Sharks chase fish to local waters

LARGE sharks chasing schools of bait fish up the Queensland coast are expected to make their way into local waters tomorrow.

Every year hundreds of tiger, bronze whaler, reef and great white sharks take part in a feeding frenzy when masses of bait fish travel close to the shore from Stradbroke Island off Brisbane up to Cape York.

While it is not uncommon for concentrated groups of bait fish to attract sharks along the coast at various times of the year, late autumn is prime hunting time.

In the past few weeks local fishermen have already noticed a massive increase in bait fish activity and several sharks have been spotted circling the end of the pier and boats around the artificial reef and Fraser Island's eastern beach.

On Tuesday Hervey Bay's Damian Huxham was fishing off Fraser Island when a massive shark stole his dinner.

“I nearly lost my arm trying to grab my tailor – the damn shark near took out my motor chomping on it,” Mr Huxham said

“I've never seen them like that.

“Amazing to watch with brief periods of sheer terror.”

Since the weekend aerial photographers and news cameras have been tracking the travelling schools.

They were last seen off Rainbow Beach.

An increased shark presence is expected off Fraser Island from tomorrow until the weekend.

Last week there were reports a 2m bull shark had taken up residence in the Great Sandy Straits Marina.

Management advised more than 150 resident boat owners that the shark had been swimming underneath their vessels for the past month.

Earlier this week two young men fishing of the Urangan rock wall said they spotted the bull shark schooling up bait fish in shallow water.

Local lifeguards are monitoring the situation and beaches will only be closed if sharks are spotted close to shore.