What a great start to winter with most of your favourite species of fish on the bite. Flatties and bream have been around in good numbers with the odd good whiting, jew and tailor also being caught.

The flathead have been hanging around in small schools, which is great because if you get one then there should be a good chance at another. And they school in the same size together. One morning a mate and I caught three in the one spot off Cabbage Tree Point and they were only separated by 1cm. So the pick spots to try this month are the sand and weed banks between Cabbage Tree and the Powerlines, around the three green beacons, Slipping Sands, the drains on the western side of Short Island, and Tipplers Island is always good for a look too. Fish with good quality prawns, small pillies, yabbies and whitebait on the first of the run out tide and hopefully it will be flathead for dinner.

When you think about fishing the ‘Pin in winter you have to be thinking bream. And there are plenty of them getting about too. One of the pick spots has been along the steep drop off at Kalinga Bank. The bottom there is full of snags which the bream love to hide in and around. The main problem when fishing there is that the tide rips through and makes it very difficult to get to the bottom without using half a house brick. To counter this you need to try to be there when the tide is slack or on tides with not much movement. Make sure you use enough weight to get to the bottom and that you can stay there as long as possible to give yourself the best chance at a bite. Some other good spots to try are the mangroves south of Slipping Sands, around the base of the Powerlines, the northern entrance to Cobby Passage or Short Island’s eastern tip. The baits that have been catching the best fish are peeled prawns, whitebait, pippies, pillies, mullet and chook gut. I prefer to use a size 1 or 1/0 long shank baitholder hook when chasing bream because the bait stays on longer and I find I get more hook ups.

The run in tide is the best time to chase some tailor this month although most should just be choppers as it’s been pretty quiet so far this year on the greenbacks. If you’re using metal lures try to use smaller 10-40g ones as the bigger ones aren’t getting the hits. The tailor should be schooling up so keep an eye out for the birds working and move with the schools. If not, try floating a pillie or dropping one to the bottom in the deep water off Kalinga Bank or Crusoe Island. And the odd tailor has been caught around Tabby Tabby as well.

Marks Rocks in the Logan River and Giants Grave has produced a few jew to 6kg and we should expect to get a few more this month. They’ve been hitting big prawns (if you can get your hands on any), poddy mullet and herring. Whiting are quiet throughout June although the odd better one should be amongst the riff raff. Try near the Powerlines, Gold Bank, north of Pandannus Island or Whalley’s Gutter and stick to the worms for bait.

Customer reports from Gem Bait & Tackle have included Matt weighed in a quality flatty that just squeezed under the 70cm legal size limit. Jack McConnell caught a decent snapper that went 3.1kg not far out through the ‘Pin Bar. Carey Frees scored a morwong or blubberlip bream from the Logan River that went 1.5kg. They’re ugly but apparently all right eating and Jade teamed up with her husband to land a very healthy mangrove jack from Hope Island.

Remember to rug up this winter and go the Mighty Maroons

If you have any reports of fish, any questions, need to order bait or just want to yarn give me a call on 07 3287 3868, come in and see me at Gem Bait & Tackle on the way to the ‘Pin or e-mail --e-mail address hidden-- . I’ll catch you next month