If you feel like you've got a case of cabin fever or the occupants of your house, unit or tent are climbing the walls, you're not alone.  With probably the wettest Christmas ever behind us, here's hoping the weather gods will bring some sun.   In the meantime, if you are still playing it safe while clouds hang ominously over the Sunshine Coast, check out these sure-fire ways to let the kids and big-kids-at-heart wet a line without getting too wet:    

Head to the Barra Park: What's the perfect way to spend a day fishing where you are pretty much guaranteed a catch with the added bonus of being only meters away for a large undercover area?   Suncoast Barra Fishing Park is the answer! Close-by, it's located on the northern banks of the Maroochy River at Bli Bli. It boasts three large saltwater ponds of over 18 acres of fish rich waters. If you've never caught yourself a barra or the king of the jungle of estuaries, then Suncoast Barra is the best option which doesn't involve a 900km drive to the top end!  Plus barramundi thrive in muddy waters after plenty of rain. With several sheltered areas, bbq's and plenty of space it's an angler friendly environment. The aim is to provide a relaxing location, ample fish for all plus chances to set new catch records. This park gives all anglers a free tub of pellets for bait/berley on entry, but you can easily use live, fresh or frozen baits, lures and fly gear. For more info give the team a call on 54487514 or check out their website: http://www.suncoastbarrafishing.com/

Get the Advantage: There are plenty of keen anglers out there that are trying their hand at soft plastic fishing, but are struggling to hook any decent fish or those anglers that would like to fine tune their soft plastic skills. So if you are happy to get your feet a bit wet, enlist the expertise of the man who know fishing best: Brian from Angler's Advantage Charters. He has over 3 decades of angling experience across 4 continents!   Brian's specialty is soft plastics, and his passion is sharing his skills and teaching others. His custom built Polycraft 4.8m Brumby is excellent for reaching a number of local hotspots during a trip.  Brian has a Navman colour depth sounder to locate contours and bottom structure where the fish love to congregate, electric bow mounted motor to allow the boats to stay on top of the good fishing grounds and a quiet yet powerful 80hp Yamaha 4 stroke outboard to get you from the boat ramp to the fishing grounds quickly without spooking the fish. Coupling Brian's experience with a keen angler's eagerness should be a recipe for success in targeting flathead, trevally, mangrove jack, estuary cod and even jew in the rivers.  Brian always starts a trip by looking at the features needed in a rod and reel suitable for river use, then goes through the skills required for each species targeted plus how to best use soft plastics and hard bodied lures in the hunt. If you want more info on the type of service Brian has to offer, give him a call on 0424 788 379 or you can check out his website: www.anglersadvantage.com.au.

And a subtle hint for the weather gods - may their New Year's resolution be something like - perhaps 2011 could be the year of less extreme weather patterns...hasn't Queensland had enough drought, flooding, cyclonic winds this past year?