The latest rains have flushed all the creeks and rivers out putting much needed nourishment into the estuaries and waterways of the ’Pin.

The fish are firing up with great catches of flathead, whiting, bream, tailor, mangrove jack and cod. The influx of fresh water also produces plenty of catfish, rays and sharks which are great fun to catch and can really test out your gear.

Flathead are always about this time of year. They are taking a variety of baits at the moment including pillies, whitebait, prawns, live mullet and herring.

Flicking soft plastics and trolling hardbodied lures across shallow sand banks are producing some really good flatties. I got a few in 4ft of water or less and they don’t seem to be too worried about the outboard noise so give it a go. Try around Pig Styes, top of Crusoe, Tipplers Island, Cobby Passage and out from Swan Bay.

The hot muggy weather has brought on a mangrove jack and estuary cod frenzy with some great fish being caught towards the top of the tide around Kangaroo Island, Kalinga Bank, opposite Slipping Sands, Cabbage Tree Point and Cobby Passage.

Julian Morrow scored his first jack on a prawn and a size 1 whiting hook. They have been biting on live mullet, herring and flesh baits. I managed to pull a decent 55cm cod off a snag on a live mullet, which weighed about 2.3kg from Kangaroo Island.

Some good whiting are still on offer with some decent fish coming from Rocky Point, the Gold Bank, Slipping Sands and the sand flats at the top of South Straddie. The Logan and Coomera rivers have been going well but tend not to fire if there is too much fresh. Stick with worms and yabbies as bait, with squid also worth a try.

Small schools of chopper tailor should be coming through the bar chasing schools of whitebait so use lures that look like whitebait or just pick up a frozen pack and use small ganged hooks. Look for the birds diving and tailor chopping and get in there to chase them.

Bream are the favourite bread and butter species of the ’Pin and are available all year round. Just look for structure and you’ll find the bream. They will eat practically anything and always put up a good fight, which makes them one of the best and easiest fish to catch. Hot spots are the Pig Sties, the dead trees off the bottom of North Straddie, Never Fail Islands, Short Island and Flatrock.

Mud crabs are still going well with the rain flushing out the rivers and supplying heaps of food the system. Try around the river mouths and drop-offs near mangrove banks. For sand crabs try around Rocky Point, Stegleitz, Tipplers and Tiger Mullet Channel.

Thanks for all your reports and fish weighed in. Drop us a line at Gem Bait and Tackle if you’d like to order bait or get some up to date info on what’s biting on 07 3287 3868 or email --e-mail address hidden--

1

Monster flathead put up a good fight, like this 74cm one caught on a pilchard from the Pig Sties at dusk.

2

Julian Morrow's first jack was caught on a prawn rigged on a size 1 whiting hook.

3

Young Hayden Jensen keeps catching good whiting and loves to show them off.

4

My brother, Richie, with a decent feed of muddies from near Tabby Tabby.