DECEMBER is a tricky month at the ‘Pin – it’s stinking hot with afternoon storms from the west which have strong winds, lightning and sometimes hail. If you take the family out fishing during the school holidays be sure to keep an eye on the skyline. The storms can move in extremely quickly.

The longer days make it easier to duck out before or after work and bag yourself some fish, and one of the most important ingredients to any fishing trip is preparation. Unless you’re an old salty who always fishes the same spots you really need to put the hard yards in for a successful trip. Rarely do you run into a well-prepared fisherman who’s had difficulty boating a feed of fish. Tides, bait, moon phases, tackle, boat, mates (and of course beverages) are all components that need to be checked and readied before you hit the ‘Pin.

There have been great reports of decent whiting from all around the ‘Pin area, some easily topping half a kilo. Beachworms, bloodworms and yabbies have been working best on the first of the making tide just after dark. The pick of the spots are the Gold Bank off Crusoe Island, the top of South Straddie and in the surf, the upper reaches of the Logan River and south of Russell Island near the entrance to Cobby Passage.

Flathead are still around in good numbers, with many over the legal 70cm limit. A couple of locals have easily caught up to their bag limit, releasing all but one of their catch (good work guys). Soft plastics and hard-bodied lures are being used throughout the ‘Pin with varying degrees of success. However, you can’t go past live poddy mullet and live prawns around Kalinga Bank, Rocky Point or the top of Canaipa Passage northeast of Russell Island.

A few banana prawns have been showing up in the Albert and Logan Rivers lately, and there have been plenty of schoolies around if you don’t mind fiddling with the smaller ones.

It’s never a chore to score some bream at Kalinga Bank, Short Island, Cobby Passage, the Powerlines and the Never Fail Islands. Mullet flesh is working better on the larger fish near the top of the tide after dark and the little ones are biting on pretty much anything else.

There are a few greenbacks at the ‘Pin Bar amongst plenty of choppers, mainly hitting trolled or spun small metal slugs. Only school jew have been weighed in from Marks Rocks, Short Island and the Bar.

It’s all too Australian to have mud crab on Christmas Day, so get out there and hit the rivers and the rellies will thank you for it – that’s if there are any crabs left!

Everyone enjoy the Christmas break and drive safely. If you need any information, need to order bait or just want to yarn about what’s biting give me a call on (07) 3287 3868, email --e-mail address hidden-- or come in and see me at Gem Bait & Tackle.

I’ll catch you next year.

1) Flathead are still around in good numbers.