Fishing Report 7 May 2021

Tasmanian Fishing ReportTasmanian Trout Fishing

7 May

Anglers make the most of settled weather last weekend and a variety of summer species that continue to bite well into autumn.

Saltwater

Southern Bluefin Tuna - continue to be caught in the SE. Jumbos or fish over 100kg seemed to have lessened off in Peninsula waters and are now being encountered east of Maria Island to Bicheno. Meanwhile good fish from 35kg to 70kg have picked up a little in recent days around Fortescue Bay. School fish continue to be caught in good numbers. Bluefin are now being caught from Mewstone in the south to St Helens.

Albacore Tuna are still available off the peninsula and reports still have the odd fish being taken in Storm Bay. Consistent captures seem to be in the vicinity of Fortescue and Tasman Island.

Arrow Squid are still being caught in Storm Bay, Marion Bay and Mercury Passage.

Calamari are available in the lower Derwent River and Channel areas. Further afield good numbers are available but schools have proven to be patchy so far this autumn.

Sand Flathead are continuing to bite well - bait lure and fly taking fish recently.

Yellowtail Kingfish are still available but are very much “a species or target of opportunity”, at the moment as numbers fall, with receding warm water for the year. Some kingfish have been taken on patanoster rigs destined for flathead in deep water over the last week or so.

Australian Salmon are starting to reappear now we have sea surface temperatures cooling. Alum Cliffs, near Kingston and South Arm, close to the CBD, seem to be local hotspots while anglers fishing Cremorne in the canal to Pipeclay Lagoon reporting fish to 1kg with average being .75kg.

Flounder are now moving for autumn, an added bonus for the angler, being total darkness early and the ever frustrating sea breezes have generally tapered off allowing for an early outing, and return of a night. South Arm, Lewisham, Dunalley and Orford area reported to be producing fish.

Estuary

Sea Run Trout continue to be caught in the mid reaches of the Derwent and Huon estuaries. Both these waters are open to angling to the Huonville and New Norfolk bridges by anglers holding a current freshwater angling licence. Spin, troll, soft plastic and fly producing fish.

Bream are being caught in good numbers around Cornellian Bay, Store Point, Bowen Bridge and Cadbury Point. Prawns working well for the bait fishers while the many small soft plastics and brightly coloured shrimp type flies are working well for anglers using these techniques.

Freshwater

The Brown Trout season closed last Sunday leaving our Rainbow Trout season and its waters open for another month. 12 Month waters remain open as well.

Great Lake is still producing fish and will continue to do so into June picking the right day at this time of the year conducive to good fishing at altitude is the key. Enjoy the settled weather over the next week or so.

Weld River remains open but is flowing at a higher level due to recent rains throughout the SW. Spin fishing this area may be worth a try.

Dee Lagoon continues to produce fish in the later stages of this years season. Good fish both brown and rainbow have been taken on lure and fly in the last seven days. Mentmore Bay has the pick of the fishing for the moment.