Tasmanian Fishing Report - 15/10/2020
A wet end to last week saw anglers venture forth with some surprisingly good results across the board despite the fresh water ....
Saltwater
Sand Flathead have now been reported in most areas, deeper water drift fishing with either Bait Junkie soft plastics or fresh bait still being the most productive method for the moment.
Southern Bluefin have been very quiet for a few weeks now, however with all the whale activity and krill and plankton around our coastlines at the moment we have a sneaking suspicion tuna could well be around the peninsula.
Calamari have been reported around Blackman’s Bay during the week and certainly down through the channel and Bruny Island.
Remember the East Coast Squid Closure has started as of today 15 October, and runs through to 14 November ... this basically extends from the northern end of Marion Bay Beach to Coles Bay including Great Oyster Bay to Lemon Rock further to the east.
Tiger Flathead went a bit quiet this week, this was probably more to do with the wild wet weather and good access to the fishery more so than the fish themselves.
Silver Trevally were running well at St Helens before the onset of the wet weather. These will return to the bay when freshwater subsides.
King George whiting .... as for Silver Trevally above.
Australian Salmon have been running well in most areas. See attached photo for a fish caught recently in the River Derwent. Size generally ranges from .5kg to 2.3kg.
Local angler Hunter last week with his 1.6kg Australian Salmon caught at South Arm on a silver lure.
Freshwater
Arthurs Lake continues to produce 1kg trout to the fly with trout in total forage mode presently mopping up drown worms, stick caddish and feeding on snails close to rocky shores. Frog feeding is just starting as well. Any Woolley Bugger styled fly, Shrek or Magoo will take these fish.
Tooms Lake although murky is rising and about 1m below full, fish have been seen chasing galaxia in the shallows. One of fly fishers last weekend taking 8 trout for the day. Trollers and spin anglers doing well too.
Woods Lake saw the Polish Anglers Club last weekend catching quality fish. Best reports were on trolled cobra styled lures. Fish size seems to be good as this water seems to have finally come on line for the year.
Bronte Lagoon filled during the week and the hope is it stays like this for a while. A customer Mark tried the newly released Rapala CD Elite minnow and managed to snag a few nice fish on the Gilded Orange colour.... his best fish, being a 1.6kg rainbow which is a trophy fish for that water. Fly anglers have done well around the edges.
Bradys Chain a little quiet for the moment.
Lake Leake still producing good sized brown and rainbow trout to all facets. Its murky but clearing.
Great Lake is producing good trout along its shorelines with both spin and fly fishermen catching fish last week. Like Arthurs Lake fish are in forage mode making the most of rising water and the bounty of drowned worms available to them.
Good luck this week.
Mark Gardam’s catch recently, caught in Bronte Lagoon during the first weekend of October, lure used was the new Rapala Countdown Elite in the Gilded Gold Orange colour. Fish was caught by casting from the boat into the edge of dirty water line after a lot of wind and rain about 50 metres out from the shore. The rainbow weighed just over 3 pounds and was 48cm in length and full of snails when cleaned.
New Rapala Countdown - Guilded Gold Orange – Mark used to catch his rainbow trout in Bronte Lagoon last week.
A healthy Arthurs Lake brown trout caught in the shallows last weekend on the fly – the UV headed Woolley Bugger can be seen hanging from its mouth – a great fly to use on foraging fish.
