The colder weather in June has got the mackerel fired up and there have been some nice ones up to 19kg taken out at the northeastern side of Sand Island. This trend should continue in July so get out there and have some fun.

We have been getting very strong winds up to 30 knots, so be very careful and only venture out on the calm days. Metre plus queenfish have been taken out near the leads so do not miss out on this action either. Trolling hard body lures and even sometimes poppers is the best option and you will catch the odd mackerel as well.

On the windy days you can head up the river and look for grunter on the patches near the powerlines. They can also be found out from the wreck on the shore close to town. Squid and prawns are good bait to use on a running sinker rig with mono leader as my preferred option.

The barramundi are quiet now and harder to catch unless you head out to Sand Island and troll the channel side. There have been some metre plus fish caught on lures with Groover's clients catching plenty. Please let the big fish go as they are the breeders we rely on to replenish the system so you can continue to catch good fish.

Please pay attention to the rules, as ignorance is no defence. If you use inflatable life jackets, then the gas cylinder has to have been re-gassed in the last twelve months and you will also need to have the paperwork on hand to prove this. The fine is $220 so it is much safer to buy some standard $20.00 life jackets and have them on the boat. Please also note that if you store the life jackets in a locker then the locker has be tagged with a life jackets sign. The fisheries can provide the correct information on this.

The fishing has been red hot on the calm days when the wind is not blowing with nannygai and sweetlip the main catch. All the usual species are around and the biggest Spanish mackerel caught so far is 18 kg with some boats bringing back the quota.

It is sad that Mick and Lee have now left to tackle another occupation and I wish them well. They gave plenty of time and effort and Tex will find it hard to replace them.