WITH the weather being so calm there have been heaps of families heading out and it’s good to see so many youngsters keen on their fishing. Many are under five years old and the youngest was two. The ‘Pin is a really good area to cut your teeth on any number of species and it’s a safe place to take the rugrats and pass on your knowledge.

It’s still cold this month but the fishing has been really hot, with plenty tailor being caught. I’ve had a lot of reports of fishermen running out of bait because the fish have been in such a feeding frenzy. Be sure to pack enough bait for this time of year as tailor can be on the chew for a long time. At the very least, stock up on some metal slugs as the tailor find them hard to resist.

The runs have been hard to pick with some good greenbacks coming in from the surf off South Straddie at different tides on different days. Some good-looking gutters have produced only the odd fish, while open sections of beach which don’t look as appealing have runs that last for hours. Trial and error is the way to go. Sometimes the tailor hit only pillies, the next day they’ll take lures and the next day they’ll want bonito fillets. One thing is for certain – they’re a lot of fun when they’re running. Be sure not to take too many fish so we can continue to enjoy chasing them for years to come.

Bream are what most people catch at the ‘Pin because there are just so many of them. Some good-sized fish have been coming from near the oyster leases at Pimpama, the north rockwalls at the Seaway and on Wavebreak Island. The best was an impressive 1.2kg, caught on fresh mullet gut from a deep channel behind Eden Island.

Flathead are really going to fire up this month as we head towards spring. Although spinning, jigging and twitching lures are all the rage at the moment, I reckon you can’t go past a live banana prawn or poddy mullet to tempt a big lizard – so don’t forget the cast net. Kalinga bank, Cobby Passage, the mud flats southeast of Kangaroo Island and any steep drop-offs that pop up on the sounder should have you fighting a flattie in no time. Remember the landing net and use a towel or glove when handling a lizard. These fish can inflict a serious and painful injury with the barbs on the sides of their head.

Soldier crabs and bloodworms are the pick baits for feed of whiting from around the top of Crusoe Island, Slipping Sands Long Island western banks and Little Rocky Point. The odd squire and sole are also turning up at the powerline bases and along North Straddie near Double Island.

Thank you for all your reports and feedback. If you have any questions give us a call on 07 3287 3868, email --e-mail address hidden-- or pop in and see me at Gem Bait & Tackle.

I’ll catch you next month.

1) Zach Clowes recently caught this quality whiting from the Logan River.