Reel life | Go light when surf fishing

These fish inhabit coastal waters off southern Queensland, NSW, Victoria and South Australia, where catching them used to be relatively common before overfishing saw their size and number reduced. However, stricter controls have seen them make a comeback.

This specimen measured almost 2m. Details on weight, bait and its exact site of capture were not forthcoming, which spurred me to get my surf rod out of storage and prompted me to reconsider surf fishing again.

Surf fishing is like swimming in the surf. You must know the tides and currents, where the gutters are located, and how to cast them. I admit I used to practise casting on my local footy ground, not just for distance but for accuracy. Of course, I made sure I was clear of people using the ground.

When you choose your beach, know where to target the gutters and where fish will gather. Look for where the water runs out after a wave and where the waves break; also look for bird activity, even the schools of fish in the surf.

Choosing a rod for surf fishing is easy, but picking a reel is a different story. In the early days, we had side-casting reels that gave plenty of distance, but they led to some monumental tangles. This is why these days, I prefer an egg beater, as the line is layered when it is retrieved, with no tangles or tears, but also, not as much distance.

Last week, a local group flew to Flinders Island for a few days to fish with James Luddington. The anglers reported a good time was had by all, but while they caught some fish, it could have been better.

Meanwhile, the fishing in the rest of Western Port Bay from Phillip Island to Hastings has been good, with pinky snapper still being caught along the edges of the shipping lanes and flathead caught off the sandy bottom in the shallows.

Among the grass beds, there are King George whiting, and in the deep water off Phillip Island, gummy sharks are biting on the run-out tide.

Along the coast to Port Phillip heads, Rod Lawn at Adamas Fishing Charters from Queenscliff said along the inshore reefs, he was bagging pinky snapper, flathead, salmon, couta, whiting and squid.

When berleying, there were blue sharks and an occasional mako shark. Rod said the kingfish, which were on the bite, had slowed down and were now patchy, mainly around the dive wrecks off Ocean Grove and the mouth of the Barwon River.

Rod said fishing inside the heads during the bad weather offshore was still pretty good, with whiting caught between the mouth of Swan Bay and St Leonards.

North of the border at Eden, John Liddell said most of the action was along the inshore reefs from Boyd’s Lookout at the mouth of Twofold Bay to Green Cape near the Victorian border.

John said Mark at Freedom Charters was catching plenty of snapper, morwong, kingfish and other tablefish. Some of the best fun fishing can be had when you are hooked up to a kingfish; even rat-sized kingfish give a good account of themselves when on snapper gear.

Further north at Narooma, Graham Cowley said his son, Nicholas, was involved in that NSW Government shark netting and drumline protection program. He said his job involved towing the large sharks caught on the drumline into deep waters, away from swimming beaches. He said one catch was a 5m tiger shark caught in just 3m of water; tiger sharks are known to be man-eaters but are usually much further north.

Also of concern was the movement of bull sharks, well away from their usual haunts.

Closer to home, the fishing in the rivers has been fairly consistent; plenty of juvenile cod, silver perch and carp.

However, carp numbers have been reduced by cod predation. Of course, the best fishing is still the major water impoundments, such as Eildon, Waranga Basin, the Hume, Nillahcootie, Dartmouth, Mulwala and others.

While the fishing in these waterways is better, they are affected by the winds and weather, and in most cases, you will need a boat to get the best results.

Now, a word of warning. Early this week, I had several spots removed; these resulted from too much sun as a younger person. Remember to at least slip, slop and slap.

Another warning: snakes. Last week, we had a number of juvenile eastern brown snakes. This week, we had a visit from a metre-long mature brown. Keep your eyes open when outdoors or in the bush.

Also, be careful around water; there have been too many drownings this summer.

Take care on the roads, and be COVID-19-safe.