Augusta

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 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 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

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

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.

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.