Jumpinpin

Silly season in full swing

JUMPINPIN Bo Sawyer

The silly season is in full swing now and it felt like just a few weeks ago I was writing the December issue for 2021. Time flies! I’d like to start the report off by saying Merry Christmas to you and your family and I hope you all have a happy and safe holidays.

Let’s quickly go over what’s been happening Andy got a nice feed of tailor while fishing on artificial lures.

There are still some solid flatties getting caught.

in the Pin area and the conditions. There’s been plenty of wind and rain and, unfortunately, I don’t see this easing much over the summer. Take note of the wind directions before heading out and bring up Google maps so you can plan areas out of the wind.

If it’s blowing northerlies, places like Kalinga can offer some shelter but just remember that it can get a bit rough along there, especially in big tides and large swell. If it’s blowing southerlies, you’ll often see me fishing on the northern side of Crusoe tucked out of the wind. There’s plenty of places to get out of the wind in easterlies and westerlies as well. Water quality is still pretty ordinary around the low at the moment but the later part of the incoming has been bringing some nice water up the system.

The tailor haven’t skipped a beat this year! They have been working hard most of the way up the system and the best times still remain around the last of the incoming. If you are keen on chasing them then try around the Pin bar, Kalinga Bank,

northern and eastern side of Crusoe and along millionaires, which are your best bets. As always, look out for the diving birds and baitfish getting chopped on the surface. Pillies and whitebait for the bait fishos

and Halco spinners and 4” plastics for the lure fishos. I’ve been getting some big ones as by-catch chasing flatties on 5” plastics so don’t be afraid to up the size of your lure but be prepared to lose a few tails. There’s still been some cracker mulloway out deep in the bar and along the deeper water off Swan Bay. Big livies are definitely the go at the moment, including legal tailor (you can’t use undersized tailor as bait per the Queensland regulations), live pike and mullet. As the water warms up further, the sharks will become more of a nuisance though.

For the lure fishos big plastics and vibes are the go, and you’ll want to fish these around the slacker parts of the tides. Don’t

forget you can chase that slacker tide up the system and fish multiple tide changes if you’re willing to move around a bit.

My favourite fish, the mighty flathead, have still been going strong. It’s been harder fishing the upper system for them in the dirty water, but what I’ll generally do is target them around the low in the smallest areas possible. What I mean by that, is instead of fishing large banks I’ll target them on smaller banks and drains. Because the visibility is so low on the bottom of the tide I want to target them where they’ll be the most concentrated. Just think, what areas will have the highest flatty count per square metre? Entrances to coves, shallow creeks and drains are a great starting point. Then for the high I’m straight back out in the Pin area fishing the cleaner water for them.

For the lure fishos, UV plastics have been gold and the dirtier the water I’m fishing the more aggressively I’m flicking those plastics to create water dispersion and vibration. Whereas in the cleaner water I’m working my lures much softer. For bait fishos, try live mullet, herring, pike, pilchards and fresh prawns.

Now is a great time to chase whiting. If you are pumping yabbies along the banks then these are also some great areas to fish for them. I get the bigger whiting out deeper during the day and then in shallow in low light hours. If you have a bad back like me, then Brett has you covered with fresh live worms. Fish as light as possible, try along Kalinga, mouth of the Logan, the lagoons and gold bank.

I haven’t heard many reports of the muddies going off at the moment but I’d be chucking the pots out anyway. Fresh bait is best, believe it or not, I’ve tried everything from rotten cow spleens to cat tins but have had more luck on fresh chicken or fish carcasses. Try placing your pots outside of snake drains that come off mangrove lines and be mindful of the tides. You don’t want to add to the collection of abandoned pots that are already out there.

That’s it from me guys. Hope you all get some amazing catches out there and feel free to send some pics through for the mag. I’ll see you next year, tight lines. • Don’t forget to stop in at Jacobs Well Bait and Tackle to stock up before heading out. Ryan from Capn’s Charters has some availability for charters as well and I highly recommend him.

Andy got a nice feed of sandies and flathead. Suzanne has been doing very well with the whiting. Caught on Brett’s live worms.

Nathan with a huge mulloway – his arms would have been sore after that one!