Augusta

AUGUSTA Anthony Gillam

Here I was complaining about how bad winter was treating us last month and thinking it couldn’t get any worse. I guess Mother Nature must have heard me and said, “Hold my beer!” the Scott and Blackwood rivers purging themselves via Hardy Inlet. The waters exiting at Colourpatch went from the weak tea of last month to a strong espresso with the resulting push down from the upper reaches bringing black bream and yellowfin whiting with it.

Jetty fishing remained as the safest option that could the open water, well, that’s not always true. A customer came into Augusta Xtreme Outdoor Sports looking for a fish identification with what turned out to be a nice sized bluefin tuna. She had caught it by hand at Colourpatch after a pod of dolphins harassed it enough for it to jump out of the water onto the sand. This and the Hardy inlet will return to the clear, clean water we have come to expect. As the black bream and yellowfin whiting have moved down to the lower reaches then it is a perfect chance to catch a feed. Bloodworms, sand worms cockles and glass shrimps will all work very well on whiting, however, they are also very good at coaxing a bite from black bream but in general most are undersized juvenile fish this far down.

Further up the river around Molloy Island and towards Alexandra Bridge the sizes are much better with 30cm bream not uncommon. Try river prawns, coral prawn pieces or soft plastics. Just search out snags or cover along the riverbanks and they will be lurking nearby. As spring comes along the bream become more active and the chances of a feed are pretty secure.

Spring demersal fishing is also some of the best

You would have to be happy with catching a southern bluefin tuna with the local dolphin pods sending it right into your hands.

Storms, massive tide surges, flooding and erosion made sure we were in no doubt as to who was the boss when it comes to controlling our activities. At least it wasn’t just the southwest of WA that copped the full brunt of old MN. She made sure that the majority of the lower half of the country had a taste as well.

But on a brighter note, sometimes there is nothing better than a good clean out of the system and that is exactly what we got with be done for most of the month, with only very small windows of opportunity for any other water related activity. That being said, when people did wet a line there seemed to be plenty of fish getting about. Whiting showed up in good numbers for recreational fishers and even the local commercial netter was counting his blessings after a period of low numbers.

Many people believe that if you want to get into the big fish you have to hit would explain some of the bust ups observed recently in the cut and gives hope for the surprise adrenaline rush when whiting fishing. With the odd mulloway and bronze whaler also making appearances from time to time it never hurts to have a live bait swimming around in the channel while you pick up bread and butter species.

As we move on to spring then things should calm down enough for regular fishing activities to resume Blake Muller proves you don’t need expensive equipment when charter fishing. He landed this nice pink snapper on a kid’s fishing setup.

Rock fishing for whiting was a rare activity during the recent stormy weather but, as usual, was very productive.

Augusta has to offer so although circumstances prevented ocean going trips recently, the weather must surely change for the better soon. Flinders Bay will only have benefited from the month off from fishing pressure. Heading out from the marina towards Bessies Reef, White point or The Kidneys will certainly pay off. As always large soft plastics and large bottom baits will produce big dhufish, pink snapper and queen snapper while trolled lures and knife jigs will produce yellowtail kingfish, samsonfish and bluefin tuna. Look for lumps, bumps and reef and don’t be scared to prospect as some of my best spots came about from drifting around over innocuous looking bottom.

Rock fishing recently has been very rare as the weather prevented all but the crazy from venturing out. In the very small windows of reasonable weather those that did give it a go are reported doing very well on herring, skippy and especially sand whiting. Bottom rigs with squid strips or sand worms did most of the catching.

Rock fishing can be very productive in Augusta but it can also be deadly. Choose a spot that allows you the chance to seek refuge from any king waves and don’t let calm conditions fool you into thinking you are safe. Rogue waves are just that and can quickly result in being thrown into the water. People have died here after being washed off by king waves. • Unpredictable weather can quickly affect the fishing conditions and slippery rocks are a recipe for disaster. Please remain vigilant when rock fishing; wear a life jacket and tie off to something solid. You can hire one for free from Augusta Xtreme Outdoor Sports at 66 Blackwood Avenue Augusta -the local tackle shop and font of all local fishing knowledge. Look for the big green sign on the roof, it’s right next to the BP Service Station.