Illawarra

ILLAWARRA Greg Clarke

It’s pretty tough going at this time of the year and not because it is cold and windy, it’s because there aren’t all that many options open to get a feed of fish. However, there is one shining exception and that is the annual winter run of snapper. It really hits its straps this month.

The cuttlefish will be in spawning mode on all the close-in reefs all along the Illawarra coast, with the area from Wollongong north to national park being ‘cuttlefish central’. Hundreds of thousands of them will be on and around the shallow reefs to produce a new generation, and they’ll be paying less attention to their surroundings while chasing their perfect match. In their distracted state, they are easy pickings for a multitude of creatures that like eating cuttlefish.

Then there are those cuttlefish that just succumb to the rigors of spawning and simply die and float to the surface. These are then set upon by the numerous albatross that are riding the uplift from the swells in search of floaters to fatten up for winter. Snapper also follow these dying cuttlies to the surface and tear into them, often making wild attempts to break off pieces of flesh, throwing spray and water into the air that can be seen from hundreds of metres away.

This is great for anglers as you can quietly motor into position and cast a bait right next to the feeding fish, and 90% of the time you’ll get a bite immediately. As always, keep quiet and when you land that fish put in another cast as there’s usually more than one fish in close proximity when this is happening. There may even be a whole school in attendance.

It’s mostly the larger more brazen fish that come to the surface which suits me just fine. It’s good to know most of the fish you see will be big ones.

Alternatively, you can go from floater to floater casting baits to each one, as many fish just sit under them and gently bite off pieces or just wait for bits from the feeding albatross to drift down to them. Either way, the fish are still there and ready to bite.

Another option is to pick your reef, get out there early, put down the anchor, deploy a good berley trail and bring the fish to you. You will get more fish using this method, but it’s not as much fun.

In all these methods there is only one bait to use, and that is cuttlefish. The best bit is the candle.

Fish to 9kg are on the cards, with the average good fish being 6kg with plenty from 1-3kg the norm. Not bad fishing in anyone’s book.

Put the braid away when casting at the floaters as it seems to put them off the bite. Maybe they can see it? I have found that the bite rate is much better using mono, and 6kg is more than enough to subdue the largest snapper.

It’s not all snapper either, as there’s usually plenty of bycatch. Just about everything with fins is out and about, looking for an easy feed.

If your bait gets a little deeper you won’t be the first to hook a solid groper, as they love cuttlefish too. My best groper was 13kg, and it took a bait right near the top, too. Maybe that’s why I landed it, as it couldn’t bury me straight away and got confused. Anyway, after a quick weigh in the net it was There are some big snapper out there.

released to fight another day. A few stray winter kings are always on the cards and you will catch more good old Sergeant Baker than anything else, as they seem to swim over the reefs at this time of the year. Salmon, trevally and some very big tailor will also be in the mix. The bottom bouncers will struggle with the flathead, but there may be a few over the sand as the water has been quite warm right through June, so you never know. Regardless, the small to medium snapper will make up for them, and when you throw in a few mowies and some nice pigfish, it’s worth a look.

Further offshore the bluefin may be on their way or the yellowfin may be around. I haven’t had any reports at the time of writing, but the currents can bring anything any time.

Bottom dropping the reefs around Kiama canyons could produce a trevalla or early gemfish as the current has slowed to a more fishable pace.

Off the stones there are plenty of drummer in the washes grabbing prawns and cunje, along with a few nice bream. Pilchard pieces fished in a bread berley trail off