Main Beach (North Stradbroke Island)

Main Beach runs for more than 30 km down the ocean side of North Stradbroke Island from Point Lookout, and it is the island's main surf fishing beach. The sand banks and gutters change constantly with the swell, giving a fresh set of holes to fish on almost every trip. Dart and whiting are the bread-and-butter fish, the winter tailor run is the big event, and a mulloway is always possible after dark. With a 4WD, you can drive along the beach until you find a gutter with nobody else in it, which on a weekday is most of them.

Drive or walk the beach at low tide and look for gutters, the deeper, darker channels inside the sand banks. Fish them on the rising tide with beach worms or pipis on a running sinker rig for whiting, dart and bream. For tailor, use ganged pilchards or metal slugs at dawn and dusk from June to September. Mulloway are targeted at night in the deeper gutters with fresh fish baits or large live baits. Collect beach worms and pipis on the beach at low tide for bait.

Dart are present most of the year and best from autumn to spring. Tailor peak in winter, whiting in summer, and bream and tarwhine in the cooler months. Flathead lie in the gutters in spring, and mulloway are an occasional night catch. Dart 30 cm (possession limit 30), tailor 35 cm (20), whiting 23 cm (30), bream and tarwhine 25 cm (30 combined), dusky flathead 40–75 cm (5), mulloway 75 cm (2).

The water off Main Beach is in the Moreton Bay Marine Park's habitat protection zone, where standard Queensland limits apply: up to 3 lines and 6 hooks in total per person. From about 2 km south of here, the Offshore North Stradbroke Island marine national park (green) zone starts roughly 400–500 m off the sand. That is beyond casting range from the beach, but no fishing of any kind is allowed in it, including from a kayak or boat. Beach worms are limited to 30 per person and pipis to 30. Driving on the beach needs a vehicle access permit, so sort it out before you catch the barge.

Main Beach is accessed from Point Lookout or from the beach access tracks off the main road south of the township, usually by 4WD. Lower tyre pressures before driving on the sand, and drive below the high-tide mark. There are no facilities on the beach, so bring water, food and shade.

The beach faces east into the open ocean, so a westerly offshore wind and small swell give the best conditions. A strong south-easterly brings a messy shore break and lots of weed. After a big swell, the gutters change shape, so check them at low tide before you fish.

The beach is unpatrolled for most of its length and has strong rips, so don't swim and don't wade beyond knee depth. Watch for other vehicles on the beach, especially around the access tracks. Soft sand and incoming tides can trap vehicles, so check tide times before you drive. Bluebottles wash up in onshore winds.

Yes, a vehicle access permit is needed to drive on the beach. No licence is needed to fish Queensland's tidal waters.

Swallowtail dart, tailor, sand whiting, yellowfin bream, tarwhine, flathead and the occasional mulloway.

The main tailor run is from about June to September, best at dawn and dusk.