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Southern bluefin tuna just keep coming
  |  First Published: April 2013



The southern bluefin tuna season has begun at Portland with many chasing SBT from 30m of water out to the continental shelf.

There have been catches of SBT up to 30kg along with albacore and striped tuna. It seems that plenty of action is happening below the surface with not a lot of action on the surface, and the fish proving to be very finicky when sighted leaping our of the water.

If you’re heading out chasing these mighty fish you need to keep your wits about you and look for the bait fish on the sounder along with birds working a patch of water which will make it a lot easier to locate and catch these exciting game fish.

There have been reports of good schools of SBT to 100kg plus amongst them coming down from Port Lincoln, Kangaroo Island and Port MacDonnell. At times a lot of SBT and albacore are being landed with no tell tale signs, so just keeping working the areas and hopefully you will land the fish of a lifetime.

Local charter operators have also had goods success on their latest outings as local knowledge and years of accumulated fishing experience is always an added advantage to their off shore fishing operations on the continental shelf. Many of these operators have been living and working out of Portland for well in excess of 30 years.

Other than SBT

There have been good catches of flathead and gummy shark coming from around in front of Bridgewater Point along with good catches of snapper, blue morwong, coral perch and school shark from in front of the lighthouse. From around the Lawrence Rock area there have been good catches of pike, salmon of 2-3kg and for those chasing whiting there have been good catches around the Point Danger area and towards Blacknose for good sized calamari squid.

Mako sharks have been about between the lighthouse and in front of Lawrence rock have been the best places to try your luck in depths between 60-80m of water.

Along the north shore both boating parties and surf anglers have been getting good catches of snapper, whiting, calamari squid, elephant fish, gummy shark, school shark and the odd yellowtail kingfish and mulloway.

Fishing off the Lee breakwater, and there was a nice 6kg snapper caught along with snapper up to 40cm, whiting, salmon and calamari squid along with a few gummy sharks.

In and around the harbour snapper, whiting, trevally, salmon, slimy mackerel, bream and calamari squid have all been appearing at the cleaning tables. The canal has also been fishing well keeping the young anglers entertained.

For those freshwater fishing the Fitzroy and Surrey rivers has been fishing well for bream with soft plastics and vibes working the best.

For all your latest fishing and weather reports, give the boys at Portland Bait & Tackle a call on 0355235213, we are open 7 days a week from 7am to 7pm.

Bob McPherson with some of the southern bluefin tuna he has become famous for catching.

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