Tasmanian Fishing Report 20/11.2020

Patches of good weather last week, saw anglers capitalise on windless conditions and making some good captures ….

Saltwater

Garfish big sea gars are available throughout the channel and SE areas at the moment.

Calamari have arrived in force for the year throughout the SE … anglers have been able to target these fish Derwent estuary particularly around Blackmans Bay rocks.

Bream are thick around creek and river mouths for the time being and are in spawn mode - bream when spawning can be hard to catch like at present. Try the larger estuary systems for bream that have either spawned or not interested in spawning.

Sea trout are still firing well …. And the good news of last week of a 6kg resident taken in the vicinity of New Norfolk. Action has slowed a little, in both the Huon and Derwent estuaries. White bait feeders are showing regularly in both rivers depending on tide.

Australian Salmon are now as high as New Norfolk (as too are juvenile barracouta) and nearly in every known spot for these fish on the East and South East coasts. Good captures were made last weekend in around Hope Beach and North Clifton areas. Fish to 1.5kg are common.

Sand Flathead again bit well last weekend with Saturday being a great day for boating and being outdoors in general - drifting squid baits and Berkley Nemisis soft plastics, the method of choice by many. Great captures from the beach were made too.

Tiger Flathead a bit quiet this week but have been there for the persistant angler working the tide.

Makos have been caught in recent weeks along the east coast. Although a tad early the amount of bait around has obviously attracted them in.

Southern Bluefin Tuna have been reported again in the South.

Striped Trumpeter were a little patchy this week. These fish seem to be biting better in the SE than further up the east coast.

Arrow Squid have been found in good numbers in the River Derwent – these squid are tiny – less than 200mm but shows that warm flushes of water are occurring and probably why we have the odd mako shark lurking around.

Yellow Tail Kingfish have one reliable report this week and video of a fight on a spin rod and kayak that has all the hallmarks of a kingfish in the Derwent associated with it …. Once again once the Australian Salmon arrive and the bait these fish are chasing … we hear early reports every year of the odd Yellowtail.  

Calm conditions at Pirates Bay last weekend saw many anglers venturing out.

Jackass Morwong were biting well last week.

Freshwater

Dry fly activity ramped up last week. Reports of small beetle falls and fish taking “shaving brush emergers” from many waters.

Arthurs Lake is regaining some of its old reputation in recent weeks, this water showed promise last year with the odd good fish being caught - this year fish size seems to be on the up along with fish captures per outing. Last week saw nice fish of around 1kg landed on both lure and fly.

Lake Echo fishing well to trolled lures especially around the “cattle hill” area of the lake. Anglers who did the best spun and trolled lures along the front of submerged timber lines.

Woods Lake fished well last weekend to troll and spun lures. Fly fishers had trout taking Duns and emerger style flies from on top at times too.