By Jamie Coates
A WET and wild weekend across the Limestone Coast kept all but the keenest of anglers inside by the fire.
Those who did get out and onto the water did find some nice fish, which is great to see.
The offshore guys are still getting stuck into the barrel tuna when the weather allows and we are still seeing a great mix of sizes.
Port MacDonnell Fishing Charters and Extreme Marine Charters put their clients onto some cracking catches this week and with fish ranging from 10-15kg, all the way through to big examples, anywhere from 60-120kg plus.
We have seen fish on both bait and lures this week again, so if you are prepared out there and do snag some live bait, that is definitely a great way to get into the tuna.
We have not really had weather suitable for bottom bouncing for a little while, so when the conditions do finally settle enough to get back out there, I have no doubt the sharks and other bottom fish are going to be hungry.
The surf guys have been stuck into the salmon this week right along the coast and between lures and bait, everyone seems to be in on the action.
Fishos in Carpenter Rocks flicking baits have done well and found some nice fish to a couple of kilo, though most have been around that 1-1.5kg mark.
Half a pilchard or a strip of squid is excellent for the bait fishos down there, or the lure guys are sticking with their 35-65g metal baitfish lures.
Canunda is fishing well for those who are up for the drive and l know I remind fishos every year, but keep an eye out on the track through there for the big waterholes.
They might not look real deep but some of them will go well up over the bonnet and it is not much fun being towed out of there.
The Beachport salmon hole has been fairly productive again this week but from most reports I have heard, the beach in there is almost completely gone with the massive swell and big tides washing right up to the dunes.
However, the fish are co-operating when anglers do get in there, so it is always worth a crack.
The shallow bays have fished well for mullet and gar for waders and boaties this week and it does not seem to be any particular bay that is fishing better than another.
The usual hot spots such as Cape Douglas and Livingstons have been tricky to fish in the weather but other areas like Bucks Bay, Hutt Bay and Pelican Point have been quite good.
The gar seem to be those typical winter examples – a bit chunkier and better condition than some of our summer fish – so getting only half a dozen or so is still a nice feed.
The mullet are sometimes patchy when you first start fishing but once the burley does its thing, the water sometimes goes black with fish.
A few anglers who have been trying to escape the winds off the coast have opted for an inland option in recent weeks.
There are several small lakes through Victoria that are stocked with trout.
Ess Lagoon in Casterton, Coleraine Lake and many others not far away are always worth a look.
There are plenty of lakes and swamps about that are full of redfin and although they might not be as prolific as in summer time, there is still some nice fish to be caught.
Some fishos also like to go for a walk along the upper stretches of the Glenelg River and fish soft plastics or hard bodies in areas that are rarely fished.
There are bream, perch, trout and redfin up there and you never know, you might find a bass too.
If that sort of fishing sounds a bit like you, get in quick before the river gets too muddy.
While we are speaking of the river, there have been some nice bream caught this week.
My young bloke Finn and I caught a dozen or so fish to 38cm at Simpsons Boat ramp on Wednesday evening and plenty of mullet too.
The bream have been very spread out at the moment, from the sand flats of the estuary to the upper reaches along the snags and rock walls, they have been all over.
If you pull up in a spot and have not had much luck, keep on moving and you will find them somewhere.
The mulloway news has been a bit light on again this week but I have seen a couple of reasonable fish boated in the Taylor’s Straight area, on both live baits and soft plastics.
So the fish are there, we just have to put something in front of their faces for them to eat.
The forecast for the upcoming week is both breezy and swelly, so salmon spinning off the beach, or the inland or river options might be the best bet.
Until next week, safe fishing.
