December is one of the quieter months of the year in terms of numbers of people passing through Exmouth, however if you are a keen fisherman and can deal with a bit of warm weather, it can definitely produce some of the best fishing you will get.

The marlin activity on the West Coast at the moment is really starting to happen, with more and more reports of both blue and black marlin encountered with a few fish well over the 200kg mark. One local crew have been targeting the bigger marlin by fishing in much the same fashion as what we use when we fish for sailfish in the gulf, and that involves teasing the fish right up to the back of the boat with the use of hookless lures and teasers, and then presenting a bait rigged with a circle hook back to the usually very-fired-up fish.

You know you're in good country when a fish like this rates as small... Bluewater Exmouth's Ant Simper picked up this 'little' black a couple of days ago, trolled up on his way back to Exmouth from the Monte Bellos. The fish was released.

Exmouth Marina is a great spot to fish in the evenings at this time of the year.  Mangrove jacks, spangled emperor and various cod species can all be caught inside the marina after dark, by using just a really simple rig with a lightly weighted bait. As the marina is somewhat of a nursery for juvenile fish, a lot of the fish will be undersize and therefore carefully handled and released back into the water.

Old Bundegi flats have been the pick of the spots for shore-based anglers chasing queenfish, with schools of the queenies arriving on the flats late afternoon with the incoming tide. For those not familiar with Old Bundegi, it can be a daunting spot to fish, as you normally have to wade out a few hundred metres off the shore and even though the water may only be waist deep there is usually no shortage of small sharks cruising around. Small poppers and metal slices are the best lures to throw at the queenies which can often be seen cruising along the surface in schools.