Mount Gambier

A sensational weekend of weather saw plenty of fishos hit the water and try their luck over the last few days, and with flat seas, calm winds and rising temperatures, everything is lining up and looking good. There was plenty of fish caught over the weekend, so let’s get stuck into it!

The offshore fishos made the most of the weather dropping off and headed out for a fish. A few boats went wide over the shelf over the weekend and found some good fish. Tyson from Want To Fish charters managed to boat some nice blue eye trevalla out there, along with a few other tasty bottom critters. In a bit closer, that 100mt – 150mt mark we did see some ripper shark caught, both school and gummy shark included, plus Ben and Hugh Johnstone also landed a cracking tassie trumpeter too. closer again in that 40mt through to 90mt mark, the shark had a chew too, with gummies, schoolies and even a couple of makos also popping up. Jiggers did well chasing the nannygai over the weekend too, drifting along in anywhere from 40mt and beyond over heavy bottom was the key, just keep on the move until you find a patch, then keep working that area seems to be the key.

Surf fishos have found excellent numbers of snapper again this week. fishing from the sand for snapper is excellent fun, and quite accessible to most anglers. Plenty of the productive areas are accessible by a 2wd family car, and you don’t need any flash gear, just a long-ish rod for casting distance and you should be well in the game. Piccininni Beach, Paradise, Browns Bay, Nene Valley and Carpenter Rocks are all fairly consistently producing fish, so I’d definitely be starting at one of those places. A simple paternoster is still the rig of choice for most, a sinker down the bottom, be that a star or wire style, and a pair of circle hooks on the droppers. Baits can be anything from pilchard to squid, fish fillet or even prawns, but something tough enough to stand up to the cast is best. It’s not only snapper that are out and about at the moment, shark have been caught, along with salmon, whiting, and some hefty silver trevally too.

In around the kelp beds, boaties are finding their fair share of snapper this week. I’m hearing of some absolute rippers at the moment too, fish just nudging the 80cm mark are cruising about, but so many of those great 50cm – 60cm fish that we love to see. The whiting mixed in with the snapper are equally as impressive, I’ve already seen a handful of those thumper 50cm+ fish this season, and its only going to get better and better. Cray’s on the rod when snapper fishing are always a very welcome bycatch, and I know of a few great fish over 2kg already landed on the rods.

Garfish numbers have been decent once again, the calm weather saw plenty of waders and boaties take the opportunity and hit the water. Cape Douglas, Livingstons Bay and Pelican Point have been reliable areas, but the Petrified Forrest, Port Mac Breakwater and Racecourse Bay are also areas where I’d have a crack. The bycatch are still thick, the salmon, tommies and silver trevally are in good numbers and pretty good size, I’m also hearing of the odd whiting too who’s taken a liking to a bunch of gents under a float.

Speaking of which, haven’t we had a belter start to our whiting season! The size and numbers of whiting caught along the Limestone Coast so far just keeps continuing to impress. From the boats or the beach, there are plenty of easily accessible options for all. If the landbased fishing is more your thing, the Port Mac jetty, Nene Valley or Blackfellows Caves are worth a crack. If the boat is more your thing, Beachport, Carpenter Rocks, Cape Douglas and Port Mac are areas well worth a crack. Sometimes they can be tricky, but keep on the move and you should find yourself with a feed in no time.

Inland we’re still seeing some very nice fish from Rocklands Reservoir. Cod and yellas are the target for most, and some beautiful samples of both have been caught. Spinner and chatterbaits have both been red-hot lately, as have natural coloured soft plastics. Redfin in good numbers are also in the lake, and they’ve been taking the baits and lures destined for the others!

The Glenelg is still fishing well this week. I’ve seen some nice bream and perch again, and on a mixture of lures and baits too. Up river around the Wilsons Hall and Sapling Creek area I’m hearing of some very nice bream in the snags, and the perch numbers up there are excellent. The perch aren’t as big and you have to fish through the small ones, but there are some good ones amongst them. Down lower, mulloway news is scattered. There are fish there and I’ve heard of a couple of smaller but legal fish caught, but we really haven’t seen them fire up just yet. The bream have been in good nick this week, Zak Linnell and Jeremy Briggs found some rippers along Taylors Straight, and on a mixture of lures too.

The forecast for the weekend is a bit breezy, and it looks like the swell is set to pick up early next week to around 5mt, so keep an eye on the sea, lucky we’ve got plenty of other options if it does look a bit iffy.

Until next week, safe fishing!

Coatsy.