Species

The kids were really well looked after and plenty of prizes were on offer for all in attendance. One of the best ideas at the competition is giving every competitor a chance of winning the major boat prize through a random lucky draw. Competitors’ numbers are drawn at the Friday briefing as well as the Saturday and Sunday weigh-ins and …

THE past month’s fishing has been pretty good and we have captured all sorts of species from cod to mackerel and flathead. I couldn’t ask for a better start to winter. The mackerel we’ve caught have been an assortment of schoolies and spotties. We have hooked them from the top end of Moreton Bay right down to the southern bay …

Find whatever you are comfortable with and have a good go at using the various lure types. Flathead will eat anything as long as you put it in front of them. Their nature is incredibly aggressive and they love to ambush baitfish. They will sink down into the sand and lay in wait for bait to swim over before lashing out and swallowing it. Flathead certainly are predatory fish but also very tactical in the way they hunt. They …

Some fishers still strike thinking they’ve had a bite but they’re sorely mistaken. I most often use a medium float and I like to weight it so I can see just 20mm of the float sticking out of the water. I do this because if blackfish feel resistance from a float that is sitting right up on top they will …

Not to mention an enjoyable discussion of Murray cod and lure making that added to our experience. When we arrived home in the wee hours of the morning it was bitterly cold and we sensed impending frost. We rose early to take advantage of the icy morning on Myall Creek. If you know cod fishing, you will know a frost …

Flathead will sit here with their heads up in the current waiting for baitfish and prawns to come off the flats and banks. It’s not uncommon to see flathead in less than 15cm of water waiting for the last of the bait to nervously swim into the feeder drains. When the current slows and the creeks have fallen into one …

So in many areas drains, gutters, small creeks, small waterfalls and cascades should all continue to fish well into July, barring any cold snaps. These sorts of features can be hugely exciting and productive to work with soft plastics, hard-bodied lures and of course the ever-popular live baits of fish and prawns. Never discount fishing at night too, using a …

I have mentioned sight fishing in shallow water, and by shallow I mean don’t discount squid in 30cm of water at low tide amongst rocks and weed. Fish this very shallow water as you walk out to the deeper areas. If you don’t, you might spook the squid in the shallows and they will bolt away. The squid that spook and bolt …

Around the mouth of the Nerang, the underwater rock wall that runs from The Southport School boat shed to the mouth of the canal on the other side of the river is a consistent spot for a feed of bream. With three bridges now running across the river near the Sundale boat ramp, this is another good spot in which to …

I usually fish fairly light, with 20lb main line and about a rod length of 40lb leader. I like a fast-action 5-10kg rod of about 7’, and I am in love with my Samurai Elevate. This rod is light but has plenty of grunt when needed. The light tip makes detecting even the slightest bite a breeze, and it casts like a dream due to the Fuji K series guides. As for reel selection, …