Go Behind the Scenery
Tasmania
Feast and famine HOBART
Andrew Large
All areas are a go with anglers enjoying some of the best fishing Tasmania has had to offer in years. It’s certainly true what they say a drought on land is a drought in water, and vice versa this year! The third wet winter in a row seems
Island at the southern end of Bruny Island. Snapper too have been a surprise package this year in the south with numerous captures being made at Dover, Southport and Port Huon areas. Close to Hobart, Storm Bay has produced good fish on the right tides and fresh squid baits. Snapper have made their way well into the
unusual higher Storm Bay or Tasman Peninsula and Tasman Island, but the River Derwent with two confirmed captures in recent weeks! And on Kingfish 110 Halco Laser Pros and 6” Sluggo soft plastics – more surprisingly, on 3-5kg spin outfits. SBT have also been captured around the more traditional Tasman Peninsula and Bruny Island and wider
David Hegol with a River Derwent southern bluefin tuna caught around Blackmans Bay.
A bag limit of yellowtail kingfish recently caught in the River Derwent. to have fish going ballistic this summer, even after a late December start for nearly all species. In the saltwater we see an amazing run of yellowtail kingfish that started early December. Amazing captures are now being made as far south as Partridge
Derwent estuary and have been caught as far upriver as the Tasman Bridge. What is it about the River Derwent this year? Southern bluefin tuna have also been captured by those chasing kingfish, as far up as Blackmans Bay – not the more slightly
Storm Bay as well. Sand and tiger flathead have been encountered off Marion Bay and further up the East Coast. In the South East, good bags of striped trumpeter have been caught around the Friars and Pedra Blanca. Smaller specimens have
been encountered around the Tasman Peninsula. Soft plastics and other fresh baits have been working well. Black bream continue to take lures and soft plastics in our southern estuaries with better catches being made in the lower more tidal zones of these systems. Southern rock lobster continue to pot well in most regions. Remember only six weeks left of the season. Freshwater anglers have not been disappointed either with nearly all inland waters remaining relatively cool for this part of summer. This is evidenced by the very short mayfly and dun hatches being experienced by dry fly fishers across the state. The heat is just not there to promote terrestrial insect
activity. Wet fly, bait and lure fishers have done well. On hot days at dawn and dusk and breeze cooler days all the way through, with great brown and rainbow trout coming to hand. Good old Great Lake is probably performing the best as the weather cools a tad. Trollers doing particularly well and the same with spin fishers from the shore. Anglers fishing the sticks in Arthurs Lake have landed nice fish on both lure and fly and have found trout to be very eager to strike. The water level in Woods Lake seems static for the moment a good sign at this end of summer. And fishing has reflected this with many fish to nearly
2kg gracing trollers’ bags. Y05 Tasmanian Devil lure a standout as well as an F5 or F7 Rapala in BTR taking fish in the slightly discoloured water. The infamous Tyenna River lives up to its name producing some fantastic evening rises, a simple white moth or caddis pattern turning over fish for flyfishers. Spin fishers doing well with small Vibrax and Mapso Sz 2 spinners. This really is the best summer and early autumn fishing Tasmania has experienced in many years, please don’t delay and potentially miss out, get out there and have a go as you really don’t know what you will turn up on the end of the rod and where!
PRODUCT NEWS
Stacer 359 Proline SE, 379 SE Stacer Australia has announced the launch of its latest offering – the Stacer 359 Proline SE and Stacer Proline 379 SE, perfect for inland fishing enthusiasts. Based off the popular Proline series, the Proline SE has all the benefits of the original whilst incorporating deeper side sheets. This feature makes
it more ideal for larger dams and lakes, and is an added safety feature when the little ones are onboard. Other standard features include two aluminium bench seats (one with a glove box), a transducer bracket and safety rails. Available options include a bimini cover to keep off the worst of the sun, rod holders, carpeted fuel tank
rack and paint/vinyl wrap. Drilling down into the numbers, the 359 Proline SE has a capacity of two people, with 1.6mm aluminium bottoms and a max HP of 15. This is the perfect option for a solo anglers or a couple of mates that want to head into the dam or river. The 379 Proline SE is setup to accommodate three people,
with a max horsepower of 25 and also featuring 1.6mm aluminium bottoms. For those with a small family (or an extra mate) this boat is perfect for exploring Australia’s waterways. “We are thrilled to bring the Stacer 359 and 379 Proline SE models to the market,” said Sam Hayes, General Manager. “We are confident that this boat will exceed the expectations of our customers and provide them with the ultimate fishing experience.” The 359 Proline SE and Proline 379 SE join the existing models in the Proline family, including the original Proline, Proline Angler and Territory Striker. All Stacer’s boats are handmade in the Gold Coast by a team of dedicated local tradesmen. To find out more about the new Proline SE range, head to www. stacer.com.au/aluminiumboat-range/prolines. – Stacer Australia MARCH 2023 99
