OFFSHORE: With 20 knot+ south easterlies and a 1.5m to 2m swell making life almost impossible for the weekend warriors it was all down to those boaties who got out earlier in the week to post the runs on the board. Unfortunately, while the light to moderate (5 to 15 knot) variable easterlies and calm conditions were a promising sign during the first half of the week, the fish were not very cooperative and most anglers had to put in long hours to get a half reasonable feed. The full moon phase, of course, meant that the fish fed best in the afternoon sessions and as these tended to be a tad blustery it wasn't the most productive offshore week in recent memory. Still, it was still worth a shot and those who spent time at North Reef reported that Snapper, small Black Marlin, Moses Perch and Parrot Fish were on the bite, although rather sporadically. The fish above right? Local angler Cam Reid boated this 4.5kg Red Emperor while at Chardon's Reef on a Cougar One charter the previous Friday. We didn't have room for it last week so we thought we'd pop in in now to add a bit of colour.

Sunshine Reef was the only other performer of note this week, producing Squire, Moses Perch and, as you can see by the photo above, Spanish Mackerel, Parrot Fish, Sweetlip and even the odd Octopus. Local anglers Ashe Nuske and Chris Ingledew (Chris is the one with, for some reason, an Octopus on his head) spent Tuesday morning out there and did quite well, as you can see. The Spaniard weighed in at 9kg and the Parrot and Sweetlip; 1.5kg. They were using floated Pilchards as their draw card. Laguna Bay fired up this morning with large schools of baitfish being chased by Bonito and small Mackerel from the river mouth to Little Hall's Reef, across to the shark nets and into Tea Tree Bay.

ONSHORE: The coastal surf beaches were a more attractive proposition this week and the North Shore was probably the top performer with Whiting and Dart well spread. Tailor were on the bite as well, with the First Cutting producing Choppers at night, while the larger Greenbacks were on the bite down towards the river mouth. The surf gutters just south of Freshwater were also worth a shot with, as you can see by the photo on the right, Trevally the target species. Mark Demetrio caught this 3kg specimen while up there yesterday morning with local surf fishing guide Sean 'Chiso' Chisholm from Noosa Surf Fishing Tours. He was armed with a light threadline surf combo loaded with 6kg line. His Bait? Fresh caught Pippi. Across the bay, the National Park headland saw some boils within casting distance over the last few days with Bonito and small Mackerel the predominant catch reported. Further south, north Sunshine Beach produced Chopper Tailor, Marcus and Sunrise beaches yielded Whiting and Dart while the 'Boardwalk' area south of Peregian Beach was the spot for quality Tailor and the odd Mangrove Jack. In the river, Flathead and Whiting were active in Weyba Creek and down at the river mouth while Tailor were on the bite there at the top of the tide and at dusk. Trevally were chasing surface poppers at dawn and dusk around the Sheraton and Munna bridges plus up at Harbourtown, where Bream were also on the chew. Further up, the Tewantin ferry area was worth considering with Mangrove Jacks, Flathead, Bream, Jewfish and Trevally all chasing soft plastics. Flathead were going for trolled hard bodies at the mouth of Lake Cooroibah while the stretch between the lakes yielded Bream, Tarpon, Mangrove Jacks and (last week), a rare but not unheard of catch in our river system, a Barramundi. Terry Ellwood (above) was up there last Sunday week and was both surprised and delighted when his pink Tilsan Barra lure attracted the attention of a 1.5kg Mangrove Jack and then this 5kg (est.) Barramundi. On the freshwater scene, the Lake MacDonald Bass were active around the 'Bubble Trail' (mostly juveniles) while the bigger fish were taken in 'Eagles Bay' and 'Fry's Run'.