The Most Exciting Time Of Year

By Dan Trotter on October 15, 2013 in Other

Photo: Dan Trotter

Reports from the heartland are returning stories of large schools of solid yellowtail kingfish, both offshore on the 100m hard reefs and in close along the ocean rocks, with some old timers saying that they can’t remember ever seeing kings this thick. But maybe they’re just getting forgetful?

Quality snapper, too, have been in caught by the dedicated through the usually quiet months of August and September, with numbers coming from both the inshore and offshore locales – perhaps the warmer than average water temps have had something to do with this. And in what has been a boon for trailer-boat anglers, school-sized yellowfin tuna have been caught well inside the continental shelf, a rare occurrence off Sydney these days. Whatever the cause for these encouraging early indicators, as fishos we don’t need any more cues to set the imagination racing and heed the ocean’s call.

Closer to home, the ocean rocks along our beloved stretch of coast have been producing the goods, with Australian salmon, tailor, fat bronzed luderick and tasty southern calarmari squid all present in numbers and size. Afternoon sessions have been keeping my mates and I well fed, whooping and grinning from ear to ear with double and triple hooks ups on dusk from the stones. I’d expect all these species, plus the occasional kingfish, to remain active and prevalent throughout October and much of November, but just remember to watch the weather and swell and never go fishing off the rocks if you have any doubts about your safety. No fish is worth risking your life for!

October can also be a great month to go fishing in the harbour. The days will be getting longer, the water temps will be on the rise and magical afternoons can be had with a close friends and a focused approach to catching a few fish. If targeting big kingfish is new to you, it is important to catch fresh bait and keep it alive. The ideal selection is squid, slimy mackerel and yellowtail scad. Once you have filled the tank with a healthy number of baitfish, select areas with solid vertical structures like wharves, rocky headlands, wrecks, pylons or harbour markers. You can then either fish your live-baits on the troll or on the drift. It’s also important to ensure that you use the correct tackle set-up, test your notes and hold on!

Beyond the attraction of the hard-pulling yellowtail kingfish, there can be great opportunities to spend your outings catching species such as bream, whiting, flathead, luderick, Australian salmon, whiting and the elusive mulloway. Fresh bait or well-presented lures fished in the correct environments will improve your chances of coming home with a feed.

As the season really begins to kick into gear it’s worth remembering the fundamentals of this all-consuming pastime. Put your effort in around the tides, the change of light and keep a keen interest in the moon phase. I’d also recommend keeping a fishing diary to record all of this information in. Doing this with regularity will reveal a natural set of patterns that can really increase the success of your future fishing pursuits.

I just love summer time, particularly here in paradise. The fish get active, Bondi gets more beautiful and warm days with friends are far more frequent. If you need an excuse to go fishing, just blame me and say: “Dan said I had to go”!