The arrival of southern bluefin, striped tuna and albacore has been the hot topic on the local saltwater scene of late.

Local bluewater anglers have had a slightly longer the usual wait for the albacore schools but they have now arrived in good numbers. Small to mid-sized feathered trolling lures are a favourite for these tuna while smaller sized vibes such as 3” Macbaits and Halco Max 130 are also very good lures. Mid-weight jig/spin combos are gaining popularity for those looking for some added sport when chasing these light game fish and smaller school Bluefin.

Bluefin enthusiasts will be hoping for a steady increase in numbers of tuna heading into April. Some excellent tuna to around 90kg have already been hooked and some decent schoolies landed. Most bluefin anglers still seem to be holding back and waiting for the bigger tuna to show up in better numbers.

Gear preparation is the focus for most and we are seeing plenty tuna hounds in the store replacing lost gear from last season. Meridian skirted lures, Halco 190’s and Rapala Mag 20/30’s are amongst the favourites for lure choices at the moment.

After a longer wait than usual, breaming is at it’s best for the season, just in time for the ABT tournament round early this month. Local anglers do seem to need reminding at times that many mainland estuary anglers head down to Tasmania each year to sample the delights if our Derwent bream fishery. Yes the Derwent is that good!

Of course it can be tough at times like any quality fishery but the good periods are memorable to say the least. Autumn presents Hobart anglers with some of the best bream angling conditions of the year so don’t hesitate to get out there.

As per usual, shallow minnows excel at this time of year as bream are often targeted with most success while they move into the shallows or feed around and just after the high tide.

Shorebased and boat anglers will both do well when working minnows in and about edge structure. Make sure you employ plenty of pauses in your retrieve, as this is normally a key to success. Fishing light lines is the other big factor in fooling the often-skittish bream. You will lose a few lures when the action gets a bit torrid but the results are worth donating the odd lure to the bream gods.

Stick to 4lb fluorocarbon leaders in order to maintain a convincing lure action. I use Yamatoyo Famell Spinning Flouro on most occasions, especially during session where I mainly throw hardbodied minnows or small jerkbaits.

The bream homeland stretch between Bridgewater and Hobart CBD is now the best zone to focus on. It’s a big stretch of water with many great looking shores. I’ve been at it for over 5 years now and I’m still finding new ground here and there.

Although I’ve had a busy start to the year with work, I have still managed some good sessions on the river at dawn before work or otherwise a short session here or there in the afternoon. There’s no real hot spot at this time of year as bream move about in pods crazing on mussels, crabs, shrimp and the odd baitfish.

Often, it’s best to move about the river in order the find a patch of active bream to present your lures to. Try fishing up against the rock ledges that surround the rocky points near Moorilla, Cadbury’s and Old Beach.

The Inland Fisheries Service have continued to focus on the stocking of Hobart’s nearby impoundments. A solid stocking of 60,000 rainbow fry at Lake Meadowbank should serve as a good investment in this fisheries long term future. Meadowbank seems to have struggled to yield good numbers of trout since its draining last year. Hopefully, the weed beds will be able to recover during the upcoming year or so.

Craigbourne Dam has been the big winner of late with a heap of stocking s to add to those that have taken place over the last 10-12 months. Another 2000 Atlantics averaging just under a kilo should really fire up the interest amongst local trout anglers. Another 900 rainbows (900g) were released over the last month, adding to the mix of trout species.

Anglers now have the chance to catch all four trout and salmon species at the one venue. How things have changed since last year! Try lures base colours such as hot pink, silver or gold early or late in the day for best results.

Coal River in turn is also benefiting from the latest spills over the dam which has delivered some fresh stocks to the river below. The dam has spilled or been opened several times in recent months, improving water conditions for the entire Coal River system. It’s been a few years since conditions such as this have occurred, hence trout anglers that know the better areas have found some excellent sport in patches.

The Coal can turn up some sizeable trout at times in the section of river around and above Campania. Definitely worth a stroll.

Lake Dulverton at Oatlands has also produced some fine catches in recent months. This lowland still water has a reputation for excellent growth rates and it seems the trout are already reaching a very respectable size.

Recent reports would suggest that some of the 6000 triploid bows released last year have now grown to around a kilo or so. Since then, further stockings of 16,000 triploid rainbow trout fry can only improve on the future prospects for this location. Rainbow trout patterns in wobblers and minnows are both doing well right now.

Dulverton has not been a favoured water for some time, but that is about to change once the big trout start to emerge from the lakes rich weed beds.