Written by Andrew Chorley

February marks the opening of the Barramundi season for saltwater anglers and it is shaping up to be a good season with summer rains being just enough to keep the bait moving with some small amount of run off. Good luck to everyone out targeting barra this season!

Burrum
Out around the beacons and toward the burrum 8 mile grunter and school mackerel have been reported. Barramundi will also be an option and can be found throughout the system at present. Working soft plastics around deep snags and back eddy’s has seen some great results.

Local Reefs
On the local reefs grass sweetlip and grunter have been reported taking baits and gulping soft plastics. Blue Parrots are also a local favourite this time of year and can be found on the shallow and deeper reefs. Pencil squid can also be found in the channels and make for an excellent bait and are also great on the table. Around the islands GT’s , queenfish and golden trevally have been reported.

Platypus Bay
A few spotted mackerel schools have been found working in Platypus Bay, we should see a few hang around for a few weeks yet before the annual run of school size longtail tuna move in. Mac tuna, trevally and school mackerel can also be found in Platypus Bay at the moment.

Out Wild
Coral trout, sweetlip, hussar, cod and other reefies will be on offer out wide but I would expect the sharks to be bad due to the floods. When the sharks find you it is a good idea to move to a different location.

Sandy Straits
A few Barra have been reported in various locations in both the sandy straits and the lower reaches of the Mary. Salmon have also been reported on both the flats and deeper holes with live baits working well. Grunter can be found in the deeper water on the ledges with small livies and prawns working well.