Fishing Monthly Magazine | January 2023

Page 111

WA

South Coast

Whiting are warming up AUGUSTA

Anthony Gillam

Before we knew it spring had come and gone with the first glimpses of summer showing through with a succession of distinctly warmer days. It reminded us that the Christmas

the jetties or down on the beaches. They love glass shrimps and cockles, but the most exciting way to catch them in my opinion is by surface popping small lures on light lines using polarised lens sunglasses during the bright summer days. After the rains of spring dry up and the river levels

species. It is not unusual to observe schools of hundreds of fish swimming furiously through deep narrow channels and out onto the sand flats that are only covered by 20cm deep water. This is where the excitement of sight fishing really takes hold. Any fish that whacks the lure is an adrenalin rush

advantage of the generous bag limits. On multiple occasions people have been witnessed not only taking a full allocation but taking their catch to their home before bagging out again in contravention of the regulations. These greedy behaviours are from a previous generation of fishing and have no place in this day and age. Don’t be afraid to report illegal actions to the Department of Fisheries as we all lose if bag limits are reduced further or as with demersal fishing, massive closures are proposed. With a demersal fishing ban in place of an indeterminate length it has meant that ocean fishing has consisted mainly of sand whiting chasing across the sandy bottom of Flinders and Hamelin Bays with only a

The author bagged a nice catch of King George whiting in the Hardy Inlet in a kayak.

The old Town Jetty is a prime yellowfin whiting spot, day or night, and a pretty good view as well. holidays were imminent and with that the sudden influx of holiday-makers that keep the town alive. The warmer weather also signals the run of yellowfin whiting as they travel down the Hardy Inlet and out into Flinders Bay feeding ravenously along the way. It is not unusual to bag out on them while fishing at From page 114

undesirables at bay. Even though their numbers are through the roof, remember to stick to bag and size limits and only take what you need to ensure the crab population for the future.

drop it creates some excellent shallow flats throughout the system where it is possible to target the schools of passing whiting from small watercraft or walking the shallow flats. Anywhere from The Sticks through the Deadwater and out of the cut at Colourpatch, provides the perfect environment for targeting this delicious • Get out there and enjoy the sunshine and if you’re having any issues with your gear or techniques or just need some advice come in and see the boys at Whiteys Tackle and Camping they have a wealth of local knowledge that they are always happy to share.

but with plenty of 30cm+ whiting around the action can be absolutely hectic. If you are more into sedate fishing experiences; jetty fishing at night is probably more up your alley. Yellowfin whiting are just as active during the night as they are during the day but the technique is a bit simpler. Most people will use a small scoop net to catch glass shrimps around the rocks and reeds feeding a few of them on a small

Early morning at the Turner Street Jetty bodes well for a great day fishing in the Hardy Inlet.

Rock fishing for late spring skippy often results in a feed of fish around this size.

Grant Teede knows how to tempt a whiting.

sized long shank hook. These wriggling critters are cast out and the line slowly retrieved to be smashed by a frenzy of fish fighting over who will win out. Unfortunately, the fact that they are in such good numbers has created the situation where people take

few other boaties out chasing yellowtail kingfish or samsonfish by trolling lures around the rocky outcrops, reef and the islands. Catch reports have been scarce with most people using the time to do boat maintenance or land-based fishing. Black bream are again

on the move showing up right down the inlet into the Deadwater, Ellis Street Jetty and East Augusta. Plenty of legal sized fish can be found mooching around the shallows from town all the way up to the brackish water of Alexandra Bridge. They are not too fussy with what they eat either with fish caught on soft plastics, hard bodied lures, prawns and chicken pieces. It pays to move around if boat fishing as some areas seem to be inundated with small juveniles that become annoying bait thieves. Beach fishers had some really good weather to wet a line, especially after a few days of rough seas where the fish seem to become hungrier. Plenty of sand whiting have been caught on all the beaches with large herring and skippy also making an appearance. Best baits have been squid strips, river prawns and cockles. Rock fishing suffered from having lots of rain and wind around but when the

calm days arrived there was no shortage of fish to be had. Herring, skippy and King George whiting continued to make their presence felt. Horseshoe leatherjackets continue to steal baits but if you work them out and catch a couple, they make an excellent meal. Berley the fish for a while and it will pay off in a much better catch. • Rock fishing is dangerous at times and careful consideration of where and when you fish must be done. Unpredictable weather can quickly affect the fishing conditions and slippery rocks are a recipe for disaster. Please remain vigilant when rock fishing; wear a life jacket and tie off to something solid. You can hire one for free from Augusta Xtreme Outdoor Sports at 66 Blackwood Avenue Augusta -the local tackle shop and font of all local fishing knowledge. Look for the big green sign on the roof, it’s right next to the BP Service Station in the centre of town. JANUARY 2023

111


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Articles inside

Boat Test: Edencraft 6m Offshore

10min
pages 122-128

Freshwater

7min
pages 118-119

Exmouth

5min
page 117

Karratha

4min
page 116

Mandurah

6min
page 113

Lancelin

3min
page 114

Kalbarri

5min
page 115

Metro

4min
page 112

Augusta

5min
page 111

Tournaments

21min
pages 105-109

Victorian Angler Diaries

7min
page 104

Hobart

5min
page 103

Offshore

7min
page 102

Eildon

3min
page 100

Crater Lakes

6min
page 99

Ballarat

3min
page 98

Bendigo

7min
page 96

Wangaratta

4min
page 95

Gippsland Lakes

5min
page 90

Phillip Island

7min
page 89

Port Phillip East

5min
pages 86-87

Port Phillip West

4min
page 88

New England Rivers

5min
page 79

Canberra

4min
page 80

Hunter Valley

5min
page 78

Batlow

5min
page 77

Albany/Wodonga

3min
page 76

Batemans Bay

6min
page 73

Illawarra

8min
page 72

Central Coast

4min
page 70

Port Stephens

5min
page 69

Swansea

6min
page 71

Coffs Coast

5min
pages 66-67

Forster

4min
page 68

Sydney South

5min
pages 62-63

Testing Booth: Tackle Tactics

10min
pages 56-57

Freshwater

14min
pages 48-49

Cape York

6min
pages 44-47

Mackay

5min
pages 34-35

Cooktown

4min
pages 42-43

Kayak: Budds Beach

11min
pages 50-52

Sheik of the Creek

3min
pages 53-55

Bundaberg

6min
pages 32-33

Noosa

5min
pages 30-31

Southern Bay

3min
pages 24-25

REGULAR FEATURES What’s luck got to do with it?

13min
pages 8-11

Jumpinpin

3min
pages 22-23

Starlo: snapper on plastics

4min
pages 12-15

QUEENSLAND The Tweed

6min
pages 16-17

Brisbane

12min
pages 26-27

Northern Bay

6min
pages 28-29
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