With the wild weather patterns we have experienced over the last months, it could be fair to say that mother nature has been one unhappy lady!

With freshwater spilling out of the Brisbane, Pine and Caboolture rivers at a rate of knots, our usually pristine northern bay has turned into one big chocolate milkshake, but it looks worse than it actually is on the fishing front.

Reports have been few and far between as anglers (including myself) have not had many opportunities to hit our usual favourite fishing holes but there have been some great reports of fish being caught in the areas with good tidal flow. In times like these looking for waters with higher salinity seems to be the key as fish still need to feed in their respected areas.

While water visibility looks poor to us, our piscatorial counterparts still have a keen sense of smell and sight so what looks bad to us may still hold fish provided tidal flow is good. Tidal flow areas around river mouths, jetties, pontoons, outer reef bommies and outcrops can still hold good fish as they search for saltier waters.

Bream, spotty mackerel and summer whiting have been the flavours of the month and have been standouts throughout our whirlwind weather patterns with good catches reported throughout the bay.

Summer whiting have been a consistent performer this summer with most catches coming out of the southern tip of Bribie at Woorim, Red Beach and Skirmish Point. Good catches have also been reported opposite the sand dunes at Moreton Island with the pick of the baits being squid and bloodworms. But be sure to check your forecasts before heading out as the bay can fast become choppy.

Spotties have been carving up the bay all though summer. Since the recent rains targeting these pocket rockets along the dirty water lines where the fresh meets the salt has been proven formula, as spotties have been ripping through bait schools in these areas.

Bream have been the hardiest species during our torrid weather. These year round aggressive feeders seem to always find a way to stay in an area when all elements look sour. No matter where you wet your line there is always one or two bream cruising the area.

With the water temperature up and ESE winds whipping up good currents, bream catches have definitely been on the increase.

For bait fishos, baits with the strongest scent have been the bream killers of lately. Mullet gut, chicken gut, mullet strips and cubed pillies are doing the trick as the odour is very distinctive through our murky waterways.

For the lure fanatics, this is an awesome time to test new lures but don’t forget the proven favourites that have stood the test of time and have caught fish in past murky conditions.

Our market has been flooded recently with so many new lures, which can often put anglers in a spin about what to use and what to buy. Sticking to some lure choice basics may help. For example choose lures within the following size, weight and colour guidelines: 30-50mm, 2.5-3.8g, clear colours for clean waters and contrasting colours for dirty waters.

For our poor water visibility, a good rattle is also a big factor. The rattle gives the bream a warning that food is in the area and really fires them up into a feeding frenzy.

I recently tried some lures that are new to the market using this formula and was pleasantly surprised with the results.

The standout performers are the new Sebile Crankster MR, which is a shallow running lure with an awesome deep rattle and Ecogear’s CX40HS (High Sound), a deeper running lure also with a really great rattle. Be sure to check out these awesome bream lures this summer as they are already proving to be a hit.

While the weather has had a yo-yo pattern, the recent rains have flushed a lot of crabs into the bay with good hauls of muddies and sandies appearing throughout our northern bay. It might be worth throwing out a few pots while heading out for a fishing session as crab populations have been on the move looking for food.

Be wise while setting your pots to ensure you aren’t blocking creek mouths, boat ramps and pontoons as there has been enough things to dodge in our waterways lately, let alone somebody’s wayward crabpots!