What a great time of the year May is it's one of my favourite months of the year. May produces cool mornings and warm days and the fish start moving around getting ready for the cooler months of the year.

The Burnett River has still been producing some great fishing with just about everyone I have talked to that has been fishing the Burnett getting a feed. Tim from Tackleworld Bundaberg reports there has been some excellent whiting and flathead being caught across the sand flats and some big bream and grunter being caught around the rocks. If you want to get a weekly update on the fishing locally just like the Tackleworld Facebook page and you can read their report on what's happening around Bundaberg.

For those guys into the barra and jacks it's time to get into them before the cooler water starts to slow them down. The deeper holes in the Burnett River are still producing barra and jacks, with baitfish styled soft plastics doing the job. As the water cools you will find some of these fish moving into the shallows to hunt and by keeping an eye out for the warmest water you will put yourself in contention to catch one of these warm shallow water roaming fish.

The Elliott River has also been producing some nice whiting and crabs which really does make for an excellent Sunday afternoon barbecue. The whiting have been falling for lightly weighted fresh yabbies drifted around the sand bars around the mouth of the river on the incoming tide. This should continue throughout May so get out there and give them a go.

Lure anglers have been getting into some nice mangrove jack right up the tops of the creek, and the Elliott River will keep producing these fish in May, but you will need to be right up the creek and fishing the last of the tide. While up there make sure you drop the pots in as the crabs have been really on the move of late.

The weather in May can really turn it on which should give the offshore anglers an excellent chance to get into some early season mackerel. There have been a few shows of mackerel lately, but the big guys have been few and far between. This should change as we move through this month, and by the time we get to the full moon in June they should be in full swing. The many small inshore rubble grounds have been producing big grunter and even a few nice sweetlip. Fishing light gear like a 3-4 kg spin outfit, with 10lb braid, and a 15-20lb leader will help you pick up these finicky eaters. You may lose the odd really big one but you will get way more bites on the lighter gear.

If you want to try fishing plastics on these little rubble grounds I have found the new Gulp Nemesis pretty good. With a long fish attracting tail and that enticing Gulp taste they’re a plastic that really catch the fish.

The big bass of Lake Gregory will really start hunting hard on the surface this month as they start to put on some weight prior to winter. I love the walk the dog style of surface lure on these bass, but I have also some great sessions on small cup faced poppers as well. You will have to be out there on the water before the sun rises to get the bigger bass to bite though. Enjoy May, it's a great month for being on the water.