Tuna now seem to Have been spread right out along the west coast right now from Port Lincoln and up to Elliston. No doubt they will be much further west also, we have even had reports of Albacore caught out from Coffin Bay, something not caught much along the west coast, but surprise fish do turn up from time to time.
There’s also plenty of other fish around with Garfish and Whiting in really good numbers right now.
Here’s what has been caught over the past week.
Elliston
Offshore there’s Tuna and Nannygai which has been the main reported fish from the offshore grounds and plenty of them. Tuna seem to be around the 10-12kg from reports so far, there are going to be plenty of other good fish out there like Kingfish, Samsons, Sharks, Blue Morwong and other reef fish. The grounds of Streaky and Ceduna will be much the same with excellent fishing on offer.
Salmon are hit anf miss from the surf beaches but they should be around from most beaches in the area. Mulloway fishing on the beaches west of Ceduna has been hot and cold, if you get the weather right, the fishing has been excellent and there are some big fish on the beaches. Sharks, Salmon, Snapper and Taylor have all been reported if the Mulloway aren’t biting.
Coffin Bay
There’s plenty of good fishing on offer in the bays right now with all the usuals for this time of the year on the bite. Whiting, Tommies, Garfish, Snook and Salmon Trout are all there and fairly easy to get a bite out of, boat fishers and land-based fishers can all easily find these fish and a little bit of burley will help to bring the fish in. There’s also the odd small Bronze Whaler cruising around also with Dutton Bay, a good spot for them. Farm Beach is easy fishing for Whiting with plenty around there. There are many more fishers now trying out soft plastics and Vexed Micro Meat jigs for Whiting now with a bag limit 5 fish and many are finding this kind of fishing quite addictive, the Z-Man worms have been great and there are also plenty of 2inch and 2.5inch soft plastic grubs that also work so well for Whiting. if you want to know more all the staff at the shop will be able to give a run down.
Garfish are also high on the list with many fishers now catching their Whiting and then switching over to Garfish and there is plenty around of Farm Beach. Snook, Tommies, Salmon Trout, the odd Flathead and also Gummy and Bronze Whaler Sharks are also swimming around in this area and all willing to take a bait.
Offshore the Tuna have been the main news with Kruse Rocks and the Hummocks the main hot spots so far but by now most of the main Tuna areas should now have Tuna, they are mixed in size from 3-12kg from reports and pictures we have seen so far. Kingfish and Samsons are also good in some areas and all mostly caught on JT jigs, these jigs are excellent for these fish. Nannygai, Blue Morwong and plenty of different kinds of Sharks of all sizes are all out there.
Port Lincoln
There’s been some great reports from the main wharf this week and many kids have been teased by the school of Tuna swimming around the jetty but not willing to take a bait. There’s
been some good Whiting fishing here with some good catches of fish up to 36cm here. Garfish, Tommies and Snook can also be caught here, the rat Kingfish seem to have moved into the marina and there’s fish here to 80cm and there’s been a school of rat Kings also roaming around Kirton Point and they might be making appearances at the carvan park jetty from time to time.
Boat fishers are having no trouble finding Garfish, Whiting, Snook and Tommies and they can be found right throughout the bays. Rat Kingfish may also show up so you might want to have something onboard just in case. There are Squid around, but we aren’t hearing of any big numbers but worth a try for a few here and there.
Further down the coast there’s plenty of good fishing with no shortage of Whiting. Carcase, McLarens, Taylors, Grindal and Thistle Island are all loaded from what we have been hearing and some areas have big fish to 50cm. Garfish are good in some areas here and also Squid are in better numbers down this way.
Offshore the Tuna are in full swing at the Cabbage Patch, there’s some at Ligueana Island and would most likely be elsewhere also, these are mixed sized fish between 3-12kg also like Coffin Bay. There are also Kingfish mixed in the Tuna here mostly rat sized fish but odd bigger fish 100cm plus are there. Buku 5inch Tuna Skirts and Halco Laser Pros in the Dirty Harry, Napalm and TNT Colours have been excellent on these early season fish.
Nannygai and some big ones have also been excellent on some of drops out there. Salmon fishing has dropped off in the national park but there are a few schools of fish here and there, still well worth giving it ago if Salmon fishing is your thing.
Tumby Bay/Port Neill/Arno Bay
With harvest in full swing, fishing news from this area has been much quieter than usual, there’s plenty of fish in these areas with Whiting, Garfish, Snook, Tommies and Snook the main reported catch from here in recent weeks. Squid also are in better numbers compared with Port Lincoln but not what they used to be like. The Group of Tumby has been the best area with plenty of fish. Sharks like Hammerheads and Bronze Whalers have been fairly common and not too hard to find once you get a burley trail going and there has also been Gummy Sharks for bottom fishers.
This weeks photos are courtesy of:
Jake McLeod: A small Bronzer Whaler Shark caught at Coffin Bay.
Lucas Monfries, Otto Schutz, Shadley Coffin & Jayden Tonkin: a session at the wharf with a nice Flathead caught.
TW Port Lincoln Team
