ASK any local around the Jumpinpin area and you’ll quickly find out why most of them look forward to September – the first word that will come out of their mouths is ‘flathead’. Every year around this time schools of flathead come through the ‘Pin area. Thankfully with the new size and bag limits being enforced this year (min 40cm, max 70cm, bag limit 5) the larger females will be released and the lizard population won’t cop the hiding they have in the past.

The hot technique for targeting flatties at the moment is luring with soft plastics. Whilst this technique has been proven effective it doesn’t help you if you have a boat full of family or mates and not enough room to safely do some casting. In this situation, when you’re stuck with using bait, you can’t go past live bait. Live prawns and poddy mullet are extremely effective at enticing this cunning predator. However, if you left the cast net in the shed, the local bait shop is sure to have a wide selection of baits to tempt any lizard into feeding. Pilchards, whitebait, prawns, mullet flesh, froggies… or you could even try butterflying whole mullet.

Flatties can be found basically anywhere around the ‘Pin during this time as they could be sitting in 1ft to 40ft of water. The pick spots though have been along Kalinga Bank, the beaches and sandy flats off North and South Straddie, Gold Bank, upper reaches of the Logan River, Rocky Point and the muddy flats between Woogoompah and Kangaroo Islands.

September is also a great time for tailor. They are mainly caught out near the bar but they have been landed as far in as the Alberton boat ramp in the Logan River. Most are hitting pilchards, mullet flesh, garfish or small metal slugs around Crusoe Island, the point of eastern Short Island, Canaipa Passage and Kalinga Bank.

Bream are still being heavily targeted with best the reports coming from Tiger Mullet Channel, the Powerlines, the Pig Styes, Whalleys Gutter and the Southern end of Russell Island. Mullet flesh, chook and mullet gut seem to be attracting the larger fish of 1kg-plus, but bream will eat pretty much anything and I don’t think the bigger ones are that choosey.

Sand crabs should start to turn up in numbers along the drop-offs and deeper holes of most passages and channels of the ‘Pin, but muddies will still be scarce for a little while yet. Whiting up to half a kilo have been taken around Canaipa Passage on bloodworms and sandworms though quality fish like these will be few and far between. Wait until the water temperature rises.

It all looks rosy for fishin’ the Jumpinpin in September and we look forward to seeing you at Gem Bait & Tackle on your way to the ‘Pin. If you’d like any local advice or would like to order any live bait give us a call on (07) 3287 3868.

1) The slot limit for flathead is now 40cm to 70cm. Any larger fish must be released to ensure future stocks of this great species.