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THIS WEEK'S FISHING HOTSPOTS:
FOR SALE - SEACRAFT 429 CENTRE CONSOLE & 30hp TOHATSU 4 STROKE. HEAPS OF EXTRAS. Contact Andrew T on Facebook Marketplace.
Jan 5 - 15, 2026
METRO WATERS: In the week or so leading up to Christmas I had two (2) unconfirmed reports of bag limits of KG whiting from O'Sullivan's Bch & St Kilda - with fish up to 47cm. Not at all sure of the edible quality - if you are unsure - then do not eat it - foam again was recorded off Pt Noarlunga beach the week before Christmas & there have been more deaths of marine life (sharks) on Kangaroo Island beaches. Other species caught included tommy ruffs & green macks. Other than that, Metro waters fishing is still very much on the dodgy side (unfortunately). There are a few bream, mullet & overnight mulloway in the Port River, West Lakes, The Pat & slightly upstream at the Onkaparinga river. Very few Yellowfin whiting are off their usual habitats at Tennyson, Seaford, Semaphore & north of St Kilda & the metro jetties have the odd tommy ruff. No blueys to speak of & no squid either. Sorry to bear bad news - maybe get the work boss to give you a couple of days off & check out fishing on the Murray River (Barmera & Lake Bonney are nice), Sugars Bch on Hindmarsh Is., Point Turton on Yorkes., then West Coast or even the waters around Port Pirie/Port Germein & Pt Augusta/Whyalla. I was up northern Spencer Gulf over the weekend & they are catching whiting, kingfish, blue crabs & squid from Pirie to Commissariat Point to Whyalla.
FLEURIEU/RIVERLAND/RESERVOIR: There was an unconfirmed but reliable report over the Christmas/New Year break of KG whiting to 40cm caught from The Pipes at O'Sullivan's Beach. Not sure on the quality or quantity of the fish, but it appears to be a little good news! The waters around Port Noarlunga and Southport Beach are still green and do not look healthy, especially after an on-shore west to south west blow. A few garfish were caught off Lady Bay and it is worth checking if the Normanville boat ramp has re-opened after the New Year period. Tuna have started to appear off Cape Jervis and around at Tunk Head and the grounds off Rapid Head. Strong southerlies cracked in right along the South Coast last week, resulting in difficult conditions for launching a boat, casting a line or even just walking the dog along the beach! A few snapper are around the broken grounds and shallow reefs off Victor Harbor but trips offshore have been few and far between. Red nannygai should also be on the catch list in coming weeks. Surf casters braving the conditions at Waitpinga and Parson's have caught the odd mullet, while the more sheltered waters inside the Goolwa river mouth have bigger mullet and an overnight soapie mulloway. Along the upper reaches of the Coorong there is plenty of vehicle traffic as anglers attempt to fish for mullet and salmon to 1 kilo from the 28 Mile Crossing and Salt Creek. Upstream fishers have caught yabbies, callop and redfin perch from Lyrup, Loxton and Renmark. Local planning is also well underway for the Carp Fishing Comp due in February at the beautiful Lake Bonney, Barmera.
SOUTH EAST/COORONG: Surf-based casters are having to contend with strong onshore winds & some pretty decent swells as they try for 2kg salmon, mulloway & mullet from the hotspots at the 42 Mile Crossing, Salt Creek & Botswain's Point/The Granites. Boggy beach conditions also need to be factored into plans as crews need to keep their vehicles up high on the beach to avoid swamping. Boat crews are catching snapper, KG whiting, flathead, sweep & a few crays (PIRSA rock lobster permits are required) from Margaret Brock reef, Kingston, Robe, Nora Creina Bay, Beachport & Port MacDonnell. Large garfish & big squid are in the protected waters around Robe, Nora Creina Bay, South End, Carpenter Rocks & Nene Valley/Cape Northumberland. Pannie snapper are off the broken grounds along Picanninie Bch with flathead whiting & squid. Early season tuna reports have been slow - but stay tuned & I will report back as the schools migrate across the South East waters. KG whiting are in small numbers but they are whopper fish (up to 44cm) from Carpenter Rocks & Beachport.
YORKE PENINSULA: Wallaroo: Big crowds visited the jetty last week and a large grain ship is moored well offshore as the strong south easterlies continued. Yellowfin whiting and the very odd blue swimmer crab are off the planks while boat crews went early to their deep water drops (avoiding the trumpeters, strong winds and heat) to catch KG whiting, plenty of garfish and blueys. Moonta Bay/Port Hughes: Small tinnies fishing in the bay and close to shore south of Port Hughes caught garfish, early morning yellowfin whiting (high tide works well) and sprat tommy ruffs. West Light has garfish and blue swimmer crabs. Port Victoria/Balgowan: Unfortunately the water inside the northern part of the bay at Port Vic is dirty and green. Lots of pan-sized snapper are in the waters off Balgowan but they remain on the no-take list. Garfish and a few squid have been the other main reports as the whiting are starting to thin out. Point Turton: Reports are that the whiting catches are also starting to drop back, but there are garfish, flathead and squid off The Pines and Port Rickaby. The jetty has late-in-the-day mullet and gar. Strong winds have seen boats drag or break their moorings and end up on the other side of the gulf! Marion/Stenhouse Bays: Baby Lizards surf beach had a shark visit over the Christmas/New Year break chasing schools of small fish close to shore. Tommy ruffs and a few gar are at the jetties and offshore crews had to battle incessant southerly winds to run out for small tuna, rat kingfish and red nannygai. Shore-based anglers drove far and wide for small salmon trout and mullet. Ardrossan/Port Vincent: The waters off Edithburgh remain pretty much desolate with the marine environment still very much struggling with the after-effects of the algal bloom and boggy conditions at the town boat ramp make things even more difficult. I had an unconfirmed but reliable report of a few blue crabs being caught by rakers off Port Vincent which is a promising sign. Stansbury: Oyster farms and leases had some early New Year good news as the ban on sales of their products was lifted somewhat. Not much on the fishing front but the Orontes Bank might be worth a try for whiting and small kingfish!
KANGAROO ISLAND Try those offshore bommies & low-lying (shallow) reefs at Hog Bay for red nannys, whiting & flathead., Whiting, gar, squid, snook & tommy ruffs are off many north coast fishing locations - Emu Bay, Smith's Bch, Snelling's, Stokes Bay, Western River Cove & Red Banks are producing nice fish! Nepean Bay has whiting, gar & squid at times while Antechamber Bay has whiting, gar & squid for the boat crews & soapie mulloway from the shore. The north coast beaches & rocky points have salmon, flathead, whiting & squid. Local jetties have a mix of tommy ruffs, squid, salmon trout & flathead.
JANUARY SEAFOOD RECIPE: Baked Snook with an Apricot glaze. Ingredients: 1 cleaned whole snook., Stuffing for fish cavity (soft cooked onions, bread crumbs, herbs), Apricot glaze from jam/syrup, olive oil, garlic. Preparation: Score fish, stuff cavity with mix, brush both sides of fish over with glaze. Bake in a preheated oven (200C) for 45mins. GUT YONTIF! Ashkenazi for Happy New Year!
SPENCER GULF/WEST COAST: Anglers fishing Waterloo Bay (Elliston) in the last week & found big squid, garfish & tommy ruffs, with salmon trout coming from the beach north of the jetty & below the old inn ruins on the northern shore. West Coast surf beaches around Elliston are all fishing well for 2 kg salmon - Sheringa, Talia, Convention, with the Elliston jetty producing tommies & squid/garfish. Pt Lincoln boat crews are heading out to Thistle Is when the weather is clear for KG whiting to 39cm, with the whiting also off Pt Neill, Louth Bay & Tumby. Yellowfin whiting catches are improving with fish at Pt Neill, Cowell, Germein Point, Cowled's Landing & Murninnie Point. Black Point off Whyalla has salmon trout & there are hungry kingies at Point Lowly, Leeton Tug & Pt Augusta (the wall). Blue crabs & garfish are at Miranda, Weeroona Bay, Port Pirie & Port Davis. KG whiting, squid & garfish are in the sheltered waters of Proper Bay, Coffin, Venus & Streaky Bays, with mulloway, flathead & 3 kilo salmon coming from Fowler's Bay, Yalata & Claire Bay. Ceduna & Streaky Bay jetties have blueys & garfish. TIGHT LINES!
FROM JAN 10 2026 - CATCH GREG ON YOUR ABC RADIO On ABC891 every Thursday evening after 8.30pm with the wonderful Spence Denny. Then on ABC639 every Saturday morning after 6.30am with the splendid Chook Harslett!
"SA ALGAL BLOOM NO MORE - A 6-POINT PLAN TO FULL RECOVERY" - A simple exercise in confidence & competence.
1. Immediately establish mobile water filtration units at the barrages on the Murray River (to remove harmful phosphates) & cease releasing Desal Plant solids into the Gulfs
2. Immediately establish a targeted & on-going Algal Bloom foam clean up operation at all coastal locations
3. Create a fully supported Academic Chair of Algal Bloom Mitigation & Prevention position (UniHub concept) at a Regional Centre on the SA coast
4. Form Strategic Regional Advisory Groups (3 year paid positions) to provide clear & unequivocal Algal Bloom Mitigation & Prevention advice
5. Re-vision with intent to re-structure the entire State Govt & Private Fisheries sectors
6. Fund & support only Applied Marine Science research that provides a practical solution to an identified problem/threat
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Greg James' Fishing Pathfinder 4th edition
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Stories of men and women from WW2