Batemans Bay

BATEMANS BAY Anthony Stokman

Tuna season is how we keep warm throughout winter, and at the moment the current pushing up has bluefin in it. When you’re out in the open ocean, fishing for tuna on a sunny day, far away from it all, it’s bliss.

There are a few more luxuries you could add to make it next level and that is being in a boat with a cabin that keeps you dry, having an autopilot, a deckwash and a little Travel Buddy 12V thing is footwear or deck boots, because you want to keep your feet dry and warm. Henry Lloyd and Burke do great waterproof boots and Stoney Creek’s new shorter deck boots are extremely comfortable and waterproof.

So now you have dry feet, a warm body and a warm pie in one hand, and a hot drink in a vacuum flask (I use Yeti) in your other hand, living the life of a well decked out tuna angler. To finish this picture is some sashimi or tuna steak at the end of the day after a successful trip to sea.

July has been a fairly drummer off the stones and salmon off the beach. The drummer would take top honours because it’s the preferred table fish with its beautiful white flesh. And what also makes drummer such a great target species is that they’re plentiful and are fairly easy to hook – it’s just the catching part that can be difficult. If they are big then they fight hard and will have you buried in the rocks if your gear doesn’t have the stopping power. You need a semi-decent reel and most of all a decent rod. It doesn’t have to be an expensive rod, just something 9-11ft that

Louis and Charlotte were all smiles chasing winter salmon.

oven, or similar. As I get older, those little ovens are essential for me – I think they are a must for every boat if you want that extra bit of luxury when chasing tuna. When you’re out on a cool winter’s day trolling for tuna, there’s nothing better than a nice meat pie or hotdog with tomato sauce.

So now your boat is decked out, the next task is to deck out you. What can ruin your day when out fishing (especially if you’re chasing tuna) is getting wet and getting cold. The best thing for warmth is thermals, but not thin K-Mart thermals or other cheap and nasty ones that are ruined after the first wash. Land & Sea do a great thermal that is cheap and very effective, and there are other good brands out there too. When you’re wearing quality thermals, you’ll be feeling toasty from the moment you put them on in the morning until you get back late at night.

Staying dry and cutting the wind out requires decent wet weather gear, and good brands include Stormline, Burke, Desolve and Stoney Creek.

The other important consistent month in the last years gone by, and with bluefin making a good appearance at the beginning of June, let’s hope it’s a great month.

What’s also fairly consistent at this time of the year is snapper. If you are not out chasing tuna or taking advantage of slower currents and deep dropping out wide, then snapper in close might be the thing for you. Getting up and out at first light and trying plastics in close can get you the odd good fish. Then you can make your way out deeper as the sun comes up, looking for more schooled fish to put food on the table.

Inshore reef fishing through winter is fairly reliable, with the likes of morwong, pigfish, nannygai and flathead also available.

If you haven’t tried squidding from the boat, now is a good time to start. Focus your efforts over areas with weed beds or dark clear water near islands or headlands. If catching fish didn’t work out so well for you, then this is good back-up.

Perhaps the most reliable and targeted species throughout winter are has the reach and power to pull them out.

Using the right bait is also very important when drummer fishing. I recommend using cooked prawns or cunje for bait, and for berley mix bread and moist sand together and throw in a handful out every 10-15 minutes. The berley trail will get the fish active, and a bycatch of bream and groper is on the cards.

The other most consistent winter species, salmon, can be caught nearly everywhere – up the estuary, off headlands and particularly off the beaches. Most anglers love catching them with metals or weighted hardbodies such as little stickbaits. Not baiting, just casting and mixing up the retrieve speed a little bit of action to entice a bite. Still, in saying that, I don’t think we will see the old paternoster rig and ganged pilly with a surf popper die out to soon.

Mulloway are another fish worth targeting off our beaches at night around tide changes and either side of the moons.

What’s not so consistent through winter is the estuaries, but the upside is Rick Grintrell with an early start to bluefin season.

the lack of boat traffic at this time of year. If you have a day off midweek you can get the place all to yourself. This gives you the chance to really hone your lure work and hunt around the estuary looking to pull bream off oyster racks, flatties off sand flats, or maybe a whiting or a mulloway out of a hole or back of an eddy. You can focus on your lure choice by looking at different colours, depths and sizes, and you’ll have the peace and quiet to be able focus on your lure game.

One fish happy to take a lure is the estuary perch, and there are quite a few around at the moment. You’ll find them around all kinds of structure, under oyster racks, around submerged tress and rock walls or around boulders. Just remember to release them as they are in spawning mode and there’s a zero bag limit from 1 May to 31 August.

Squid fishing is getting more and more popular year by year, and winter is not a bad time for it because the water is clear and squid love clear water. Good locations include over weed beds, off boat ramps, over dark structure inside bays and some headlands. There’s a bit of debate about squid jig colours; they all work really, just don’t go for the cheap ones that fall apart or don’t sit well in the water. Alternatively, you can use the old squid jag where you feed a pillie over the spike and have that under a float. This can be dynamite at times, particularly at night when you’re using a float that is battery operated and lights up. The light brings the squid in.

As you can see, there’s plenty to do if you get your thermals on and get out there. • For more up-to-theminute information on what’s biting where, drop into Compleat Angler Batemans Bay and have a chat to Anthony or one of the other friendly staff. They’re located at 65A Orient St, Batemans Bay (02 4472 2559).