Beach Fishing Gold Coast

Beach fishing Gold coast can be very productive, the coast has approximately 40 kilometres of beach, stretching from the Tweed to Main beach.

Witnessing a Beach rod double over as line peels from the spool is a sight all keen beach anglers dream of! After so many hours of tackle preparation and planning effort it’s often surreal when you finally get that blistering run. With damp shaking hands you pull the rod from the holder and sink the hook to feel the weight as a good fish loads up. Your brain starts ticking over “was that a headshake? Is it a big Jewie?” and you start hoping that you’ve finally hooked that elusive giant Mulloway.

Gold coast Beach fishing can be very frustrating, but the rewards are well worth the effort. There are a lot of obstacles to overcome when fishing the Gold coasts beaches, and even when the conditions are perfect,  many hours can pass without any real serious action. You certainly have to work hard to catch fish off the local beaches.

Mulloway

While big Mulloway are at the top of the Gold coast beach fisherman’s target list. There are plenty of other worthy targets in the surf, including Bream, Salmon, Tailor, Dart, Whiting, and  even the humble Flathead. These species may not be the glamorous big silver sided fish we’re all after. But they are still good fun to catch off the beach, and can help to fill in the time while waiting for that big Jewie to have a nibble.

Location, location, location!

Proper reconnaissance of the beach is a great way to improve your success when surf fishing the Gold coast. Use low tide to check out your fishing area for gutters, dips, hollows, sandbanks, etc. To get a good idea of where fish might be lurking when the tide comes back in. Don’t forget to ask the locals boys and your tackle shop employee for some of the better places to fish.

Baits

Fresh is best, if its alive even better. There isn’t many fish species more wary than a large Mulloway when it comes to feeding. So presenting the best possible baits is critical when beach fishing. And it’s amazing how much bait you can use in even a short session, particularly when the crabs are on the feed or there are lots of small bait pickers in the gutter.

When specifically targeting big Jew our preferred baits include fresh pillies, mullet, tailor or other oily species. Whole fish also work a treat, especially if they are alive. Best live baits are small mullet, herring or yellowtail if you can get them.  Fresh whole squid and big strips of fresh squid are good as well.

For species such as bream, tailor, flathead, dart etc. Its worth taking the effort to track down fresh baits such as pipis or beach worms. Remember to only take what you need. If fresh baits cant be found, you can use pilchards or smaller strips of fish flesh. Available from The Bait Shop.

Tackle Beach fishing Gold coast.

When beach fishing try to use the best quality tackle you can afford – the surf environment is a harsh on tackle with sand and salt spray constantly blowing on your reels. For all of my big fishing pursuits off the sand, whether it’s for jewies or other smaller more humble species, I recommend taking two outfits. One heavier outfit is spooled with 10-15kg mono and a lighter outfit running 6-10kg. On the heavier tackle its a good idea to fish bigger slabs. Either squid, whole fish, or live baits, and the lighter outfit I usually fish with worms, pilchards, prawns or pipis.

Braid or mono off the beach? Its a personal preference, but I find mono easier to work with, especially at night or when there’s a lot of sea weed drifting around. 

Rod length

Having good length and strength in your beach rod is important for casting big baits. Not to mention raising your mainline above the shore break when fighting any bigger fish you may encounter. I recommend a rod of at least ten foot long that’s designed to handle your chosen line class. As for reels, my preference is for bigger threadlines, but Alvey’s also work well, and they are well suited to harsh beach environment. Good rod holders are essential as to protect your equipment from sand. Various rod holders are available from your local tackle store, or you can cheaply and easily manufacture your own from a piece of PVC pipe available from a plumbers supplier or your local hardware store.

Tides for beach fishing Gold coast.

Keep in mind that a gutter will look different on the top of high tide than it does when at low water. If you’re going to be situated in the one spot for a long period,  spend the time to find stretch of beach that will hopefully be fishable for the duration. Avoid crowded areas with swimmers and board riders.

The couple of hours leading up to the top of  the high tide and the following hour or so after the tide turns have always been considered the best time to hit the beach to target for big Jew. Ideally you want to plan your trip on a day when tides are most favourable at either sunrise or sunset.

Weather

Weather conditions play a huge factor in successful beach fishing. Avoid days when its blowing more than 20 knots or the swell is huge. Some spots produce more fish when there’s a light onshore wind creating more turbulence and white water, but when fishing from high-energy gold beaches,  you don’t want to be trying to cast big baits into a strong head wind. It’s a lot easier fishing these stretches of beach with low winds, or even better with westerley offshore winds.

Night or Day

It is easier fishing from Gold coast beaches during daylight, for obvious reasons, and for safety reasons i don’t like to fish at night when there’s a big swell running. My preference is sunrise or sunset.

Night time is definitely more productive for Mulloway, Tailor and Sharks and usually there are less people around. ie. Swimmers and board riders.

Happy Fishing.

Beach fishing Gold coast.