any people or boats and you will have the best success.  I would personally head south from the resort until i was past the desert walking track for best chance of success.

also worth a flick off and around the tangers jetty if you are still allowed to fish there.  can hold a variety of fish from bread and butter to kingfish, trevally, mackerel if there is bait around.

good luck.

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Hi EddieBris88

I would certainly not be going out off the island with a boat and a four horse power engine, the tide will sweep you away! 

I'm no expert on Moreton (every time I've fished there caught bugger all) but in general, any structure, i.e. gutters and rocky headlands, will hold fish. 

Using good baits, the lightest trace you think is possible, and casting in structure will get you onto the fish. 

Tell us how you go!  

Cheers Hamish

[EddieBris88]

14 hours ago, benno573 said:

hey mate,

much better option to stay shore based.

if you walk the beaches either north or south of the resort with soft plastics on about a 1/6 or 1/4 oz jighead you will find flathead pretty much anywhere.  look for anything that may concentrate bait - a log, a small gutter, weed or rocks and pepper the area with casts.  you will also find bream, flounder and might get lucky with a tailor or trevally if there is enough bait around.  I like to use natural coloured 3-5" paddle tail lures, gobblers and zmans probably my 2 favourite.  Try to match whiting / hardy heads as they are the predominant prey in the area.

tip - avoid the area directly in front of the resort and around the wrecks.  go to area where there is few if any people or boats and you will have the best success.  I would personally head south from the resort until i was past the desert walking track for best chance of success.

also worth a flick off and around the tangers jetty if you are still allowed to fish there.  can hold a variety of fish from bread and butter to kingfish, trevally, mackerel if there is bait around.

good luck.

Just read this, good info, I got some zman jig shards earlier today 3"-5" but they aren't the paddle tail ones and using 1/2 oz jighead will be casting from the beaches in nooks and cranies. Lets see how it goes.


 

[EddieBris88]

4 hours ago, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

Hi EddieBris88

I would certainly not be going out off the island with a boat and a four horse power engine, the tide will sweep you away! 

I'm no expert on Moreton (every time I've fished there caught bugger all) but in general, any structure, i.e. gutters and rocky headlands, will hold fish. 

Using good baits, the lightest trace you think is possible, and casting in structure will get you onto the fish. 

Tell us how you go!  

Cheers Hamish

Hey Hamish,

I'm not so sure about traces, I got a 1.5meter of 30lbs monofilament leader, is that fine? For bait I got some zman jig shards hooked up with 1/2oz jig heads and also a 30g metal lure (for trying my luck with bigger fish).

I fished moreton once before and caught a couple whitings off the jetty. Will post the results here. 

[AUS-BNE-FISHO]

Hi EddieBris88

I would certainly go lighter. 10lb trace will be perfect for bream, dart, flathead, and whiting. If you are targeting whiting, you might even want to go lighter.

30lb is probably what you'd use for targeting jewfish off the surf. Light line will land you the big fish. You just need to play the fish carefully. 

Cheers Hamish

[EddieBris88]

42 minutes ago, AUS-BNE-FISHO said:

Hi EddieBris88

I would certainly go lighter. 10lb trace will be perfect for bream, dart, flathead, and whiting. If you are targeting whiting, you might even want to go lighter.

30lb is probably what you'd use for targeting jewfish off the surf. Light line will land you the big fish. You just need to play the fish carefully. 

Cheers Hamish

Rightio, I might change up the trace then. My main line itself is 10lbs, should that be lighter as well?

At moreton now had a swing on the beaches a little south of the resort, but low tide, clear skies, clear waters, barely any birds so I reckon just werent too many fish there. Evening now I'll be trying again. Is high tide better or low tide for surf fishing? Or does it depend on species?

[ellicat]

Generally an incoming is better in the surf, but anytime is a good time to be fishing.

10lb will be fine for your mainline.

[EddieBris88]

Caught a trevally right off the jetty last night must've been 25ish cm. Caught at 9.30pm, an hour and a half after high tide, 15knot sw winds. I followed the 'solunar' recommendation to fish between 8pm and 10pm dont know how legit they are but seemed to have worked. Fish were already biting when I looked in the water. Used a 4" jig shard with 1/2oz jighead and just did the flick motion until the bite.

Before that in the afternoon I went down south from the resort and tried the surf but nothing, then again at 7pm at night north of the resort on the surf but nothing. But jetty had good action in and around it. Will try there again in the evening. Also gonna go in the tinny around the wrecks hope for a bigger catch. I let the trevally go.

 

[ellicat]

Good on you for giving it a whirl. Bet the trevelly was fun on the lighter gear. Fish like structure, so good luck at the wrecks.

[kmcrosby78]

Nice work on the trevally . Time your trip to the wrecks around a tide change as the current roars through that channel between the wrecks and the shoreline. 

[Drop Bear]

On 17/07/2020 at 11:41 AM, EddieBris88 said:

Caught a trevally right off the jetty last night must've been 25ish cm. Caught at 9.30pm, an hour and a half after high tide, 15knot sw winds. I followed the 'solunar' recommendation to fish between 8pm and 10pm dont know how legit they are but seemed to have worked. Fish were already biting when I looked in the water. Used a 4" jig shard with 1/2oz jighead and just did the flick motion until the bite.

Before that in the afternoon I went down south from the resort and tried the surf but nothing, then again at 7pm at night north of the resort on the surf but nothing. But jetty had good action in and around it. Will try there again in the evening. Also gonna go in the tinny around the wrecks hope for a bigger catch. I let the trevally go.

 

Any luck mate? Fishing out to the old jetty in front of the flensing deck is always worth a go too.