As we move into October the Flinders Island fishing season is away.

With the calamari moving into the shallows, along come the sharks in pursuit. Gummies run through the channels between the islands and the school sharks will move into Pot Boil Shoals.

While gummies are a year round fish, the school shark run from late October into the autumn provides the angler with great sport fishing. The schoolies range in weight from 15-40kg and able to raise a fair head of steam when hooked.

On the beaches the warming water brings in the big flathead into the surf zone and October sees anglers out along the east coast in pursuit. Early morning and evening produces the best results and bait, lures and even large flies will all work well, giving anglers room to choose their favourite technique.

Spring nearly always sees the best of the surf fishing on Flinders with the salmon, flathead and trevally all active. The top surf fishing hot spots will be Red Bluff, Pot Boil Point and Patriarch Inlet, with the North East River the best spot for a mix of beach and inlet fishing.

Offshore fishing is quiet in October with the striped trumpeter season closed until November 1, the action should start up when the season opens. Albacore, the first of the tuna family, should start arriving in December and the bigger yellowfin and others will follow into the summer.

For anybody planning a fishing trip to Flinders Island, this time of year right through to May is the best time, as all the resident fish are active and the warming water heralds the arrival of the summer visitors. For more information visit the Flinders Island website www.visitflindersisland.com.au.