The first three days of the week laid on perfect conditions for anglers, and many spent a day or two fishing the bay and offshore.
I have never seen so many boats heading out for a weekday fishing session before, and by all accounts, the fishing was good.
Big snapper, pearl perch, mulloway and mixed bags of reef fish were caught by offshore anglers.
Joe Pisano sent in a photo of a bay snapper he landed pre-closure of the snapper fishery, caught on fresh cuttlefish in just 4 meters of water.
The snapper and pearl perch spawning closure started last week. Snapper and pearl perch are off-limits in Queensland waters for one month, beginning July 15 from 12.01 am. The closure ends at 11.59pm on August 15.
There are plenty of other fishing options at this time of the year.
The tailor fishing started early this year but still has not reached the heights of the past two years.
Early morning anglers are reporting better catches than those fishing in the evenings.
Tailor fishing spots in the Redlands include a few mainland land-based options.
The east beach of Coochiemudlo Island fishes well for tailor on the top of the tides. Especially when the westerlies blow, the eastern side gives you good protection from the wind.
I have caught tailor from both entrances of the Raby Bay canals. Cleveland Point on a high tide still produces good tailor, as does the rocky outcrops along Raby Bay.
The main beach on North Stradbroke Island is still our premium fishing spot for landing greenback tailor.
A bonus of fishing for tailor on Straddie is the spectacular sight of the whales passing by.
Take a pair of binoculars with you, and I can honestly say the number of whales passing by will distract you from the fishing.
The whiting fishing is still running hot, and the diver whiting size is still excellent.
Squid, yabbies and worms are top baits. Whiting can be caught land-based and drifting the shallow banks in the bay.
I was blessed with a feed of whiting when a friend phoned me up and offered me some freshly caught whiting fillets. A box of chips from my local cafe and my wife and I enjoyed a feed of fish and chips. Fishermen make the best friends.
The freshwater fishing is a bit sporadic at the moment with the fish scattered about and not schooling.
But persistence pays off for the anglers putting in the time.
If you have any fishing questions or photographs of your catch, please get in touch with Michael at desdavidmichael@gmail.com
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