While shark anglers are drifting around out wide, clinging to the hope that there’s still the odd toothy around to entertain them, most of the action this month will be happening a lot closer to shore.

We’ve had a bumper shark season and the flathead and snapper were thick enough to keep us chasing them all summer. However, April will see these species start to taper off and the inshore grounds really fire up.

Silver trevally, salmon and King George whiting are now the main targets, and all of these species are found much closer in.

The Waterfall Reefs are already producing some big silver trevally and King George whiting, as is the boat harbour for those putting in the time. The use of berley has been the key factor while chasing trevally. It attracts them to your area and keeps them around.

I use a mixture of mashed up pilchards mixed with bread and tuna oil. It makes a great concoction for silver trevally. Lightly or even unweighted baits are required because these delicate biters will spit the bait if they feel any resistance. This is where light lines in the 3 to 4kg class are best.

Beach fishermen will be out in full force this month, targeting big schools of salmon as they migrate past this part of the coast. While they haven’t been around in big numbers yet, I’m sure that by the end of April everyone will be talking about those beaches that are producing the hottest bites. Good places to try are Wild Dog Beach, Mounts Bay, Glen Aire and Johanna Beach. These spots have been proven winners in the past.

Standard beach gear for salmon consists of a 12’ surf rod matched to a 6000 or 8000 size reel and 8 to 12kg line. Paternoster rigs with a star sinker and size 1 or 1/0 hooks are best when using whitebait or bluebait. Artificial baits such as surf poppers and soft plastic lures are also popular and work best when fished on a paternoster rig in conjunction with bait.

If you’re more interested in putting a few fillets of whiting on the table then you should have been giving them a hard time already because February and March have been productive. The boat harbour has been fishing well for whiting out towards the end of the pier, casting back inside the harbour, but you can’t go past the waterfall reefs if you can get your hands on a boat.

If you require any further information or just want the latest report give us a ring at Surf-n-Fish on (03) 5237 6426.