Flathead were in good numbers this week.
In areas where there is no boat traffic they have been right up in the shallows, but the first boat or ski to tear past will mean they will head back to deep water.
Drifting and casting has been the best way to target them. Top spots have been the channels around the bottom of Russell Island, Slipping Sands, Pig Styes, Cobby Bank and around the corner to the middle banks and the mouth of Swan Bay. The Logan River is producing a few flathead as well, the channels and drains around Ageston Sands are best.
Whiting are in good numbers. We are seeing better catches up rivers now waters are clearing. The Nerang River is producing plenty of fish, especially at night. The Brisbane River continues to surprise, catches have not dropped off despite weather or rain. Most of the threadfin and mulloway action has been at night. Any lit areas are a hot spot.
There’s also been good size bream around the Sunken Wall and Luggage Point. In Moreton Bay there’s been a lot of sandies caught this week. Any of your favourite spots are worth a hit, one the top spots has been the banks wide of Deanbilla Bay.
There’s plenty of school mackerel around. A lot are being caught by trolling with a paravane but there’s also lots of schools boiling on the surface. Surf anglers are having a ball with plenty of chopper tailor caught at daylight and dusk and dart all day long. There’s also been the odd bigger tailor at night, usually just as the moon peaks over the horizon.
Offshore there’s been quality dolphinfish around the Wave Rider Buoys, it’s also been worthwhile trolling current lines with skirts or live baits. The shallows are still turning up mixed bags of pearlies, tuskfish and the odd snapper.
If the current allows you to float-line you’ll catch the better quality, paternoster rigs tend to produce smaller fish. On the deeper reefs there’s been lots of small amberjack and a few big trag. In the freshwater all impoundments are at their peak for redclaw, dropping water temperatures will see catches drop off soon.