By Jamie Coates
A WILD and windy taste of winter came to the Limestone Coast last week, which unfortunately affected the Port MacDonnell Tuna Competition.
There was a small window of opportunity for a handful of keen anglers to hit the water first thing on Saturday morning and they found the tuna straight away.
Brock McKinnon boated himself a tuna of just under 100kg in Impression and Tom Egan landed a nice 60kg fish on 15kg line on board Brojak.
There were some nice school tuna caught on light lines as well, which is an excellent effort in trying conditions.
There has been a handful of school shark caught down at Green and Danger Point by the boaties fishing down that way and keen junior Isla Taylor braved the weather and fished with mum and dad inside the breakwater, boating some nice whiting.
The weather from Thursday onwards looks to be settling just nicely, so I am excited to see what is caught.
The inshore fishing has been a little slower this week largely thanks to the weather but as soon as we see a settle down, I have no doubt the whiting and snapper will kick on for their last hurrah of the season.
The stir will put a bit of colour back in the water and that is just what the whiting and snapper need.
With the dirty water, the sharks are always going to be about and this time of year is when we see some of the bigger schoolies turn up in good numbers.
It is not uncommon to see fish down there over 20kg and even as big as 30kg.
There is no secret spot – I just like to find an area around the kelp with some nice broken bottom, a bit of reef or a gravel bed, something that looks fishy on the sounder is always a good start.
Keep the burley flowing and they will turn up.
The garfish this week have been sensational for shore-based anglers and with the wind earlier in the week coming from the North for the majority of time, the fishing was red hot.
Cape Douglas and Nene Valley were the pick of spots but I did hear of some nice fish from Livingstons Bay and Pelican Point too.
Salmon fishos have loved this run of rough weather.
The big seas push the fish closer to shore and with a northerly wind blowing over your shoulder, the average fisho can cast his lures for miles.
The Beachport salmon hole has produced the most fish this week, with good numbers and good size but I also know of fish along Canunda, Carpenter Rocks, Piccininni Beach and Nobles Rocks.
Lures are the best bet when there are big concentrations of fish.
If they are a bit more spread out, half a pilchard or strip of squid is dynamite.
There have been a few shark after dark for the anglers who fish on – just take a slab off a fresh salmon and send it back out and you are in with a shot.
The Glenelg River has been hot and cold this week.
Some anglers have found good numbers of fish and others are doing it tough.
Live mullet are still the pick of the bunch when it comes to chasing mulloway, so if you can get your hands on a few, you are in with a good shot.
The area this week seems to be from Simpsons through to the bottom border.
Bream and perch have been good this week, with plenty of both species taken on a mixture of baits and lures.
There is no special spot – they are spread right out.
The forecast for the end of the week looks to be settling down nicely.
I reckon we will see plenty caught and plenty of anglers heading out for a fish.
Until next week, safe fishing.
