Before I report on the piscatorial happenings of the northern bay, it seems fitting to give my fellow anglers a friendly reminder of the importance of sun protection. Yes, we have seen the countless ads about this subject but at this time of the year fishing puts us in a higher risk category simply due to the duration of time we spend in the sun. On that note, sunscreen up, cover up, stay hydrated (water that is!), and enjoy your day out on the water. Now for the report of the species being caught throughout our wonderful bay.

With rising water temperatures and the increased presence of baitfish, bream numbers have been great over the last month and are set to stay that way, making it easy for anglers to get among them when on ventures to the estuaries.

Fresh bait like mullet, yabbies and chicken fillets have considered the prime choice among bait anglers with the top of the tide being the common consensus for timing.

For the lure minded, Atomic Crank 38, Cranka Crabs, Zman Grubz and Ecogear SX40 have been the pick of the bream lures with liberal coats of a scent like Pro Cure or S-Factor increasing bite rates. Sized bream have been more commonly caught during the lower lit hours with smaller models becoming more prevalent during the middle of the day. Hotspots during this month include: the Bribie area - Glasshouse Creek, Ningi Flats, Pacific Harbour canals, Mouth of the Caboolture (ebb tide); On the Peninsula - Newport Waterways, North Reef, Margate bommies, Ted Smout Bridge. Pine River Region - Mouth of Bald Hills Creek, Dohles Rocks, Deepwater Bend (run in tide); Lower Northern Bay – Brisbane River along BP Pipeline and Luggage Point.

As their long-lasting spawning season draws to a close, nice legal flathead are still being taken in our abundance of estuaries in the northern bay with numbers remaining lower than the middle of the year. Common size hitting the boat decks has frequently been around the 45-50cm mark with the occasional larger female still surprising many anglers especially during dusk hours. Large soft plastics have been the pick of the arsenal with pink and white colours among the favourites. ZMan 5’ Streakz, Zerek Live Flash Minnows and Shads Lures Flicktails have been productive for anglers with a hop-hop-pause retrieve pattern working well. Hotspots include; in the Bribie area – Tony’s Gutter, 112’s, mouth of Elimbah Creek and Cook’s Rocks. On the Peninsula – Deception Bay (near airport), Woody Point and The Wells. In the Pine River – Under the highway bridge, junction of the South Pine (deep holes) and the upper reaches near John Oxley Reserve.

Good summer whiting have been picked up in recent times with many anglers rewarded for their persistence especially during the windier days. Bloodworms, beachworms, and yabbies’ have been the pick of the baits with some keen kayak fishermen using surface poppers to great benefit in several of our estuaries. A local angler told me recently, that he believes a long leader of about 60cm is the key to your rig as it leaves your bait with a more natural presentation. Hotspots for this month, in the Bribie area – Southern beaches from Skirmish Point to Buckley’s Hole and Elimbah Creek; On the Peninsula – Margate Beach, Hays Inlet and the Eventide wall.

Good sand crabs are starting to filter into the bay with the usual areas starting to heat up. Bramble Bay and Deception Bay are the two outstanding areas in recent times with many crabbers populating The Pine and Pumicestone Passage also. Be sure to clearly mark your pots and don’t interfere with other people’s pots or property.

Slim reports have been received of late about these summer time brawlers, but it doesn’t mean they aren’t present in our northern reaches. The upper reaches of the Pine and Caboolture Rivers have been places of interest over recent years along with Pelican Waters canals in Caloundra. With mangrove jack fishing, it’s all about patience and persistence so you can be rewarded immensely for your time and effort. Feel free to shoot me an email and picture if you catch a good Mangrove Jack this summer as we always love to hear our readers’ stories!

Monthly Tip: Sun protection….. again!

Happy Fishing!