Sea temperatures are still warm

BERMAGUI Darren Redman djsxstreamfishing@bigpond.com

As we move into the cooler months, offshore water temperatures are still high and there are all sorts of fish species cruising our oceans. Some of the visitors we have had here this season are wahoo, dolphinfish (mahimahi), cobia and spearfish, along with mac and longtail tuna. These fish would show up regularly in years gone by but sadly over the past decade or two they have been absent. So, with these types of fish showing, are we in for a yellowfin tuna season of old? Well, let us hope so, as May used to be the best month for them.

Out around the Continental Shelf and beyond to the Canyons is where anglers should be concentrating their efforts. Trolling lures is one way of locating them. Once found, burley trails in conjunction with live baits, pilchards or cubes of fish will more often than not produce the goods. If the tuna are up on the surface chasing bait schools of mackerel or sauries, a more modern approach is casting stickbaits on heavy spin gear. This is growing in popularity and producing the goods.

Marlin are always an option at this time of year, and some large lures deployed or live baits in berley trails may produce one.

I have always said where there are tuna there are sharks, especially makos or blues, so keep some gear handy to handle them, or try specifically targeting them. There is something special about a big mako cartwheeling out of the water.

This month you can expect to find the kingfish on the chew up at Montague Island, as they have been consistent all season, with some larger fish showing in recent times. Mixing with them are bonito, which are partial to a well-presented live bait or lure.

For the bottom fishos there are plenty of options. Snapper are increasing all along the coast, with larger specimens occurring down out from Goalen Head right through to the Twelve Mile Reef. Mixing with them are the usual suspects like morwong, nannygai, perches and jackets. Over the sandy and muddy areas, flathead are still around in numbers, with the grounds south out from the Murrah and Cuttagee producing nice mixed bags of sand and tigers. Throw in an occasional gummy shark, and the evening banquet looks set.

Gummies are also featuring in catches along the beaches, with anglers encountering some small whalers as well. Salmon are the main fish being captured from the beaches. Tailor, bream, whiting and the