The Warm Currents Will Soon Be Upon Us

By Dan Trotter on November 3, 2011 in Sport

With daylight saving a part of life for the next six months, it’s time to fish. Before too long the jacarandas will be in full bloom and the cicadas will be singing to the summer throngs. In keeping with these natural cycles, the warm currents of the EAC will soon be upon us and the fish we all love so much will be up to their ancient habits.

With a month of spring left it’s time to hit the water, so get the chores done and find a away to spend sometime getting back to nature with a line in hand and some good friends to share the experience with.

Spring has been a mix of great days and wintery weather, with some weeks so crappy very few anglers managed to get out on their precious days off. Looking at the diary it seems this year’s season is a little out of whack from the norm. The water cooled down late and all signs are showing that it’s going to warm up late too, as it did last year.

This doesn’t mean the fish aren’t hungry or about, just that some adjustments in tactics could pay-off. For those anglers with an addiction to red gold, this is your time to shine. Hopefully you’ve realized this and have managed a few sessions on these spectacular fish already. If you haven’t, find a way to get out and either drift-cast soft plastics or anchor up and fish floaters down a decent burley trail. If land-based, select a deep-water ledge, use a continuous burley trail and fish both unweighted and lightly-weighted plastics down through it. North Head has some great places to target tasty snapper, and there are few spots here in the east that locals keep under lock and key.

It is also the time for big, early-season hoodlums. Try working skipping gars through the ocean washes if land-based, or cast large blooping poppers and work them back to your feet with deliberate pauses. If you have access to a boat, catch southern calamari squid, keep them alive and work the harbour markers, wrecks and prominent headlands. It is also worth a look west of both of the bridges. Offshore, seek out high profile reefs and wrecks in the 40 to 60 metre depth belt, or tow a live yellowtail scad or slimy mackerel on the surface and down-rig a squid in mid-water for best results. The kingfish this year and last seem to have been big, so don’t mess about with light tackle or you’ll end up with shattered dreams.

On the table fair front, things are looking tasty. Whiting, bream and flathead have all started to come on the chew in the harbour, while leatherjackets aplenty can be had by fishing peeled fresh prawns on light line and employing a sensitive touch. The blue-swimmer crabs will also be out and about, just check the rules and regulations before you put a pot or witches hat in the water.

BOAT STORAGE WANTED
One last thing, I’m looking for somewhere to store my pride and joy – yes, that’s right, my boat. I’ve had to move, which means my boat is now homeless and, truth be told, I don’t want to store it on the street. So if anyone has a secure space to rent and is keen to get out for a fish with me, please don’t hesitate to drop me an email at dant@2dansfishing.com.au.