I have just been reading my October 2009 report and found that we were blown all over the place then, just as we have been over the past couple of months.

The water temperatures have been decent but the fishing conditions have been rough on most occasions. All we can do is hope that the fishing is as good as it was last year.

Over the next month we will see some bigger kingfish in Pittwater and along the coast. The normal run usually starts at places such as East Reef and within a few weeks we are normally catching kingfish at Barrenjoey Head around the baitfish schools.

This is a great time to target kings because quite often they will hit yellowtail with glee – a great bonus because it is usually quicker to catch yellowtail than squid.

This game plan can work well along the coast but if you wish to try in Pittwater, it is better to catch a squid or two as well, just to cover the bases.

In Pittwater, the kings will be on the move so a berley trail at Soldiers Point or on the gutter at Mackerel Beach will eventually attract fish. The most effective way in Pittwater, however, is to downrig live baits and to have people casting soft plastics or poppers towards the horizon to cover ground as you go.

Big kingfish have been in Pittwater for most of the Winter, it’s just a matter of covering the ground and being lucky enough to find them when they are hungry.

Squid are becoming a little easier to get but most have come from the weed beds towards the mouth of Pittwater.

The inside of Barrenjoey Head on the Pittwater side is one gigantic weed bed and the sand patches towards the edge seem to work best.

Palm Beach Wharf is also worth trying first thing in the morning before the ferry starts its run. West Head is also worth a look but is easiest on the last portion of a rising tide.

Barrenjoey on the ocean side still has a few squid but they are not as thick as they have been. The best colour jig has been orange or olive green in Pittwater, but offshore pink is all the rage.

The fishing in Pittwater will pick up this month as the water warms and the myriad baitfish start to push in.

Flathead will start to show up in better numbers and drifting can be the best way to find a patch.

‘The Hill’ is the drift from Towlers Bay across the back of Scotland Island towards Taylors Point. You will fish three drop-offs and among all of the small snapper, a few decent flathead are normally encountered. Drifting across these grounds, you will need constantly check your depths and adjust your lines accordingly.

The next area is the deep drop-off from Palm Beach across to Mackerel Beach, From 3m at the start of the decline to 16m at the bottom. Soft plastics work a treat in this area but always be ready if you see a kingfish follow one of your plastics from the deeper water.

Broken Bay still has schools of salmon and tailor between Lion Island and Box Head but there seem to be more tailor than salmon.

Trolling the headlands and reefs can be a great way to locate fish if they can’t be seen on the surface. Metal lures are working on the tailor but the salmon have been a little fussier, preferring Rapala minnows or soft plastics.

The offshore reefs are still showing signs of life other than leatherjackets, which is a real treat.

There are a few reefs at Narrabeen that are producing nice snapper when the weather has allowed. We try in 40m to start with before heading out a little wider to 50m and 60m.

The 80m mark off Long Reef has produced mixed bags of morwong, nannygai, snapper, flathead and the odd trevally.