May can be a spectacular month for fishing with the cool still days and often settled weather providing comfortable fishing conditions.

Bottom bouncers will get amongst species such as striped trumpeter, gurnard, morwong perch and the occasional flathead.

For those fishing areas such as the Tasman Peninsula there are also good numbers of southern bluefin tuna available, with it well known that the larger than average specimens turn up this time of year.

Big bream are still a realistic target for the soft plastic and hard body angler plus the estuaries offer numbers of garfish, the occasional Atlantic salmon and sea trout.

Tasman Peninsula

At the time of writing game anglers are already experiencing exceptional southern bluefin tuna fishing with fish being caught in close proximity off Port Arthur and Tasman Island. Although the fish are small at present in the 15-20kg class, and it is predicted the larger fish will not be far away.

Popular locations are still Hypolyte Rock, Cape Pillar, Fortescue Bay and Tasman Island.

I would be recommending large pushers in dark colours such as black, midnight oil, brown and purple. Smaller pushers can also be effective especially if fish are visibly feeding on top or the conditions are calm, green and yellow, straight pink or silver are recommended colours. Silver bullet head lures or Zukers are also proven fish catchers.

Besides these surface running lures, Mack baits and large bibbed minnows such as Rapalas are accounting for their fair share of fish; these are productive in the mad mullet colour, green and silver and again purple.

Beside the Tasman Peninsula SBT are occasionally caught wide off be Southport and of recent times around Bruny Island.

For those anglers wishing to do some land-based fishing in the area there are wrasse, leatherjacket and cod all available off the rocks while the majority of piers in the area are productive platforms for mackerel, calamari squid and the occasional flathead.

Port Huon offers sheltered water fishing for both the boat and shore based angler.

Anglers can expect to catch a range of species including Atlantic salmon, sea trout, bream, mackerel, barracouta, Australian salmon and sand flathead.

Lure, bait and even saltwater flyfishing are all practised especially when targeting more sort after sporting species such as the above mentioned Atlantic salmon and trout.

Lure anglers should concentrate on fishing along the shoreline with the Atlantic salmon and trout generally holding close to shore. Fishing the oyster-clad reefs is recommended as is fishing the mouth of the Kermandie River.

Anglers should carry an array of lightweight spoon style lures, bibbed minnows and soft plastic lures.

Fly anglers will do best to fish first light and last light when numbers of yellow eye mullet and mackerel are available.

Small non-descript whitebait flies are effective as is a bread fly fished amongst a berley trail.

Bait fishing is also productive with berley again recommended, and anglers should again look for structure with it recommended to fish the outgoing tide.

Anglers are reminded that the D’entrecasteau Channel is also home to some productive floundering, with May often providing the perfect weather.

May time is tuna time, and these are perfect conditions to troll up a ‘jumbo’.