The surf beaches have all been fishing well with some fish up to 3kg. Baxters Beach has been fairly consistent with good bags of fish being reported, as has Williamsons, Kilcunda and Woolamai beaches.

I was out whiting fishing the other day with a couple of mates. The wind had picked up a bit and the swell was rising. We had a dozen thumper whiting on board and I suggested we go before the tide got in too far. Otherwise the swell would pick up on the beach and we’d have a terrible of a time getting the boat back on the trailer. But my mate said one more try and I was quickly into another good fish when it happened. I lifted the fish into the boat and as I went to put my hand around its head to hold it, the fish fell off the hook. The rod was still under tension and ‘whack’ all I felt was a slight prick. I turned my hand around only to see the hook completely embedded in the palm of my hand. All that was visible was half of the long shank. I couldn’t even tell which way the hook was facing as it was buried in my palm so it was off the doc’s to get it removed. Needless to say I am now a lot wiser and much more aware when unhooking a fish. By the way the unlucky number 13 fish tasted awfully good.

Surf poppers have been working well. The crabs are about in big numbers and it’s hard to keep a bait on for very long. I use copper electrical wire strands, about 250mm long. A few wraps round the shank of the hook, half a dozen wraps round the bait, and a couple of wraps back round the shank. It’s pretty simple, costs nothing, and doesn’t affect the fish biting the bait. Your bait lasts twice as long in the water which means half as many times running up and down the beach casting, and more productive fishing time in the water – how good is that.

The Cleelands Bight area is still producing whiting on the last of the run-out tide. Outside on the 40m line there’s still some good tiger flathead taken on the drift. The mako sharks unfortunately are all but gone for another year.

There’s good garfish in Dickie’s Bay, still whiting at Reef Island, Bass River Mouth and Tortoise Head, although they are now at the end of their season. Still plenty of elephants about in the elephant triangle, and lots of small gummies and snapper sharks (tope).

The jetties have been a lot quieter with mainly a few trevally and small salmon off New Haven and San Remo jetties and the Rhyll Jetty has been accounting for some elephants and the occasional gummy after dark.

Still some good whiting about but the weather needs to be good to fish these areas. Cat Bay, Flinders and Point Leo are all fishing okay. It’s just a case of move, catch a couple, move, catch a couple, and move. If after half a dozen or so moves you end up with a dozen or so fish, you’ve done okay.

There are still a few good snapper and gummies coming in from the deep water off Ventnor and the Fairway Buoy.