They don’t call it the Sunshine State for nothing; perfect weather one day, but very ordinary the next. The Passage has been very productive for those who don’t mind working for it and the ordinary weather conditions just create an extra element to the challenge.

Bream have been going crazy with some great hauls of 35cm+. Bullock Creek in particular has been a standout performer, along with Shag Island and Dunlops Gutter. There has been one avid angler taking great quality fish off the end of the Donnybrook Jetty, including tailor.

The tailor are around in good numbers however, they can elude the keenest of anglers some days. The trick is not to give up, they will pop up when you least expect it and feed like crazy. But have your guns loaded!

The western side (or the Donnybrook side) of the green marker at the 112 is a gun location. White Patch will hold feeding fish on the bottom and top of the tide around the turn. One hour from when it turns is the most productive; coincide this with sunrise and you will find yourself with a crazy tight line session to remember. But by mid August they will be all but gone. They are not the best eating fish but if you bleed them and put them on ice they aren’t too bad. I normally just take one small feed as they don’t freeze well – fresh is the only way to eat them.

Flathead are a main target for most anglers at the moment and will be for the next few months. These fish will feed on anything and everything: bait, dead or alive; lures, soft or hard – it really doesn’t matter.

However, in my opinion the lure outweighs bait 100:1. You will cover so much more distance using lures compared to bait, plus you don’t get your hands dirty.

Flathead have ranged from 15cm up to 80cm+ on the same lure. They are aggressive feeders but you will need to drag it past their nose as they will sit and wait for their food to approach them with only their eyes visible; they lay and wait rather than hunt. They would have to be one of the laziest fish in the ocean by far, but also one of the easiest to target and a whole lot of fun.

On light gear, the big girls can take sometime to subdue and have you sweating bullets, especially when they lay eyes on the angler. Remember that anything under 35cm must be released unharmed as well as anything over 75cm.

There have been a handful of snapper around, mainly small just-legal stuff, not really worth the effort. If you do need to target them the Bribie Bridge has been the location with pilchards or soft plastics. If you are struggling to get the desired results, try using some berley – they love it!

Until next month, have fun on the water.