THIS WEEK'S FISHING HOTSPOTS:

1. METRO: Garfish from Hallett Cove, Marino & West Bch., garfish & blueys from Brighton, Glenelg & Semaphore jetties.
2. FLEURIEU/RIVERLAND/FRESHWATER: Gar & a few squid off Sellicks, Lady Bay & Normanville., salmon trout, mulloway & snapper from Goolwa, & Victor., callop & redfin from Lyrup, Loxton & Myponga res.
3. YORKE PEN: KG whiting, blue crabs & garfish from Edithburgh, Pt Vincent/Stansbury & Balgowan., mullet & salmon trout from Corny Point & Pondalowie Bay.
4. SOUTH EAST/COORONG: Salmon trout & mulloway from The Granites & Piccanninie Ponds., whiting & snapper from Kingston & Beachport.
5. SPENCER GULF/WEST COAST: Garfish & blueys from Whyalla, Arno Bay & Baird Bay., mulloway & salmon from Dog Fence Bch.
6. KANGAROO ISLAND: KG whiting, tommies, garfish & squid from American River, Kingscote (jetty as well) & Vivonne Bay.




DEC 9 - 20, 2024



STORIES OF US - AUSTRALIANS AT WAR: The year is 1942. The month is December. The Japanese are within 30kms of Northern Australia during World War 2. The Japs continue to run into those ragged bloody heroes from Australia & an equally determined bunch of young mid-west Americans. The rest is history - the Battle of the Northern Beach-heads of PNG, after their stunning victory at Milne Bay. Ron (QX14283) & Bert (QX14284) of that famous 2/9th Battalion - you fought to the Bitter End & we will not forget you. Never Late! Pse read this & it will tell you how fucken lucky we are: www.awm.gov.au/collection/E84314 LEST WE FORGET.




METRO WATERS: Boat crews are having to time their run out for garfish, blue crabs & the odd squid from West Bch, Semaphore and south to Grange tyre reef. Gar & sprat tommy ruffs are off the back of Horseshoe Reef at Christies Bch with an occasional KG whiting coming from O'Sullivan's Bch, Southport & The Pipes drops. Large bream & overnight soapie mulloway are just inside the Onkaparinga river mouth & upstream below the South Rd bridge. Pt Noarlunga & Brighton jetties also have garfish & squid. Shore-based fishers are reporting steady catches of yellowfin whiting from Maslin's, Seaford, Southport, Hallett Cove northern rocks, Marino, Tennyson & then well north to the southern groyne of West Bch boat ramp - fresh bloodworms should be your bait of choice! The northern metro coastline has two main species at the moment - blue crabs & garfish. Some male blueys are soft & without meat, so if they feel light chuck them back for next time & fish responsibly. Rakers are catching a feed of blue crabs & bait-casters are doing ok on yellowfin whiting from Light, Thompson's, Middle & Port Prahan beaches when I checked here on Dec 1. Boat crews running out from West Bch, Nth Haven, St Kilda & Semaphore are picking up blueys, gar, squid & snook on their way home, plus plenty of the infamous trumpeters of shite. West Lakes & The Pat have overnight school mulloway & a few small bream.

FLEURIEU/RIVERLAND/RESERVOIR: Windy Spring weather stayed with us for the early part of the week, although Thursday through to Saturday both the heat and humidity ramped up, making for ideal garfish and squid fishing along much of the western side of The Fleurieu. Gar, squid, sprat tommies and snook are off the rocky coastline from Aldinga, Paddy's Harbour, Sellicks Beach and then further south to Carrackalinga and Myponga Beach. Shore-based fishers also managed to find yellowfin whiting and a couple of lazy mullet in the high tide shallows at Seaford Surfers Beach and Silver Sands. Big boat crews again ran out from Normanville, Lady Bay and Wirrina/Second Valley chasing KG whiting, flathead, snook and kingfish. Local jetties have an eclectic mix of gar, sprat tommy ruffs, squid and green mackerals. Colleagues of mine ran their large tinny well across Backstairs Passage on Friday afternoon chasing whiting, red nannygai, flathead and snook just east of the Kingscote shipping channel. Local beaches have small mullet, gar and snook again on the high tides, with Morgan's, Starfish and Rapid Bay all producing an occasional fish. Wait's and Parson's surf beaches are holding salmon and night-time mulloway but the mozzies are particularly bad and the fishing has been slow. Boat crews launching from Victor Harbor to check their craypots (PIRSA permit required) and try their luck for snapper, gar, whiting and squid. The Upper Coorong and lakes system are starting to produce mulloway, mullet of a decent size and salmon to 1 kilo. Mulloway are inside the river mouth and down at Salt Creek, while upstream anglers are reporting callop and redfin from Berri and Tailem Bend. The Myponga reservoir has callop, Murray Cod (catch and release) and golden perch (pse remember a permit is required).

SOUTH EAST/COORONG: Shore-based fishers have been cracking into some decent snapper & mulloway off the beach at Piccaninnie Ponds & down around Cape Northumberland & the Glenelg estuary river mouth (east). I even had an unconfirmed report of snapper from The Granites & the 28 Mile Crossing about a week back. Boat crews are chasing snapper, KG whiting, flathead, squid & gar from Kingston, Boatswain's Point, Robe, Nora Creina Bay, Beachport & Pt MacDonnell - but pse remember to put safety first, wear a life jacket & be careful of the big swells. Mulloway & salmon to 1 kilo are at the 42 Mile Crossing, Salt Creek & Lurline Point, with slightly small salmon off the beach at Carpenter Rocks & Canunda. Mullet are in the dirty water shallows at Stinky Bch, Beachport Surfer Bch & the Beachport drain & Lake George. Local jetties have a mix of gar, tommy ruffs, squid & large snook in the late evenings. Garfish are also in the sheltered waters at Nora Creina Bay, Little Dip & Carpenter Rocks.

YORKE PENINSULA: Port Broughton: Friday afternoon was hot and humid and the water was glassy when I drove up to check out a boat for a mate from Fisherman Bay. The town jetty was deserted and only the solitary boat trailer at the ramp as the bush flies attacked anything that moved! Blue crabs and yellowfin whiting are at the back of the flats, lots of trumpeters and a few garfish well north of Shag Island towards Wood Point were the main reports. Wallaroo: An interesting week locally with a couple of marine strong wind warnings, humidity and afternoon sea breezes pretty much summing up the weather conditions. A few blueys at the jetty and gar, squid and blueys south to Bird Reef, with the grain storage units staring to fill and the barge in operation. Moonta Bay/Port Hughes: Garfish are still in the bay and are coming on to the bite as the afternoon sea breezes crack in. Gar, squid and blueys are out at Tiparra Reef and then just south of Rifle Butts Beach. The jetties have a few garfish and blue crabs. Wauraltee Beach is worth a try for yellowfin whiting and mullet. Point Turton: Try the jetty for late night garfish and squid. Boat crews have reported gar, squid and the odd whiting from Pt Rickaby and the Mindlacowie grounds. Marion/Stenhouse Bays: The jetties have tommy ruffs and squid, again in the hours late in the day before dusk. Boat crews have fished far and wide for flathead, whiting, squid and garfish inshore. Local shore-based fishing has mullet from the Dust Bowl and Brown's Beach. Edithburgh/Stansbury: Good catches of KG whiting came from the grounds out at Tapley Shoals but small snapper are pinching baits as crews jockeyed for the best position at the northern end. Garfish are closer to home at Coobowie and Sultana Point, while the jetty was unusually quiet last week. Ardrossan: Boat crews fished well into the late evenings in the latter part of the week for KG whiting, garfish, blue crabs and the very odd squid. The jetty has a few blue crabs and squid, while rakers can catch a feed off Tiddy Widdy Beach and up at Price.

KANGAROO ISLAND: Good & steady catches of salmon ranging from trouts to 2.5kgs have come from the beaches of the north & east facing coastline in recent days. Smith's Bch was a standout with large salmon, snook, tommy ruffs & flathead all taking baits in those strong onshore northerly winds. Boat crews have fished well into the afternoons for KG whiting, garfish, squid, salmon & flathead from Nepean Bay, American River, Vivvone Bay & Emu Bay with good tides & clear water days all making for great action! Jetty-based fishers have reported gar, whiting, tommies, squid & snook. Big boat crews have run out for red nannys, 10kg tuna, kingfish & trevalley from the South Coast, but care is needed in the marine conditons.

DECEMBER SEAFOOD RECIPE: Savoury Prawn Donuts. Ingredients: Yeast, maida (very fine) flour, 1 egg, seasoning, red & green chillies, ginger, 6-8 cleaned green prawns, turmeric, 1 chopped brown onion, ¼ cup of coconut milk, 2tsp sugar, 50gm butter, 1 tsp baking powder. Preparation: Make a fine dough by mixing yeast, warm coconut milk, sugar, salt, egg, flour, baking powder and butter and roll dough into balls. Heat chillies, onion and ginger as a sautee in hot pan until soft, then add turmeric powder & prawns & stir gently & often. Insert amounts of filling into a hole made in donut balls and seal. Cook in deep fryer or air fryer. Kain Na! Tagalog (Filipino) for Bon Appetit!

SPENCER GULF/WEST COAST: I sighted large numbers of boats off the back & top of the rip at Point Lowly/Miranda (both sides of the Gulf) when up that neck of the woods recently - all targeting kingfish as they migrate to the top of the Spencer Gulf. Garfish & blue crabs are here, Point Patterson & most other locations south all the way to Port Davis on one side & then Tumby Bay on the other! Squid, blueys & early morning whiting are off Cowell, Arno Bay & then west to Coffin Bay, Streaky Bay & Ceduna. Mulloway are off the underwater ledge at Fowler's Bay, Nadia Landing & Claire Bay, with the fish out west at the Dog Fence Bch seemingly slightly bigger in size. Pt Lincoln bays are fishing well for whiting, flathead, garfish, squid, tommy ruffs & salmon to 1 kilo, while the surf casters around Elliston area are reporting salmon to 3 kilo at times. The Spilsby Is group is fishing well for whiting & there are some nice red nannys coming from Buffalo Reef & Waldegrave Is. Olive Is on the West Coast has tuna, red nannys & kingfish. TIGHT LINES!