The weather has settled recently with some stellar days and calm seas making the task of wetting a line a lot more enjoyable.

Prawns have finally shown up keeping the boat harbour pontoons a haven of activity with punters standing shoulder to shoulder throwing nets to get a feed.

The reefs are fishing well with coral trout, hussar, cod and parrot being a common catch.

Snapper are starting to show up in the usual places with quality fish over 2kg becoming the norm rather than exception.

In the next few months expect some big cobes and yellowtail kings at the Gutters, 25 Fathom and Rooneys reefs. They test anglers and tackle to the limit so remember the heavy gear if you’re heading out that way and you’re keen to get amongst them.

The bay had longtails, mac tuna and big sharks last month and every fish that made it back to the boat in one piece was hard fought. To avoid the sharks we either used the ‘go-for-broke’ approach, or we freespooled the fish for several minutes, to give it some distance from the shark, then applied pressure and hoped the shark had moved on to something else. With an acre or so of bait and fish everywhere, freespooling worked 9 times out of 10.

The fishing has gone up another notch on the flats.

Bream, which have been consistent for the past few months, are increasing in numbers and the quality will only improve as the water cools.

Whiting are responding to poppers and small plastics fished on the ebb tides.

Flathead have been going nuts on plastics this past month. In three days I caught 34 fish ranging from 40-72cm with many fish coming in successive casts. Flicking plastics on the edge of bait schools then working them over ridges of rocks had strikes coming from the moment the reel clicked in gear right the way to the rod tip.

Berkley Powerbait 8cm Power Minnows in pumpkinseed scales and Squidgy Bugs have been my most successful plastics to date. When fished light there is not much on the flats that won’t touch them.