The monsoonal conditions we have experienced over the past few months are hopefully behind us as there are many people looking forward to a reprieve from the heat as things cool down.

It’s been a long hot summer and with the good rainfall experienced on the Fraser Coast recently things are looking good for winter. Here’s what’s been catching lately.

Rooneys has been fishing well for snapper, parrot, nannygai, gold spot wrasse, coral trout and cod on live and fresh flesh baits. The Gutters has fished similarly with some good quality trout starting to turn up in numbers.

The octopus-style Lucanis jigs have been giving the plastics a run for their money on many reef species making them a must-have for any reef jigger’s tackle box. The set-and-forget technique of leaving the jig suspended from the bottom with the rod left in the rod holder is very effective and also allows the angler to bait fish between strikes.

Trolling has been a little slow lately but there are still a few Spanish mackerel, tuna and yellowtail kings responding to a well set spread of lures. Platypus Bay is still experiencing good numbers of mac tuna and spotted mackerel and there are a few Spanish working the area.

The washing machines at Wathumba has had blackall, squire, golden trevally and school mackerel on squid, pilchards and plastics. The patches of coffee rock south of Wathumba have also had blackall, squire, parrot and coral bream on squid, mullet fillets and beach worms fished at dawn and dusk.

The prawns have been on the move in most river systems and there are plenty of muddies being potted on the main land and Fraser Island creeks. Threadfin salmon, jacks and cod are taking lures and live bait in the Burrum and Mary/Susan rivers and there are plenty of flathead, trevally, whiting and bream taking yabbies, worms and plastics in the lower reaches of both systems.