BY SPERO KARTANOS
July is an excellent time of the year for fishing in the bay, but I have to admit I’m not too fond of the cold mornings, and I’m so happy the fish are on the bite all day in Moreton Bay. When I was young, my father would get me up at 3am to go fishing in Victoria, on a jetty, a rock wall, or on his homemade boat. That experience turned me off early morning fishing for life, and I also had to recite the times’ tables on the way there.
So wait until the sun rises to go fishing! The whiting in July are usually in the Rous Channel on the Maroon side, as are the school mackerel. While fishing for whiting, a floating pillie at the back is a good way to get a mackerel. Also, try the Rainbow Channel around the Amity area – this time last year, they were thick in the water, and judging by the small ones around in May, I think it will be a good season again.
Cuttlefish and arrow squid will be along the deeper water east from Ormiston all the way to St Helena, mixed in with plenty of arrow squid. Drop a ball sinker on top of a jig a few feet off the bottom while drifting, and you should catch some.
The snapper/squire season has been great so far, and July should be the pick of the months. The Bay Island drop-offs and the artificial reefs in the bay are worth a try. Big bait or live small fish are the best for the snapper, whiting heads being my favourite.
So, keep your winter woollies on until the sun rises, and again, be careful and stay safe in the strong westerly winds in the bay when they arrive.
Till next month, good fishing!
