Photos: Spero Kartanos.
BY SPERO KARTANOS
Local fisherman Spero Kartanos has over 50 years’ experience fishing Moreton Bay. Here are some of his tips for successful winter fishing.
Winter has arrived and the weather has settled with glorious sunrises and sunsets, and the fishing is very good this time of year with all of the Moreton Bay species in plentiful supply.
In the past few months the whiting have moved east to Fisherman’s Gutter, Marron Gutter, and Amity Banks, but around July they do come back into the Small Boat Channel and the shallows of the Chain Banks.
The school mackerel are normally closer in between Green and King Islands and the Huybers Light, and out and around the Hope Banks. Try around the greens on the western side of Amity Banks, the basin at Peel, the Rainbow Channel, Shark Spit and in front of the Sand Hills as well. The Measured Mile beacon is also worth a try this month, and paravaning or floating pillies is the way to go for these fish.
The arrow squid and cuttlefish have already started to show up and July is probably one of the best months for these great tasting cephalopods. Find them in deeper water from east of Ormiston all the way through to St Helena, around 18 to 30 foot deep.
Snapper and squire have already shown up in good numbers and big fish are around all our Bay Islands and artificial reefs, so get out and get a few as the season closure starts on the 15th of July and runs until the 15th of August.
If you’re like me there is no need to go out pre-dawn when it’s freezing; wait until the sun rises and the warmth makes fishing even more enjoyable.
‘Till next month good fishing!
PS: Please be careful this time of year with strong westerly winds making the bay from shore look beautiful, but it’s quite treacherous when you have to come back into the wind in smaller vessels.
