Nary Enough Time To Fish

By Dan Trotter on December 18, 2012 in Other

What a year it has been – blink and it’s Christmas again! The lights are up, the stores have decorated for the rush and by the time this article goes to print carols will be hear in shopping malls, on the radio and in the streets. It seems as though the increased speed of technology has brought about an increase in the speed of time. So much gets thrown on our plates daily that there’s nary enough time to get all the jobs ticked off the list.

Thankfully there’s fishing; standing on the ocean shore or bobbing around on the open blue ocean, life seems simpler and the woes of our high-speed lives just fade away. Oh I love a day on the water, hoping a fish may bite!

December can be a tricky month to catch a consistent feed of fish in our home waters. While many factors vary, a few constants hold true. Persistence is the key and reference to diaries from years gone by becomes paramount.

The spectacular yellowtail kingfish are on every Sydney saltwater angler’s mind at this time of the year. Whether fishing off the deadly ocean rocks, casting lures and live baits at the harbour markers, or slow trolling big baits offshore, hope springs eternal that today will be the day a solid hoodlum turns up to test your tackle, skill and strength. Early signs are strong that the big boys are already in town with metre-plus fish being the marker. So keep your tackle in shape, test your knots and leaders, catch fresh bait and maintain the faith – this coming summer should see some absolute crackers caught by rod and reel.

Far offshore, the game fish season has already started to kick into gear with black and striped marlin showing up here and there. Also in the mix has been some late season albacore tuna, so it’s worth running a small lure if you fancy a feed of the fish sometimes known as ‘the chicken of the sea’. On the mahi-mahi front, last year was almost a no-show, but if the currents swing our way large specimens of these spectacular fish should already have been caught and enjoyed fresh off the barbecue by the time you read this.

In the harbours, ports and estuaries, all the usual bread and butter species will be in feeding mode. Stick to the basics, use a light mist of burley, try to use little or no weight and fish light lines and light leaders to take home a feed of flathead, bream, whiting or silver trevally.

It’s also the time of year when the pocket rocket speedsters turn up, so it’s worth keeping a light metal slug rigged on a decent casting rod and having a keen eye for working birds and surface busting fish.

As your year draws to close and the workloads pile up, try to take the time to sneak in a fish – you won’t regret it, and work can always wait for another day.