Here’s the first fishing report of the year and there is a lot to report from for the last few weeks. The weather certainly hasn’t been the best with the windy conditions, but when the wind dies down the fishing is pretty good. The good thing about the Eyre Peninsula is there is always somewhere to get out of the wind and catch a few fish.
We have good reports of Tuna offshore, Whiting are in good numbers in many areas, Garfish and also Salmon fishing has been quite good mostly around Coffin Bay. There is a concern about Squid or the lack of them mostly in the Spencer Gulf and there are many areas where there are just no Squid or very few. The algal bloom and overfishing for the Squid has to be the only reason for the lack of Squid around at the moment and this has to be realized and accepted. Going forward there will probably have to be restrictions on Squid for while and this really needs to be passed onto the commercial sector as well if we are to see Squid in good numbers again, time will tell.
Snapper are in big numbers in many areas and we have heard of big ones taking Whiting lines off of Streaky Bay jetty all the way round into the Spencer Gulf. The Snapper ban has been in place for years and this year there have been so many fishers mostly from interstate that have no idea that there is ban on Snapper and are still catching them. There is no catch and release for the Snapper either and it’s very hard to listen to interstate fishers catching and releasing dozens by the sounds of it in deep water and telling me that they just float away. Snapper suffer from barotrauma in deep water and need to returned with the correct process of using release weights to ensure their survival rate is much better than just throwing them back in the water.
We are all frustrated with this ongoing Snapper ban and if it is to continue than PIRSA must look at better signage at boat ramps and jetties so people can clearly see the Snapper restrictions or open the Snapper fishery.
Here is what has been biting over the summer period so far.
Elliston
There are Tuna from here to Streaky Bay and on most offshore grounds. Small fish from 4kg up to bigger fish to 15kg have been reported. Trolling lures, casting stick baits and small flutter jigs like the Jabbers Moxie metals have been the best way to catch these fish. Theres also Kingfish, Samsons, big Nannygai, Blue Morwong, big Salmon and a variety of Sharks of all sizes on these offshore grounds. There’s quite a good variety of fish out there.
Land based fishing has been popular with the windy weather and there are some good reports. Salmon fishing has been quieter than normal for this area but there are still some decent Salmon reports from Locks Well and Sheringa over the last few weeks. You just have to have a line in the water and you’re in with chance. Walker’s Rocks has had some good Whiting off of the beach there and the odd Flathead. Talia Beach has Gummy and Bronze Whaler Sharks and Ceduna jetty has been good for Crabs when the wind is blowing.
Further west Mulloway fishers have found some nice fish in last weeks heat along with Bronze Whaler and Gummy Sharks and the odd big Salmon. There’s still plenty of good fishing time for a Mulloway before the season ends.
Coffin Bay
This has been one of the busiest areas over the Christmas period and fishing reports have been a bit hit and miss but there are a lot of fishers who know what they are doing and catching plenty. In the bays there’s all usuals biting right now like Tommies, Salmon Trout, Whiting, Snook and Garfish. Land based and boat fishers can all get in on the action. There are Gummy Sharks also in the bays and you will have to sift through the Eagle Rays to catch one but they are there and there can also be Bronze Whaler S as well.
Farm Beach reports vary depending on who you talk to, some fishers have struggled to find some Whiting and other have cleaned up, but generally there’s good numbers of fish out there. If you’re finding the going tough make sure you use burley, crushed pilchard burley is no1 for Whiting and using bright colours like the Vexed Micro Meat jigs the fish will come in for a look. Garfish are a handy fall back if you catch your Whiting quickly and once again get some burley going and they will find you. Salmon Trout, Tommies and Snook also have been caught out there.
Offshore reports could be excellent but the wind has been such an issue. Tuna are best in the Kruse Rock little Rocky area and also at Rocky Island. These areas have the best numbers of Tuna and range in size from 4-14kg, there are lots of smaller fish here.
Kingfish have been mixed in with Tuna schools so its worth having a jig ready when you hook onto a Tuna and target Kingfish as well. There’s Samson fish out on some of the reefs along with Nannygai and Blue Morwong, some areas have been unusually quiet like the Hummocks which should be firing right now and Rocky Island should have more Kingfish but for whatever reason they are a bit leaner.
For Salmon there’s been some great reports from Gunyah and Almonta beaches. Greenly beach also has been going ok for Salmon. The fish at Almonta have been reported to be up to 4kg which is excellent for this time of the year and alure fishing has been the best method. Some of the best lures to use have been the Jackson Metal Effects, Arma Flash Harry and Nuggets and then there are the Daiwa Saltiga Over There Stick Bait lures, these are all excellent lures and if you head out in the morning this has been the best time when there is less wind and more tide movement.
Port Lincoln
Starting with Squid you will find them off the jetties and boat ramps mostly in the mornings, just as it starts to get light and then late in the day again. You might get enough for a feed and the orange Yo-Zuri jigs have been one of the best jigs for Squid.
Whiting are still getting caught off of the town jetty and the main wharf and there is also Tommies, a few decent sized Salmon Trout, Snook and Garfish also. Snook are a good one especially at night around the wharf, Kirton Point and the town jetty and there are plenty there taking Daiwa Double clutches, Jackson G-Controls and blue bait also.
Boat fishers in the bays have been finding a few Squid, plenty of Garfish, Whiting, Tommies and good numbers of Snook. Most good areas have fish to some degree but the Boston Island - Grantham Island and the North Shore are the areas with the best reports. Blue Crabs just aren’t really on just yet but they are around and the best area has been in front of the Limani. Further down the coast Whiting are thick at Thistle Island and jumping all over the Vexed Micro Meat Jigs and the Z-Man plastic worms and we have had another big shipment of the worms, assist hooks and Jig heads if your after some. Taylors and Mclarens have also been good areas to catch a few Whiting.
Offshore fishing for Tuna has been pretty good, the Cabbage Patch so far has the biggest fish with Tuna to over 20kg caught here in recent weeks. The mornings have been the best time and then they have been going off the bite by 9.30-10.00am in the morning.
The new Halco laser pro in the Napalm colour and the Dirty Harry colour have been the best lures by far for the Tuna. Low Rocks has much smaller Tuna and the Neptunes should have some good fish there by now. Other fish reported have been Samson fish and Kingfish mostly all caught on JT jigs, big Nannygai and Blue Morwong caught on Vexed bottom meat jigs.
Salmon schools have been sighted along the Sleaford coast sometimes coming in casting distance and they almost always are followed by Bronze Whaler Sharks.
Tumby Bay
Most reports have come from the Group with Whiting the main target, there are some big ones there over 50cm and plenty in the 40cm range. Big Snook can be caught trolling Rapala X-rap10 lures fairly easily. Garfish are around Revesby Island and there are big Silver Trevally also around some of the islands here.
In closer there is Whiting, Snook, Garfish and Tommies on most of the inshore grounds along with a few Squid but they can be hard going. The jetty has had reports of rat Kingfish during the last few weeks, not many but they have been around some Squid and also Garfish.
Port Neill & Arno Bay
Yellowfin Whiting have been cruising around off of the beaches, they aren’t the numbers like they used to be but they are still there and can be caught on surface lures like the Jabbers honcho pencil stick bait and Daiwa slippery dogs are the go to lures that have been outstanding for the last few years.
Garfish are in good numbers of some the rock areas around Port Neill and also off of the jetty here. There have been a couple of good Flathead caught off of the beaches between Port Neill and Arno Bay, just by casting soft plastics around you can pick up one or two here and there.
Boat reports have been good for Whiting and Snook at both areas. At Cowell there’s plenty of Yellowfin Whiting around off of the beaches and King George Whiting are biting outside of the harbour. Blue Crabs are also on the move here with boat fishers finding some nice ones and also off of the jetty you can net a few there also.
This weeks photos are courtesy of:
Brad, Lisa, Jed and Charli: Visiting from the Northern Territory and enjoying the west coast, plenty of fish have been caught including Snook, Whiting, Squid and Tuna on the Jabbers Moxie Metals.
Ziggy Todd: Ziggy got his very first Tuna all by himself – not bad for a little tacka!
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TW Port Lincoln