Ocean Hut Compleat Angler fishing report: braving the cold
I reckon in this bitter cold time of year, in and out of the water, there are only three reasons you would get up early to endure the sport of fishing.
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No 1: you don't have nerves, therefore you can't feel the cold.
No 2: you’re at that stage in your relationship, that staying home with your loved one only means work around the house, or as they like to call it "quality time together".
Or No 3: Your just simply a "Mad Keen" fisho that is willing to endure the harshest of environments to fulfil your passion of fishing, no matter how severe the conditions. So for those who have no boundaries or lines drawn in the sand, here is your weekly fishing report.
The big blue: It's been a tough playing field in this arena, for most way out wide canyon ventures chasing tuna have seen more dot days then Shane Warne in his heyday.
Only a handful of boats can claim fame to actually succeeding in finding these somewhat elusive bluefin, and it's the local service stations who are the real winners, fist pumping the air as the fish caught have been 50km out and beyond.
Yep I reckon a floating service station with hot food, around the Montague Seamounts is not such a silly idea.
The guys that have had most success, reckon trolling is best, with skirted lures around the 6-8" mark doing most of the damage.
Multiple hook-ups are not uncommon when fish are finally found, so it is a great idea to start a cube trail to try and keep the fish boat side.
Hopefully over the next few weeks we will see an increase in numbers and success stories.
In and around the fish magnet they call Montague Island, the water gets seemingly colder every day, actually by the time you finish reading this report, it will have dropped another 2 degrees.
Only a couple of weeks ago we still had 18 degree water, which was housing a few kingfish and bonito, but as the temperature has started heading south of 15 degrees, one can only assume the kingfish season is all but done and dusted.
Let’s face facts, we are most definitely in the less desirable months of the year, but with a bit of extra effort, a feed for the family can be obtained.
Snapper and other tasty reef dwelling species such as trevally, mowies and long finned perch are still playing the game at present.
Although mostly small, there is enough good ones amongst them to persist with the game.
The NE corner of Montague, Brou, and Potato Point reefs are all good areas to concentrate your efforts, and if current and wind conditions allow then set up shop with your anchor and get the burley flowing.
With daily specials such as "pilchard cubes", always a market favourite, you can't go wrong.
With the wild westerlies of late a lot of ocean goers have chosen to hang in close fishing from their bath tubs for the tasty, finger licking flathead.
This has proven to be a successful venture, as most if not all that try, will come home thumbs up, and a show bag full of tasty fillets.
Squid seems to be the bait of choice in this part of the pool, and just for kicks try a soft plastic on the top hook of your paternoster rig.
It will surprise you how well it will work on the fussy flathead that don't want to leave their sand doonas.
A good place to start you search is from the 25-30m mark and see what happens from there.
Also has been some nice tiger flathead caught between the 40-50m mark, but remember in westerly winds the further you go out the stronger it gets so try to find a happy medium. The secret is a slow and steady drift, especially when the water is cold.
Rock and beach: Out of all the fishing arenas, this one is more like a Bruce Willis action packed movie, as the migrating salmon and tailor are providing many hours of entertainment for those who like sand between the toes. Local sand sheriff and deputy, otherwise known as Wazza and Fitzy, have been running amuck along our golden shorelines, cleaning up ever wayward salmon and tailor that dare set fin in a gutter.
The lads have been that successful, it's now in a trial period of becoming an Olympic sport.
So an Australian team has been formed to compete against Olympic traditionalist, the "Greeks"!, to test its Olympic worthiness.
Well it may never make the Olympics, but there is a highly regarded trophy that is yet to be named.
I will keep you up to date over the coming weeks of the results. Come on lads "Aussie Aussie Aussie"!
But in all seriousness, the salmon fishing on the beaches at present is second to none, and if you’re looking to cast your winter blues away, then this is the arena for you.
No rocket science needed here folks, just find a beach with a half decent gutter on it, set up camp around two hours before the top of the tide, (which is currently the perfect time of day around dusk and dawn) load up your weapon with a paternoster rig, which should consist of a pilchard on a gang hook on the bottom and a surf popper on top.
Try green for Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays, red for Saturdays and Sundays and blue for Tuesdays and Thursdays.
If bait isn't your thing then a metal lure around 25-40gms will get the job done.
A soft plastic from 3-5" on about a 20-gram jig head will also suffice, where white is my favourite colour here and can be used every day of the week.
In general the best time to try for these wave riding acrobats is an hour up to the top of the tide, and the first hour run down.
Not to be left out, the rock hoppers are having good success on bream, drummer and luderick around the washes.
Best baits for these rock dwellers will be cunjevoi, mullet gut and cabbage.
The secret for these guys is they like the white stuff, so if you’re fishing where it is calm waters, your semi wasting your time.
Never ever put your life at risk, but generally when the conditions are right, your feet may get wet.
It’s a good idea to wear a life jacket when fishing from the stones, and if you can't swim then you shouldn't even attempt it, full stop.
Rivers, lakes and inlets: There is currently a reward being offered to anyone who can find an inland waterway with a water temperature above 12 degrees.
Most of our estuaries seem to be more comparative to the Bondi Icebergs swimming pool, rather than the fishing havens they will become in the warmer months.
The going at present is tough to say the least and I can’t even point out one particular estuary that is fishing better than the others, it seems to be a frustrating slog in all the above.
But if you’re like me, then a day on the water is good for the soul, and fish are only a bonus.
No need to slit the wrists just yet, for if you put in your "A" game, a feed for the table is assured.
If you’re a true dinky di bait soaker then the extra effort of obtaining live bait such as nippers, worms, and live poddies, will undoubtedly be your trump card.
For the artificial anglers that are the lured by the lure, then snail pace is about the maximum speed you will need to get your best results.
Going around the grounds let’s start with Wagonga Inlet, which still has truckloads of bait in the rear end around the power lines.
So if you persist with the bait in this area, then at some stage, generally around a tide change something will happen.
There are still assorted species to be sort here such as tailor, salmon, trevally, flathead, flounder, bream, and snapper.
You may not get many but a nice assortment looks good on the table. Tuross seems to be fishing best around the mid-section in 4-ways and Horse Island, where bream, flathead, trevally, and tailor can be sourced. The unfortunate downside of Tuross is the cold water from up the top of the river is flowing right through and is stronger than most incoming tides.
So lower high tides never get anywhere make the lake a one-way tide most of the day, and it's cold.
A few bream, flathead, luderick and tailor are coming from Wallaga Lake at present, but again you'll work hard for your tucker.
Corunna Lake was 6-7 degrees and a watery desert, but has recently opened to the sea.
So with warmer water pushing in on the incoming tides it may well be worth a look towards the front of the lake.
No real reports coming from Mummaga Lake but a betting man would think an incoming tide around the two drop offs would be a good place to haunt, as well as the mud flats up the back after the sun has warmed the mud.
Hope you all have a fantastically awesome weeks fishing!
- Cheers Darren “Dash” Bowater
Bermi Bait & Tackle report
Scotty at Bermi Bait & Tackle on Sunday reported that local Choppy landed some quality snapper over the weekend. Blue Yonda landed one of the only Bluefin he heard of on Saturday.
The SST has fallen apart on us so back to seeing odd stray fish come in and little more for now. Longliners are doing alright east of Broulee but 60-70nm out.
Narooma Sport and Game Fishing Club
NOT much to report this week, but members please note with the new competition you can enter your fish from anywhere in Australia.
You don’t have to send in photos just the type of fish, how big and where caught. If you do send photos, interesting stories with them would be appreciated.
The presentation night is on the horizon, Saturday, August 22, and our AGM is also on that evening.
Please consider coming to both and applauding the members that fished hard throughout the year.
New committee time again, so if you’re interested in climbing aboard let it be known please, you’re very welcome.
As usual the Narooma Sport and Game Fishing Club rooms, situated on the inlet near the restaurants, will be open for fish stories, drinks and snacks from 4pm till 9pm on Friday.
Visitors are most welcome to come along and have a chat with the members.
Don’t forget end of the month dinner night at the club so bring your bangers, your steak or even fish if you have some, play some darts or just have a drink and a chat with like-minded friends.
- Jan Hemmingsen