By Jamie Coates
Wind and swell was the forecast for the weekend at Port MacDonnell and didn’t they nail it.
Almost everyone hoping to head offshore was kept home, or sent somewhere else, but it was not all bad.
We still had some great fish caught right around the South East.
The offshore news when the weather allows is still red hot.
The barrel fishing this year has been on fire and we have seen some nice fish.
The local charter boats are doing a top job of getting their clients onto the fish of a lifetime,.
Be it the thrill of watching a big fish smash a lure off the surface, or watching one eat your bait at the side of the boat, it really is an addictive feeling.
Most of the fish have been between 80kg and 120kg, but last week Jase Fulham from Port Mac Fishing Charters put his clients onto a monster that went 139kg, one of the biggest this season.
It would not surprise me if there is even bigger out there too.
In bottom fishing news, when the sea allows, it is excellent.
Shark, nannygai, flathead and snapper just to name a few, have been excellent.
Anywhere from 50m through to 100-plus metres has been great – just keep the sounder on, find some good bottom and you are in with a chance.
The anglers fishing the beach have done pretty well on the salmon, with some nice fish coming from Canunda again.
It is a bit of a drive through there, slow and bumpy going, but if you make a bit of a day of it and are not in a rush, it is great fun and a productive place to fish.
Bait has been the go again this week through that area and while the numbers are still scattered, it will probably continue to outperform.
The Beachport salmon hole has seen some reasonable fish this week, with a few up over that kilo mark.
Numbers in the salmon hole fluctuate based on the weather conditions – rougher weather will almost always translate to more fish in the hole, it is never guaranteed, but definitely helps.
There have been a couple more shark caught this week from the beach.
While they are no monsters by any means, a feed of fresh flake is never a bad thing.
Browns Beach back through to Piccininni has been the most reliable, so I would try that area.
Garfish numbers have been good again this week for most, with the boaties back on the water late last week.
Cape Douglas and Livingstons have been as reliable as ever, with a good run of solid fish through the last couple of weeks.
Waders and land-based anglers have done fairly well this week in Blackfellows Caves, Pelican Point and even Bucks Bay, but like I have mentioned in the past, any protected water in the South East would be worth a look – get the burley going and see what comes around.
Just when I think the whiting are done and dusted for the season, reports come flooding through of good solid fish and in good numbers.
There seems to be no secret spots, but I have heard of fish from Carpenter Rocks and Pelican Point, through to Port MacDonnell breakwater and even further east.
With the stirred up sea and the fishable conditions, it should not come as a surprise.
There are still a few snapper in around the kelp beds and similar areas to where the whiting have been caught, so do not be surprised if you snag a couple of them too.
The Glenelg River has produced some nice bream and perch over the last week or so.
One crew I spoke to had a serious session late last week, boating nearly 50 perch on lures over the two days, the biggest at 47cm and all caught below Donovans. The bream have been on the chew this last week too.
Some nice fish have been caught along the length of the river and a mixture of baits and lures have both been doing the trick.
Lures of choice at the moment have been the Powerbait 3 inch nemesis in the ever-reliable cappuccino colour, or the Zman 2.5 inch motor oil grub.
Mulloway news has been a bit light on this week, but a handful of reasonable fish have been boated.
Fish to 90cm have been landed in the Donovans through to Sandy Waterhole area and the best baits at the moment seem to still be squid and pilchards.
I have not heard much from down in Nelson or around the mouth this week, but as always, it has to be worth a crack.
The forecast for the coming weekend looks like its gonna will be another river weekend, with big seas and some strong winds expected.
There are plenty of inland options, so do not let the weather put you off.
Until next week, safe fishing.
