Fishing tips: what's biting this June

Last month, saw plenty of pelagic action throughout many parts of Moreton Bay with school mackerel, mac tuna, longtail tuna, bonito, cobia and even a few Spanish mackerel caught. Expect some of that action to continue this month.

For lures, the various metal slugs available can all be highly effective. Remember much of the baitfish these pelagic species are feeding on will be very small, so don’t get carried away with large lures. Metal slugs in the 30-to-50-gram range will get you into the ballpark on most occasions.

Estuary and land based

It is a great month to be fishing the local jetties and foreshores.

Plenty of yellowtail pike will be available around the jetties. Bait jigs will be a common method for getting them along with very small lures, but the old low-tech approach of a simple piece of red wool on a small, long shank hook jigged through the water is still used and is highly effective. Yellowtail pike are great bait for tailor – either using the smaller models whole for bait or using the fillets of the larger ones.

Tailor will be my favourite species to target this month on the big night tides. They are great sportfish but you don’t need to fish with really heavy gear to catch them. When I target the larger models, I use light surf rods on trusty Alvey reels with 10 to 12lb monofilament line and small sinkers or no sinker at all depending on the conditions and exactly where I am fishing. The longer rods allow me to get plenty of casting distance with small sinkers.

Bream will be moving out of the estuaries for spawning and the fish will be in good condition. Around the mouth of the Pine River and along the Redcliffe foreshore will be the main locations to catch them this month. Like tailor, the big night tides will be the prime time to target them.

Estuary anglers should also expect to encounter dusky flathead, flounder and small mulloway on lures and bait.

Tasty tiger squid will be heavily targeted this month wherever there are lots of lights. This includes the jetties, parts of the foreshore and in Scarborough Harbour. I prefer very calm conditions to target them. There is an endless variety of squid jigs on the market. It is always good to have several different colours and sizes with you when you are fishing for them.

Inshore reefs and bay waters

For dedicated anglers, who put in the hours, this can be a good month for catching some big snapper around Scarborough Reef. There is always something special about catching a trophy fish so close to home! Smaller squire and grassy sweetlip will be mixed in, along with the possibility of some solid barred javelin fish which seem to be getting more and more common.

For those looking for an easy feed, the waters of Deception Bay, Bramble Bay and out the front of Redcliffe will yield diver whiting. They are still colloquially called winter whiting but are available in Moreton Bay all year round. They do though increase in abundance in the open waters of western Moreton Bay in winter. While not a glamour sportfish, they are among the best of our local eating fishing. Their reliable presence and ease of capture makes them a great fish for the casual angler looking to catch their own seafood, and are a great species for getting the kids hooked on angling as action can be non-stop. Live worms or squid strips are the time-honoured local baits for them.

Beach fishing

Surf fishing is a great way to really test your angling prowess. With the onset of winter conditions, the surf beach of Moreton Island will be a productive area. The location will fish best in calm conditions or offshore winds which help good beach formations to develop as well as it is helping with casting distance. Bream, tarwhine and swallowtail dart should be your target species. Yabbies are the number one bait, although eugaries (pippies), beach worms, blood worms or peeled prawns will produce some fish as well. The right sinker size is critical for surf fishing. If you are not catching fish, going up or down a sinker size can make a big difference.

Tailor will start to show up in the surf this month too and nighttime will be the best time to fish for them. Baits to use will be pilchards, garfish, yellowtail pike or bonito strips.

Offshore

Offshore you should expect to catch pearl perch, snapper and Venus tuskfish this month on the reefs around Cape Moreton. There are further reports of large schools of sea toads making the catching of quality fish offshore difficult at times. These voracious fish can consistently bite off hooks and the only option is to move on from where you have encountered them. Abundances can be highly variable from year to year, and this has been a year where they have been in high abundance.

Prawning and crabbing

This month, will probably see the end of the run of banana prawns for the season. If you are chasing a feed and want to put in the hours with your cast net, then you should be rewarded. Any rainfall during the month will have a significant impact on where the prawns are. It is not the best month for crabbing, but blue swimmer crabs will still be available land based and boat based for those that want to chase them.

Tight lines for this month, which is shaping up to be a cracker.