What effect will the algal bloom in South Australia have on migrating fish?

Well, according to people I have spoken to, fish in Port Phillip Bay and to the north into NSW will be unaffected.

Which in itself is good news to anglers along the Victorian coastline.

At this stage, the only area affected is around Kangaroo Island.

Unlike blue-green algae, which has no effect on fish, the algae in South Australia is toxic to fish and other species.

So, as per normal, the snapper season is unaffected and the big fish should start to run within the next couple of weeks.

The usual snapper rigs you have used for years are still good.

The only change has been the introduction of the tuna circle hook, which makes hooking up to a snapper a lot better.

The introduction of this hook means a slight alteration to your technique.

Once the fish bites, don’t strike as you would normally.

The trick is to just lift your rod tip, and this will be enough to hook the fish.

Once you establish the fact that you are connected to the fish, maintain pressure on it.

A bit of slack and you will lose the fish.

The next critical time is when netting it. Do not lift its head out of the water — let it swim into the net.

Since it was first introduced, the circle hook has been used for many species of fish.

When invented it was solely for long-line anglers, who fished for tuna with lines that were more than a kilometre in length.

The average long line would have thousands of baited hooks, and catch non-targeted fish as well as tuna.

Now to Rod Lawn from Adamas Fishing Charters at Queenscliff.

He said he had been bagging plenty of whiting in and around the mouth of Swan Bay, but squid have been harder to locate.

He said they were being overfished.

Rod said snapper were mostly pinky size, but he had caught a couple of about 4kg.

Just off Barwon Heads are several dive sites.

These are several old submarines and a more recent destroyer.

While being a target for divers, they have become an artificial reef for snapper as well as gummy sharks and kingfish.

At this time of year, the gummy sharks are providing anglers with good activity, and in my opinion, a fillet of gummy is as good as it gets. It is one of my top three table fish.

The other two are whiting and flathead tails.

Rod said the deep water of Phillip Island in Western Port Bay was also a good spot to fish for gummy sharks.

They will take fresh salmon fillets, calamari and other baits.

North of the NSW border at Eden, John Lidell said Freedom Charters was bagging snapper, morwong, leatherjacket, gurnard and other table fish on the inshore reefs.

Yellowfin and bluefin tuna, as well as kingfish, were biting off the shelf.

Further up the coast at Narooma, Graham Cowley said it was the same around Montague Island.

Seeing as how spring is with us I thought I might mention that down south at Flinders Island, James Luddington is getting ready for the start of the fishing season in his neck of the woods.

Now a look at fishing around home.

Anglers are reporting plenty of yellowbelly in both major rivers as well as both the Broken River and Broken Creek.

Also in Eildon and the Hume, and other waterways.

Redfin can be caught at Eildon, the Hume and Greens Lake.

Then, of course, both brown and rainbow trout are on the bite at Dartmouth, the Hume and Eildon, as well as the rivers and streams in the north-east.

And would you believe it? The Main Eastern Channel.

One more spot worth a try is Waranga Basin for yellowbelly, as well as trout and redfin.

Well, once again, stay safe — and now it’s spring, keep an eye out for snakes.

Good fishing.

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Saturday, 14th January 2023

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