With Christmas just around the corner, a good dose of fishing is just the thing to calm the nerves before the silly season starts! There is plenty out there to catch with our pelagic, reef and estuary species all fishing well in November.

Our local reefs continue to produce coral bream, tuskies, trout, blackall, squire and, of course, cod at Moon Ledge, the Arty, Bagimba and McKenzies Ledge. Tuskies are on the move and any shallow reef or rocky areas are worth a try so remember the crabs if you want to cross paths with one of the toughest fish in the Bay.

Our channel markers and beacons will be holding a variety of species and vertically fishing plastics and metals or live baiting will put you on to mackerel, trevally, tuna, cobia and a host of other species that share the same water. Our beacons always hold some sort of bait so when the pelagics are around you know there will be a few fish working the area.

On the Urangan Pier the first channel has had bream, summer whiting and the numbers of big flathead working the shallows is amazing. Out further, mac tuna, longtails, golden trevally and school, spotted and Spanish mackerel are taking live baits, lures and pillies on gangs fished mid water.

Jacks, threadfin, flathead and estuary cod have been regular catches on bait and lures and with the closed season not far away now is the time to chase a barra before its shut down until next year.

This month is one of the best to catch a marlin inside Platypus Bay and with reports of fish being caught in October, expect big things on the new and full moons this month. Along with billfish, there will be several tuna and mackerel species, trevally, queenfish, cobia and many other species to keep the ratchets screaming throughout summer.

If you’re interested, the Hervey Bay Gamefishing Club is holding its annual tournament on the 13-15 November. For more details go to www.hbgfc.org.au or call Brad on 0431 611 196.