A highlight of the fishing in the bay this past week was the mackerel catch.
Most mackerel anglers will use para vanes to present their lures at the desired depth.
My sources say that the fish have not moved for weeks, but the locations are a closely guarded secret, so to find out more, search the internet for popular locations, and you will likely see other anglers trolling.
A tip is that your lure is running too shallow if you are hooking grinners.
I noticed the water temperature is warming up, which may be why we are seeing so much bait in the bay.
This is great for us anglers because it means more fish are feeding on the baitfish in the bay.
Tailor fishing has improved along the Redlands Coast with increased baitfish activity.
Yesterday, I caught a couple of chopper tailor and had them soaking in brine.
Tomorrow, they will be smoked and made into fish cakes for dinner.
Last week's great weather was so welcome, and I went out one day on my kayak.
I pumped a few yabbies and caught two whiting.
One went out as live bait and the other into my bait tank.
I drifted with the incoming tide and caught a sixty-eighty-centimeter-long flathead.
I limit the number of fish I keep for the plate, and I prefer to catch one good size flathead instead of taking several smaller-sized flatheads for the same amount of flesh.
Those smaller flatheads eventually will grow into the bigger fish, and I believe it is a numbers game.
We need to harvest fewer fish to sustain our fishery.
Anglers will be pleased that the snapper and pearl perch will be no-take species in Queensland waters for one more week, starting July 15 from 12.01 am until 11.59 pm on August 15.
The closure applies to all anglers - commercial, charter and recreational.
It is essential to handle the fish carefully, dehook it appropriately, and release it as soon as possible.
If you have any fishing questions, photographs of your catch or if you would like a coaching session, please get in touch with Michael at desdavidmichael@gmail.com.
Michael has more than 20 years of experience fishing in the bay and shares his knowledge with amateur and experienced anglers.
