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FISHING SNAPSHOT FROM THE WEEK:
FILLETING GARFISH PROBLEMS? Here's the link to Greg's Youtube vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB4ndw9Hiks
NOVEMBER 1-10, 2026
METRO WATERS: Check out my Brand New GPS Marks of SA (5th Ed)! It's on USB with over 750 marks inc all new artificial reefs - PLUS diagrams of my favourite fishing rigs - keep the Old Crusty off the bench! KG whiting reports are for undersize fish (which cannot be kept) up to 37cm coming from the deep water depths of 10m or more - try Outer Harbour, St Kilda, West Bch, Glenelg & Brighton - with good tides & fresh bait. Local jetties have tommies at night, plus snook, while shore-based fishing has mullet & salmon trout in the Port River, the St Kilda breakwater & West Lakes. Overnight soapie mulloway are also in the Port River & at The Pat. Blue crabs have fired up from St Kilda, Nth Haven, Semaphore, West Bch & Glenelg/Brighton - both jetties & boats. There are a few large snook off Seacliff & Marino Rocks, while yellowfin whiting can be picked up from the sands at Seacliff, Tennyson & West Bch breakwater. The beaches well north of Adelaide (Light, Thompson's, Pt Gawler etc) are also worth a try for y/f whiting & raking a few blueys on the high tides.
FLEURIEU/RIVERLAND/RESERVOIR: A big shout out to those wonderful Fleurieu Sun readers who popped in to say hello at the Fishing Stage of last week's Adelaide Boat Show - cheers! It was great to put names to faces as fishers of all persuasion came up to chat about pretty much anything on the current fishing calendar, as I was working as the MC and also presenter at the Fishing Stage. Anglers from Wirrina are really experiencing a hard time of it as catches of nearly all usual species appear to be at an all-time low. Boat crews in particular are running out for only a few and sometimes zero KG whiting, now snook and other permissible fish. Shore-based anglers are reporting salmon trout, mullet and the odd flathead still from those sandy beaches off Aldinga, Sellicks, Southport and Seaford-Christies Beach. It certainly appears as if the Algal Bloom recovery is a long way off. Morgan's and Fisheries beaches are worth a try for mullet at the moment. Offshore tuna remain the go-to species for big boat crews when conditions allow a safe run out to the Sanders Bank or west to Tunk Head. Closer to home there is a mix of snapper, KG whiting, kingfish and snook, while tommy ruffs are providing jetty-based anglers some steady action at The Bluff and Screwpile jetties. Shore-based fishers are catching mullet and salmon trout from Goolwa, the 28 Mile Crossing and down at Salt Creek. Upstream anglers are catching callop and redfin perch from Renmark and Waikerie.
SOUTH EAST/COORONG: I read an unconfirmed report this week of at least one (1) commercial Rock Lobster fisher making his quota in a matter of weeks - not bad work if you can get it. When the Recreational Crayfish (rock lobster) season kicks off make sure you comply with the new Life Jacket (PDF) rules that now apply to ALL people in a boat pulling Craypots or Traps/Dropnets etc. Pse make sure your gear is legal, properly registered (ie PIRSA permit) & you & your crew are always safe! Coorong surf casters reported a mix of mullet, shark, salmon (2kg) & overnight soapie mulloway from Salt CReek, the 42 & 32 Mile Crossings & just south of the Goolwa river mouth. Boat crews picked up KG whiting, snapper, garfish & big brown-eye mullet from afar afield as Kingston, Robe, Nora Creina Bay, Beachport, Carpenter Rocks & Nene Valley. Offshore crews chased red nannygai, snapper, tuna & kingies off Pt MacDonnell & Cape Northumberland with varying degrees of success. Beach fishing at Beachport & Picanninie has salmon & even a pannie snapper on fresh baits of green craytail. Little Dip is worth a try for gar & KG whiting.
YORKE PENINSULA: Wallaroo: A big cheerio to those special Country Times readers who popped in to say hello at the Fishing Stage of last week's Adelaide Boat Show! While I was "working" at the Boat Show locals in the know picked up garfish and tommies (Australian herring) from the jetty, Point Riley and Bird Reef, along with a few nice blue crabs. Yellowfin whiting are still relatively scarce, but they should be off local sandy beaches in coming days. Boat crews are catching King George whiting along the 10m water depth line. Port Hughes/Moonta Bay: KG whiting again are around in steady numbers at 10m depth, with a few garfish, snook and tommies closer inshore. Blue crabs and even some sand crabs are in the broken grounds south of Pt Hughes. The jetties are worth a try for blueys and gar. Point Turton/Port Rickaby: Charter boat fishers are catching whiting, snook, tommy ruffs and red mullet, with garfish coming from Port Rickaby, The Pines and Corny Point. Yellowfin whiting are slowly coming along the coastline and catches should improve as our weather warms up. Jetty-based fishers tried for yellowfin whiting, small gar, mullet and tommy ruffs. Marion/Stenhouse Bays: Shore-based surf casters are fishing for mullet and the occasional salmon, while the jetties have tommy ruffs and snook at night. Boat crews have launched for KG whiting, snook, red nannygai and flathead. Edithburgh/Stansbury: Stansbury jetty has a few blue crabs, while catches of whiting have come from Edithburgh waters south and east of the boat ramp. Repairs of the jetty at Edithburgh are well underway with approx. 65 jetty-supports targeted for replacement. Ardrossan: Not a lot to report for boat crews, other than snook and a few blue crabs. Try the jetty at night for mulloway, blueys and mullet. Rakers are working several local beaches on the outgoing tides all the way to James Well.
SPENCER GULF/WEST COAST: The revamped Whyalla boat-ramp looked great when I checked it a couple of weeks back - well done! Upper Spencer Gulf has a few garfish, blue crabs & medium kingfish from Pt Pirie, Miranda, Point Patterson, Commissariat Point, Fitzgerald Bay & Point Lowly. The low tide flats around Weeroona Bay & Whyalla Foreshore beach are worth a trip to rake blueys, as are the flats at Cowled's Landing & Cockle Spit (Pirie). Cowell has blueys & some KG whiting (in over 10m of water), plenty of trumpeters & snook in the false entrance to Franklin Harbour. KG whiting & gar, plus large tommies are off Arno Bay, The Spilsby Is group, Proper Bay & Tumby. Local jetties have garfish & tommies atm. West Coast fishing has gar, medium whiting, flathead & snook inside the main bays (Waterloo, Venus, Coffin, Streaky, Baird & Murat), while offshore crews are catching red nannygais, kingfish, snook & 12 kilo tuna at times. Salmon to 2 kilos, snook & an occasional mulloway are over at Sheringa, Talia, Fowler's Bay & Yalata.
NOVEMBER SEAFOOD RECIPE: Kingfish Kebabs with grilled Veg. Ingredients: I cubed Kingfish fillet, 1 zucchini, 1 red onion, olive oil and seasoning. Preparation: coat cubes of fresh Kingfish in olive oil and seasoning and set aside. Cut veggies into strips, brush with oil and cook on a hot grill, then also set aside and keep warm. Thread fish on to skewers and grill for 1min max. Plate the warm veg and place cooked Kingfish kebabs over the top. Serve with a cool glass of pale ale. Bon Appetit!
KANGAROO IS: Reports of big tuna have been hit and miss with The Pages getting heavily fished in recent days. Red nannygai, kingfish & snapper were caught from the deep water drift spots on the southern end of Backstairs Passage last week. Fishers off the Kingscote jetty caught KG whiting, tommy ruffs, salmon trout & the occasional mullet, while boat crews are reporting KG whiting, flathead & salmon in the waters off Kingscote, Nepean Bay, Vivonne Bay, Penneshaw & American River. KG whiting & snook are also along parts of KI northern coastline, with Emu Bay, Smith's Bch & Snelling Bch fishing well on good tides. Tuna & kingfish reports from the Sanders Bank have been intermittent & should only be attempted when conditions are suitable - it's a plurry long way back home if some gear fails or the engine cracks the shits. STAY FROSTY & TIGHT LINES!
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