The January Fishing Report, Week Three 2006, Noosa, Queensland, Australia, brought to you by Daiwa.

As at Monday January 16th 2006

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OFFSHORE: Well, it was a pretty good week for the offshore brigade with very light to moderate (5 to 15 knot) variable

winds on most days. The only fly in the ointment was a 2m to 3m swell which appeared almost out of nowhere and hung around until Friday afternoon. This made the bar crossing at times a little bit hairy with Thursday, in fact, being pretty much a no go day for all but the yak anglers. Still, with the lead up to the full moon on Saturday, there was plenty of action earlier in the week with Pearl Perch and Parrot Fish the common species at most of the reefs. In addition, for those prepared to travel, 'The Hards' produced Snapper, Amberjack, Hussar and, as per the colourful photo on the right, quality Red Emperor. Local angler Paul Grenfell boated this 10.2kg 'Government Bream' while out there on Saturday. He was armed with a Wilson Live Fibre rod and a Shimano Calcutta 700 reel loaded with 50lb Platypus line. His bait? Live Slimy Mackerel on an 8/0 hook.

A little closer in; Chardon's Reef was the spot for Teraglin Jewfish, Sweetlip, Gold Spot Wrasse, Mahi Mahi, Maori Cod and Hussar while at North Reef the extras were Cobia, Moses Perch, Teraglin Jewfish, Mahi Mahi, Snapper and, as you can see by the photo on the right, Maori Cod. Harrison 'Had' Page from Clifton Springs in Victoria caught the 2.5kg Maori Cod he's posing with while out there on a half day Cougar Too charter on Saturday, then shortly after he caught and released a thumper 19kg Estuary Cod. 'The Coffees' and Massoud's Reef were good for the common species mentioned earlier while closer to home; Sunshine Reef yielded Sweetlip, and Moses Perch. Laguna Bay fired up ahead of the full moon with Spotted Mackerel, school Mackerel and Mackerel Tuna on the bite at Little and Big Hall's reefs and out around Jew Shoal where Cobia and Spanish Mackerel were an added bonus. And it was at Jew Shoal on Saturday morning that young Shannon Lacey (below left) boated the 4kg Spotted Mackerel he's pictured with. Shannon was out there with brother Chris and father Greg from Davo's when his Pilchard floater on 3x5/0 ganged hooks was taken by this quality specimen.

He was armed with a Shimano T-Curve 200 rod and an Accurate Boss reel loaded with 30lb Platinum line. Between them the Lacey lads boated a dozen of these feisty silver speedsters in a hot one hour session and left them biting.

ONSHORE: The coastal surf beach reports were again thin on the ground. The east side stretch, in fact, yielded the only

reports of note with Sunshine Beach producing Whiting, Dart and Bream while at Marcus Beach the standouts were Dart (to 40cm) and Tailor to 2kg. In the river, Flathead, Bream and Whiting were on the bite down around the river mouth, up along the Gympie Terrace stretch and around Goat Island, which is where Neil Pollock (right) got his result. Neil was floating out Yabbies on a No.4 longshank hook in that area last Monday and boated Bream (to 800gm) and Whiting (to 400gm). He was armed with a Shakespeare Ugly Stik and an Alvey 500 reel loaded with 6lb line and trace. Other areas of note were the Woods Point (Mangrove Jacks), the Woods Bays (Trevally, Flathead and Jacks) and the Munna Bridge stretch which produced Tailor, Trevally and Bream. On the freshwater scene, Lake MacDonald fired up with Bass chasing Jackals at 'Three Ways' and hitting trolled C-Lures deep divers at 'Fry's Run' and the 'Bubble Trail'. At Borumba Dam the tally was mostly Saratoga with Jackals working best.

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