OFFSHORE: Although the week got off to a bit of a bumpy start, the cool, blustery (15 to 20 knot) south easterlies eased off by Thursday and remained predominantly in the light to moderate (10 to 15 knot) zone throughout the weekend.
Conditions were far from perfect, however, but they were just good enough to permit the odd run up to Double Island Point and those who made the effort reported modest catches of snapper, cod, sweetlip and hussar.
Along the middle reef belt, Chardon's Reef produced average catches of snapper, sweetlip, moses perch and pearl perch, as did North Reef, but with the added bonus of spotted and Spanish mackerel.
Closer in at Sunshine Reef the standout species were squire, sweetlip and, as you can see by the accompanying photos, coral trout.
Tim French (above) was out there on Sunday when his mackerel tuna flesh bait was taken by the 2.5kg specimen he's pictured with. He was armed with a Shimano Sahara 4000 combo loaded with 30lb braid and 40lb leader.
And Andrew Batteley, from Brisbane, above right, boated his 2kg trout while out there yesterday on a three quarter day Cougar One charter. He was kitted out with a Wilson Live Fibre rod and an Alvey 825C reel loaded with 30lb line. His bait? A whole pilchard on ganged hooks. In Laguna Bay, there were a few spotted mackerel and the odd northern bluefin tuna at Little Hall's Reef.


ONSHORE: The coastal surf beaches were quiet. The only reports of note, in fact, came from the east side where bream, whiting and dart were on the bite at Sunshine, Sunrise and Marcus beaches and a few chopper tailor were active at Peregian Beach. Apart from that, bream were on the bite around Dolphin Point off the Noosa National Park headland.

In the river, bream were well spread in the lower estuary with a few good size fish (to 30cm) in amongst the schools. Flathead were also in good numbers with best results coming from the back of Noosa Sound, Munna Point and down around the lower fishing platforms just up from the river mouth car park. The Sheraton Bridge was well worth a shot with mangrove jack and the odd bream going for pilchard baits while trevally were in large numbers (chasing small surface poppers) close to the shoreline in the Woods Bays. Last but not least, Whiting were biting at Munna Beach and along the opposite sandflats. Young Eli Holden and Ada Horsey (above) hit the jackpot in that area yesterday morning with Eli boating his personal best fish of 400gms and Ada catching her first ever (150gm) whiting. Their baits? Davo's prawns
On the freshwater scene, yellowbelly and bass were taking live shrimp around the timbers at the top end of Borumba Dam while redclaw were in excellent numbers throughout the catchment.