Autumn is a transitional time when so-called Summer species intermingle with cooler-water fish, creating plenty of options for smart anglers. If one angling choice closes down, move onto the next opportunity.

Estuary fishos are still enjoying some great angling with plenty of action.

Flathead remain the toast of the town with some solid models right through the system. Some big females have been cruising the drop-offs but most anglers are beginning to realise the importance of these large breeders and are returning them unharmed back to the water after some happy snaps.

Gone are the days of anglers targeting these large predators to show off as trophies to impress other anglers. Killing these magnificent beasts has become a frowned-on practice .

Lure fishos are still rolling some fine fish with snags up our river system crawling with big bream. While soft plastics have certainly had plenty of exposure over the past few years I still prefer small diving minnows, small surface poppers and fizzers.

Early morning sessions on surface lures certainly offer some of the best angling around. Watching a large bream engulf your lure from the surface gets the adrenalin flowing through your veins.

The next few months should see things really start to build up around the stones with many species showing on their annual pilgrimage along our coast. Tailor still remain patchy but I expect this to change at any tick of the clock.

Despite the slow start some good fish have been encountered by anglers working the beach gutters and headlands. Some of the fish have been healthy little choppers to around a kilo but as Winter arrives size and quality will certainly increase.

A few good bream are poking about and fresh strip baits of mullet and tailor doing the trick. Fresh crabs gathered at the spot are another popular option for bream.

Remember not to take too many crabs and release whatever you don’t use.

The next months are prime breaming months from the rocks and the beach so dust the rod down, check the tackle and get out.

Jewfish have still being snooping about with the twilight hours producing some good fish. With mullet and tailor schools thickening up over the next weeks, action on these large chrome critters can only but improve.

A few anglers can’t help but spoil it for the majority, leaving their rubbish behind after fishing sessions. Empty pilchard bags, drink cans and tangled line can certainly mess the place up and can be detrimental to bird life and small animals.

It never ceases to amaze me how someone can carry full containers to their chosen spot but cannot carry out empty ones.

It is only a few anglers who litter so on your next fishing trip if you see any rubbish gather it up and take it out with you. It will be no weight to carry and you will be doing all anglers a service, as well as the environment.

The water quality has been up and down with some days yielding beautiful cobalt water, only to be replaced on other days by a cool green sea.

On the days the water has been favourable plenty of billfish action has been on offer. Plenty of small black marlin have being cruising the currents with anglers having not to travel far offshore to tangle with a billfish.

Slow-trolled livies are the go so if you have never caught a beakie, go out and have a go now.

The mackerel run remains disappointing although rumours of a few fish have filtered through. Hopefully the next few weeks will bring the action we crave otherwise, our attention will drift to other options.

One good thing is a few cobia have been on the prowl. They’re not in huge numbers but some decent fish have been boated to 15kg.

Bottom-bouncing has still being reasonable and some good kings have been on the prowl with decent specimens falling to livies or metal jigs.

The fisheries FAD is still holding good numbers of mahi mahi with these acrobatic speedsters providing excellent light tackle action. I expect these fish to hang around for at least a couple more months.