NOVEMBER is a great time of year. The weather is warm, the winds aren’t too strong, and if you’re lucky enough to pick which nag can run the fastest on that first Tuesday you can spend your winnings on more gear for fishing Jumpinpin!

As usual, flathead are turning up in good numbers along the sandy flats to the north of south Straddie, south of Kangaroo Island on the shallow mud flats, across from the Cabbage Tree Point boat ramp and in the upper reaches of the Logan River. Kalinga Bank is a great spot to start, though it is probably best to give it a wide berth on weekends as it can get a little crowded. The water quality has been good so flicking and trolling lures has been extremely effective. Prawns, pilchards, froggies, whitebait and live poddy mullet are also scoring quality lizards.

School prawns have been in good numbers in the Logan and Coomera rivers. Their quality is fantastic compared to the tiny little poor excuses of greasies we’ve had to get used to over the last six months, but they certainly aren’t up to a banana prawn size. They’re good bait though as there aren’t many fish that can resist a live prawn.

It’s hard not to catch a bream at the ‘Pin. Even if you’re not after them they just keep showing up. We’ve had some great catches from the surf off south Stradbroke with the odd dart thrown in, and there have been heaps of reports of small to medium bream from Kalinga Bank, Whalley’s Gutter mouth, the Five Ways, Diner Island and the bases of the Powerlines. Mullet strips, live yabbies, pilchards, prawns, and squid have been the baits of choice. You may even land the odd squire or two at these spots.

Live bloodworms, beachworms and small yabbies seem to be to the whiting’s liking with some top catches around the 40cm mark. Once again there are a lot of diver and small summer whiting on the sand flats stealing everyone’s bait around the Gold Bank, Cabbage Tree Point and Jacobs Well Channel, with the better size coming from Never Fail Island, the Albert and Logan river junction and near Slipping Sands.

Muddies have arrived on time with some nice bucks just under 2kg. These are being caught mainly in the rivers and Redland Bay Channel with a few from Cabbage Tree Point, Jacobs Well Channel and south of Russell Island. Blue swimmer crabs are being caught consistently throughout the ‘Pin and remember your only allowed four pots or dillies per fisherman.

It’s going to be a hot summer so don’t forget to cover up during the day and apply mozzie spray at night. If you have any fish reports, questions, need to order bait or just want a yarn, give me a call on (07) 3287 3868, email --e-mail address hidden-- or drop in and see me at Gem Bait & Tackle on your way to the ‘Pin. I’ll catch you next month.