Pick your day and pick your location this month

What an autumn it has been so far in Tasmania, with many popular salt and freshwater species still running well. With the start of an El Niño weather pattern, this doesn’t look like changing any time soon.

Southern bluefin tuna are running well in Storm Bay, and have been doing so now for six weeks or so. These tuna really do present the Hobart CBD based angler with a real chance of success, anywhere from the mouth of the River Derwent to Cape Raoul. Dart Bank situated off White Beach has been a consistent go-to for most of the season so far.

Storm Bay snapper have been biting well over the multitude of reef systems throughout this bay. Anglers anchoring up and berleying have done really well in Frederick Henry Bay and Storm. Snapper have been so plentiful that anglers drifting for flathead or chasing morwong perch have taken good fish as a bycatch.

The new interim sand flathead size and bag limits have been in play for a while now, with a final decision to be announced in October for a November commencement, as part of the 5-yearly Scalefish more prevalent, and the SBT fishery is exploding across the entire North West coast – it’s nothing short of amazing. The big schools of school tuna off Wynyard, Burnie, Ulverstone, Devonport and the Tamar is a phenomenon and a most welcome one by anglers around the state.

What a story of fisheries management success! This is what a well-structured catch limit mechanism can achieve in a relatively short time.

In this month’s report I will share two of my simplest yet important tips for the beginner and avid tuna fisher alike.

The biggest tip while tuna fishing is maintaining concentration and keen eyes. Watch for weed on the lures, and watch for surface action and birds. The minutes soon run into hours while trolling for tuna, and it’s all too easy to lose focus – and that inattentiveness can cost you. If you don’t maintain a high level of concentration you will be burning fuel for no reason, and wasting your time.

Review. Bag limits were reduced to 10 from 20, and the minimum size has increased from 32cm to 35cm. As a result, catch rates have been down, but legal fish are available for persistent anglers.

Still nights and good tides have been very conducive to those seeking greenback flounder with light and spear. Some good bags have been taken in the South East in recent weeks.

Garfish too have been in good numbers, and targeted

Lures with weed attached will not swim correctly, and will not entice fish to strike. With deep diver lures it will be obvious when they have weed on them, as they often pop out and cause some mischief in the spread. It pays to keep on top of this, as it can lead to some nasty tangles if not noticed quickly.

Skirted lures will run with weed on them, but of course to the detriment of a strike. If they are running along the surface and not popping under water from time to time, they most likely have some weed on them and need clearing.

Your lures are not the only thing that demands your attention if you are looking to maximise your catch rates. You must look skyward and also keep a keen eye on the water’s surface all around. Birds are your biggest friend when you’re at sea looking for tuna of any sort. The birds will see any activity long before you do, and it’s crucial to keep them in the picture. When a group of gannets come together and start to gain height slowly, it’s a giveaway that a bait school is in the area. The birds are successfully by those fishing with a bubble float and small baited rig, with breadcrumbs and tuna oil berley. Sea gar to 40cm have been taken in the Dunalley area, with the best bait being tiny squid cubes.

Albacore tuna have been encountered out wide along the edge of the continental shelf in 180m of water, but these are disappearing quickly for the season, as water temperatures head toward their winter levels.

Surprise captures indeed the bluefin angler’s friend, and after you have spent years staring at them and observing their activity, you will know just by their body language and flight patterns that something is about to kick off.

Sea surface disturbance is also something to concentrate on, although it’s a little harder to see at times because of wind and swell. Tuna have really big eyes for the size of their bodies, and are therefore susceptible to bright conditions and sunny days. Some chop on the water and some white water will cause the sunlight to refract and diffuse, and the tuna become a lot braver. This will have the fish get their backs out on the surface from time to time.

You may also see smaller bait being fed on by bigger bait, and this often looks like a shimmer on the surface of the ocean.

Visual cues like these are going to give you a head start, and a greater chance of a hook-up if spotted. The key to spotting them is keen eyes and concentration.

If you have a crew of three of four on board, you can break the areas around the boat into sections and be so far this autumn and winter include Port Beagle sharks off Eaglehawk Neck again. These sharks are very closely related to the shortfin mako, but can tolerate more temperate and cooler waters than the makos can. The size of the Port Beagle sharks has been around the 60-80kg range.

Winter tiger flathead have also been caught wide of Bicheno on Tasmania’s Mid East Coast. Deep water of 100m+ provides shelter for these fish during winter.

In the estuaries, in the South East, black bream have been crashing the many remaining bait schools inhabiting the rocky tidal shallows of these systems.

Sea trout are also making the most of these baitfish while on their upriver migration to spawn. Here’s an interesting fact: only around 20% of a trout population will spawn in any one year, leaving 80% still feeding and going about their business, as per normal. Fly anglers have really capitalised on calmer weather conditions and small wet baitfish patterns to take these fish. responsible for maintaining a constant vigilance of sea and sky. You can make it a game, and offer a prize of some gold coins for the kids to the first one to spot a diving gannet. We often rotate through the roles on the boat, to maintain interest and concentration.

Strong runs of mature Australian salmon have been encountered at Marion Bay and the Denison canal at Dunalley. These are winter run salmon, and they have been approaching 3kg in size. Halco 40g slice lures have been getting results, mimicking the many pilchard schools in this region.

In the highlands, Great Lake, Barrington, Burbury, King William, Huntsman and Craigbourne, Pedder and Meadowbank all continue to fish well. These are designated ‘all year open’ waters, and offer the angler varied altitudes, species and water choice, depending on weather and temperature. These waters also offer the travelling angler the chance to fish for trout at all times of the year in Tasmania.

Be mindful though – Great Lake is situated at 1100m, and it is not uncommon to have your line snap freeze to your runners in the time it takes to lift your lure from the water and make a cast.

As with all things in Tasmania in winter, you’ll want to pick your days and pick your location. These two factors will generally determine the species you’ll be targeting.

Good luck this month, and be sure to rug up and have fun!

The skipper, first mate and deckies all get a turn at each other’s positions as the day progresses. This is also good for safety and feeling comfortable at sea.

If all your fishing mates have a good understanding of the boat and its systems when aboard, that stands you in good stead should something arise. This can be from the twin battery system and switches to something as simple as where the gaffs are located on the boat.

So rug up and watch the weather systems, as it may be cold and wet like most June days in Tasmania. The fishing is still worth the effort, so stay alert and your effort will be rewarded.

Until next time, be safe, and tight lines.