No matter what type of fishing you are planning in mid-September, it can shape up to be an absolute rip-snorter when the tides are right.
Combined with building spring tides, the scenario is outstanding for harbour barra fishing, and even better for Bynoe Harbour.
At this early stage of the build-up, the best fishing in the harbour arms is often around the rock bars, mainly casting but also trolling on the making tide.
Casting the mud flats adjacent to mangroves on the early making tide can be exciting, especially if the water's clear enough to sight your fish.
If you're casting, you'll find the shallow-running minnows the most productive, especially on the flats.
A good tip is to use the Just Under lure in predominately green colour.
It's quite light and can't be cast far against the wind, but it gets chomped pretty quickly by estuary barra.
Of course, other shallow-runners that consistently produce in the harbour arms are fluoro green, gold and tiger lily Bombers, Halco Lasers in fluoro, chromed Storm Thundersticks, silver B52s, Classic 97s with the small bib and, for just a bit more depth, proven favourites like the Terminator and Spearhead in brown tiger stripe and tiger lily.
The tides tomorrow and Saturday are ideal for The Rock in Shoal Bay and the Howard River.
You might also consider venturing up the Howard itself, and also up Tree Point Inlet, and fish one or more of several holes that form on the low tide.
As with the Rock, it's a case of stranding yourself for a few hours over the low tide, and anticipating a barra bite from when the tide officially turns according to the charts, until it climbs the sand and mud flats and flows into the holes.
In those holes up the river itself, don't be afraid to use soft plastics.
In the early '80s, when I used to spend much of my barra fishing time up the Howard, mates and I enjoyed huge success with blue Vibrotails.
You'd chuck them out and wind them in slowly so they bumped along the bottom, and the barra would slam them.
Nowadays there is an endless array of tantalising soft plastics to choose from.
If a feed of saltwater barra is not on the agenda, but you'd still like to tangle with a few, then the inland billabong scene is definitely the answer.
Corroboree and Hardies on the Mary River are both yielding barra.
The best action seems to be along the grass beds, particularly on the longer straights.
The trick is to cast with snagless soft plastics rigged on worm hooks.
Pick the gaps and edges and don't be afraid to chuck right into the vegetation as this lure - rigged correctly - will pull through unimpeded 9 times out of 10.
Spinnerbaits also work well in the submerged green stuff.
They are designed to get through aquatic vegetation and saratoga absolutely love them.
On a different note, I was over Townsville way last week for a NAFA magazine shoot, and I managed to get in a spot of fishing whilst there.
We stayed at the new Camp Island Resort, which was a fairly salubrious experience, and we mainly jigged over coral and around wharf pylons, enjoying great success using those super-heavy, squid-imitation jigs.
The ones I used were Shimano Lucanos, but there are several different brands and they all seem to work.
I can tell you that reef fish climb all over them.
All you need to do is chuck them out or drop them straight down, and lollipop them across the bottom.
For the latest fishing report visit http://www.nafa.com.au
Combined with building spring tides, the scenario is outstanding for harbour barra fishing, and even better for Bynoe Harbour.
At this early stage of the build-up, the best fishing in the harbour arms is often around the rock bars, mainly casting but also trolling on the making tide.
Casting the mud flats adjacent to mangroves on the early making tide can be exciting, especially if the water's clear enough to sight your fish.
If you're casting, you'll find the shallow-running minnows the most productive, especially on the flats.
A good tip is to use the Just Under lure in predominately green colour.
It's quite light and can't be cast far against the wind, but it gets chomped pretty quickly by estuary barra.
Of course, other shallow-runners that consistently produce in the harbour arms are fluoro green, gold and tiger lily Bombers, Halco Lasers in fluoro, chromed Storm Thundersticks, silver B52s, Classic 97s with the small bib and, for just a bit more depth, proven favourites like the Terminator and Spearhead in brown tiger stripe and tiger lily.
The tides tomorrow and Saturday are ideal for The Rock in Shoal Bay and the Howard River.
You might also consider venturing up the Howard itself, and also up Tree Point Inlet, and fish one or more of several holes that form on the low tide.
As with the Rock, it's a case of stranding yourself for a few hours over the low tide, and anticipating a barra bite from when the tide officially turns according to the charts, until it climbs the sand and mud flats and flows into the holes.
In those holes up the river itself, don't be afraid to use soft plastics.
In the early '80s, when I used to spend much of my barra fishing time up the Howard, mates and I enjoyed huge success with blue Vibrotails.
You'd chuck them out and wind them in slowly so they bumped along the bottom, and the barra would slam them.
Nowadays there is an endless array of tantalising soft plastics to choose from.
If a feed of saltwater barra is not on the agenda, but you'd still like to tangle with a few, then the inland billabong scene is definitely the answer.
Corroboree and Hardies on the Mary River are both yielding barra.
The best action seems to be along the grass beds, particularly on the longer straights.
The trick is to cast with snagless soft plastics rigged on worm hooks.
Pick the gaps and edges and don't be afraid to chuck right into the vegetation as this lure - rigged correctly - will pull through unimpeded 9 times out of 10.
Spinnerbaits also work well in the submerged green stuff.
They are designed to get through aquatic vegetation and saratoga absolutely love them.
On a different note, I was over Townsville way last week for a NAFA magazine shoot, and I managed to get in a spot of fishing whilst there.
We stayed at the new Camp Island Resort, which was a fairly salubrious experience, and we mainly jigged over coral and around wharf pylons, enjoying great success using those super-heavy, squid-imitation jigs.
The ones I used were Shimano Lucanos, but there are several different brands and they all seem to work.
I can tell you that reef fish climb all over them.
All you need to do is chuck them out or drop them straight down, and lollipop them across the bottom.
For the latest fishing report visit http://www.nafa.com.au
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