We had a rare burst of calm weather on Eyre Peninsula recently and now it looks like the wind has returned.
During the calm spell there were some really good reports from all across the region’s waters – inshore, offshore and land-based, with such a good variety of fish on offer.
It is going to be a good summer of fishing by the looks of it and let’s hope the weather starts to play the game a bit more regularly.
Here is what has been caught over the last week.
Elliston
Mostly land-based reports have come in, with whiting, garfish, tommies and flathead caught around Elliston’s sheltered beaches, rock areas and also around Walkers Rocks – where most of the flathead have been caught.
You can find a few salmon off the surf beaches around Elliston and a few sharks – gummy and bronze whalers mostly – and the best beaches are Talia and Sheringa.
Venus Bay has been good for whiting, tommies, salmon and some squid from the jetties and also those in the boat.
Mulloway fishing up the Far West has been tough with the constant wind putting weed up the beaches, but when the wind drops and the weed clears there has been excellent fishing.
Mulloway 60lb-plus were landed from both the Dog Fence and Yalata beaches.
There are sharks of all sizes and salmon there too.
Coffin Bay
Fishing is still really good within the bays for all the smaller fish like whiting, tommies, garfish, snook and salmon trout.
The odd flathead has also been caught from some of the sand flats around Coffin Bay.
Gummy sharks can be caught in the early mornings and also at night, with a few decent ones getting around; all these can be caught by both boat and land.
Farm Beach has fine numbers of whiting, garfish, tommies, snook, salmon trout and squid – many areas here are fishing well and it is a matter of picking your favourite spot and giving it a go.
If it does not work then move to another area and you will find the fish.
This area has also been good from the shore, with whiting reports from Farm Beach to Frenchman’s, while the national park would be the same with whiting, garfish and probably some flathead from the shore.
Offshore fishing has been really good as not many have been out there due to the weather over the last month.
No tuna just yet but there are nannygai, blue morwong, plenty of different types of sharks and samson fish and kingfish of all sizes around some of the Islands and deeper drops.
The new JT Jigs are now proven kingfish killers and samson fish slayers – if you are into this type of fishing get on to these jigs as they are the best new jigs to hit the market.
Soft plastics are also a good back up with the Cast Prodigies, Berkley Hollow bellies and the Vexed Cray Lords also accounting for plenty of fish.
Salmon news has been quiet this week but it is still worth hitting the beaches to look around.
Port Lincoln
Rat kingfish have turned up this week and you can expect them from the town jetty, the marina and also in the bays in the Proper and Spalding Cove.
You can also expect them to be around the main wharf.
Soft plastics have been catching a few – Shimano Reef Wrigglers and Berkley Hollow Bellies – plus have a look at the 3” and 4” Cast Prodigies, these work well for the kingfish.
Also, from the jetties there are small numbers of squid, garfish, big tommies, snook and some nice whiting – early mornings on the big tides is worth a go for big whiting along the rocks at Tulka and Murray Point for this time of year.
Boat fishers will pick up whiting, garfish, squid and snook within the bays around Boston Island, the Proper and also the North Shore.
Thistle Island is still fishing very well with big whiting, snook, garfish and squid getting caught. Soft plastics have been working for whiting – the Jackson Chino Craw is the best of them and also the 55mm Nomad Squid Trex is proving to be another good lure for King George and everything else that eats small squid.
Impressive offshore reports have come in between the wind, with big nannygai, blue morwong, sharks, samson fish and kingfish in numbers on the offshore reefs and islands.
For those after the big nannygai you just cannot go past the Vexed Bottom Meats, they are just a simple, easy and highly effective jig to use.
There has not been too much salmon news in the park, but in other areas you will find snook, squid, tommies, garfish and whiting, while for those after something bigger there have been big bronze whalers getting around.
Tumby Bay/Port Neill/Arno Bay
Fishing news has been a lot quieter than normal, but you would expect the Group has been fishing very well for whiting and squid.
There are also big garfish, snook and trevally out there.
In closer there is a variety of fish, with whiting, squid, snook and garfish there to be caught.
Port Neill and Arno Bay are also very similar with the same fish on offer for the boat fishers.
Yellowfin whiting numbers are building well with some decent numbers of fish now being caught from the beaches in the area.
