The change in the weather has got the Spanish mackerel going and some good fish have been caught on the northeast side of the sand island. You can berley up for them at the drop-off or you can troll spoons and lures for them. Please stay away from anchored boats as there is plenty of room outside them.

To maximise the number of fish you land, use a wire trace and not a lot of drag. Remember that when they run, they can turn and head towards you so if you start to get slack line, wind as fast as you can. If you are going to anchor up to fish I recommend you tie the end of your anchor rope to a white crab pot float. This will allow you to untie the anchor rope and throw the anchor line overboard to chase the fish. When you have it on board then you can go back and tie up to the same spot. This simple set-up makes life much easier and gives a faster chase.

Although we always get strong winds up here at this time of year, if you’re patient there are always gaps of calm weather to go out the front without getting in trouble.

The grunter should be up the river on the rubble patches near the power lines. You can find the place by leaving late and looking for a group of anchored boats. I like to use a running sinker rig with mono trace to a 5/0 hook with peeled prawns or squid that has been caught in the Gulf.

I would like to congratulate Groover on getting his client to land a barramundi that measured 1.43m. He has been absolutely awesome and while not every day is a winner he has preformed when needed. Please take advantage of his service if you can because he even cooks a mean seafood lunch.

There is only a small channel that goes near the tavern when heading north so if you anchor up the expect to see boats zooming past at about 50m away. They do this as the channel is also shallow and if they come off the place then they can bottom out.

I have seen some people use inflatable lifejackets up here. You need to check Queensland rules before putting them in the boat, as ignorance is no excuse for not having the correct safety gear.

This is a great place to be as the fishing is always good and sometimes red hot. The wind certainly blows but when it drops out you can have an awesome time. This is an island that people come to visit just to get away from the busy city lifestyle and enjoy the lovely weather, white sandy beaches and remoteness. I highly recommend it.