It was great to finally have some good weather for a change during the last week but now it’s back to the wind again for at least the next week. The fishing reports have been good and very encouraging, leading into the Christmas holiday period.
There’s a good variety of fish getting caught now with the summer fish now making the headlines. Tuna have been around for a few weeks now and the numbers appear to be getting better. Offshore fishing for Nannygai has also been excellent, but Snapper have been a massive problem in some areas. Sharks of all kinds have been reported in many areas, Whiting and Garfish also are in good supply and there’s still some very good Salmon fishing from the surf beaches.
Here’s the run down from right around the coast.
𝑬𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒏
Offshore fishing from Elliston to Streaky Bay has been very much worth the trip in these areas, there’s plenty of Nannygai, Blue Morwong, Sharks, Kingfish, Samson fish and while there hasn’t been any confirmed Tuna reports from this area, they should now be well and truly out there. We just need some better weather more regularly. There’s plenty of small stuff also, Garfish, Whiting, Snook, Salmon Trout, Tommies and Squid can be found from many rock areas, beaches, jetties and inshore boat areas also from the whole area between Elliston and Streaky Bay. We have had reports from all areas, and all seem to be fishing very well.
Salmon can be found off all the surf beaches with Lock Well still the beach with the best reports. Further west Mulloway reports have dried up for the big fish mostly due to the windy weather making the fishing quite hard for Mulloway. Most of the fish that were reported were only small ones and there’s also plenty of bycatch with Salmon, Sharks, Snapper and Taylor reported from beaches west of Ceduna.
𝑪𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒏 𝑩𝒂𝒚
Very good fishing here right now and you don’t need to travel far, there is Whiting, Garfish, Snook, Salmon Trout, Tommies and the odd Flathead also here that have been caught recently within the bays. Land based fishers have been going well off the rock areas in the bays, and the boat fishers have done well also. The oyster leases and Farm Beach also hold much of the same fish and the fishing is much better here. Many of the Whiting here have targeted on the Z-Man plastic worms and with a bag limit of only 5 now you have plenty of time to give these a go. The fish can still be caught in very quick time and if these aren’t your thing, then Vexed micro meat jigs work brilliantly also.
Offshore fishing here is really starting to fire up. For bottom fishers there are plenty of Nannygai, Vexed Bottom Meat jigs have been super effective on these fish. Talking to fishers in the shop it is expected that Nannygai are going to the targeted heavily by rec fishers even more now with the bag limit changes to Whiting, Squid and Garfish and it’s our duty to fish for these fish responsibly if we want to be able to catch them fish all the time. I would suggest that you consider taking fish bigger than the current size limit as many fishers don’t take fish under 40cm and we suggest taking a lower boat limit taking and take only 6-10 big fish only. Its also best to not to hit the same reefs all the time, take fish from a number of different reef areas and that will ensure that these reefs will always hold fish. Its up to you at the end of the day but lets not see this fish suffer the same fate as others, as we know there are plenty of non rec fishers that make up the rules only to happy to inflict more pain on our sector.
We reported that Tuna were around last week and Kruse Rock and other areas are the areas that do have Tuna, they aren’t thick but will be in the not to distant future. If you are after Tuna gear we stocked right up with the best lures, rods and reels for your next Tuna adventure.
Salmon can be found at Almonta and Gunyah beaches, there are schools of fish at both these areas but you do need to have a good look around for these fish. You will need good casting metal lures like the Arma nuggets and flash harry and the Jackson metal effect lures.
𝑷𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝑳𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒏
The jetties have come alive with fish now and there’s been a school of fussy Tuna swimming off of the main wharf, there are also rat Kingfish now of the main wharf with some caught up to 80cm. There should be plenty more showing up soon and they should be around right into the Christmas break. Soft plastics like the Cast Prodigy’s, the new Nomad prawns and the new Daiwa Bait Junkie 6.5inch garfish should be excellent for these rat kings. Tommies, Garfish and Whiting can also be caught. Squid are slow off most of the jetties and Louth Bay jetty will be the best jetty to fish of for Squid.
Boat fishers are catching good numbers of Whiting, Garfish and Snook from many areas within the bays. Most areas are fishing well and it really is best to head to your favorite spot and give it a go. Further down the coast Whiting can be caught from Carcase, Taylors, Grindal and Thistle Island. Snapper have been a problem in some areas and when they rock up its best just to move on. Snook and Garfish can also be caught in these areas and Squid are there but low in numbers.
Offshore Nannygai have been the main catch with plenty on the reefs. Williams Island has a lot of Snapper so it might be best to stay away from that area. For Tuna all the signs are there, lots of birds, good clean blue water, all you just need to do is get lures in the water and give it a go.
Salmon are still along the Sleaford coast in good numbers with schools of fish all the way along the coast. They can sometimes be out of casting range, so once again use the good casting lures mentioned for Coffin Bay.
𝑻𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒚 𝑩𝒂𝒚
Squid numbers are down like everywhere else on the eastern side and that’s now becoming a real problem. You find a few here and there but there’s been no good reports of any good numbers. Garfish can be caught off of the jetty and a few Tommies but we haven’t heard of much else. Boat fishers are finding good numbers of Whiting, Snook and Garfish. Both in close and also out at the Group have been good for these fish. Some of the Whiting reported have been 50cm plus and many in the 40cm range so they are good in the area. Some of the Snook measured have been 80cm which are a good size for this species. Trolled Rapala x rap 10 have been excellent Snook lures.
𝑷𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝑵𝒆𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑨𝒓𝒏𝒐 𝑩𝒂𝒚
Squid are slow here also but everything else is pretty good. Whiting, Snook and Garfish are in great numbers. The boat reports have been good for those that have been out there.
The Port Neill jetty and rock areas around Port Neill have plenty of Garfish. Yellowfin Whiting are still average from the beaches in the area but they are there but at Cowell there’s plenty. There’s also plenty of King George Whiting at Cowell outside of the harbour.
This weeks photos are courtesy of:
Shane Hodgens: Bronz Wahlers caught, tagged and released from the Port Lincoln national park.
Craig Hore: A mixed bag of fish caught over the weekend, with the bag limit changes on some species there is the opportunity to target other fish while you are out on the water.
Jake McLeod & Ned McHenry: Some big Nannygai caught off of Port Lincoln.
TW Port Lincoln Team
