FISHING in April can be awesome: Clear, calm days that start with cool, crisp mornings are followed by warm, humid afternoons.

It’s a nice Autumn mix that can lead to a thoroughly enjoyable fishing experience.

Not a great deal has changed in the estuaries since last month. Whiting are still around the sand flats, mixed up with large bream and mullet schools. The ever-reliable flathead are still on the cards, being caught in anything from 20cm of water right out to the deepest holes in the lakes.

With the ocean temperature beginning to drop, mako sharks should be moving in closer and, all fingers crossed, some yellowfin tuna may appear. Don’t be holding your breath, though, as these creatures seem to be very few and far between these days, which is a real shame.

The kingfish will still be here, though, especially around Haycock Point, North Head and Mowarrie Point. Try to time your trip around a full moon, as the tides are on the higher side then. This, in turn, creates wonderful currents and eddies off all of these points and the kingfish seem to have a passion for these conditions.

If you have a sounder, keep note: As soon as you see a school on the screen, drop a livie or a big soft plastic down to the depth at which the fish are holding and just hang on. Before you know it, with luck there should be some action on the other end.

The ocean flatties will begin to slow up now so if these are what you are fishing for that day, try the shallower water around Middle Beach, Tura Head and Bournda Island. Squid will most likely be the pick of bait, yet simply using your bream and flattie plastics will be as deadly in the open water as in the estuaries.

As a bonus, you may well pick up a snapper or two, especially if fishing off the reefs. Long Point and Haycock Point will be your best bets if you are targeting snapper.

Congratulations go to Bushy on his recent win in the ABT Competition at Lakes Entrance, where he smashed the all-time bag limit with 10 bream totalling more than 10kg. It was a top effort from a guy whom I have the privilege of not only fishing with, but learning from every time we go out together.

Another fish should be bought to everyone’s attention: Captain Kev Gleed’s carp he caught out of the snags, which weighed up around 9kg. Now I know you all think these fish are pests and so on, but as Kev will tell you, and I totally agree, they are hard to catch on a lure and they fight as good as any barra. Surely then we have to admit that it may make them a good sport fish.

Throwing a lure into a snag and having a 9kg fish hammer it and almost always completely demolish you is an experience. I can assure you that there are fish down there 17kg or more – now that would be a feat, and fun, on 4lb Fireline.

By law, carp must be killed and thrown on the bank after capture. So do the right thing and play by the rules. There are plenty of them around so why not try something different and go catch a carp on a lure, I promise you will be pleasantly surprised.