NOOSA: School jew, trevally and quality bream are being caught from Munna Point. Good sized whiting and tailor from the Noosa North Shore.  Mangrove jacks from in between the lakes, Munna Bridge and the Sound.

MAROOCHYDORE: A 67cm flathead was caught from Eudlo Creek and a 64cm specimen from Petrie Creek yesterday. Tailor u to 2.8kg and bream from along Mudjimba Beach. Mud crabs in Eudlo and Petrie Creeks. 

KAWANA: Dolphin fish to 13kg, snapper to 7kg and quality pearl perch from the Barwon Banks. Whiting, dart and bream from the washing machine. Whiting from the yabby banks either side of the fork above McKenzies Bridge.

CALOUNDRA: Queenfish and trevally off the Boardwalk. Good sized whiting along Bells stretch.  Flathead, whiting and bream on the banks between the bar and the Power Boat Club. 

Angie Gilbert fished with her family in a hire boat up under the Sunshine Motorway bridge with live worms yesterday.

Pre-Christmas Boating!

With the school holidays but one day away - I hope you are reading this early enough to fit in a few decent hours fishing before the onslaught of junior boaties, sandcastle builders, swimmers in your favourite gutters and of course hundreds of 6ft kiddie rods cast off every jetty, rock wall and beach between here and the shopping centre (where their very smart-thinking mothers buying Christmas presents in air-conditioning!).

I predict the shopping centres will be getting a work over with thanks to Mr Rudd's kind bonus to many people in need.  As well the influx of interstate and international tourists is evident from the record crowds already hitting the local beaches and rivers.  With this in mind, remember to play it safe on all water ways during the Christmas and school holiday period.

The Noosa, Maroochy, Mooloolaba and Caloundra water ways are always crowded with all types of water craft and swimmers during the busy Christmas to New Year's period. Along with all the visitors on the water, keep in mind the majority of working Queenslanders only get about a week off over Christmas and most intend to spend time on the water or on the bank. Be cautious and take extra care by considering a few of the safe boating regulations.

•·         Abide by 6 knot zones as they are in place for safety reasons. I see a lot of boats speeding through the Cod Hole area even though it is a 6 knot zone. The slow zone 200m either side of the Motorway Bridge was put in place due to the quantity of boating traffic to pass through this area. 

•·         Stay 30m+ away from any swimmer or non-motorised craft.  The number of injuries caused by getting a too close can easily be avoided by keeping a safe distance.

•·         When using the boat ramps allow plenty of extra time in your schedule to launch as most major ramps will probably have affair bit of congestion over Christmas. Make sure your boat is completely ready for launching when you back down to the ramp to avoid holding others up.

•·         Slow down to 6 knot within 60m of the ramp so that those launching their boats don't get bashed with a wave of wash.

With these rules in mind and consideration of our fellow boaties and recreational anglers - everyone should have a relaxing and enjoyable time on our beautiful waterways!  The team at Swan Boat Hire would like to wish everybody a safe and happy Christmas and may Santa listen hard to all your tackle requests and put something special under the tree!

Kids Fishing:

Now that the holidays have begun, it's time to get out and enjoy the water!  The weather has been beautiful for early morning fishing as the sun gets up - which is around 4:30am! But if you want to sleep in because you can now that school is over, be sure to slap on plenty of sun cream as the sun is hot and powerful by morning tea time.  Find a nice shady spot where you can set up a rod while keeping cool.  In the Maroochy River I suggest under the Motorway Bridges, in the Maroochy Canals, Yinni Street and up around Bli Bli's Muller Park where there are some large shady trees close to the bank.  If you are planning to swim to keep cool - be careful of boats and jet skis buzzing around. Don't stay under the water when you can see a boat near you - make sure you make yourself seen by the driver by waving to them!   Remember if you get any nice size whiting, bream, flathead, trevally or even something you can't identify, bring it into Swan Boat Hire so you can find out what it is and maybe get your catch in the Sunshine Coast Daily newspaper or on Channel Seven T.V.

NOOSA: Spanish mackerel and quality parrot on Sunshine Reef. Cobia to 12.5kg out from Granite Bay. Tailor up to 2kg at night along Teewah beach. Whiting to 500g in Woods bay, in the frying pan and off Munna point. A 1.5kg cod form the yacht club. Mangrove jacks from Noosa Sound, around Munna Bridge and in between the lakes. Flathead from the rock groyne in the river mouth.

MAROOCHYDORE: Tailor and bream off Mudjimba at dusk. Whiting from the sand banks around Bli Bli and throughout the lower reaches. Giant trevally and small queenfish at the weir early in the morning. Mud crabs up both the creeks. Jacks in the cod hole, both creeks and the upper reaches. A 2kg jack was taken on live bait in Petrie Creek on Thrusday.

KAWANA: Spanish mackerel to 80cm and spotty mackerel to 6kg around the blinker on trolled livies and big hard bodied lures. Whiting, dart and bream from the washing machine. Whiting in the sand basin and above McKenzies Bridge. Big trevally at dusk from the pontoon at Kawana boat ramp. Mangrove jacks around the bridges and rocky bars throughout.

CALOUNDRA: Spotty mackerel to 6kg and dolphin fish to 5kg from Caloundra 12 mile reef. Flathead, whiting and bream to 44kg between the bar and Coochin Creek.  Mangrove jacks in Bells Creek and Currimundi Lake. Tarpon and Bass in the lake behind Pelican Waters Golf Corse. Quality whiting from the sand flats between Golden Beach and Coohin Creek.

Attachments:

Six year old Bailey Tobin was fishing with live yabbies in the Woods Bays, when his bait attracted the attention of this elbow slapping 500gm whiting.

Darrin Hamilton had another good morning session fishing for whiting on one of his favourite yabby banks in the Maroochy River for quality whiting.

Mitchell Bow went to check his crab pots early this week before school and was lucky enough to score this 1kg buck crab from a hot spot in Eudlo Creek.

Rob Bower drifted the Bli Bli flats in his kayak over the weekend for these quality whiting.

Noosa: Good flathead throughout the lower reaches of the river, whiting in Woods Bay and off Munna Point, mangrove jacks between the Lakes and trevally being caught around the river mouth at night. Plenty of dart, whiting and small dusky flathead in the gutters north of Teewah Village up to Freshwater.

Maroochydore: Good flathead taking prawn soft plastics and small hard body minnows along Godfreys Road, in the South Channel and near the sand bags at the river mouth.   Plenty of whiting and bream between Picnic Point and Channel Island.  Tailor throughout the lower reaches on the high tide. Still mangrove jack in the middle to upper reaches of the river.

Mooloolaba: Plenty of dart and whiting along the surf beaches, along with tailor and bream off the rocks at Point Cartwright.  In the river; whiting and trevally at La Balsa Park, whiting under McKenzie’s Bridge and in the upper reaches of the Mooloolah River. 

Caloundra: Flathead throughout the lower end of Pumicestone Passage, in the Blue Hole and along The Boardwalk.  Whiting opposite the Power Boat Club and off Golden Beach the past few days and along the NE tip of Bribie in good numbers yesterday.  Trevally and queenfish in the canals and a few mangrove jack in Bells Creek.

Gary Holder with two large whiting caught on blood worms along the sand banks in the middle reaches of the Maroochy River. 

Noosa: Good snapper, cobia, moses perch and sweetlip at North Reef.   Trevally and jew off the rocks at the National Park. Whiting throughout Woods Bay and along the Noosaville stretch. Trevally being caught around the river mouth.at night. Flathead on surface poppers in Weyba Creek and by the Sheraton yesterday.    

Maroochydore: A great catch of whiting and bream was hauled from Picnic Point today, with poppers. Tailor throughout the lower reaches. A 1kg mangrove jack caught in the middle reaches of the Maroochydore river. Bream and whiting from the North Shore. Flathead to 50cm caught at the sand bags and along the Bli Bli stretch.  

Mooloolaba: Plenty of dart and whiting along the surf beaches, along with tailor and bream off the rocks at Point Cartwright.  In the river; whiting and trevally at La Balsa Park, whiting under McKenzies Bridge and in the upper reaches of the Mooloolah River.  A few mackerel and snapper on Murphys Reef yesterday. 

Caloundra: School and spanish mackerel, were caught on the 5 Mile Reef. Good flathead inside the bar and along Golden Beach. Big whiting along Golden Beach, throughout Bells Creek, and in the southern end of Pumicestone Passage. Quality tailor from the NE tip of Bribie Island.

Pic; Jason Grey agrees Summer is on it's way after landing this nice 4kg jew along the Bli Bli reach.