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THIS WEEK'S FISHING HOTSPOTS:
DEC 8 - 20, 2025
METRO WATERS: Sorry to have to say this - but I am treating any official SA Govt information on the algal bloom in our Metro waters as total B.S. They neither care about the truth & are incapable/incompetent of stopping the destruction - in my honest opinion. Omnipresent algal bloom movement means the poison is now seeping into & past the tidal flats based around the primary dune system. If you are thinking about a fish then for boat crews I would only use catch and release practices in the deep, deep waters off Outer Harbour & St Kilda - as I have been saying in past reports. You should be able to locate small, isolated pods of KG whiting & maybe a flathead or two. I would leave blue & sand crabs well & truly alone for the foreseeable future. There are soapie mulloway, black bream, mullet & poisson de shite for shore-based fishers in the Onkaparinga & Port Rivers & over at West Lakes. Take Care & See You Soon!
FLEURIEU/RIVERLAND/RESERVOIR: Small tuna to 5 kilos have been sighted off the coastline between Port Lincoln and Kangaroo Island in the past week, so these prized fish should hopefully be making their appearance off The Pages, Tunk Head and the Sanders Bank in coming days. Generally migrating through and along Investigator Straight and then into Backstairs Passage, these fish are now a keenly awaited fishing and gourmet experience for Fleurieu big boat crews and charters. Most anglers and South Coast residents and visitors are now all impatiently waiting for the next news in the recovery from the Algal Bloom. Much has been promised and much has yet to be done - but in the meantime please spare a thought for our fishing cousins in Western Australia. The WA State Govt this week announced closures to the demersal marine fishery (snapper, dhufish, red emperor etc) for a 900 kilometre stretch of coastline from Kalbarri in the north to Augusta in the south! The closure for the commercial sector is permanent while the closure for the recreational sector is for just less than two (2) years. KG whiting are in very small and isolated pods well south of Port Noarlunga and down the coastline to Normanville and Lady Bay. Wirrina's deep water drops are also worth a try for whiting, snook and green mackeral. If the fish do not look healthy then please apply catch and release techniques. Local boat crews grabbed their chance in the occasional good weather to run out from Victor Harbor chasing whiting, snapper, flathead, snook and even garfish - with mixed results to be honest. Mulloway and salmon trout are up at Tauwitchere Point and the salmon are also off Goolwa and Scab channels. Calmer weather along the Upper Coorong has seen shore-based anglers picking up salmon, mulloway and shark. Beetaloo and Happy Valley reservoirs have redfin perch - please remember you need a permit to fish these waters.
SOUTH EAST/COORONG: Surf-based casters are having to contend with strong onshore winds & some pretty decent swells as they try for 2kg salmon, mulloway & late-season mullet from the hotspots at the 42 Mile Crossing, Salt Creek & Botswain's Point/The Granites. Boggy beach conditions also need to be factored into plans as crews need to keep their vehicles up high on the beach to avoid swamping. Boat crews are catching snapper, KG whiting, flathead, sweep & a few crays (PIRSA rock lobster permits are required) from Margaret Brock reef, Kingston, Robe, Nora Creina Bay, Beachport & Port MacDonnell. Large garfish & big squid are in the protected waters around Robe, Nora Creina Bay, South End, Carpenter Rocks & Nene Valley/Cape Northumberland. Pannie snapper are off the broken grounds along Picanninie Bch with flathead whiting & squid. Early season tuna reports have been slow - but stay tuned & I will report back as the schools migrate across the South East waters. KG whiting are in small numbers but they are whopper fish (up to 44cm) from Carpenter Rocks & Beachport.
YORKE PENINSULA: Wallaroo: Jetty and shore based fishers are catching tommy ruffs, garfish and squid. Boat crews had to suffer onshore westerlies over the weekend making launching difficult - before the windy weather there were garfish, blue crabs and early morning KG whiting. Moonta Bay/Port Hughes: A few squid and blue crabs are at the jetties on the high tide peaks. Yellowfin whiting are slowly making their way up the coast in small pods, while boat crews are reporting gar, squid, the odd bluey and snook. Port Victoria: KG whiting to 37cm are in the broken grounds off Wardang Island and just south of the Moorara wreck. Other reports are for garfish, squid and blueys. The jetty has the odd bluey. Point Turton: Yellowfin whiting are again on the menu from local beaches at Port Rickaby, Barker Rocks, Point Souttar and The Pines - high tide is a good time to fish. Boat crews are fishing early mornings for whiting, garfish and squid. The jetty has been quiet. Stenhouse/Marion Bays: Boat crews managed a launch mid-week to fish the deep water drops off Point Gilbert, Marion Bay and Sturt Bay for red nannygai, sweep, large whiting and snook. Tuna catches off Port Lincoln have started to improve so these fish should be here in coming weeks. Try the jetties for tommies and garfish.
KANGAROO ISLAND Try those offshore bommies & low-lying (shallow) reefs at Hog Bay for red nannys, whiting & flathead., Whiting, gar, squid, snook & tommy ruffs are off many north coast fishing locations - Emu Bay, Smith's Bch, Snelling's, Stokes Bay, Western River Cove & Red Banks are producing nice fish! Nepean Bay has whiting, gar & squid at times while Antechamber Bay has whiting, gar & squid for the boat crews & soapie mulloway from the shore. The north coast beaches & rocky points have salmon, flathead, whiting & squid. Local jetties have a mix of tommy ruffs, squid, salmon trout & flathead.
CHRISTMAS DESSERT RECIPE: ROCKY ROAD. Ingredients: Chocolate melts, marshmellows, raw cashews, glace cherries, sultanas/dried apricots, spearmint lolly leaves. Preparation: Grease & line a flat tray. Sprinkle in chopped marshmellows, cashews, cherries & dried fruit (to taste). Drizzle with melted chocolate & allow to set. Drizzle further with melted white choc & add a generous sprinkle of green spearmint leaves. Try not to eat all at once! B"tayavon! HEBREW for Bon Appetit!
SPENCER GULF/WEST COAST: I fished Waterloo Bay (Elliston) just last week & found big squid, garfish & tommy ruffs, with salmon trout coming from the beach north of the jetty. West Coast surf beaches around Elliston are all fishing well for 2 kg salmon - Sheringa, Talia, Convention, with the Elliston jetty producing tommies & squid/garfish. Pt Lincoln boat crews are heading out to Thistle Is when the weather is clear for KG whiting to 39cm, with the whiting also off Pt Neill, Louth Bay & Tumby. Yellowfin whiting are catches are improving with fish at Pt Neill, Cowell, Germein Point, Cowled's Landing & Murninnie Point. Black Point off Whyalla has salmon trout & there are hungry kingies at Point Lowly, Leeton Tug & Pt Augusta (the wall). Blue crabs & garfish are at Miranda, Weeroona Bay, Port Pirie & Port Davis. KG whiting, squid & garfish are in the sheltered waters of Proper Bay, Coffin, Venus & Streaky Bays, with mulloway, flathead & 3 kilo salmon coming from Fowler's Bay, Yalata & Claire Bay. Ceduna & Streaky Bay jetties have blueys & garfish. TIGHT LINES!
TOP END/NORTHERN TERRITORY From Jason Deigan at Compleat Angler Darwin! ABC891 @ 8.30pm every Thursday night has a Top End (NT) element: #Heavy rain (440mm) has loaded creeks, rivers & swampy flats with snags & rubbish #Mud crabs, red snapper, threadfin salmon & Barra in Darwin Harbour #Daly River has lots of water & big Barra
"SA ALGAL BLOOM NO MORE - A 6-POINT PLAN TO FULL RECOVERY" - A simple exercise in competence.
1. Immediately establish mobile water filtration units at the barrages on the Murray River - to remove harmful phosphates
2. Immediately establish a targeted & on-going Algal Bloom foam clean up operation at all coastal locations
3. Create a fully supported Academic Chair of Algal Bloom Mitigation & Prevention position (UniHub concept) at a Regional Centre on the SA coast
4. Form Strategic Regional Advisory Groups (3 year paid positions) to provide clear & unequivocal Algal Bloom Mitigation & Prevention advice
5. Re-vision with intent to re-structure the entire State Govt & Private Fisheries sectors
6. Fund & support only Applied Marine Science research that provides a practical solution to an identified problem/threat
GET GREG'S FISHREPS ON ABC RADIO - EVERY THURSDAY NIGHT (891 @ 8.40PM) WITH THE ONE & ONLY SPENCE DENNY! THEN EVERY SATURDAY MORNING (639 @ 7.30AM) WITH THE FAB IAN (CHOOK) HARSLETT!
- STATEWIDE GPS MARKS FOR SALE - CLICK BELOW!
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Greg James' Fishing Pathfinder 4th edition
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Stories of men and women from WW2