Don’t Count The Year Away Just Yet

By Dan Trotter on August 2, 2011 in Sport

Brrrrr! Winter’s icy fingers have most definitely crept into my house as I write my August fishing prediction. Can you believe we’re already here, seven months down and only one more until spring arrives? But let’s not count the year away just yet. What a great winter it’s been – weather so juxtaposed that one day the ice rink on Bondi beach feels as though it belongs, then the next it’s time to shed the shirt, strip down to the Speedos and enjoy a dip in the briny.

Offshore the fishing’s been representative of this too, far out wide – late season mahi mahi, striped marlin and even a short billed spearfish have been a boon for anglers searching the warmer currents for cooler water and the mighty tuna species.

The start to the tuna season on the east coast of Australia has been nothing short of amazing. Big eye, yellowfin and albacore have all been active off Sydney with the occasional southern bluefin encounter to keep everyone on their toes. In fact, the southern NSW towns of Bermagui and Merimbula are experiencing such an amazing bite of these majestic fish that some misinformed anglers are saying it’s a sign that the tuna stocks are on the increase. If only they would think before opening their mouths – just because the recreational catch of these species went up, it doesn’t reflect on the bounty in the sea.

Closer inshore, as always at this time of the year, solid yellowtail kingfish are being caught on the deep reefs. You may have to dodge the chinaman leatherjackets to get to them but when you do it’s worth the persistence. Deepwater pink-perch and john dory are also beginning to turn up offshore. It’s also worth a prospect in the bays of the harbour for the thumb printed, silver sided dory – small live baits suspended just off the bottom are best.

Along the headlands and beaches, tailor and Australian salmon are on the prowl. If you really want to be in with a chance, soak a ganged pilchard around dusk and into the darkness.

Snapper can be hard to find in August but are still worth the prize to persistent anglers with a hankering for red gold.

As is always the case in the short days of mid-winter, southern calamari squid will be plentiful for those keen on a tasty feed. Use lightly-weighted squid jigs over boulders covered with kelp and bordered by sand – yum!

Other prospects in the harbour worthy of wetting a line for are bream, whiting the occasional jewfish and the resident kingfish. Look west of the bridges for the kingfish, to Rose Bay for whiting (fresh nippers and beach worms are the best baits for them), and as for the bream, Sow and Pigs Reef is a great place to start a fine berley and drift lightly-weighted baits. Jewfish haunts are a little more guarded so you might just have to do the research and find them yourselves.

If you love your fishing then get educated, understand the rules and regulations, promote conservation and understand sustainability both on the water and in the restaurants of our great city where you or your friends decide to enjoy a feast of seafood. Too many people are blaming recreational fishermen for the impacts on the oceans – learn facts and try to educate those around you and ‘keep Australia fishing’!

This report at http://lovefishing.com.au/blog.php?user=LoveFishing&blogentry_id=314 is a good place to get started.