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Flathead basking in the sun
  |  First Published: September 2012



After a winter of indifference in the fishing stakes, it is going to be exciting to get amongst some warmer weather, which should really fire up the fishing in all sectors around our beloved Northern Bay.

I’m sure there is a few of us who would like to see the back of the cooler weather as in recent times has slowed the fish being caught in our estuaries and inshore waters. With an increase in both air and water temperatures this should allow fish to be more widespread and more aggressive as their brazen feeding habits return.

Over the past month we’ve seen good numbers of tailor being caught around areas holding good bait schools. The Caloundra end of the Pumicestone Passage, Bribie’s southern beaches, Scarborough Reef and the mouth of the Brisbane River have been the hotspots of late.

Seagulls are an angler’s friend when targeting tailor. These usual pesky birds are always close to rampaging tailor seeking bait scraps left behind after episodes of destruction. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled as tailor are set to continue their feeding sprees until at least their October migration.

Bream numbers are definitely on the increase. These opportunistic feeders love the increase in water temperatures, resulting in renewed aggression after a long spawning season. Good catches have been reported lately with equal numbers coming from both baits and hardbody lures.

Best baits this spring have been chicken breast, cooked prawns and mullet strips, with the picks of hardbody lures being Ecogear SX43F, Atomic Bream Shads and shallow Jackall Chubby 38F. Clearer lure colours have been working a treat as water clarity has been favourable after good weeks of westerly winds.

Flathead will be increasing in numbers this month off the back of winter. Numbers have been steady over this last month with many coming on the rising tides. Soft plastics have been a huge hit of late with curl tail style plastics being the most effective. Plastics like 2.5” ZMan GrubZ, 2-3” Atomic Plazos Fat Grubs and Squidgy 100mm Wrigglers are very popular.

Try using heavier jigheads than usual as flathead have a tendency to stalk and attack passing baits while lying in the comforts of the sea floor.

Try applying some fish attracting scents to your plastics as this may increase your catch rate. Liberally applying these scents to your plastics every 8-10 retrieves works well. Scents worth a mention are S-Factor, Megastrike Crawfish and Berkley Gulp Alive spray; their proven tack record on the tournament circuit makes them a popular choice.

Donnybrook Flats, Clontarf Foreshore and the mouth of the Pine River have been notable flathead hotspots over the last month, with the majority of catches coming at dawn and dusk.

With an electric start to the winter season, snapper numbers have been mixed over the last month, as bait schools have diminished with no explanation. Scarborough Reef has had good and bad days of late with the majority of good snapper catches coming from offshore.

The Brisbane River has had a cracker season this year with anglers continuing to pull good fish. Clara’s Rocks, the Oil Pipeline and the deeper edges of the reclaimed area of Fisherman Island have rewarded anglers with good fish hanging around the deeper ledges and drop offs of the main riverbed. Occasionally fish have been located around lighted areas at night feeding on prawns, herring and other numerous baitfish present in the river.

Anglers have had good success on lures and soft plastics with Jackall Transams, Megabass Vibration X Smartras and Z-Man SwimmerZ being the popular choice.

Spring is always a great time of year to peel off the winter woolies and enjoy our pristine mornings. As we enter into the hotter months of the year, be sure to remember your sun smart gear. We often forget these rules over winter due to the relaxed intensity of the sun. Applying sunscreen before you even start fishing will allow you a great day out on the water.

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