Fishing Report 10/5/19
Mixed bags at the moment in most locations – reasonable bags of couta, salmon and flathead have been caught by those drift fishing for flathead and spinning to bait schools for salmon.
Autumn is a great time of the year due its settled weather to head out and drift for a late season flathead and while doing so – take advantage of being able to spin or troll around the large numbers of bait schools that show themselves on the surface.
Tuna
Tasman Island, Fortescue and The Hippolytes are producing SBT to 115kg and school fish to 30kg – Fatboy and Zacatak lures are taking good fish.
Albacore off EHN and Fortescue – late season fish have been up to 22kg.
Swordfish
Rumours of a Swordfish of St Helens during the week.
Tasman Peninsula waters have looked encouraging with sword activity being seen in the form of hook ups and loss but none boated in the last week or so.
Snapper
In the SE and Storm Bay biting well. Fish have been averaging .5kg through to 3.5kg. Burley has been the key and the trick not too much so as to keep other species such as school and gummy shark away from the baits.
Bream
Have been biting well in the Derwent – rocky points and tidal flow areas attracting and holding fish.
Further around the coast rivers have seen these fish congregating waiting for freshwater to move further upstream – hard body lures and gulp soft plastics taking fish.
Striped Trumpeter
Have started their late autumn/early winter run off the Tasman Peninsula. Some good fish have been taken up to 7kg.
Mako Shark
The odd Mako still available to anglers who persevere although water temperatures are dropping steadily now.
Kingfish
Kingfish in the Derwent river have gone a little quiet but please remember these fish were caught until Mid May last year and did hang at the Tasman and Bellerieve Bluff – perhaps its still worth a try – the crowds won’t be there either.
Calamari
Calamari returning as the water cools - best spots Nth Bruny, South Arm, and wider Storm Bay and Peninsula / East Coast regions.
Sea Run Trout
Are working well in both the Derwent and Huon Rivers – these fish are holding in the same areas as for bream as both species are targeting pretty fish and smaller bait.
Brown and Rainbow Trout
With the close of the official brown trout season – anglers are not left wanting for places to have a fish. Yes 97% of our lakes and rivers are closed but as mentioned above sea run brown trout are a viable proposition in our larger estuaries as they either travel to spawn or simply hang back and make the most of a good feed on remaining summer baitfish.
Great Lake always fishes well late season and during the winter months – this water is also left open to fishing by those with a current IFS fishing licence – fish in this water are always in the best condition they can be for the season as they have fed up and about to spawn – anglers chasing a fluoro orange fleshed fish for the table should try here – rug up though as conditions can be cold.
Spin, Troll and Fly ( particularly wet fly ) working well – as trout are keen to chase Great Lake Galaxias who themselves a readying to spawn. Best lures Tassie Devil 13.5grm S12 and Tillins King Cobra No 62 – if spinning the Redfin Wonder Wobbler and fly a Black and Yellow Yeti or Woolley Bugger Mk2.
