The big push for winter species

THE TWEED Leon McClymont

The cooler waters have arrived and are pushing in the winter species. Many anglers are switching up their techniques and target species.

Snapper, pearl perch, trag and other reefies are the most frequently targeted this time of year in the inshore reefs and out to the 50s. This time of year, the current on the East Coast is at its minimum most days, which allows anglers to get out further into the depths to deep drop with electric reels or those that are keen enough to jig heavy jigs in these depths. This requires not just stamina but also a great technique coincided with some decent gear as a lot of winding is always required and having a poor technique and not adequate gear can result in some arm burning and long retrieves from these depths.

Big bait balls of pillies, whitebait and mullet are which are also on the move this time of year, and the trevally and tailor have pushed into the systems and are wreaking havoc on the schools. Using small spinners, diver lures or surface poppers on light gear is a great technique and very effective way to target them and just downright great fun feeling that hit, or even just seeing the surface strikes that these opponents put out. There are plenty of whiting and flathead on the flats, and the most effective technique for catching bait is pumping your own yabbies on the low tide, it is also a great way to get the kids and whole family involved. Then fishing the incoming tide with your freshly pumped yabbies you can’t get a better introduction into fishing for the young ones in my opinion. Whole yabbies will produce good size fish, such as flathead, bream, whiting and even juvenile mulloway. also making their way along the beaches, which has the tailor, tuna and mulloway going nuts this time of year. If you can find these bait balls it can lead to some exciting fishing, it can literally be a fish a cast.

The bait can be identified by the shaded areas in the water, fish busting up or birds bombing. Getting your bait or lure in these zones will just about result in certain hook up. Finding deep gutters on the beach are also a great zone to be fishing they will either hold bait or predator fish waiting for bait to push into the gutter. Locating a good gutter is best down on a low tide then returning the following high tide to fish it when the larger predator fish will move in and prey on the bait within.

The rivers are loaded with white bait and prawns,

That’s just about it for the month, as I write this I’m packing for a 10-day trip where I’ll be leaving the Tweed and heading out to East Cay reef approximately 300km off the coast of Mackay aboard Big Cat Reality , which should provide some exiting and arm stretching fishing. Next month I’ll fill you in on how the adventure went, I’ll be sure to throw a few pics in the mix as well. Tight line and until then, soak em long.