It’s December already and another year is just around the corner.

It proved to be another successful year for Dave Donald Sportfishing in Weipa with good, consistent fishing. The barra never really shut down during winter and I can’t remember any anglers who didn’t have at least one good session on them during the year.

On the offshore scene, 2007 saw a pretty quiet season with the northern bluefin tuna by Weipa standards. However, to make up for the lack of early action, the longtails have really turned it on for the last month or so and clients were reaping the rewards.

There was no shortage of action when jigging on the deeper reefs with both plastics and metals. All the trevally species fired up on a regular basis as well as good numbers of cobia and Spanish mackerel. A bottom bouncing session during a day offshore always produced exciting action of some sort and a tasty meal back at the hotel afterwards. Fingermark, coral trout, cod and others were regular visitors to anglers fishing jigs on the deeper reefs.

December will see our season wrap up and it will be maintenance time for boats, motors and tackle. We will continue to fish, weather permitting, throughout the off-season with new tactics to try, new spots to find and mates to go fishing with. When fishing in December and into the New Year in this region you need to be flexible with what times you fish, considering what the wet throws at you each summer. But the rewards will be there with the estuaries firing, the offshore reefs going bananas and the ever-present trevally really giving you some serious fun – if you’re that way inclined.

There will be beautiful days when you can get out and into some great fishing and there will be other days when your boat cops a hammering just sitting there on the trailer at home. My advice to fishing at this time of year is to pick your weather and fish to the conditions. Most mornings in December will be calm and warm, however, most afternoons there will also be a storm, so keep one eye on the weather and if it looks to be building up, get out of there.

If you do get caught in a storm there are a few things to remember to help in getting home safely. Make sure your bilge pumps are in good working order as torrential rain can fill a small boat in minutes. In electrical storms lay down aerials and rods to cut down the risk of lightening strikes and if you’re in the river find a small creek to shelter in close to the mangroves until the storm passes.

From all the crew and myself here at Dave Donald Sportfishing I would like to wish you all a happy and safe Christmas and New Year period!