Jamie Coates
FINE and fishable weather across the Limestone Coast on weekend saw plenty of anglers make the most of it and hit the water.
The big tuna news may have slowed down off Port MacDonnell but it is just getting started in Portland.
Fish to 140kg have been boated over the weekend, although most seem to be those mid-sized fish from 70kg through to 90kg.
The fish are spread out down there – anywhere from just at the back of Lawrence Rocks through to Cape Bridgewater have been the go-to areas but watch the sounder, keep an eye on the birds and watch for bait – you can not go too far wrong.
Locally off Port MacDonnell, there have not been many reports of fish landed but I do know of a couple that were lost.
The fish are still here – we just do not have the volume of boats chasing them.
The bottom fishing has been excellent again this week.
There is no shortage of sharks in the 50-100m depth range, with some crackers over 20kg caught again.
There has also been some nice snapper caught out in the 100m depth.
Throw in the odd flathead, knifejaw and nannygai and you have a ripper day out.
The Port MacDonnell Angling Club has its AGM coming up on Sunday, August 28 at 11am down at the clubrooms.
All members are encouraged to attend and stick around for a barbecue afterwards.
The surf fishing over the past week has been decent considering the time of year.
I have heard of some more nice fish from the Coorong this week and at the moment it appears the upper reaches seem to be the most productive.
The 42 Mile has been the most spoken about from what I have heard, although some have drifted down to the 28, or up around Tea Tree.
Keep an eye on the beach and the water, as we know it can change in a hurry up there and you do not want to get stuck on that beach.
Locally we have seen some reasonable salmon catches from Carpenter Rocks and through Canunda NP.
The size has been all over the shop this week – from over-enthusiastic salmon trout eating a lure half the size of them, to fish nudging the 3kg mark – we have seen it all.
We are also seeing a good mix of methods doing the damage.
Flicking a lure has been good in certain times and at certain areas, while the bait fishos have almost always found good numbers.
I know I mention it every year, but it is worth the refresher – the Canunda NP waterholes on the track.
They are big, they are deep and they are not much fun to be stuck in.
Pick the high line, get up and around them and you will be a lot better off.
There has been plenty of chat about garfish again this week.
I have seen some cracking bags of fish landed over the weekend and it looks like the size and numbers are just about as good as I have seen.
They are spread out which is encouraging, so we will not see anglers fishing in each other’s pockets.
The Port MacDonnell breakwater, Petrified Forrest, Hutt Bay, Cape Douglas and Livingstons Bay have all been very productive this week and most offer options for boaties and landbased fishos, so they are a few good places to start.
As per the last few reports, the usual by-catch species such as mullet, tommy ruff and salmon trout are still out and about.
I have heard of a few trevally, a whiting and a big sea bream this week, so you never know what might come along.
The Glenelg River has produced some lovely bream and estuary perch over the last week.
Fish of both species well over 40cm have been caught, with most of those being taken on soft plastics.
Shane Murrell had a day out on Saturday afternoon, catching and releasing some beauties in the Reed Bed area on three-inch soft plastics.
The bait fishos have been finding some nice fish on cut crab, whitebait and prawn and the bulk of the fish have been from Dry Creek and down stream.
The sand flats of the estuary are fishing well for the bream guys and although the water is still clean, live podworms are working well already.
I have not heard any mulloway news from the weekend yet but those who did get down are still reporting plenty on the sounder.
The forecast for the coming weekend looks sensational, with light winds, easing seas and the new moon on Saturday night.
I think this weekend will see plenty of anglers hit the water.
Until next week, safe fishing.
