Welcome to Greg James’ Fishing Column with all the hot tips for fishing Yorke Peninsula — you can contact Greg by email, greg@gregjamesfishing.com.au.
Recipe, Savoury Oysters — Ingredients: 12 fresh natural oysters, 1-2 bush limes (flesh only), 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp red wine vinegar, 1 tbsp chopped shallots and chives, pepper to taste. Preparation: Open oysters and mix soy sauce, shallots, chives and red wine vinegar in a bowl. Spoon sauce over oysters and add bush lime flesh. Enjoy with a cold glass of Chablis.
Wallaroo: Extremely low tides were a feature of last week’s fishing. Early morning boat crews headed out in good conditions as a large grain ship docked at the jetty. Garfish, a few blue crabs and isolated King George whiting were the main catches, while shore-based anglers picked up salmon trout, yellowfin whiting and gar. The busy jetty produced the odd bluey.
Moonta Bay/Port Hughes: The tide was again extremely low and the south-easterlies well and truly in at the Port Hughes boat ramp and jetty around midday on Friday. All lanes at the ramp were open and about six boats were fishing the grounds north and south for gar and blue crabs. The jetty attracted plenty of sightseers, but little fishing activity.
Port Victoria/Barker Rocks: A Minlaton-based fisher reported heading out in his tinny at Parsons Beach last Tuesday and caught zero over three hours. The smell from the encroaching algal bloom was everywhere, even after he had washed and cleaned up upon returning home. KG whiting were in the clean and deep water drops west of Wardang Island.
Point Turton/Corny Point: Another fisher reported trying his luck in Hardwicke Bay last Monday in the heat and also caught not much, with parts of the normally beautiful coastline showing the telltale signs of the bloom. Red-beak gar, often caught off Port Minlacowie at this time of year, have disappeared.
Marion Bay/Stenhouse Bay: Boat crews made the most of improving weather late in the week, with winds turning east to south-east as they fished well offshore for tuna, red nannygai and kingfish. Jetty-based anglers have had little success, with only snook and the odd mullet reported. Shore-based fishing remains difficult as algal bloom damage continues.
Tight lines and see you soon!