Good weather for getting a line wet

MORE good weather has met anglers over the past couple of weeks and those who've been able have taken the opportunity to wet a line.

The SW/NW winds have been light enough to allow access to the wider reef areas off Bundaberg and 1770.

Good catches have been made in the deeper areas south of Lady Elliott Island and the shallower reefs around Fitzroy.

The usual combination of hussar, tuskfish and sweetlip have been hitting most baits fished near the bottom.

Plenty of undersized red emperor are hanging around the southern gutter and 15 mile, but there have also been some above legal size making it to the boat.

Coral trout and gold-spot cod have been good targets around the shallow reef areas with heavy-handed tactics needed to prevent them from getting back into the coral.

Whole fish and slab baits have been the best way to avoid the pickers.

Snapper are still pretty quiet with only a few smaller fish coming from the inshore areas.

The Burnett River has been fishing consistently for bream and whiting, particularly in the lower reaches.

Bream tend to school in the deeper holes close to good current flow and can bite well either side of a tide change.

Summer and a few whiting are regular catches from Paddy's Island down to the sailing club near Strathdees.

While the summer whiting prefer the channel edges and sand flats, northerns are often taken in deeper water while drifting with baits of yabby or prawn.

A few salmon and javelin fish have also been taken around the creek mouths and shallow mangrove edges on live prawns and small herring.

Flathead are around in most locations throughout the river with good numbers of schooling bait the better areas to try.