FISHING the coast during the last month has been a real test of patience.
Weather patterns have not been the nicest to the local fishermen but those who have taken the opportunity have been rewarded.
Onshore
HERRING are teeming along our shorelines and they are hungry. The good old plastic blob and straw tends to be the best bet for a feed of these tasty little fish.
There are huge skippy in most of the reef holes near shore and they are most active at dusk and dawn. King George whiting are starting to make more of a presence and there have been some whoppers caught just lately at our swimming beaches. Tailor and salmon are still caught every day where someone wets a line. Both these fish prefer a fresh mulie and if you do not catch one, you will catch the other. It is a real treat to have so many salmon still swimming along our shores as by now they are usually few and far between.
The apex predators that prey on all the aforementioned fish are really starting to bite. These predators include mulloway and yellowtail kingfish. The mulloway seem to be increasing in numbers and size, especially in the last two years. Years ago they were only caught every now and then but in recent times very large fish have been consistently caught and released at many of our beaches.
Offshore
THE offshore action has been pretty slow due to the few windows of opportunity to actually get out and get a decent day on the water.
Those who have found a chance have done really well. I could rattle on about what has been caught, but I will let the pictures do the talking.
Freediving
FREEDIVING from the shore has been made even harder with the thumping swell that relentlessly batters our shores in winter.
I did squeeze in a quick little freedive just before the end of cray season with two of my dive buddies. We swam out through a three-foot shore break on a 15 knott north erly wind, refusing to be beaten by the elements. However, the four-metre visibility made it very challenging to even find good reef, let alone crays. Sure enough, after three hours of swimming and long breath-holds we had a feed fit for kings. The old saying "fishing is wishing and diving is thriving" went well out the window on that last cray dive.
Sometimes fishing from the shore with a rod and reel is more fruitful than the quick shore dive, but it will never be as much fun.
Fishing competition
TO keep you entertained, Down South Camping & Outdoors will be running a fishing contest for adults and children during the school holidays.
Prizes will be awarded to those with the longest skippy; heaviest skippy; and largest skippy caught by a junior (under 14). The fish must be brought to the store to be weighed, measured and have a photo taken.
The competition will end Saturday, July 19 at 1pm. Prizes to be collected from store. For more information, contact us on 9758 8966.
Well until next month, safe fishing and freediving at our shores.
