Awesome weather and fishing conditions are what can be expected through August. It’s Ekka time that means chilly westerlies making for flat fishing conditions right throughout the ‘Pin.

Bream are on fire everywhere with some decent fish to around 1kg being caught. I’ve been out a few times lately and caught plenty of bream over 30cm on small soft plastics and a variety of baits. Large peeled banana prawns, mullet gut, chicken gut, pillies, whitebait and bonito flesh are all great baits that bream just can’t resist. Try around the dead trees off the bottom of North Straddie, Pig Sty, Cobby Passage, the Powerlines, the Five Ways, the mouth of the Pimpama and Squire Island.

While fishing for bream at Kalinga Bank with a light 2kg outfit, Brad Turner’s soft plastic was smashed by a freight train-like fish. Twenty-five minutes later he landed a monster 12.5kg jew. There has also been a few good jew around Swan Bay and in the Logan River near Marks Rocks taking live mullet and fresh fillets.

Tailor have been on the chew as they move north, but mainly outside the Bar along the beaches of North and South Straddie. Some great greenbacks have been caught over the winter months, the best coming from the beach across from the Bedrooms. The Gem Fishing Club’s Marc Madden landed an absolute monster on bonito flesh, weighing 4.4kg after it was cleaned. The odd chopper has also been sneaking inside but they are still only in small schools.

Big lizards will be on all month, making this my favourite time of year. There’s nothing better than catching a big flattie; but take get a photo and release it, so the fish can breed and keep the flathead stocks up. The new maximum size limit of 75cm now allows you to keep larger fish, but remember that these are the breeders so only take what you need and let the big girls go so our kids can enjoy big flathead fishing.

Recently I took a mate out who had never caught a legal lizard and within two hours he had caught and released a 68cm and a 58cm fish. He was absolutely thrilled. This is one reason that this time of year is so great, because the fish are accessible to everyone. The best time to chase flathead is the first of the run-out tide along Kalinga Bank, out from Swan Bay, the Stockyards, the weed banks from Pandannus Island to Tipplers Island and the junction in the Logan River.

Drifting with pillies, large prawns and either live or butterflied mullet is a great start. But be sure to keep your bait in the strike zone, which is on or very close to the bottom. Soft plastic varieties between 3-7” also work well either on the drift or cast and retrieved. I’ve caught a 40cm flathead on 7” plastics which shows that the smaller fish aren’t shy about hitting the big baits.

Whiting have been pretty quiet with the best coming from the Logan, Never Fail Island, and Flatrock, with bloodworms still the best bait.

There hasn’t been too many crabs around, as it’s not the traditional time of year to catch them. But if you are after a feed of crabs try around Lagoon Island, Redbill Island, the rivers and Fishermans Channel.

Thanks for all of your reports and fish weighed in. If you need to order any bait or want any up-to-date fishing information drop me a line on (07) 3287 3868 or email --e-mail address hidden--