Queensland has surface-positioned fish-attracting devices (FADs) installed in offshore locations.

Unlike artificial reefs, FADs are floating or midwater devices moored to the sea floor on a chain, used primarily to attract pelagic fish.

Most Queensland FADs are installed in the populated south-east region, off the Gold Coast, Moreton Island, Mooloolaba, Noosa and Wide Bay.

There are however also FADs installed in the Gulf of Carpentaria, off Weipa in Queensland’s Far North.

Most fish found around the East Coast FADs are seasonal travellers, with FADs working best when sea temperatures exceed 20C.

Three FAD types are used in Queensland waters. These are surface FADs, subsurface FADs and all-water FADs.

All types are anchored to the sea floor.

Surface FADs have an 800mm cone-shaped marker buoy, a marine lantern, acoustic receiver and GPS tracker.

Surface FADs aggregate mainly mahi, wahoo, cobia and billfish.

Sub-surface FADs have six 300mm floats and submerged aggregators, with the top of the FADs located about 25m below the sea surface.

Sub-surface FADs aggregate mainly mahi mahi, yellowfin tuna and billfish.

All-water FADs have an 800mm cone-shaped marker buoy, a marine lantern, acoustic receiver, GPS tracker, mid-water 300mm buoy, submerged aggregators and a large pyramid anchor.

All-water FADs aggregate pelagic and demersal fish.

More FADs are expected to be added across the Queensland coast in due course.

FADs go missing at times, especially after rough weather, so check before fishing.

The latest government-provided FAD positions can be found here.

The most commonly targeted species around FADs are mahi mahi (dolphinfish), a fast-growing species that fights hard and makes a great meal when eaten fresh.

Also expect to catch tuna, trevally, kingfish, amberjack, tripletail and billfish, with some demersal fish such as coral trout and emperor to be found around all-water FADs.

Casting and jigging lures or dropping livebaits are the usual fishing methods used around FADs.

Early mornings are usually the best fishing time.

Spearfishermen also use FADs, be respectful to all FAD users.

Here is a list of recommended tackle for SEQ waters.

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Hinze Dam is one of Queensland’s better bass dams, just a short drive from Nerang on the Gold Coast.

The 3700 acre impoundment, called Advancetown Lake, is stocked with bass, golden perch, cod, saratoga and silver perch.

The impoundment has sheltered bays, submerged timber and fishable overgrown edges, along with shallow areas.

Fishing is best for bass when the dam is a little below full, as the water depth around the edges is then better for fishing.

Early mornings fish best around points and shallows, with bass going deeper later in the day.

Saratoga and cod are usually found near structure.

Otherwise, boaters should use a sounder to locate bass, which tend to move around.

This is one of the better stocked dams for landbased fishos.

Fishing is allowed along the shoreline near the two boat ramps on the east and west shores.

The dam wall was built on the Nerang River in 1976.

The wall was upgraded in 1989 to 15m high, then upgraded again in 2011.

The 2011 upgrade saw a trap-and-haul fishway built into the dam structure.

Lake users are restricted to electric, sail and paddle boats, which makes for a better fishing experience.

There is no camping at the dam.

A permit is required to fish.

Dam facilities include toilets, barbecues, picnic tables, shelters, and a playground.

Unfortunately the bass in the dam contain high levels of mercury, and eating Hinze Dam fish is not recommended.

Here is a list of recommended tackle for freshwater fishing, including within stocked dams.

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Qld dam water levels
Qld stocked dam permits

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Swansea is located on the north-west shore of Great Oyster Bay, with spectacular Freycinet Peninsula visible the east.

Oyster Bay is a significant fishing location on Tasmanian’s mid East Coast, a little over a two-hour drive from Hobart or Launceston.

The bay was chosen to host two of Tasmania’s first saltwater FADs, installed in 2021.

Species to be caught at and around Swansea include flathead, salmon, KG whiting, garfish, leatherjackets, flounder, bluethroat wrasse, black bream, silver trevally and squid.

Note that much of Great Oyster Bay is a shark reserve, which means sharks and rays may not be taken.

The bay’s waters are reasonably protected from most winds except southerlies.

The upper bay is shallow with a mostly bare sand bottom, with patches of seagrass. There is fringing reef south of Nine Mile Beach.

Most of the bay’s seagrass is found in the shallow depth range of 5m to 12m, and if you are boat fishing for flathead, flounder, KG whiting and squid, this is a good range to concentrate your efforts, fishing deeper on clear days when the fish may spook more easily.

Great Oyster Bay has two significant estuaries feeding the bay, with Greater Swanport north of Swansea being a great producer of black bream, some of which make their way into the bay.

Reef south of Swansea is mainly fringing reef to 10m to 15m depth and usually located less than 250m from shore.

Near Swansea there is a cobble bottom. The western bay shoreline is dominated by dolerite, while the opposite side of the bay (Freycinet) has granite.

There is no reef along Nine Mile Beach on the bay’s northern shore.

Wrasse are usually easily located around reef edges in the bay, and expect occasional snapper, trevally and more in deeper water.

KG whiting can be hard to find within the bay, but usually the edges of seagrass patches are the place to look, with some good KGs caught in the bay by those in the know.

Flathead can be found by drift fishing with bait or jigs run along the bottom, or trolling lures that swim near the bottom.

Being shallow and usually clear, overcast conditions can fish well in the shallow areas.

There are good access points to the bay along the highway on the west side of the bay.

The Swan River just north of Swansea has black bream, including some big fish. There are spots along Dolphin Sands Road that can be fished.

Jetties at Swansea and Coles Bay produce mainly squid, best at dusk and dawn. Sometimes salmon, slimy mackerel, snotties and pike are caught.

Fishos with suitable boats can head south-east from Swansea to offshore grounds around Schouten Island for trumpeter, lobsters and tuna.

Another great East Coast location is St Helens.

Swansea tides
Tasmanian FADs
Tasmanian fishing regulations
Tasmanian marine reserves
Tasmanian saltwater fishing seasons
Trout fishing spot access programs
Fisheries assessment reports
Buy a freshwater fishing licence
Tasmanian lake levels (hydro)
Tasmanian river flows (govt)
Bag and size limits
Private Tasmanian trout fisheries
Return to the Tasmanian Fishing Map

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