Fine and fishable weather was had across the Limestone Coast last weekend which saw plenty of anglers make the most of it and hit the water.
The big tuna news may have slowed down off Port MacDonnell, but they are just getting started in Portland.
Fish to 140kg have been boated over the weekend, though most seem to be those mid-sized fish from 70kg through to 90kg.
The fish are spread out down there, anywhere from just at the back of Lawrence Rocks through to Cape Bridgewater has been the go-to areas, but watch the sounder, keep an eye on the birds and watch for bait, you cannot go too far wrong.
Locally off Port MacDonnell, there has not been heaps of reports of fish landed, but I do know of a couple that were lost.
The fish are still here, we just have not got the volume of boats chasing them.
The bottom fishing has been excellent again with no shortage of sharks in that 50mt through to 100mt depth range, with some crackers over 20kg caught again.
There has also been some nice snapper caught out in the 100mt depth, while throw in the odd flathead, knifejaw and nannygai, and you have got a ripper day out.
The Port MacDonnell Angling Club have their AGM coming up this Sunday at 11am down at the clubrooms, all members are encouraged to attend and stick around for a barbecue afterwards.
The surf fishing over the past week has been decent considering the time of year.
I am hearing of some more nice fish from the Coorong this week, and at the moment it seems the upper reaches seem to be the most productive.
The 42 Mile has been the most spoken about from what I have been hearing, though some have drifted down to the 28, or up around Tea Tree.
Keep an eye on the beach and the water, as we know it can change in a real hurry up there and you do not want to get stuck on that beach.
Locally we are seeing some reasonable salmon catches coming from Carpenter Rocks and through Canunda National Park.
The size has been all over the shop this week, from over-enthusiastic salmon trout eating a lure half the size of them, to fish nudging the 3kg mark, we have seen it all.
We are also seeing a good mix of methods doing the damage.
Flicking a lure has been good in certain times and at certain areas, while the bait fishos have always been finding good numbers.
I know I mention it every year, but it is worth the refresher, the Canunda National Park waterholes on the track.
They are big, they are deep and they are not much fun to be stuck in, so pick the high line, get up and around them and you will be a lot better off.
There has been plenty of chat about garfish again and I have seen some cracking bags of fish landed over the weekend, and it looks like the size and numbers are just about as good as I have seen.
They are spread out which is encouraging, so we will not see anglers fishing in each other’s pockets.
The Port MacDonnell Breakwater, Petrified Forrest, Hutt Bay, Cape Douglas, and Livingstons Bay have all been very productive this week, and most offer options for boaties and land based fishos, so they are a few good places to start.
As per the last few reports, the usual bycatch species such as mullet, tommy ruff and salmon trout are still out and about, but I have heard of a few trevally, a whiting and a big sea bream, so you never know what might come along.
The Glenelg River has produced some lovely bream and estuary perch over the last week.
Fish of both species well over 40cm have been caught, with most of those being taken on soft plastics.
Shane Murrell had a day out on Saturday afternoon, catching and releasing some beauties in the Reed Bed area on 3-inch soft plastics.
The bait fishos have been finding some nice fish on cut crab, whitebait and prawn, and the bulk of the fish have been from Dry Creek and downstream.
The sand flats of the estuary are fishing well still for the bream guys, and although the water is still clean, live Pod worms are working very well already.
I have not heard any mulloway news from the weekend just yet, but those who did get down are still reporting plenty on the sounder, which is a great sign.
The forecast for the coming weekend looks sensational.
Light winds, easing seas and the new moon on Saturday night, I think this weekend will see plenty of anglers hitting the water.
Until next week, safe fishing.
