Sarina, Fishing the Seasons

The tropics are rather unique when it comes to seasons as there are really only two main seasons being hot & wet and cool & dry, however they sometimes overlap, particularly the wet and the dry. The wet can upset the fishing for long periods with local flooding and dirty water. A huge clean out is usually the result and many favorite spots are washed away as is the established bait sources. This flushing is an essential part of natures way for rejuvenating the creeks & estuaries and of course, the Great Barrier Reef Lagoon. A good wet season usually means good fishing, especially for barra as the year old fish are washed out of all the swamps to grow in the salt water and are replaced in the swamps by migrating fingerlings.

The summer months are best for barra, king salmon, fingermark, grunter, average whiting and mud crabs. Prawns are plentiful and are the preferred live bait when chasing most creek fish. Being able to throw a cast net is essential. Whiting just love 'jelly prawn'.

During the cooler months fish for blue salmon, steelback, flathead, bream, big whiting, gar, sole, mud & sand crabs.

During winter months sand crabs come into the estuaries from deep offshore waters to mate and some creeks crab well for them although all females including berried females must be released. Legal size for sand crabs is measured from notch to notch across the shell and the min. size is 11.5cm. The northern whiting can be caught all year round in the deeper parts of most creeks and there is no regulations on the taking of this fish which makes it ideal as a live bait. Winter also sees silver bream migrating from the south to mate however the pikey or black bream is present all year round and grows quite large and is roed in the winter.

For all legal sizes and bag limits check with Queensland Fisheries Publications available from all bait and tackle outlets, like Sarina Bait Supplies run by Barra Bob at 74 Beach Road, Sarina, where fishermen are catered for 7 days a week. Barra Bob is a good contact for local knowledge as he is a very experienced local fisherman.

Photo: A nice plump Northern Whiting. Note the white edged ventral fin, extending from the vent almost to the tail. The tail or caudal fin is quite small when compared to other species of whiting.