OFFSHORE: It was a pretty patchy lead-up to the Queen's Birthday long weekend with variable westerlies flattening out the swell but chopping up the seas. Adding a bit of uncertainty to the equation, the wind strength waxed and waned and the rain set in. With temperatures dropping dramatically the offshore scene (apart from in the relative shelter of Laguna Bay) was a bit of a lumpy lottery. Sunday's surprisingly calm conditions were a welcome bonus for the weekend warriors.
Unfortunately (as is the way) the reef fish were a bit hesitant on the bite and many anglers had to satisfy themselves with simply having a great day on the water with friends or family.
Having said that, there's always a catch to had for those prepared to put in the time with local knowledge perhaps making the difference. Local lads Zane and Kelpy (above) burleyed up at Sunshine Reef on Thursday afternoon during a calm spot and were rewarded with a few Snapper, the 2.4kg and 3.5kg specimens they're pictured with being their standouts.
A little further out, North Reef was the only other 'outside' producer of note, yielding Squire, Parrot Fish, Moses Perch, Pearl Perch and Sweetlip while in Laguna Bay, Jew Shoal was the spot for the odd Spanish Mackerel and Snapper.

ONSHORE: The coastal surf beaches were unusually quiet with no feedback from the North Shore apart from Tailor (to 3kg) on the bite around Double Island Point. The National Park headland was worth a shot for Bream while further south, Castaways Beach was the spot for Dart, as was Peregian Beach but with the added bonus of Whiting in good numbers.

It was also rather quiet in the river system although Flathead and Whiting were on the bite down at the river mouth and in Weyba Creek, where Prawns and live Worms worked best. Flathead were also active (though not in mega numbers) opposite Munna Point, around the upper Gympie Terrace jetties and up along the Tewantin ski run. Trevally and Tailor were worth targeting in the Woods Bays (on poppers and slow retrieved metal slugs) and up along the Noosaville stretch while up around Tewantin, Bream, Trevally and Javelin Fish were responding to soft plastics. Apart from that there were a few elbow slapping (35cm+) Whiting taken on Davo's live Worms at the top of Lake Cooroibah. On the freshwater scene, the Lake MacDonald Bass were chasing tailspinners and soft plastics in Gazebo Bay while at Borumba Dam the Bass were active around Weed Point and the Eagles Nest. In the Yabba Arm, live Worms accounted for the odd Golden Perch.