Chilly but clear conditions should be the order of the day throughout August as the westerlies kick in and make for great fishing.

It’s one of the best times of the year to fish the Pin with flathead season kicking off with plenty of bream and whiting available as well.

Flathead are starting to feed up for their spawning season next month, so they should be on the bite right throughout August. There have been plenty of great catches with many fishos catching over 10 in a session, but once again please only take what you need (size limit of 40-75cm and a bag of limit 5) and that will help the flathead stocks to keep flourishing. Try around Kalinga Bank along the drop off, the sand flats north of Cabbage Tree Point to the mouth of the Logan, the Stockyards, Tabby Tabby and Tipplers Island along the edges and weed patches.

The water quality this time of year is very good so lure fishing is a great way to chase flatties and I have seen them follow a soft plastic all the way to the boat and swim 4-5m to smash a lure that has just hit the water. Trolling hard bodies is working well too in 4-6ft of water over weed patches. You will pick up weed off your lure which can be frustrating but that is where the fish are hiding, so keep persisting.

Best baits have been the old faithful pilchard and prawn, or try white bait, herring and mullet.

Bream will be on the chew around any structure you can find. Boat moorings, sunken snags, fallen trees, rocks, deep holes and gutters off the beaches will all hold bream. The best spots to try for a feed of bream are from Kalinga Bank to the dead trees, the Five Ways, the Powerlines, the eastern point of Short Island and around Steglietz and Cobby Passage. As you know at this time of year you can pick them up almost anywhere, as they are in plague proportions right throughout the Pin and always hungry.

Finally some decent sized tailor to 2kg have shown up and should be running all month. They should be there in the gutters off North and South Straddie at night if you don’t mind braving the cold weather.

Pillies, gar and mullet and bonito fillets are the pick of the baits.

Inside the bar, you can find them near the yellow beacon off the top of Crusoe Island, the deep water off Swan Bay, along the Stockyards and you can always seem to pick one up in the main channel from Cabbage Tree Pt to Rocky Point. Floating pillies with a tiny weight should hold the bait in the perfect strike zone for tailor.

A few summer whiting on offer for those willing to brave the chilling conditions at night using live bloodworms and beachworms at the junction in the Logan, Diner Island, Pelican Banks and just south of Slipping Sands.

Winter whiting are about in good numbers cruising along the sand flats of Tiger Mullet Channel, the Gold Bank, Tipplers Island and from Cabbage Tree Point to the Powerlines. They’re fun on light gear and easy to catch for the kiddies. Just remember to use a bait that holds on the hook like worms or squid to give yourself a few goes at hooking the fish. Baits like prawns and yabbies are easily picked off and you’ll be constantly re-baiting.

Small school mulloway have been about in good numbers but since the size limit has increased to 75cm, not many keepers have been boated. Remember to put back any mulloway under 75cm and handle them with care so they live to fight another day.

Try around Marks Rocks with livies, out from Swan Bay, Kalinga Bank and Crusoe Island.

Thanks for all your reports and fish weighed in. Drop us a line at Gem Bait and Tackle if you’d like to order bait or get some up to date info on what’s biting on 07 3287 3868 or email --e-mail address hidden--

I’ll catch you next month.