What a fantastic time of year to head outside the bar and chase some large fish, like jew, cobia and the odd pelagic. The close inshore reefs, like Alfs, Sullies and the Cotton, will be producing snapper, trag jew and pearlies.

The westerly winds that kick in around Ekka time flatten out the bar and swell and make it easier to cross. However, don’t be fooled, the bar is very dangerous and extreme caution should be exercised at all times.

Flathead are starting to feed up for their spawning season next month so they should be on the bite right through August. There has been plenty of great catches with many catching over 10 in a session; please only take what you need to help the flathead stocks.

The best places to try are around Kalinga Bank, the sand flats north of Cabbage Tree Point, the Stockyards, Tabby Tabby and Tipplers Island.

The water quality this time of year is very good so lure fishing is a great way to chase flatties. I have seen fish follow a soft plastic all the way to the boat and swim 4-5m to smash a lure that has just hit the water. The best baits are the old faithful pilchard and prawn, or try white bait, herring and mullet.

Bream will be on the chew around any structure you can find. Boat moorings, sunken snags, fallen trees, rocks, deep holes and gutters off the beaches. The best spots to try for a feed are Kalinga Bank, the Five Ways, the Powerlines, the eastern point of Short Island, around Steglietz and Cobby Passage.

Finally some decent sized tailor have shown up and should be running all month. Clint Fannin got a 5.1kg tailor on bonito flesh from the beach across from the Bedrooms, as well as a bagful of 2kg greenback. Tailor should be there in the gutters at night if you don’t mind braving the cold weather. Inside the bar you can find them near the yellow beacon off the top of Crusoe Island and the deep hole off Tabby Tabby Island. Pillies, gar and mullet and bonito fillets are the pick of the baits.

There are also some big jew coming in as well. Darrell Herbst landed a 25kg monster on only a 40lb handline with a large live mullet from the Logan River. Reg Wood landed a personal best 15kg jew from the point of short Island at night with a livie as well. There have been plenty of schoolies around from Giants Grave, the Stockyards, Kalinga Bank, Marks and Pitts Rocks in the Logan.

There aren’t too many anglers still chasing whiting, but there are plenty of smaller winter whiting on offer in Tiger Mullet Channel, the Green Bank and along the inside of South Straddie. The larger whiting have mainly been coming from the deeper holes in the Rivers.

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-- .