September is one of the best times of the year to head out fishing. The change of the season sees flathead starting to run through the ’Pin on their yearly breeding migration.

This time of year we get a lot of big females who are full of roe and capable of producing millions of eggs. Flathead over 70cm must be released so be sure if you do get one of these big lizards that you handle them with care so they can be returned unharmed to continue to breed and increase the stocks of these great sport fish.

Flathead run through the ‘Pin in large numbers all month so the deeper water from the Bar to Kalinga bank is a great spot to start. Because flatties are an ambush predator and face into the tide, try drifting so that you cover more ground and take the bait to the fish.

A standard flathead rig is all you need. Start your outfit with 4 or 5 ball sinker to make sure that you’ve got enough weight on to get to the bottom. Add a #8 black barrel swivel attached to 40-60cm 20lb leader. Top the flathead rig off with a pilchard or flesh bait on size 3/0 or 4/0 ganged hooks.

Other spots to try for flathead on bait or on lures include Slipping Sands, the top of South Stradbroke Island, Pandannus Island weed banks, Rocky point and the mouth of the Logan River. Soft plastics in the 3”-7” range are also effective in these areas. Plastics like split tail shads, worms, twist tails and life like mullet all work well with flatties. Colours that have been working the best are white and silver flecks, pink and green chicken colour, pepper and trout.

Tailor are also a hot target in September. They are mostly caught out near the bar, but on occasion tailor have been landed as far in as the Alberton boat ramp in the Logan River.

Most tailor are hitting baits like floated pilchards, mullet flesh and garfish or small metal slugs around Crusoe Island, the point of eastern Short Island, Canaipa Passage and Kalinga Bank.

Bream are still a heavy target with best reports coming from Tiger Mullet Channel, the Powerlines, the Pig Styes, Whalleys Gutter and the Southern end of Russell Island. There are still some big sea bream coming off the beach of South Straddie as well. Mullet Flesh, chook and mullet gut seem to be attracting the larger fish nudging on or over 1kg but as you know bream will eat pretty much anything.

Sand crabs should start to turn up in numbers along the drop-offs and deeper holes of most passages and channels of the ‘Pin however muddies will still be scarce for a little while yet. There are not too many muddy reports yet but keep trying the drains and mangroves of the Logan and Albert rivers.

Whiting up to 500g have been taken around Canaipa Passage, Tipplers Island and Little Rocky Point. Bloodworms and sandworms have been the terminal bait, but quality big fish like have been few and far between. The superior whiting should turn up when the water temperature rises.

Outside the bar Andrew Richter caught a monster 29.5kg cobia and Trevor Rowe weighed in a 20kg jew from Sully’s Reef. Local Trevor Spann caught a 16kg jew from the Logan in his secret spot on live mullet and Luke Bourke got a good feed of bream from Crusoe Island.

It all looks rosy for fishing the ‘Pin in September and we look forward to seeing you at Gem Bait & Tackle on your way to the ‘Pin. If you would like any local advice or would like to order any live bait give me a call on 32873868 or email --e-mail address hidden-- I’ll catch you next month.

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