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Offshore anglers do well
  |  First Published: November 2005



Fishing has been hard work for the land-based anglers for the past month or so. There have been fish to catch but it has required a wholehearted approach and plenty of dedication.

The weather has been unhelpful with strong winds from the west and south as well as a few downpours. Despite these handicaps some good bags of fish have been recorded.

Outside anglers have enjoyed the best catches – when they have been able to get to sea.

ESTUARY

The big schools of luderick that moved into the estuary have provided plenty of sport. They are being caught in the daytime on green weed and cabbage weed and on live yabbies at night.

The best catches are being made at night by fishing the last of the high tide and the first of the run out. The change of tide on the low is also producing fish.

Flathead are still taking soft plastics, especially in the backwater at Harrington. Some anglers have been scoring four to six fish an outing.

A couple of jew have been caught in the estuary on soft plastics but they are not around in the numbers of six weeks ago.

BEACH AND ROCK

The beach has more varieties of fish available than the estuary.

Crowdy Beach is still fishing well for bream on the southern end, where pipis and beach worms are the best baits.

Salmon can be caught almost at will on pilchards, worms and squid baits. Some of the fish are up to 3.5kg and put up a great fight on light string.

Salmon are hardy fish and can be returned to the water with a very good chance of recovery. Fish that are bleeding should probably be kept and turned into fish cakes.

The tailor have deserted the beaches and the choppers have not turned up so we will probably not see any tailor on our beaches until the end of December, which is what used to happen 30 years ago.

Rock anglers have been scoring plenty of drummer to 2kg and the occasional hefty blue groper to 6kg. Crabs have been the bait of choice for the groper.

OFFSHORE

When they have been able to get out, offshore anglers have been scoring heaps of reds by bottom-bashing and also by fishing floaters in a berley trail.

The surface fish have been absent from our waters and it appears as if they will be late this season. Normally bonito, mackerel tuna and striped tuna turn up at the beginning of October but they are late.

By November the sea water should be warming up and the pelagic species should be here in droves.

Spinning or trolling light lines for surface fish can be great sport as well as a source of excellent bait.

The big reds will be starting to venture in close and the bommies will be worth a try with a floating live bait around the full moon.

Robert Morris with 2.95kg snapper taken off Crowdy Head. Offshore anglers have had the best of the fishing around Harrington of late.

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