Exciting Easter action on tuna

KALBARRI

Stephen Wiseman

Hot water is the big drawcard this month, as it continues to flow from the north. My last trip out had temperatures as high as 26.5ºC and this has been reflected in the latest captures offshore.

Boaties can be treated to yellowfin tuna to 30kg+ and wahoo stretching the scales to 20kg and macs to 12kg+, so it’s not surprising to see 20 or so trailers at the ramp most mornings.

The best report recently was Nicky with a very nice yellowfin that she cranked in with no gimbal harness, and beat the sharks to the back of the boat. Nice catch!

The best lures have been deep divers for tuna and macs with skirts at over 10 knots doing the damage on big yellowfin and a by-catch of wahoo. The best locations have been to the north from the 20-30m line and up as far as Baldface for better activity.

Down along the cliffs to Bluff Point has yielded some odds have managed to survive, and hopefully will reach breeding age.

Most all the fishing clubs are thinking along the same lines, and have ignored minister Punch’s decision. Club members have imposed their own size limits in club events. LAAC imposed 30cm across all three species, as have MAAC. Other clubs have their own formula.

As for mortalities from hook damage, it is just crazy why Minister Punch thought it made sense to limit us to just one bait per line. It makes far more sense to mandate use of a single in-line circle hook per bait to reduce fish mortalities. We now have a decision on our rigs – do we use multiple snelled J hooks to try to catch some of the smaller species on large baits, or fish large circle hooks that will primarily only land large dhufish? In the past we could have a combination of large and small baited circle hooks for the differing species and mouth sizes combined in one paternoster.

You’ve got to be happy with a solid yellowfin like this.

On to the Lancelin report.

DEMERSALS

It’s a good time of year to give deep dropping a go, with some calm weather making the run out easy. Baldies and dhufish are in better numbers in shallower depths, and even inside the White Bank is worth a go for dhu. There are plenty of snapper right up to the beach.

PELAGICS

It is peak game fishing good fish but the numbers are fewer, so it’s a lot of hard work for a strike. Still, it’s definitely rewarding when you get one. time, especially for Spanish mackerel. Tuna have been out from the 30s, while some very large yellowfin have been out wide. Now that the sting has gone out of the summer sea breezes, calm evenings are providing anglers with a great opportunity to troll along the White Bank, as the sun sets when the mackerel bite is at its best.

The river has produced good numbers of mud crabs but the blue mannas are small at the moment, and there aren’t many keepers. Don’t forget to take your gauge as it’s hard to pick if they are under or oversize.

Whiting are still in the river but they will soon move out with the water getting very warm. The best spots are at the back of Oyster reef and the flats in front of IGA car park.

Mulloway are few and far between, but some nice fish can still be found off the sand spit after sundown.

Blue manna crabs have been on the march in the river, with catches from the pens to well up river to Gregory Rock. Some very nice muddies have also been in the catch, and are full of meat according to a holidaymaker who had his nets by the local launch ramp.

Safe fishing and check your safety gear before you go to sea.

LAND BASED

It’s the prime time of year for pinkies and mulloway off