Summer is the best time of year to go fishing. Arm yourself with some commonsense tips from the experts as well as a line, and you’ll have a productive season.
Story By Al McGlashan
With the weather warming up, anglers around the country are gearing up. When it comes to fishing, Australia definitely is the lucky country with endless opportunities in secluded estuaries, along rocky headlands and countless offshore options, and the warmer months mean peak activity for some of the country’s most sought-after species. Southern estuaries really fire during the warmer months. Flathead, bream, jewfish and trevally are all common captures. The beauty of fishing estuaries is that you don’t need a boat. Mick Latimer from fishing store The Compleat Angler says walking the bank, casting soft plastics or small hard-bodied lures, is highly effective on all fish, especially flathead. “The trick is to focus around structures like drop-offs and weed beds,” Mick says. Alternatively, for those with a more laid-back approach, bait fishing can be highly productive. Again, the idea is to fish specific areas and focus around deeper holes and channels. The key to successful bait fishing is to use fresh bait. In the estuary you can catch your own, which is not only cost effective but a heap of fun for the kids as well. Sydney angler James Yerbery says catching your own nippers and worms on the sand flats at low tide is easy with a bait pump. “Nippers will catch just about anything in the estuary,” James says.
This story excerpt is from Issue #62
Outback Magazine: Dec/Jan 2009
