Beaumaris Motor Yacht Squadron -

Fishing News

2 July 2010

WINTER FISHING

Squid, Whiting , Pinkies and more .....
Despite the cold most anglers have experienced some of the best winter fishing for years. Have we ever had such a season for squid?  How many have been hooked from our jetties and rocks by anglers in the know?  Tackle retailers now stock walls of squid jigs ranging up to $30 each.  There are now special “eging “rods and “eging” braid as we embrace the
Japanese passion for squid.  DVD’s also highlight techniques such as the double and single haul perfected by our trading partners.

Pinkies are a year long proposition with afternoon and evening anglers obtaining regular limits on plastics and bait.  There are swarms of undersize fish over all the reefs and they are more than a nuisance to whiting anglers. Whiting anglers who are patient and fish through the pinkie schools are getting double figure catches of whiting up to 34 cm. Is there any better tasting fish than these small winter whiting fried with egg and breadcrumbs?

Spotted trevella and warehou have made an appearance. Veteran angler Bob Carruthers returned an excellent catch of these tasty fish from near the mussel farm.  Both species respond to clouds of layer pellets and tuna oil as burley. Salmon schools come and go following the vast shoals of whitebait and pilchards.  A local angler caught a 3.5 kg specimen from our jetty...

One of the enigmas of our club is that very few of our 665 members fish during the winter in the calm, cold, and fish-rich conditions.  Winter fishing provides many challenges and options and gives much satisfaction to those few who do take part.

Notable Local Catches
Brian Wright -  4 kg snapper on a pilchard at Ricketts Point
Ernie Gladstone - two 4 kg snapper off Carrum
Simon Freer – bag limits of snapper off Seaford
Warren Jones – 65 cm flathead off Brighton
Rod Billings – bluefin tuna (heaps!)

Members in the News
Eddy Zahra has now been part of two bluefin captures over 100 kg in the South West of the state. He heads a number of members who have had many fish in this area.
 
Rear Commodore Phil Goodier has become a Beaumaris Iceberger.  He takes regular swims near our jetties and has recovered a number of squid jigs.  With a water temperature of 10 degrees he has every chance of being lonely in this pursuit.
 
Allan Willoughby has a property at Corinella where he has captured good sized gummy shark on a regular basis near Elizabeth Island.
 
Hugh Videion has exchanged portfolios with Dennis Parnell.  Dennis is now Club Secretary while Hugh edits On Deck and Club communications.  Hugh will be updating fishing information on our Website on a regular basis.
 
Tim Hipkins Iron Lady Tour group landed and released nearly 600 barramundi to create a BMYS 12 year record.
  
New Tackle
There is now a very fine high quality braid designed for squid fishing. It’s almost twice the price of other braids but the squid experts reckon it’s worth the money. Electric reels are now available in several brands and several models. They have opened up a whole new field not only for anglers who wish to explore the ocean’s canyons but also for disabled anglers who can now enjoy the sport. Anchor winches are now reaching a new level of sophistication; Club members are installing these and report few problems. 

Fishing Location – Sugar Loaf Reservoir
Even though it is part of Melbourne’s water supply Sugarloaf is open to angling all year round. Brown trout and redfin are caught on a regular basis in good numbers near the wall. Power bait, mud-eye, worms, yabbies and lures all produce fish. There are well maintained BBQs and toilets on-site and family access is excellent. The turnoff to the dam is on the Etham - Yarra Glen Road in the picturesque Christmas Hills area of St Andrews.  The East Link Freeway makes this area accessible to the Southern suburbs in around 1½ hours.  Best bar meal in Australia at the Yarra Glen Hotel.  A good school holiday day trip!!
 
Fishing For Spotted Trevella and Warehou
Ideas for catching these enigmatic fish were published some years ago in On Deck.  Both species have a combined bag limit of 20 but no size limit.  They are covered in a mucous like coating hence their name “Spotties” (Yuk!)  They are delicious to eat fresh but must be skinned. Both species travel in large shoals and can be tempted to bite with copious burley.  They are “off the bottom feeders” so very light sinkers must be used right to the hook or with short paternoster leads.  The bait is lowered or cast so that it finishes a metre or so from the bottom. Bites are almost imperceptible but as more fish are attracted they become really fierce, sometimes attacking baits on the surface.  Squid, pippi, prawn, and fish pieces are all good baits. Use a 3 to 4 kg line and a No. 6 to 8 hook. P.S. “Spotties” also take small soft plastics, and both “spotties” and “snotties” make excellent snapper baits. As stated before these fish are covered in slime and they are best kept in a keeper net, which can be dragged behind the boat on the way home to make the cleaning task more pleasant. Fish should be filleted carefully as the backbones are quite soft.  The skin has a very strong flavour and should be removed.

Ricketts Park Marine Park
The squid season is attracting more boats inside the Ricketts Point Marine Park boundaries and “trespassers” are sighted almost daily.  While fines have been infrequent this is not to say that the zero tolerance policy has been discarded.

 A word to the wise …… Beach Road residents regularly report boat rego numbers to the Fisheries Hot line. So even though Fisheries officers have not been present, offending boat rego numbers are recorded on their data base.

Snapper Season Preparation
Now is the time to re-spool those snapper reels and have them serviced.  “Jumping” drag washers should be replaced.  Rod runners should be inspected for fine cracks that can shred nylon. That dodgy old rod tip could cost a record fish. Rusty hooks should be discarded. Some anglers
are hoarding squid legs and bodies in small freezer packs.  Small winter whiting heads and frames also make good snapper baits as do salmon fillets. Motors and safety gear should be in top condition as we all tend to travel much further and fish rougher in the spring.  There is nothing worse than a dragging anchor.  Those extra few metres of chain may take a bit of pulling up but it’s far better than drifting through the snapper fleet.

By the time this On Deck is published and the next one is due snapper reports will start to come through. Usually the inshore marks fire up first with the Mordy Hump, The Traffic Lights, The Half Way, The Coral,
The Fingers, and other reasonably close marks all producing early fish.

Remember, the most successful snapper anglers watch the sun rise or set over their four rods tips,
- and for the 25th time, the annual reminder, “There are no fish in the lounge room!”
 
Fishing Ideas
Last season more and more anglers began using plastics on the larger fish from anchored or drifting boats. Peter Mathews was a trendsetter in this field and used 4 to 7 inch plastics on upto ¼ oz 4/0 jig heads. The lures can be cast ahead of a drifting boat or trailed behind.  From an anchored boat lures can be cast in any direction and worked back. Passive anglers can also catch fish just dangling the plastics straight down off the rod tip.
 
Did You Know?
• There are two sub species of Australian salmon. The Eastern sub-species reach a maximum  weight of around 4 kg.  The Western sub-species can reach an astonishing 8kg in the far west  at Carnarvon.  The main difference apart from maximum size is the number of gill-rakers.
• In some American states lead sinkers are banned.
• The proposed legislation to re-allow the capture and consumption of Mako sharks has been delayed by the Senate.  It is now not expected until next year.  (Please check the GFAA web-site).
• The body temperature of bluefin tuna is higher than the ambient water temperature;  hence BFT should be gutted and iced immediately on capture even in mid-winter.
. Lee Rayner has produced a video showing this essential action in keeping BFT at table quality.
 
Food For thought
Isn’t it time someone went through all of the TV channels including Foxtel, Ch 31, etc. and gave us the name, time, date and channel of each fishing program?
 
The Last Word
Sydney Olympics 2000.
“Are you a pole vaulter?” asked a spectator.  “Yes. I’m from Warsaw.  But how did you know my name was Walter?” 

More Fishing News

More Fishing

Sunday 4th July

Icebreaker Competition - gate manned from 6:0 am, weigh-in from 12:0 noon. Hot soup to finish with!