OFFSHORE: Aside from losing the first two days to blustery South Easterlies it was pretty much full steam ahead for the blue water brigade with light to moderate North Westerly winds dominating the offshore scene. With the swell dropping below the one metre mark the morning sessions were definitely the best choice ahead of the blustery North Easterly afternoon sea breezes. Sweetlip, Pearl and Moses Perch, Parrot Fish and Maori Cod were common to most of the reefs.
In addition, for those prepared to travel, Chardon's 'Wide' produced Mahi Mahi (Dolphin Fish) while Chardon's 'Close' was the spot for Squire and Estuary Cod. Sophie Audet (above left), visiting Noosa from the Central Coast (New South Wales), boated this 3.5kg Maori Cod while out at Chardon's on a full day Cougar Too charter on Friday. She was kitted out with a Wilson Live Fibre rod and an Alvey 825C reel loaded with 30lb Pioneer Flexline. North Reef was very popular this week, yielding Snapper, Mahi Mahi, Spanish Mackerel, Hussar, Teraglin Jewfish, Mowong and Scarlet Sea Perch while closer to home, Sunshine Reef was worth considering for Squire, Spanish Mackerel, Northern Bluefin (Longtail) Tuna and Railway Perch. And it was at Sunshine Reef that young Jean-Luc des Rivieres from Brisbane (above right) boated the absolute thumper Moses Perch he's posing with. Jean-Luc reeled in this 2.5kg specimen (a Cougar One boat record) on Thursday during a half day charter. Laguna Bay was quiet this week with Spanish Mackerel sporadically on the bite at Jew Shoal and the odd Spotted Mackerel working the cove points from Granite Bay to the Boiling Pot.

ONSHORE: The coastal surf beaches weren't patronised much at all this week. The North Shore hardly fired at all and the only report of any note came from Sunrise Beach where Whiting, Dart and Bream were all making their presence felt.

In the river, the Flathead and Mangrove Jacks were the higher profile species this week with best results coming from down towards the mouth (where Tailor, Whiting, Tarwhine and Bream were on the bite) and the Woods Bays, where Tailor and Trevally were active. There was also some 'Jack' activity up around Tewantin (including the ski-run) and up between the lakes where, at both locations, Trevally and Tailor were again making a splash. Apart from that, Weyba Creek was the spot for Trevally, Flathead and Whiting and Munna Beach yielded Bream and, as per the photo above left, Flathead. Local angler Jaxon Taylor tempted this 2kg 'Lizard' (and a few others) on Friday afternoon with a frozen Davo's Prawn on a No.1 baitholder hook. His outfit was a Shakespeare graphite rod and an Abu baitcaster reel loaded with 15lb line. And in Noosa Waters there were plenty of Bream and (as you can see by the photo above right) more Mangrove Jack to target. Justin Hirning, from Dalby in New Sourh Wales, used a 10cm Gold Bomber lure to good effect last Monday afternoon when he attracted the attention of the 1.8kg 'Dog Bream' he's pictured with. On the freshwater scene, Borumba Dam had Saratoga chasing spinnerbaits in the Borumba, Kingham and Yabba arms while at Lake MacDonald the Bass were responding well to 'Jackal' lures with 'Airport Corner' proving to be one of the better spots to wet a line.