Caloundra has some of the best fishing on the Sunshine Coast. The Pumicestone passage is home to good populations of Dusky Flathead, Bream, Whiting, Mangrove Jack, Trevally, Cod and it has many more visiting fish. Mulloway and Tailor are known to move into the passage particularly in the cooler Months. Big Mulloway and Tailor generally move in around the same time Sea Mullet start schooling to spawn outside of the estuaries. This happens from late autumn to early spring.
It is rumoured Barramundi have also been caught on live bait in the canals of Pelican Waters also.
The mouth of the Pumicestone Passage produces some big Flathead in spring. The weed beds can produce great summer fishing for Bream and whiting on the surface. Flathead are also in large numbers on the run out tide around the weedbeds.
The small creeks along the passage like Bells Creek, are home to some heavy natural structure that hold good Mangrove Jack from Spring to late Summer.
Caloundra fishing spots aren’t limited to the Pumicestone passage. The rocky headlands of Moffat and Kings produce good spring fishing for Mulloway. Kayak and small boats fair well around the headlands too, trawling for summer Pelagics and bottom fishing winter for squire and sweetlip.
The offshore reefs of Bribie Island and the shipping channel also produces great reef fishing. Anglers can expect Emperor, Pink Snapper, Longtail Tuna and Mackerel less than a few kilometers offshore.
The rocky structure north and south on Dicky Beach is a good place to target Jewfish in Winter. Once the mullet have moved out the passage they head north and use the rocks as shelter. Large jewies will be close by. Live and strip mullet works, large shallow diving lures also work. Tailor are also around at the same time. Throughout the year Bream, Dart and whiting are the common catches.
Heavy reef and waves provide a good scenario for predatory fish like Tailor and Mulloway to hunt. Target these fish from Winter to Spring on strip and live baits. Tailor will also take poppers and metal slugs. Big shallow diving minnows would on Mulloway. Focus efforts around the white water. Bream throughout the year on small baits.
Access to deeper water when the conditions are calm. Very snaggy but can fish well for Bream and the odd Squire at times. Mulloway and Tailor have also been caught here.
Constantly changing bar but always has a deep hole. Best fished early morning or late afternoons at the turn of the tide. Bream are the main catch, but the odd Tailor and Mulloway are also caught. Big Flathead are caught here in Spring every year.
The drop offs and weed beds fish well on the run out tide for Flathead and whiting. Soft plastics and hard body lures like the Lively Micro mullet in red colour is dynamite on Flathead. Trevally are also on the flats during Summer.
The natural timber structure along the island falls into deeper water. This area has some good fishing in winter for Bream and summer produces mostly Flathead, Trevally and the odd Cod.
The gaps in the weed beds are good place to fish on the out going tide for Flathead and Bream. Through the summer and after rain, bream will hit surface lures which can be great fishing.
Deep water, this is a good spot to live bait at night during the warmer months for Mangrove Jack. Flathead, Bream and Trevally are also common catches here. Can be hard to fish with lures during tidal movements, most anglers opting to sit on baits.
Pelican waters canals produce okay fishing for Bream, Flathead, Whiting, Mangrove Jack and cod. There are a few land based access points along the canal. Casting soft plastic and suspending hard body lures around the pontoons and pylons will catch mostly Bream with the odd Jack and Trevally. There are more productive waters.
A shallow sand bar allows land based anglers to wade out and cast into deeper water for Bream and Flathead. Jewfish can be caught here on live baits and medium sized soft plastics. The jewies will turn up when the mullet start to school up late Autumn through Winter. Best fished early mornings and late afternoons.
Bells Creek can fish well for Bream, Flathead, Cod and the odd Mangrove Jack. Upstream Bells Creek drops off into deeper water with plently of natural structure.
The large Halls Bay can be a great place to fish during a big out going tide for Flathead. Focus around the drop off into the main channel.
The channel markers in deep water will sometimes hold Mulloway / Jewfish in winter. They are best targeted here during the change of the tides. Live mullet work best followed by strip mullet, soft vibes and plastics.
The water gets a bit murkier here, there are plenty of drop offs and natural structure where Bream and Flathead await.
A popular Mangrove Jack fishing creek during the warmer months. Coochin Creek also fishes well for Bream and Flathead throughout the year. Fish for Mangrove Jack by casting hard up against timber structure from here upstream.
Good bream and flathead fishing on the runout tide where a smaller feeder creek known as Saltwater Creek meets Coochin Creek.
During summer pelagics like Longtail Tuna and Mackerel move in fairly close to the headlands of Kings and Moffet beaches. On calm days kayak anglers often head out to troll with good success. During the calmer but colder months, the westerly winds provide ideal conditions for kayaks and small boats to venture offshore. The shallow reefs produce Emperor, Triggerfish and Squire off the bottom.
Further offshore the shipping channel is a popular spot to bottom fish for larger reef fish like Cobia, Amberjack and big Pink Snapper.
Approximately 8m deep surrounded by 15m deep water. Raper shoal is only few kilometre from shore for Kayak anglers. Tuna and Mackerel in summer and mainly Pink Snapper in winter.
Troll for Mackerel and Tuna during summer. Winter is a good time to bottom fish for Pink Snapper and Emperor on the bottom.
Pink Snapper and sweetlip during winter from the bottom. Over summer pelagic often pass through here.
Fairly shallow waters here are popular amongst kayak anglers. Bottom fishing the patchy coffee rock produces Emperor and Squire Pink Snapper.
The first of the Caloundra Reefs, approximately 20-30m deep, the reefs out here produce Pearl Perch, Pink Snapper, Cobia and Mackerel.
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June Mundt
says:how to rig for flathead and bream
Jacob
says:strip bait on a hook with a running sinker
Ahtee Chia
says:Bribie Island has been breached opposite Golden Beach and formed a barrier to tide waters flowing out towards Caloundra Broadwalk where the fishing has been badly affected. Fishing south of the Golden Beach is still ok but not as good as in previous years. Regarding Baramundi being caught in the passage is not a rumour but a fact. The fish & chips shop used to have numerous photos Bara that had been caught at Military Jetty. I have witnessed a huge Bara caught there a few years ago, and I caught a 72cm Bara at the same stop just before Christmas 2023.