Now that the slightly cooler weather and the rain has started to set in, we should see a lot more top water action and activity throughout the local canals.

March provides some of the best top water jack fishing. The best lures seem to be the Strada and Bolt poppers, but you can't beat the Lucky Craft G-Splash in a gold or green colour. Catching one of these fish isn’t so easy, but when you know what you’re doing you'll see more productive catches. Nerang, Runaway Bay, Coomera, Jacobs Well and Pimpama fires up around rock walls, retaining walls, bridge pylons and jetties for one of these predatory and territory fish.

I've found that bream also love the top water in March, as the water temp only slightly decrease and the cooler mornings and late afternoons set in. The best lures include Strada Dancer 55mm, Strada Viral 55mm in natural colours around plenty of tight structure.

If you love crustaceans, make sure to chuck a pot in as the mud crabs are getting stirred up with some of the rain we've been recently had. Throwing a crab pot in over night in pretty much any of the out canals with a whole mullet, could see a lot of joy the next morning. The more mangroves and mud, the better your chances!

If you’re a bait angler, try white pilchards and cubed (chopped) pilchards for bream and flathead, even the odd grunter bream have shown up.

Whiting are a little less complicated, although some skill is needed when targeting them. You'll need a good reel and flexible rod for the finicky bites, as loading up the rod with too much pressure could rip the hook out. A 6-8lb line, size 3 ball sinker with a no.4 long shank hook, and 60cm of leader is ideal. Then all that’s left is to pump some yabbies and fish some sand banks and your set! Biggera Waters, Runaway Bay, Coomera and Nerang River even places in Jacobs Well and Pimpama hold some decent whiting.

Jacobs Well area has seen a few decent catches, including some cracker jacks and prawns, which have been showing up near Cabbage Tree Point.

In the next few weeks, I reckon we will see a little more rain that will bring out a range of species including GT, queenfish, bream and flathead. When the water warms, you can target painted sweetlip by using cooked prawns around bridge pylons throughout local canals; the rain could even get these fish biting and more active.

Another thing I've found in fishing in the rain, is that fish like bream and pelagics, actually feel more confident to hit the surface. The rain brings them to the surface rather than the bottom or mid water. This is a good time to fish when overcast as you won't scare the fish with your shadow or bright clothing as you could do in full sunlight!

1

The author with a 46cm jack caught out of his kayak on the Z-Man 3" MinnowZ in pinfish, while fishing a local canal

2

Geoff Dunn with a decent canal trevally caught on a cooked prawn.