Jacobs Well Jetty

Jacobs Well sits at the top of the Gold Coast where the Broadwater opens into southern Moreton Bay, a maze of channels, mangrove islands and sand banks running north toward Jumpinpin. The public jetty beside the boat ramp reaches into a channel that carries water and bait in and out of the bay on every tide. Bream, flathead, whiting and grunter move through, and the surrounding mud and sand flats are prime crab country. It is the quiet back door to the Gold Coast, where the boats outnumber the high-rises by a comfortable margin.

Fish the run-in and the top of the tide from the jetty, dropping a light running sinker rig with a yabby, prawn or mullet strip near the pylons for bream. Cast onto the sandy edges for whiting, and work soft plastics or small whole baits along the channel bottom for flathead. Grunter feed on the muddy bottom on warm evenings and take yabbies or prawns. Crabbers set dillies off the flats nearby on the run-in tide. Keep clear of boats using the ramp and the Marine Rescue jetty.

Bream, flathead and whiting are the staples, with grunter in the warmer months and tarwhine in the cooler months. Mud crabs and sand crabs are a summer bonus. Bream and tarwhine are 25 cm (possession 30 combined); dusky flathead 40–75 cm (5); sand whiting 23 cm (30); grunter (barred javelin) 40 cm (10). Mud crabs are 15 cm (7 per person) and blue swimmer crabs 11.5 cm (20), and females of both are no take.

The jetty is in a Moreton Bay Marine Park general use zone, where normal fisheries rules apply, and habitat protection zones surround it. Bivalves and gastropods other than pipis are no take in Moreton Bay Marine Park. Line fishing is banned in prawn-farm intake and drainage channels in the Jacobs Well area and within 100 m of an intake or outlet; these are signposted. Crab pots and dillies are limited to 4 per person, tagged with your surname and address, and inverted dillies are banned. Raw prawns, yabbies and worms bought or caught here can't be carried out of the white spot movement area (Caloundra to the NSW border) unless cooked.

The jetty is off Pimpama Jacobs Well Road at Jacobs Well, beside the public boat ramp and pontoon, with parking at the ramp. There is a foreshore park nearby, and the Marine Rescue base sits next to the jetty. The boat ramp is busy on weekend mornings, so fish around it rather than in the way.

The run-in and the top of the tide fish best, when clean bay water floods the channels. Strong north-easterlies and southerlies can make the open water choppy, though the jetty is reasonably sheltered. After heavy rain, the water discolours and bream and flathead fish better. Warm summer evenings suit grunter and crabs.

Boats come and go constantly from the ramp and Marine Rescue jetty, so keep lines clear of them. The surrounding flats are soft mud in places, so don't wade off the edges. Bull sharks use these waters, so don't clean fish at the water's edge. Midges and mosquitoes are fierce at dusk.

Yes. The public jetty beside the boat ramp is open to fishing. It is in a Moreton Bay Marine Park general use zone, where normal Queensland fisheries rules apply.

Bream, flathead, whiting, grunter and tarwhine, plus mud crabs and sand crabs in the warmer months.

Bivalves and gastropods other than pipis are no take in Moreton Bay Marine Park, so leave oysters and other shellfish where they are.

Yes. Line fishing is banned in prawn-farm intake and drainage channels and within 100 m of an intake or outlet. These areas are signposted.