Well another year has flown past in record time and it’s great to know that you can still head out to the Pin and catch quality fish all year round. December is one of the best months of the year to chase a feed here and there should be plenty out there right through the festive season.

Whiting will be at the top of most people’s lists and can be found in areas with a sandy or muddy bottom and good tidal flow. Water clarity doesn’t seem to bother them too much as they bite in murky brown to crystal clear and everything in between. However, the bigger whiting I’ve caught have all been in murky water. Bloodworms, beach worms and yabbies are the best live bait you can get, but the humble prawns, squid or pippis also work well. Make sure that your bait is on the bottom, and it’s always a great idea to set a berley trail to bring the fish closer to your baits. The best spots for good sized whiting are the Junction and Marks Rocks in the Logan, the powerlines, Fishermans Channel, Slipping Sands, Tabby Tabby, the Green and Gold Banks to Whalleys Gutter, around Tipplers Island and out from Couran Cove.

There should be plenty of good flathead about this month too as those big lizard stocks continue to grow. Trolling the shallows, flicking plastics or drifting for flatties is a great way to learn where the fish hold and on what tide they bite. You can catch them on any part of the tide but I do find they tend to get more fish from half-tide down to the bottom. The best baits for bait fishermen are pilchards and whitebait – a decent banana prawn can also land you a few. Some good spots to try are the mouth of the Logan River to the entrance to Browns Bay, Whalleys Gutter, the Green Bank, Slipping Sands, the bottom of Kangaroo Island and Kalinga Bank to Swan Bay in the deep water with big plastics.

It’s the perfect time of year to chase jacks and cod around the mangroves and structures of the Pin. They are both hard fighting fish that love this hot humid weather and become more active this time of year. Live mullet, herring, pike, and gar are the best baits with flesh baits working well too. Trolling lures along rock walls or past snags proves to work well and late in the afternoon around dusk is a great time to fish for them.

The main stay of catches will be bream and small to medium sized bream are in plague proportions at the Pin. If your bait is getting picked at, chances are it’ll be a small bream. If you’d like to catch more fish, then use lighter gear and baits that will hold the hook like squid and mullet fillets – you’ll have a ball catching them all day long.

The bigger mulloway have been coming at the slack of the tide out from Swan Bay in the deep water with big 6-9”plastics or big baits like whole mullet or bonito fillets. Outside the Pin Bar pelagics should start to run along the coastline chasing the warmer currents and schools of baitfish.

Spanish and spotted mackerel will be heavily targeted this month and they should be in good numbers so keep an eye out for fish busting up and birds diving, or work the dirty water line as it heads out the Pin. Trolling is a great way to chase Pelagics as it allows you to cover a heap of ground to find fish and there is always the added bonus of picking up another species like tuna, mahimahi, wahoo or even black or blue marlin.

Thank you for your reports and feedback, and if you have any questions give us a call on 3287 3868 or pop in and see me at Gem Bait & Tackle. You can also email --e-mail address hidden--

I’d just like to take the opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year with plenty of fishing for all.

I’ll catch you next month.