OFFSHORE: Ah well, 3m+ swells and constant 20 to 30 knot south easterlies were sufficient deterrent for even the die-hards and desperates this week. The bar was crossable at times but conditions, even in Laguna Bay, were not inviting.

The photo above? That's what we call a coulda, woulda, shoulda photo. If you 'coulda' got out to the reefs, you 'woulda' most likely headed for Sunshine Reef and 'shoulda', with a bit of luck, boated a few of the Spanish mackerel that were out there in good numbers before this crook weather set in.
Paul Grenfell, Ben Nothling and Peter Morris (above) did exactly that a few weeks ago and pretty much bagged out on 8kg to 12kg Spaniards using live pike baits. We simply didn't have room for this group photo then, so... here it is now.

ONSHORE: The coastal surf beaches were no place for anyone but the dedicated surf anglers this week and even then you had to have a sand anchor and life jacket with you. There were reports, believe it or not, of a bit of fish activity over on the North Shore with the surf gutters about 10kms north of Teewah producing dart in numbers and a few quality tarwhine.

The river wasn't exactly on fire this week although most anglers who put in a bit of time usually got a feed. The better quality flathead (to 65cm) were going for drifted whitebaits, prawns and live fish baits up around Tewantin while there were plenty of smaller 'Lizards' down at the river mouth. The mangrove jack activity slowed quite markedly with only the odd capture reported. Ron Hyde (below) from Kallangur got the surprise of his life when, on his first cast with his telescopic rod at the Munna Point caravan park on Tuesday, his squid bait was monstered by the 2.4kg 'Jack' he's pictured with.

Trevally were responding to live baits in Weyba Creek and to cast lures at dusk along the Munna Point stretch and in the Woods Bays where bream, as per the photo below, were also on the bite. Five year old Jett Johnson (below) attracted this 500gm specimen with a live herring bait on Friday afternoon. Apart from that, quality bream were in good numbers in the dirty water between the lakes (on live baits) with a few garfish in amongst them making life interesting.
Last but not least, the mudcrabs were out and about up near the Tewantin ferry run and in the Noosa Waters canals.

On the freshwater scene, the Lake MacDonald bass were well and truly on the bite with lots of undersize fish chasing Jackalls and Blades throughout the system. The odd 45cm fish was reported caught and released but there were heaps of smaller fish on the prowl. At Borumba Dam, saratoga were responding well to white 'Jackall' type lures and green spinnerblades in the Yabba Arm while in the main basin the resident bass were only interested in live shrimp baits.