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Fish fire up in February
  |  First Published: February 2017



February is a great time to fish the ‘Pin. With some decent flushes of rain going into the system, it’s going to be a cracker of a month for fishing. Just remember, the Logan River is shut for crabbing, prawning and collecting yabbies and worms. It is open to fishing, which is great, because the river tends to fire at this time of year.

Some nice whiting have been on the bite through January and should continue to be on the chew right through February, with good quality fish at well over half a kilo and around the 40cm mark on offer. Try to time your whiting fishing around the larger tides. They love fast running water. The Logan River has produced decent fish lately around Ageston Sands and Marks Rocks and should be a great starting spot. Also try Canaipa Passage near Slipping Sands, North West Mosquito Island, the Never Fail islands and the Gold Bank.

Worms and yabbies are still the best of the baits. For a bit of fun, you could try luring for them in the shallows using small stickbaits or poppers. It’s a great way to chase whiting and it’s a real thrill to get a hit in the shallows where you can see the strike happen.

A lot of small to medium bream are on offer at this time of year, as you’ll find when you head out. The larger fish have been coming mainly from rocky outcrops like Giants Grave, the Powerlines, Flatrock and Rocky Point. Using baits like mullet fillets, squid, gut and any bait that holds onto the hook will give you a better chance of hooking a fish. Baits like prawns and yabbies are great, but can be easily picked off.

The flathead fishing just keeps getting better and better at Jumpinpin. I’ve really noticed the shift in the way people are fishing for them. There are a lot more fishos out there on the water using soft plastics and trolling hardbodies and going away from the traditional bait fishing for flatties. They don’t tend to stay in the same areas for long, opting to work an area for ten minutes or so then move to another spot and do the same. It does help you cover a large area to try to find where the fish are holding. If you get a few, there are always more in the same spot. Keep persisting and you can pick up a couple quite quickly.

If you are going to use bait, stick to small fish like white bait, hardiheads, small gar, pillies, froggies and mullet with a lightly weighted sinker – just enough to get the bait to the bottom.

When using soft plastics try to use ones that mimic these baits, as that is what they love to feed on. All hardbodies getting trolled already look like these baits and the secret is to just find the areas where the fish are. You shouldn’t go wrong. Try around the bottom of Kangaroo, Pandannus weed banks, the Stockyards, the dead trees at the bottom of North Straddie and Cobby Passage.

A lot of sandies are along the deeper holes of Tiger Mullet Channel, Tabby Tabby, Canaipa Passage and near Diner Island. Muddies have come on since we finally got some decent rain with the creeks and drains flowing. Unfortunately, the Logan River is out of bounds for crabbing and it’s usually a real hotspot at this time of year. We’ll all just have to venture out a bit further and try some new spots. Some good places to try are off Cabbage Tree Point, Cobby Passage, Diner Island, along the Never Fail islands and behind Eden Island.

It’s a great time of the year for those wishing to head out chasing a feed of the brutes and speedsters that frequent our coastline and just inside the bar at this time of year. Mackerel, tuna and small black marlin will be on offer with the chance of mahimahi, bonito, cobia or mulloway off the close reefs near bait schools. Tailor should start to show up off the beaches just inside the bar chasing schools of white bait.

Thanks for all the reports. If you have any questions on conditions or what’s biting, drop us a line at Gem Bait & Tackle on (07) 3287 3868 or email --e-mail address hidden-- I’ll catch you next month.

• Thanks for all your reports and keep those fish coming in. If you’d like any advice or up to date fishing information drop us a line at Gem Bait & Tackle on (07) 3287 3868 or email --e-mail address hidden--

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