Hayes Inlet - Land Based

[brissyfishing]

I have been targeting Hayes Inlet at low tide over the past month on soft plastics with mixed success.

My best result was last Saturday with 2 undersized & 2 legal flatties (33cm was the best).

Would love to be targeting other species such as whiting and bream but have had no success reeling in these species here!

Main Lure: Gulp 2" Floating Banana Prawn

Would love some advice for fishing at this location or some other suggestions for Land Based fishing locations in the North Brisbane area!



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[kingcray]

33cm is not a legal flathead.. unless it is a sand flathead. I catch a lot of flathead around there and 99% of them are duskies (40cm minimum) so be careful.. the plastic you are using is fine, but i prefer the 3" paddletails or curlytail zmans.
Hays is a great spot, boat or landbased, though this time of year while the water is dirty will see you catching lots of small flathead and bream through there. The flathead really fire there in winter, and you can be lucky enough to come across a jew or tailor also.
You will catch whiting but you are probably better off trying there with poppers at a higher tide when the water is covering the flats.

[tunaticer]

If you are intent on being land based try fishing the Wells......that is the reef under the highway bridges.
You can get almost two hours in there wading at low tide, even more on a very low low.
I wear waders there as I am constantly in at least thigh deep water haven't had any water come over the top yet......it will happen one day.
Plenty of bream and flatties to be had there working the edges of the reef patches.

[brissyfishing]

Thankfully a 33cm catch and release, on reflection it was most likely a dusky!

Glad you recommended the Curlytail, this was on the shopping list!

Thanks for your insight kingcray, really enjoy fishing Hays Inlet and can't wait for the cooler months!


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[brissyfishing]

Thanks tunaticer, yes land based for the time being!

Hadn't considered this area but can clearly see the reefs via Google Maps so will target this area on my next outing!

Have you fished the Pine River near the Bruce Highway?, I often see guys walking down from the highway with rods but was curious to where they would be headed!


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[tunaticer]

I grew up around the pine river.
I wouldn't waste my time there these days......better spots upstream for landbased bait soaking.
Upstream of the junction (via Murrumba Downs) there is a patch of rock on the northern bank about 300 yards up......in front of there is a good flatty location with the chance of a decent jew.
Upstream further is Castle Hill Estate......several spots there can be accessed by foot.......can be decent fishing in there.
Dohles Rocks is overfished but head downstream from there wading there is a great flats system for flicking for flatties and probably can popper whiting there too.

[brissyfishing]

Thanks for the advice tunaticer, all seem to be easily accessible and provide plenty of options in the area for me now!


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[Just_chips]

Consider everything as a Dusky Flathead and you will never go wrong. There is just bugger all meat on a 30cm sandy any way, not worth your time to kill and fillet and definitely not worth the fine if you inadvertently get it wrong and get caught. Some excellent advise from others here. Take it all in when advise like this comes your way and keep at these local areas, they do produce when everything comes together, it just takes time and experience to read the signs. I've caught flatties to 85cm out of Hayes and the Pine River mouth landbased wading in years past, there is no reason they still won't be there at the right times.

[CapDB7]

Thanks tunaticer, yes land based for the time being!

Hadn't considered this area but can clearly see the reefs via Google Maps so will target this area on my next outing!

Have you fished the Pine River near the Bruce Highway?, I often see guys walking down from the highway with rods but was curious to where they would be headed!


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Hi BrissyFishing.

I'm an English river fisherman by childhood and am trying to convert it to Aussie saltwater. I live a few meters from the water (in a house, not a box!) in Redcliffe next to the Shield St jetty and mainly fish from land.

Are you only wanting to use plastics? I've tried anything and everything and am yet to have a "great day" regarding how many fish caught, but had loads of cracking days wasted away catching a few bream or flatties. I've been here for four years and haven't really found any solid ways to catch more fish. Most techniques work in most locations (as long as it's deep enough or has some feature). Pillies, mullet do alright once you get past the toadies, and plastics seem to do alright for fatties no matter where I seem to go.

I was out with a mate today on the Pine and had a VERY quiet one. Was 35C with water temps around 31C, so explains a lot. Had a catfish under the highway and a small bream, all on plastic. Was out for 6 hours and tried everything and every location with softs. Just wasn't to be. Soft plastics for 6 hours in this heat got a little bit tiring! The highway always seems to have a bit of action though, seem to over perform (just!) on fatties when drifting on an outgoing tide, but that's about it.

Saying that, I did have a 92cm threadfin salmon on the Pine last year (photo is on here somewhere) but it's pretty much hit and miss and I haven't found any style of fishing that has stood out from any other around these parts. Weather seems to matter more than location. Have had two snappers in one session off the Redcliffe jetty in the early parts of a big storm, but was a very, very rare thing. Jew (?) off the Ted Smout and too many dirty stingrays to talk about.

I don't know what this post offers, but really Im just here to say go and enjoy it!

[brissyfishing]

Thanks for the reply CapDB7, a bit like yourself I just enjoy being out in the water, a bite or a catch is a bonus!


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[Mike Delisser]

The water is still too warm in Hayes for good catches of flatties. IMO April and May are much better. I normally walk straight out from the end of Haysmouth Pde then slightly upstream to where the channel narrows. Then fish along with the tide towards the bridge. The best fishing will be the last 2 hours of the run out and the bottom of the tide. We usually chuck it in after about 30 mins of the run in. If you're fishing the Wells you could stay a little longer chasing bream but that could mean a deep wade back to shore. Yeh 3" to 4" curly tail plastics are the go, I like bright coloured tails here too.
If I wanted to chase whiting I'd use worms and fish the whole run in by wading out on the flats off Eventide on the other side of the bridge. And I mean way out.
Cheers

[brissyfishing]

Cheers Mike, sounds like we are targeting a similar area in Hayes, it's a nice peaceful spot ... most of the time, not too much boat traffic!


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[Just_chips]

If I wanted to chase whiting I'd use worms and fish the whole run in by wading out on the flats off Eventide on the other side of the bridge. And I mean way out.

Big thumbs up for this also. I used to do this with live blood worms by heading out at dead low tide and walking out to the water and wading back in fishing the little gutters as they filled always staying in knee-thigh deep water picking up fish as they moved in over the flats with the rising tide. Stingrays were always a problem as the buggers didn't seem to move until you just about stepped on them. I was lucky enough to never step on one, but knew somebody who did so care must be taken. This time of year is perfect for this style of fishing and if you have any worms left then set up on the wall with some fish and chips from one of the local take-aways and fish the afternoon away with those lovely cool sea breezes we get at this time of year. A low around 3-4pm will give you time on the flats and then dusk on the wall.

All this reminiscing of local fishing is starting to inspire me to get out and give it a go again.

[Daryl McPhee]

Following on from what Mike said, I have found April and May (and early June) the better months for flathead in Hays Inlet when I use to fish there. It coincides with the fish returning to the estuary form their spawning locations near surf bars.

[brissyfishing]

Thanks to all who have replied, reinforces why I joined this community!


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[PixieAU]

Is been very quiet of late

No prawns there either (tried yesterday)

[cuzzamundi]

Following on from what Mike said, I have found April and May (and early June) the better months for flathead in Hays Inlet when I use to fish there. It coincides with the fish returning to the estuary form their spawning locations near surf bars.

That's some great info, Darryl.

Going off what you're stating, would the flatties that reside in the Pine in winter be up around coastal bars like Caloundra etc right now? Or do you mean any sort of spit-like bottom in the vicinity that's similar to a bar? Be interested to know, as that's some decent travel if so.

Cuzza

[Mike Delisser]

Quite a few years ago a mate and I tagged a lot of the flathead we caught and released at Hayes Inlet. I think we had 1 return from Caloundra, 1 from Caboolture River, and about 10 from the inside of Moreton.

[Daryl McPhee]

Hi Cuzza,

They will not specifically all go to Caloundra and they may go to different locations in different years. The fish from the pine would use a number of spawning locations.

Daryl