Salisbury

Listen to Steve’s Fishing Report on ABC radio 891am - On Saturdays at 6.25am.

 

We hope everyone enjoys the School Holidays, Easter Weekend Holiday followed by ANZAC Holiday Weekend.

 

Be smart, stay safe, know your limits, enjoy your fishing trip and return home safely. Remember life jackets only work if you are wearing them! Make sure you check all safety gear before going especially expiry dates on EPIRBS and Flares.  

Be careful, keep an eye on the waves at all times especially on wet rocks.

Have a look at the local boat ramp “web cams” for weather conditions before leaving home. West Beach, North Haven, Outer Harbour, Saint Kilda, O’Sullivans Beach, Victor Harbour, and a couple of Murray River locations.

Metropolitan

Garfish – Excellent size fish West Beach through to St Kilda and Grange Tyre Reef, near the Black pole, Northwest to Semaphore South, Horseshoe and Seaford reefs, Aldinga and Port Noarlunga plus most metro jetties. Remember daily bag limits apply for dabbing Gar too.

Blue Crabs – Try Semaphore Grange, Henley, Brighton and Port Noarlunga Jetties at night.  Wonga Shoal and Silt grounds. (Weather permitting). Or raking the northern beaches.

King George Whiting – Try Brighton and Glenelg Jetties, Star wreck off St Kilda - Port Gawler, North West ground,  Bastard Pole, Bower Rd at Semaphore south, North Haven drops, shallows from Brighton to Somerton (Minda Home), Grange Tyre reef, off West Beach and outside the pole at Seacliff in 3-5m of water. Check sizes of your catch 32cm (legal size).

Mullet – Good morning high tides along the Metro Coast. West Lakes, Torrens Mouth, Semaphore to Largs, Port Gawler,  Port Noarlunga jetty shallows, Onkaparinga Mouth, Seacliff, Maslin’s, Sellicks, Moana and Aldinga.

Salmon – Port Noarlunga Jetty,  West Lakes (to 40cm), St Kilda breakwater (dawn and late afternoon), inside the section bank through to Garden Island, North Haven rocks and Outer Harbour breakwaters, Pelican Point, Sellicks, Moana, Port Willunga, O’Sullivan Beach Break wall and Southport Beach and Onkaparinga Estuary.

Snook – Section Bank weed beds, Outer Harbour breakwater and Silt gr Seaford rocks and O’Sullivan’s. Port Noarlunga, Brighton, Glenelg, Semaphore and Grange jetties northern edge of the silt grounds. St Kilda breakwater end, North West grounds and Hallett Cove.

Squid – West Lakes, Seacliff to Hallett Cove, Marino (kayaks), and Port Noarlunga, North Haven drops, inshore weed beds north of the Black Pole, Semaphore Reef, and Brighton, Port Noarlunga and Glenelg jetties are the best options. Watch your bag limits. (Personal bag limit is 15).   

Mulloway – West Lakes (both ends) using live baits, Port River (middle reaches), Barker Inlet, Onkaparinga River (102-105cm) and Southport. Please ensure any ‘live baits’ used are over the legal size.                                                                                           

Bream – Lure casters at night try Onkaparinga River, Port River upper reaches, St Kilda Channel, Birkenhead Bridge, Torrens Island Creeks, West Lakes Trimmer Parade end, Patawalonga and Port Gawler.

Tommies & Mackerel – mixed sizes near the Black Pole, 1-2 km out from Semaphore to Largs, Grange, Brighton and Port Noarlunga jetties at night. 

Yellowfin Whiting – Numbers are starting to thin out now but the odd one mixed in with Mullet schools. Somerton, Brighton, Seacliff, Onkaparinga footbridge and Mouth, Tennyson, Grange and Breakwater shallows at North Haven Beach through to Outer Harbour breakwater and Northern Beaches.

 

Fleurieu Peninsula and Yorke Peninsula 

Caution – Due to the prolonged hot weather and algae bloom some beaches had been closed for fishing and surfing – Beaches are now open but Watch for dead fish, discoloured water and foam where ever you go.

Contact SA Health for further information.

Goolwa [Cockles] Pipi: Open Season (see Fisheries updates)

Take live Pipis only.

Mulloway – Murray Mouth and Coorong, Salt Creek, Marion Bay, Daly Head, Gleeson’s Landing, Far West Coast (Dog Fence), Small ones caught at Browns Beach, Piccininni, Paradise Beach, Beachport and Southend (South East).

King George Whiting – Yankalilla to Lady Bay, Wirrina Grounds, Port Broughton Shallows, Edithburgh, Troubridge Island, Point Turton (very big), The Pines, Balgowan (in the shallows), Port Victoria, Boiler grounds-Wallaroo, Coopers - Moonta Bay north shallows and south of Port Hughes. Eastern side of Yorkes - Edithburgh, Stansbury and Wool Bay.

Blue Crabs – Big Blue swimmer crabs are along both shores of the peninsula. On the flats, (Tides permitting), between Port Clinton and Stansbury, Port Vincent, Black Point, Ardrossan, Wallaroo and Pt Hughes.

Garfish – Ardrossan, Pine Point, Cape Elizabeth, Marion Bay, Edithburgh, Wool Bay, Stansbury, Port Giles, Point Turton, Hardwick Bay, Wallaroo, Port Hughs and Moonta.

Squid – The Bluff wharf (2kg), Cape Jervis, Rapid Bay(Hot Spot), Second Valley, Wirrina’s northern breakwater, Black Point, Port Julia, Wool Bay, Marion Bay, Port Vincent, Port Giles, Edithburgh, Ardrossan, Pt Turton, Tiparra Light, Coopers - Moonta Bay, Pt Hughs, Port Broughton and Point Riley.  

Tommies – The Bluff Ramp, Cape Jervis basin, Rapid Bay (also good for Trevally), Port Elliot, Moonta, Port Hughes, Wallaroo, Port Victoria, Balgowan, Stansbury, Wool Bay, Port Giles, Troubridge Point, Marion Bay, Edithburgh and Stenhouse Bay.

Salmon – Waitpinga and Parsons Beaches, Rapid Bay, Morgan’s Beach, Salt Creek, Port Broughton channel, West Cape, Browns Beach, Berry Bay, Daly Head and Hillocks Drive, Bird Island and Pt Riley rocks.

Snook – (Hot spot) Port Victoria, Yankalilla - Lady Bay, Wirrina, Antechamber Bay, Stenhouse Bay, Point Turton and Copper Coast Jetties at night, Cape Elizabeth and Tiparra Light. Try white lures under the jetty lights.

Tuna – A few small tuna (6-12kg) have been hooked near Cape Hart and the eastern end of Backstairs Passage. Try out from Wirrina to Cape Jervis

Yellowfin Whiting – Corny Point Beaches, Hardwicke Bay, Between Ardrossan and Black Point, Tiddy Widdy Beach, the flats south of Moonta, Tickera shallows south of Wallaroo and Port Broughton. 

Tommies – Rapid Bay, Cape Jervis boat ramp, Ardrossan, Edithburgh, Stansbury, Stenhouse Bay, Marion Bay and Wallaroo Jetties

Mullet – Murray Mouth, Bluff boat ramp, Morgans and Kings Beaches, Normanville, Sugars Beach, Black Point, Chinaman’s Hat, Sultana Point, Marion Bay Caravan Park Beach, Hardwicke, Berry Bay and Corny Point.

Snapper – Partial closure check Fisheries website. Down in the South East, Snapper are about offshore (80m – 120m), Cape Jaffa, Kingston, Paradise Beach, Piccininni, Beachport and Southend. 

Check www.pir.sa.gov.au/fishing for details.

 

Fresh water 

Murray Cod season open catch and release only.

Shrimps are easier to find during warmer weather.

Scrub worms, Night Crawler and Tiger worms are good alternatives to shrimps.

Pyramid nets are now approved for use in SA waters. www.pir.sa.gov.au/fishing for more details. 

Callop (Yellow Belly) are still on the chew now and is one of the best times of the year to catch a feed. Murray River spots including Walkers Flat, Blanchetown, Swan Reach, Morgan, Cadell, +Waikerie and the Riverland.

Also South Para, Warren, Happy Valley and Myponga Reservoirs. Fish take lures as well so why not try casting near the snags. Deeper water can give you better results.

Check with Reservoirs SA for opening times and size and bag limits. Also National Parks and Crown Land for local access. Closed on fire ban days.

A permit is required and available on-line at “Reservoirs SA.” The permit covers all open locations. 

Murray Cod – Happy Valley Reservoir good size fish but are catch and release only

Redfin – Happy Valley and Myponga Reservoirs are holding good size fish in deeper sections of the Reservoirs. Lures and worms have been working in reservoirs for those who are patient. Redfin are great to eat. 

Carp – Carp numbers, are higher in the back waters.

Carp make good Crab bait or fertilizer for the veggie patch

Carp or Redfin must not be returned to the water. 

 

Fisheries Updates Fishwatch Hotline 1800 065 522

 

Abalone viral ganglioneuritis (AVG) is present is SA southeastern waters

Help to Stop the spread: Mandatory requirements are in place for all fishing & marine equipment to be cleaned before being used in other waters.

Snapper – Partial closure check Fisheries website.

Check www.pir.sa.gov.au/fishing for details.

Goolwa [Cockles] Pipi: Open now Note bag limit changes

Personal Bag limit of 330. Vehicle limit 990 applies when 3 or more people are using the same vehicle.

Possession Limit of 1320 per person.

Until further notice, taking bivalve shellfish from the Port River is PROHIBITED, due to the Pacific Oyster Mortality Syndrome (POMS). There are also brochures now available about POMS and the Asian Paddle Crab. One found in the Port River. These crabs are quite invasive so if you catch or see one please contact PIRSA fisheries immediately. For more information follow the link below. 

https://pir.sa.gov.au/alerts_news_events/news/biosecurity/aquatics/invasive_asian_paddle_crab_found_in_sa_waters until the end of September.

There is a permanent closure in place for waters adjacent to Port Pirie Township for Crabs, Razor fish and Mussels based fishing.  Check www.pir.sa.gov.au/fishing for details.

TIPS

Having trouble threading your line up through the eyelets of your rod, missing the end of the line only to have it fall back through the eyes to the floor and having to start again? Try tying a loop with a long (10cm) tag on it, then if you miss grabbing the end it will only fall back to the last eyelet that it has passed through. A simple remedy. 

If you happen to dunk your reel Please get it cleaned or serviced ASAP. As corrosion sets in quickly.

 

Learn to “Read the Beach” to help work out where the fish should be.

Use a clear plastic pencil float, put a small amount of tuna oil inside it to act as a berley trail for Garfish and Tommies or a light stick inside the float for night time fishing.

Try a small sponge soaked in Tuna oil inside your crab bait basket.

Take some bags of ice along on your fishing trip to keep your catch in top eating condition.

Use a soft bead above your swivel to avoid cracked tips on rods.

Wipe a cotton bud around the inside of the eyelet to check rods for any cracked eyelets that need attention and when cleaning reels use a damp rag to wipe them over. Same for your rods. We also do rod and reel repairs.

Try to always use a mono leader if you use braided line on your reel.

The mono is better for abrasion resistance.

Learn how to tie those tricky knots? Ask us for a demo while you are in store.

Berley up where you fish as it helps bring the fish “To You”

Mix some bread in with your store bought berley to make it “sticky” so it stays in the berley float or berley sinker longer.

Can you tell the difference between Tommies and Salmon Trout? You can check the SA Fishing App or ask a Fishcare Volunteer or Fisheries Compliance Officer or phone Fishwatch on 1800 065 522.