Gold Coast/Tweed after heavy rain...is it worth it?

[Reidy91]

Hi guys, first post here I believe, been reading for a while - another excellent forum.

Having just watched my fishing and diving weekend go pear shaped due the heavy rains in SE QLD, I plan to make amends at the Gold Coast/Tweed Wed-Fri this week. I have a 3.85 m Quintrex which I managed to get out on the upper Brisbane River after a failed attempt to get to Borumba Dam for some bass and toga. It was enough to try out my new Lowrance Elite 4x HDI, which is simply awesome for the money.

I plan to fish the broadwater, canals and perhaps the seaway if the swell and weather permit for my little tub. After such heavy rain, does anyone have any experience fishing these areas and will it be worth me heading down there for 3 days? My target species are flathead, bream, whiting and EP's. From what I can gather, the exceptionally dry weather we've been having along with the autumn solstice may be triggering some species to move down stream to spawn. I prefer SPs and harbodies/vibes to bait although I will get the yabby pump out if I feel like some whiting.

Thanks

Reidy

[Jew Stalker]

If the water is murky it can be a mission on the lures. The best ones though are the ones which are shiny gold. They seem to catch the fishes eyes better than the natural colours. Bait generally does work better in those conditions though as the fish can taste it in the current and will actively search it out.

Good luck either way.

[slinkymalinky]

The Broadwater near the Seaway and the Seaway itself are the places to fish after really heavy rains. Fish either side of the top of the tide and there will be a lot of clean water in and around the Seaway. When the tide is absolutely at dead stop, the fish will often shut off, except around the mouth of the Seaway where there are often still a few eddies and white water around the rocks. (The jewies tend to come out right around the change too)

Fishing the edge of the clean water where it meets the fresh can be productive Fish along the rock walls. In the Seaway, concentrate on the South Wall from inside the Broadwater up to a bit past the VMR station, then swap to the North Wall from there out to the entrance. Just outside off the end of the North Wall are some good deep holes too if the weather is kind. Concentrate on the area of where the wall meets sand depending on how you fish you're a good chance of Bream Flatties Jewfish and a host of other good fighters (Jacks, Moses Perch, Spangled Emperor & Grassy Sweetlip, Trevs, etc,etc.

At the turn of the tide, try fishing the pipeline in the seaway (if there is any kind of decent tidal run you'll just lose a lot of gear). The north wall around into the broadwater is a good long run and a known hangout for Flathead, Jacks and Bream... but it's ugly ground on the bottom with a lot of snaggy rocky bottom so expect to lose a bit of gear (but its worth it). I've always had the most luck along this run when there is good current flow but not massive (as it gets too hard to fish).

The north wall of Wavebreak island is worth hitting too (its the wall at the north end of the beach directly opposite the seaway).

With a lot of fresh water around, expect the canals to be tough.

Just follow the tide and the saltier water.

Cheers, Slinky