subject: A Short Guide To Fishing The Sunshine Coas [print this page] The Sunshine Coast is an anglers dreamThe Sunshine Coast is an anglers dream. Its endless rivers, beaches and reefs teem with aquatic life and offer some of the most spectacular fishing in the country. But while there is plenty of good fishing inland and near the shore, the best catches tend to happen among the outer reefs and shelves, where giant game fish come to chase the baitfish that follow the warmer currents.
With such great conditions for reef and deep-sea fishing, figuring out where to start can be harder than actually catching the fish! So heres a quick rundown on fishing off the Sunshine Coast, courtesy of the team at Mooloolabas very own Top Catch Charters.
Billfish
Especially in the warmer months, the waters of the Sunshine Coast play host to some of the best billfish fishing in the world, with all three major species of marlin (blue, black and striped), swordfish and sailfish as available and aggressive as ever.
Other Gamefish
If the giant billfish are eluding you, dont worry! Youll still have a good chance of hooking some wahoo, cobia, mahi-mahi, mackerel, and numerous species of tuna, including yellowfin and northern bluefin. These species are still prized gamefish in their own right, and they are great eating too!
Reef Fishing
The reefs off the Sunshine Coast buzz with life, with large pelagic species feeding off the smaller schooling fish. Common species include snapper, red emperor, parrotfish, pearl perch, teraglin jewfish, morwong, amberjack, yellowtail, cod, tailor and shark.
Spanner Crabs
The sand-bottomed stretch between the shore and reefs is prime spanner crab territory. In fact, the area just off Mooloolaba is the commercial spanner crab centre of Australia. No Sunshine Coast fishing charters trip is complete without trapping a couple of crabs to boil up!
Keep or Release
Fortunately for them, not all landed fish end up on your dinner plate. There are strict rules governing what you can and cant keep, and your charter operator will make sure youre staying within the limits. If, however, you catch a decent-sized, mature fish, most skippers or deckhands will help you gut, clean, fillet and store your fish, and its your choice whether you feast on it that day or keep it to enjoy at home.
Although deep-sea fishing used to be an exclusive pastime, thanks to the availability of affordable charters, now anyone can enjoy the thrill of reeling in a big catch. When choosing your charter, make sure the boat is big (and fast) enough to handle open-ocean fishing, and make sure they are licensed and safety conscious. And make sure their sole aim is to help you catch fish!
For more information about individual or group fishing charter, contact Top Catch Charters at bookings@topcatchcharters.com.au.