Photos: Spero Kartanos.
BY SPERO KARTANOS
Happy New Year to one and all, and may you all have another great fishing year. I can’t complain about 2022 – plenty of fish and whales in the bay; the only sad part was that we lost too many good friends who were way too young. I’ll be thinking of them every time I’m out in the bay.
So, all we need this month will be for the weather to play its part. With plenty of families waiting for the right conditions to get a fish, here’s where to go. Whiting should be plentiful in the bay around Chain Banks, Rous Channel, Maroon Gutter, Amity Banks and, of course, the Sand Hills and all along the western side of Moreton Island and the Blue Hole. The tiger squid should also be in good numbers, so while you’re fishing for whiting, a squid jig on a float behind the boat will generally provide you with entrée before the main meal.
Squire, snapper and sweet lip will be around all the shallow reefs and all the artificial reefs, and floating out a pilly might get you a mackerel or two. The school mackerel will be around, but hopefully, so will the spotty mackerel, so trolling a spoon on a diving board or cast and retrieving with chrome slugs while they are feeding on the surface is the way to catch them. Just remember, no wire on the spoons or chrome slugs in the bay, they don’t like it at all.
Sand crabs will also be in good numbers, so watch all the crab pots in the bay – you don’t want them around your prop.
Enjoy the bay, be careful with all the boat traffic, and keep a close eye on the weather. The family will want to go out more often if they catch a fish in calm seas!
Good fishing to you all, and a Happy New Year.
Weekly and daily Moreton Bay reports are on fishingmonthly.com.au and feature up-to-date information.
