Around the bay by Jim’s Bait & Tackle
It’s a very simple process to stay safe, ask a local. They can give you advice on where and when is the safest for the days weather. You will also need to learn wind and tide direction and once you master that, there aren’t too many days you can’t fish somewhere.
Gummies this season have been excellent and there are going to be plenty of freezers with a meal of flake in them.
The reports have come from in the bay and offshore with as many being put back as being caught.
The sizes have been good both in the bay and offshore with 10kg nothing too surprising this year.
There are lots of the usual pups around and it’s amazing how big a bait they are able to get their mouth around.
Baits have varied and nothing standing out or not working it would seem. If they’re hungry and you’re in the right spot you have a good chance.
Offshore we have had reports from the Windmills and the Western Entrance while in the bay it has been the channel along French Island, Gardner’s to Elizabeth Island, smaller ones across The Corals.
Whiting have played the usual let’s go hide when the boat traffic gets busy but come out to feed when it’s quiet.
During the middle of the day, we did have a few whiting reports but almost all of them came from the deep water. Shallow water reports were more in the very early morning, late evening, or those days where it was a bit windy and the more experienced know where to fish.
Anywhere you would expect to catch whiting in the shallows was the place to go with reports from all the usual spots.
Deep water whiting reports mostly came from around Rhyll in about 12m. If coming from Newhaven round the top light and head for the end of Tortoise Head until you are almost level with the Rhyll channel in about 12m.
You will need to change up your rig and use a heavier sinker also a slight bait change with a cocktail of squid, pilchard or pippies.
Not too many snapper in the bay but as many pinkies as you want, problem is 99 per cent of them are undersized.
If you persevere you will come across some take home fish but will go through plenty of bait on the way. If you wanted to chase a bigger snapper you will need to head offshore to some of the reefs where several were caught this week.
Offshore I could fill the page with the reports this week: flathead, snapper, schoolies, gummies, tuna, kingfish and more.
Flathead and there are plenty there if you look around, but the size has been a little on the smaller side for the most part.
We did see some very big ones, but they were few and far between with the average closer to mid 30cm. The reports came from almost all along that strip between 30m and 40m from Pyramid to the Windmills, short drifts until you find them then work that area.
Plenty of other fish in the same areas, sand whiting, couta, salmon and mackerel, all bait for your next fishing trip.
We haven’t heard of many arrow squid as yet and possibly why we also have heard of makos being caught and only a couple seen.
If you want to try your hand at a 15kg plus gummy head west towards the Windmills, 30m of water and find the wrasse, gummies won’t be far away.
We have seen several over the 15kg, some kept some put back, both ways are withing the rules and your choice.
There will always be an argument about if you should keep them at that size and if you purely look at it on keeping the best breeding stock in the water, then the answer is yes. Keep the bigger ones over 15kg and put the 6kg to 10kg back.
Tuna and kingfish, it’s amazing how one or two fish become 100’s and the fish are everywhere.
Its busier than Bourke Street, one in 20 boats catching them.
The problem is of course will you be the one in 20 next time? The other problem is everybody trying to work out why some are catching them and not others.
The answer is relatively simple, they were luckier than you.
