With the temperatures cooling off this month we will begin to see some interaction of warm and cool water species. Some trevally will move into our estuarine waters and the late run of bonito will continue. Local angler Jim Hudson has been catching some cracker sized bonnies lately.

Kingfish populations will soon begin to thin out but some larger models will stay throughout the colder months as they have done in previous years. These fish can be targeted right up the back of our systems during the colder months with lures, plastics and live baits with reasonable success.

This month is very popular with the mulloway brigade, who are hitting their species with soft plastics in the Harbour and Pittwater. These fish are a year-round option with baits and lures, but this month seems to really kick off the soft plastic bite. In my experience, plastics from 3” to 7” in all brands are successful in and around the new moon. The bite is hottest right now, with some guys finding anything that floats to get out to their favourite spot.

The offshore scene is still providing plenty of reports after the Port Stephens Interclub, with small blacks still on the chew off Sydney. Steve Metz fished with Dan Hill to land a small black of around 45kg. The guys dropped a blue marlin as well as catching some small mahi mahi (dolphinfish) and striped tuna. It was quite a successful trip, and all were taken on small skirts in 70 fathoms off Broken Bay.

There will still be plenty of mahi mahi around this month while the warm waters are about. Mainly smaller fish have been recorded lately, but they’re in very good numbers which is a great sign for years to come. One exception to the rule was Dave Rothwell’s fish (see photo hereabouts).

For the land-based rock angler, some good fish are around this month. The bonnies are still on and there are some good tailor and salmon to be spun up. Wash fishermen are berleying hard in the clear water, catching plenty of luderick and snapper. Jason Wiles was doing the unweighted pilly tail thing and landed a 5kg mulloway off North Curly in the suds. Not the species you’d expect to come from the wash but a sweet bycatch anyway.

Our inshore estuaries are still hitting their straps as the seasons change. Clontarf, Chinamans Beach, Quarantine and Roseville have good flathead and bream on the chew and once again plastics appear to be the common denominator. Davey Wells drifts around on his kayak casting at structure for bream, and he generally has a ‘loose sleeper’ out the back which accounts for most of his flathead.

Some good whiting can be had off the flats this month. As the water temperatures decrease so will number of fish, but the sizes do increase so be sure to keep fishing topwater lures and bait for these fish. We’re getting some absolute elbow-slappers coming in on poppers, stickbaits and beachworms.

Our kayak brigade is continuing to succeed in catching fish: a 70cm flathead from Narrabeen Lake, a 90cm kingfish from Pittwater and 1m+ jews from the Harbour are some of the species caught recently.

One of our ever popular spots, The Spit, is currently undergoing a fair size expansion. The extra boat traffic through the Bridge is being heavily monitored so be very aware of the 4 knot signs and save yourself some dosh. It just might by you some nice new kit.