THE freshwater fishing in local dams has been a bit of a hit and miss affair, with the fish scattered about.
Subsequently, it's taking a bit of searching to find the schools.
An increase of shrimp and small red claw in North Pine Dam is an encouraging sign that the fishing will improve as they move in to feed on the bounty.
Wivenhoe Dam in the mountainous Scenic Rim is producing a few basses, and conditions should improve for the fish to start schooling up again.
Liam Gibson, an angler from Brisbane, caught a saratoga at Hinze Dam on the Gold Coast hinterland.
He used a Zman surface frog matched to a Samaki Archer 1.3 kilogram rod with 8lb sunline on a Shimano Stradic reel and 6lb fluorocarbon leader.
The fish was 56cm and not the biggest saratoga that Liam has caught.
Liam's biggest fish of this species was a 68cm specimen.
Snapper fishing has been good around the Moreton Bay shallows, and land-based anglers fishing in the Redcliffe area have been doing well.
The tip is to always use fresh bait.
Locally caught live bait, squid or banana prawns are the best of the baits and try to fish at high tide with little or no sinker.
Wellington Point, Cleveland Point, Raby Bay foreshore and Coochiemudlo jetty also have produced snapper.
Tailor fishing is also an excellent option for land-based fishing.
A kilogram or two of fresh pilchards bought from your local bait and tackle store is always handy to take along in any evening fishing session.
Tailor just love them,.
Mulloway are still biting, and windy conditions seem to encourage them to feed more freely.
With rain and overcast conditions forecast, it may be worth your while to suffer a bit of discomfort to target these fish.
But please do it safely and do not go out in conditions which your watercraft is not designed to handle.
Also, it is safer to fish with a friend than on your own.
The winter bream run has started, and I caught a healthy fish of mid 30cm range on a live hardyhead last weekend.
The odd sweetlip is still around, and the little ones have moved to warmer waters, so the typical size is the 45cm range.
If you have any fishing questions or photographs of your catch, please contact Michael at desdavidmichael@gmail.com.
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