Bush 'n Beach Fishing

MSQ is gearing up on explaining lifejackets laws at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show Visitors to the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show can get the good oil from Maritime Safety Queensland on the new lifejacket laws – what lifejackets they should have on board their vessels, and when they must wear them, before MSQ starts enforcing new lifejacket regulations from 1 July 2025.

Maritime Safety Queensland is continuing to implement the Noosa River Management Plan through a staged and considered approach with anchoring restrictions one of the main changes. The staged implementation has already introduced important zoning measures such as speed limits and anchoring restrictions, alongside a broader package of initiatives designed to increase safety, improve access for all waterway users and protect the environment and the river’s ecosystem.

Australia’s fish habitat charity, OzFish, is calling on the help of Australia’s recreational fishing and ocean-loving super sleuths to track down the country’s remaining tropical shellfish reefs – so they can be studied and restored. OzFish, in collaboration with Griffith University, is asking Australians to keep their eyes peeled for tropical shellfish reefs while out on the water.

Spanish mackerel stocks in Queensland are no longer at historically low levels. Our latest stock assessment indicates this iconic and much-loved fish have a stock biomass at a median of 34 per cent of unfished levels in Queensland waters. Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson) is an important commercial and recreational fish species in Queensland that is prized for its status as a high-quality eating fish and a powerful sports fish.

Inshore/Offshore Fishing That howling SE wind has sure put a stop to the cracking run of weather we have had since Easter. Although the inshore and offshore fishing has been off the cards this week, the weeks prior have seen them fish incredibly well.

Inshore/Offshore Fishing This week has again seen some really good fishing weather which has enabled plenty of keen anglers to venture inshore and offshore with great results. The pelagic action along our coast is in top shape at the moment with spanish mackerel, long tail tuna, big queenfish and GT just to name a few being regular captures. For those chasing the spanish early mornings and late afternoons have been the key times to be on the water.

Inshore/Offshore Fishing How good was that weather window over the Easter long weekend! We could not have asked for better fishing weather and they were chewing! Plenty of boats headed out with Turkey Beach and Agnes Waters boat ramp absolutely packed. We saw the reefs at the bottom end of the Bunker Group such as Fitzroy, Lamont and Boult produce cracking numbers of trout and red throat emperor in the shallows.

Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) and Coast Guard Rockhampton are hosting a free boat and safety gear check event at the Rockhampton Boat Ramp in the lead up to Easter. This event will be held over two days, on Wednesday 16 April 2025 from 9am to 4pm and Thursday 17 April 2025 from 7am to 2pm. This event will give boaters the opportunity to have a qualified MSQ officer provide a free check on their safety gear, licence, registration and vessel condition.

Following extensive community consultation, as part of the next stage of the Noosa River Management Plan, Maritime Safety Queensland will introduce further restrictions on anchoring in the Noosa River for vessels over five metres in length.

Inshore/Offshore Fishing How good is the weather forecast looking! This long weekend is shaping up to be the opportunity we have all been waiting for to get out fishing! This week has again seen our inshore ground hold really good numbers of pelagic fish such as longtail tuna, queenfish, school mackerel and even more numbers of spanish have come in closer as the dirty water recedes.