Over the next few months we should see some stable weather as we are now in the dry season. I know we still get rain in but once the south-west winds start to blow conditions fall into a pattern of weeks of blue sky and rather calm conditions, providing us with light winds and flat seas.

It’s not unlike the Top End at this time of year, except it’s bloody cold!

The next month or so is quite good for fishing in Botany Bay and offshore because I can forecast the weather for the week using websites like Seabreeze.

In the cooler months we lose our run of kingfish in the Bay and the bream have now finished their spawning run and are moving back into the river and around structure. I do catch bream over Winter in the Bay but in only small numbers.

For anglers working vibrating blades and small plastics, it’s time to push upstream. The Cooks, Georges and Woronora rivers are all worth a look and the top end of Port Hacking will fish well for anyone who puts in the effort to work drop-offs and casting around structure.

Trolling around Botany Bay over Winter can be productive if you spend time planning a trolling run that covers as much structure and water as possible.

I have a trolling run that starts at the Sticks and heads towards the Oil Wharf, past the strong point on the end and then towards Kurnell Point, which will take you along the edge of Watts Reef. Tailor, salmon and even the odd king may be about.

Push along the southern headland say 300m and then turn across towards Bare Island and have your lures cover the edge of the bommie. Fish school along this edge.

Then head into Yarra Bay and follow the eastern shoreline, where I have caught quite a few tailor and the odd salmon.

This run is ideal for and early start to the day. Look out for my new Bullet lures in tackle shops soon; I have had great results with the samples catching all of our small pelagics.

We have spoken many times about silver trevally and methods to target them. Trevs are the main species about in Winter and are worth chasing because fresh trevally filets are hard to beat if you bleed the fish and ice them down.

Spinning around the Bay over the Winter will produce great fathead for the angler keen on casting soft plastics. In light winds just about anywhere in the Bay is worth a shot and I don’t have a special areas that produce all the time.

Just spend the day moving around and working over as much of the bottom as you can. I find 3m to 5m is the best depth.

If the westerly wind is up around 15 to 20 knots, head towards the shore at Brighton and work the drop-off that runs along the whole beach. I drift out about 100m and then run back to the shore and repeat the drift, moving slowly along the beach each time. Working plastics along this drop-off has produced many great flathead over the years.

My favourites are the Squidgy Wrigglers in 80mm and 100mm in bloodworm colour, but the plastic on the end of your rod will always catch more fish then the one that’s still in your tackle box.

This should give you a little to think about to plan a day on the water over Winter. Rug up and get out there, the fishing is great and the weather is hard to beat most days.