BY SPERO KARTANOS
It’s Ekka time, which means westerlies and great fishing in the bay, especially as the wind drops and the days become glassy.
August is not only the start of the Ekka, it’s also the time to start looking for the migrating whales heading south with their calves coming in for a rest inside Moreton Bay. September is a better time to spot them, but we have had them come in as south as Peel Island over the years. The trouble is it’s hard to go fishing when you see these majestic mammals with their babies in front of you.
Fishing for whiting this time of year is as good as it gets. There will be plenty from the Chain Banks into the small boat channel, all the way to the Rous, Amity Banks, Maroon Gutter, Sand Hills and Blue Hole, so there’s no excuse not to get out and get a feed.
School mackerel are better at the end of the month, which is normally the time all the 35 to 45cm fish are in their thousands. I remove the barb on the spoons as it is easier to release all the babies – there are big fish mixed in so it’s a matter of finding them between all the small ones.
Cuttlefish and arrow squid are in the deeper water on the eastern side of the mainland and the Bay Islands, just off the bottom. Last year we were getting them even in the weed banks where the whiting were.
Snapper and squire season re-starts mid-month, and if history repeats we are going to have plenty for the dinner plate.
So enjoy the bay, but please be careful with the westerlies in smaller boats this time of year. The bay looks glassy from shore, but it’s incredibly rough and treacherous when heading back, especially around the mouth of the river with wind against tide.
For weekly and daily updates on fishing in Moreton Bay and whale sightings, you can see my latest info at fishingmonthly.com.au, Moreton Bay reports.
Photos: Spero Kartanos.
