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THIS WEEK'S FISHING HOTSPOTS:
GET GREG'S FISHREPS ON ABC RADIO - WITH THEIR FREE RADIO LISTEN APP! EVERY THURSDAY NIGHT (891 @ 8.40PM) WITH THE ONE & ONLY SPENCE DENNY! THEN EVERY SATURDAY MORNING (639 @ 7.20AM) WITH THE FAB IAN (CHOOK) HARSLETT!
SEPTEMBER 19-30, 2025
TOP END/NORTHERN TERRITORY From Jason Deigan at Compleat Angler Darwin! ABC891 @ 8.30pm every Thursday night now has a Top End (NT) element: #Cahill Crossing & Shoal Bay have barra to 1m #Dundee Bch offshore has blue snapper, wahoo & tuna #East Alligator River has mud crabs & 90cm barramundi
METRO WATERS: Reports in just this week tell a sad old tale of the complete crash in recreational marine boat sales across SA - all due to the Algal Bloom. Those early Spring gale force winds & welcome rain eventually dropped back & we had some sunny days & relatively calm waters allowing boat crews to fish the deep water grounds off St Kilda, Nth Haven, Outer Harbour & Semaphore. Reported catches of KG whiting, small snapper (which we still cannot keep) & flathead are really only from the deeper waters where the fish can survive. Squid catches have been few & far between as the algal bloom (HAB) poison continues to run a path of destruction - oh well, "our man from Amsterdam" at PIRSA says all will be ok, so who are we to question? This week's HAB resurgence at Pt Noarlunga & Christies Bch has seen local shore & jetty-based fishing turn really quiet, with only an occasional run of tommy ruffs, isolated garfish & green macks. Brighton, Seacliff & Marino down to West Bch fishing action has been quiet & locals just walking on the beach are continuing to report illness - Pse be careful if you are considering eating any seafood from our Gulf waters atm.
FLEURIEU/RIVERLAND/RESERVOIR: Jetty-based fishers at Port Noarlunga could not contain their glee and all-round bonhomie last weekend as the re-opened planks produced a steady and much welcomed run of salmon trout and small tommy ruffs - then the Algal Bloom came in - again!! Late in the season mullet are also along the coast, ideally at locations that have avoided or are enjoying a break from the algal bloom and the Second Valley jetty is a good example of this. Salmon trout are off the sand at Morgan's beach and there was an unconfirmed report late in the weekend of salmon just under the 1 kilo mark from King's and Waitpinga beaches. Squid catches for both recreational and commercial fishers are non-existent on The Fleurieu as the the algal bloom re-surfaced at Basham beach last week and on the Gulf St Vincent side of the coast the week before. Why there is no concerted plan to clean up the foam and mess when the algal bloom hits the coastline (as in a local oil spill) defies any form of honest responsibility for the marine pollution catastrophe. Offshore boat crews caught a few KG whiting, flathead and red nannygai from Backstairs Passage and Nepean Bay as they managed a run across the Passage when conditions turned warm and northerly over the weekend before the strong winds cracked in and the warnings went out on Sunday and Monday. Ever hopeful boat crews fished Yilki Bay and Broady's Patch for whiting, flathead, garfish and squid but the results were poor and not at all encouraging for upcoming tourist season. The Upper Coorong has a few salmon to 1 kilo from Salt Creek and smaller trouts from the 32 Mile Crossing. Upstream there are callop and a few lonely yabbies at Swan Reach and Nildottie. Elsewhere, the National (European) Carp Control Plan (NCCP) appears to be making progress with assessment of the proposed use of the Cyprinid herpes virus 3 (CHV-3) as a biological control agent. Other efforts to rid us of this pest continue with the physical removal of fish through the use of electrofishing events.
SOUTH EAST/COORONG: Recent big seas & swells have removed huge levels of sand from the shore-based surf fishing spots along the Upper Coorong, so pse make sure you are prepared to tackle some difficult & ever-changing terrain. Not sure about access to a couple of South East coastal jetties after the storm damage - If you are planning a trip to a local jetty, it would be a good idea to check with the relevant Council website for updates (Cape Jaffa, Robe, Kingston etc) first. Squid & garfish catches were steady from Nene Valley & Livingstone Bay last week, the gar definitely need a steady berley trail to bring them on to the chew. Shore-based anglers enjoyed great sunny weather one day & shit weather the next as they managed salmon to 2 kilos from Canunda, Beachport Surfer's Bch, Little Dip Salmon Hole & Salt Creek. Smaller salmon trout are off the 32 Mile Crossing & Salt Creek. The winter mullet run at Stinky Bch continues & there are some big gar in Nora Creina Bay & off the back of Poorman's Bch. KG whiting, snapper & flathead are in the dirty waters off Beachport, Port Mac, Carpenter Rocks & Kingston, with many fish up to 38/39cm. Down south of the SA border in New Mexico (Glenelg river) there are mulloway just north of the Nelson boat ramp & also up around Taylor's Creek.
YORKE PENINSULA: Wallaroo: Shore-based anglers continue to enjoy a run of salmon trout from the rocks at Point Riley (squid rock end) and the town jetty, with a few garfish also making a welcome appearance. Boat crews ran out ever-hopeful for early garfish, squid and King George whiting. Moonta Bay/Port Hughes: Most whiting reports are for well offshore deep water grounds west of Tiparra Reef and the southern end of Steamer channel. Small pesky snapper appear everywhere but the ban continues. Local jetty-based fishers are trying for blue swimmer crabs, squid and salmon trout and tommy ruffs (Australian herring) after dusk, but it is slow going for most. Port Victoria/Port Rickaby: Steady catches of whiting continue, also from the deep water drops off the north western side of Wardang Island. Whiting and a few flathead are being reported from Balgowan, Chinaman's Wells and then well south to Port Rickaby. Garfish are starting to make it into local boat crews catch bags at Rickaby and Point Turton/Point Souttar. Local jetty-based fishing has salmon trout along the bluelines and sandy holes in about 2 metres of water. Stenhouse/Marion Bays: Ideal weather presented itself for a run offshore for parts of last week and crews certainly did their best, with reports coming in for KG whiting, flathead and blue morwong from the drops not yet affected by the dreaded algal bloom. The jetties have the odd salmon trout, but squid catches have been virtually non-existant......
KANGAROO ISLAND Kingscote jetty underwater views are not good, with dead marine vegetation & shellfish everywhere. North KI coast has KG whiting, flathead, garfish & nice tommies from Emu Bay, Smith's Bch & then across the scrub to Vivonne Bay & American River. Some big salmon (4 kilos) are migrating across from the Far West Coast beaches (Talia, Sheringa etc) & these should start showing up along much of the rocky points & sandy bays in the next weeks. Penneshaw jetty has weedy whiting, salmon & a few squid, while offshore from the Bay of Shoals has gar, whiting, salmon trout & flathead also on the southern side of the spit.
SEPT SEAFOOD RECIPE: Skewered Lemon Prawns. Ingredients: 12 large green and shelled prawns, olive oil, lemon rind, seasoning. Preparation: thread prawns on to skewers, place in a bowl and pour over oil and rind. Cook on BBQ at medium for 3 mins and turn. Cook for 2-3mins and serve with lemon wedges. Prijatno! Montenegrin for Bon Appetit!
SPENCER GULF/WEST COAST: The Pneumatic Barrier is now in-situ east of Black Point/False Bay near Whyalla - oestensibly to protect the Giant Cuttlefish - but apparently not yet switched on. "Calling Earth to Mars" FFS! Some nice kingfish have managed to avoid the HAB & are in the deeper waters off Steamer channel, Point Lowly Rip & then well into Pt Augusta grounds off the old Power Station warm water drain pipes. Shore-based anglers braving the onshore winds & surging surf are doing well on salmon from the West Coast - 4/5 kilo beauties from Talia, Sheringa, Convention & Sleaford to 1 kilo nuffies inside Venus Bay, Acraman Creek, Point Brown, Haslam & the beaches west towards Penong (Cactus etc). Then mulloway & 3kg salmon are off Claire Bay, Fowler's Bay, Point Sinclair & the Dog Fence Bch/Yalata, along with salmon & tommies, big flathead, snook & even some nice brown-eye mullet! Boat crews are catching KG whiting, tommies & isolated squid from Pt Lincoln (Boston Is/Proper Bay), Coffin, Venus & Streaky Bays. Whiting catches from Tumby Bay & Ceduna are off the respective island groups (Spilsby & St Peters) & there are kingies, red nannys, snapper (which cannot be kept), morwong & occasional 11 kilo tuna offshore from Waldegrave, Olive & St Peters islands. Boat crews, jetty-based fishers & rakers alike will be holding their breath as Sept arrives & normally signals the start of the blue crab season. We shall have to wait & see.......TIGHT LINES!
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