June is not just the month of my birth (happy birthday to me) but is an exceptional time to head to the ‘Pin and catch a feed of fish. The cold weather and westerly winds fire up the bream, squire and tailor while other staple species such as flathead, jew, and whiting as well as some interesting by-catch can still be caught as well.

Traditionally winter is bream season so you can expect most of your catch to be bream. The larger bream are mainly caught at night near the top of the tide as the flow slows down and they come out of their snags to feed. Be sure to put enough bait on your hook as the little pickers will have a nibble then the larger fish will move in and steal the bait that’s left. That’s why baits like mullet and chicken gut are so effective, because they hold the hook well and give the bigger fish a chance. Baits like yabby, prawn and pilchard are great for catching bream but come off the hook too easily.

For a feed of bream try around the mouth of the Pimpama River, the Powerlines, Kalinga Bank, Five Ways and the eastern point of Short Island.

Flathead are still going great guns with heaps being weighed in at the shop. Age is no barrier as the kids are showing us how to catch big ones, with Hayden Jensen weighing in a 1.5kg flattie. They seem to be everywhere at the moment, being caught on all sorts of baits from pillies, prawns and whitebait to shallow diving hard bodied lures being trolled to 3-5” soft plastics twitched along the bottom. Try around the drop-offs of Kalinga Bank, Tipplers Island, Little Rocky Point and the mouth of the Logan. A few big squire should be about as well.

The tailor have finally shown up with the odd greenback amongst mainly choppers. Floating pillies are working well around the ‘Pin Bar and the point of Crusoe Island. Or look for the birds diving and cast lures into the schools.

There aren’t too many whiting about, or maybe just fewer many people fishing for them with so many species on offer. If you are keen for some whiting try Alberton Sands, Slipping Sands, Tabby Tabby and Tipplers Island.

There has been some very interesting by-catch around with a massive 4.5kg snapper caught off Jacobs Well jetty. Mal Morshead was using live bait and scored the snapper in the early hours of the morning. Other spots to try are little Rocky Point, the Stockyards and the deep water off Swan Bay. Thomas O’Brien also caught a huge mowong from Crusoe Island.

Another great by-catch came from Ryan Capper, who caught a 1.25kg jack on chicken gut from the mouth of the Pimpama River. So keep trying for the jacks.

Thanks for all of your reports and fish weighed in. If you need to order any bait or want up to date fishing information give me a call at Gem Bait & Tackle on 3287 3868 or email --e-mail address hidden-- I’ll catch you next month.