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FISHING SNAPSHOT FROM THE WEEK:
STORIES OF US - AUSTRALIANS AT WAR: Late May 1968 saw fierce fighting in & around Fire Support Base Balmoral in South Vietnam. 3rd Battalion RAR defended positions with utmost bravery from heavy, sustained attacks by regular soldiers from the North Vietnamese Army. Thx Lads. LEST WE FORGET.
MAY 25-31, 2026
METRO WATERS: KG whiting reports are steady after last week's rain & relatvely calm on-water conditions - fish to 39cm coming from West Bch, Brighton, Semaphore & St Kilda. Decent sized tommies are at the Brighton jetty after dark, while flathead made for a memorable experience when shore-based fishers picked up large specimens from shallow waters off Marino Rocks, Hallett Cove, O'Sullivan's Bch, Nth Haven, St Kilda & Outer Harbour. Boat crews also picked up KG whiting to 35cm off Glenelg, Grange & Nth Haven but the recent run of blue crabs appears just about over. Min berley & fresh cockles worked as their bait of choice! Tommy ruffs are the go-to species for jetty-based fishers, esp after dusk at Pt Noarlunga, Brighton, Glenelg, Grange & Semaphore. 1 kilo salmon are off several boat ramp break-walls inc O'Sullivan's Bch, West Bch, Nth Haven, Outer Harbour & St Kilda. Bream, mullet & salmon trout are in the late afternoon waters at the Port River, West Lakes & The Pat with mulloway reports scarce after the recent run in the Onkaparinga river & West Lakes. Blueys & small KG whiting are also up at Lower Light & Dublin beaches eg Port Gawler, Middle Bch & Thompson's (across from Mallala). Yellowfin whiting runs appear to be just about over, but you might pick up the odd fish whan casting the high-tide shallows at Nth Haven, St Kilda & West Bch to Tennyson. PS Don't believe all the BS from the Saucepan Hat brigade on the social media pages as they bang on & plurry on about squid & snapper numbers - they dont know shit from shoe leather! Stay frosty & thx for your continued support....
FLEURIEU/RIVERLAND/RESERVOIR: Well, the range of new fishing restrictions have really started to bite on The Fleurieu and further afield with retail tackle stores, boat owners and operators all finding business tough going at the moment - and it will remain difficult for some months yet. A number of caravan parks are also finding things a real challenge, even for Winter as the double tragedy of high fuel prices and the restrictions hit home hard. None-the-less there are mullet, school mulloway and salmon to 1 kilo from Salt Creek, the Goolwa river mouth and Tauwitchere point, with anglers enjoying cool but at times calm conditions. Boat crews picked up Murray Cod (catch and release) and Callop from Renmark and Loxton/Lyrup. The shore-based action is steady from Waitpinga, Parson's and Morgan's beaches for mullet and the occasional large flathead on soft plastics. Local jetties have tommy ruffs at night and a few snook, while further north towards Pt Noarlunga there are salmon trout and a few fat mullet at Seaford, Silver Sands and Carrackalinga beaches for the shore-based fishers. Local estuaries still hold bream and even flathead, although these magnificent fish have now ended their spawning season and there are quite a few nibblers (small flatties) about. Boat crews fishing off Victor Harbor are reporting KG whiting, snapper to 6 kilos, red nannygai, snook and garfish in close (please remember there is a total garfish and squid closure in Gulf St Vincent and Kangaroo Is). Boat ramps on the western side of The Fleurieu have been often close to empty, again due to fishing restrictions and the high cost of fuel.
SOUTH EAST/COORONG: PSE OBSERVE THE SNAPPER RULES WHEN FISHING IN SA! Large garfish are off Little Dip, Nora Creina Bay & Poorman's Bch in the lower South East - both boat & shore-based anglers doing well! Some fat brown-eyed mullet, salmon to 1 kilo & soapie mulloway are off the 28 Mile Crossing, Salt Creek, The Granites & Canunda. Kingfish, snapper, snook & whiting are off the Kingston grounds with early Winter garfish at Boatswain's Point, Robe, Little Dip, Poorman's & Carpenter Rocks. Further south snapper are around the 4 kilo mark from Carpenter Rocks, Pt MacDonnell & then Cape Northumberland/Nene Valley. Big tuna to 48 kilos are out from Pt Mac & South End. The Little Dip Salmon Hole & Beachport Surfer's bch have salmon, mullet & flathead but there are some big swells about so watch the conditions to ensure personal safety. Sweep & rat kingies can be caught from Robe, South End, Beachport & Cape Northumberland.
YORKE PENINSULA: Wallaroo: Boat crews are having to travel well out to their deep water drops to catch a fish at the moment and the jetty has been quiet. Flathead and salmon trout are off Point Riley and garfish further north at Tickera. Moonta Bay/Port Hughes: A quieter than normal boat ramp at Port Hughes was the story for much of last week as slow tides and cool conditions kept a few anglers tucked up in bed! KG whiting are off Steamer Channel and Cape Elizabeth, with snook and garfish in the Bay. The jetties have been quiet, but it is worth a try for tommy ruffs after dusk. Balgowan/Point Turton: Boat crews are catching KG whiting to 37cm on the back of outgoing tides from Balgowan and Port Victoria. Cool mornings with generally light winds saw a few anglers at the local Pt Vic jetty chasing tommy ruffs and even blue swimmer crabs. Marion/Stenhouse Bays: A real mix of catch bags came in during the week, with a few mullet and flathead from the beach, snook, flathead and red nannys offshore and tommy ruffs at the jetties. Please remember and observe the snapper and KG whiting restrictions that remain in place. Edithburgh/Stansbury: Local anglers are reporting snapper catches in almost every offshore location as their numbers steadily increase, but they remain on the no-take list. Try the jetties for tommies and local beaches for salmon trout and flathead. Ardrossan: North easterly winds at less than 10 knots kissed the coastline when I checked in around midday on Friday. The jetty repairs continue and only a handful of boats had been launched. Results for boat crews were slim as local catches have really dropped back. There are a couple of road closures south of Arthurton which may add time to your planned travel.
SPENCER GULF/WEST COAST: Shore-based fishing action is well & truly on! Salmon from trouts to 1 kilo are along the coastline from Fitzgerald Bay south all the way to Louth Bay & Pt Lincoln. Larger salmon to 4 kilos are off Longnose Point, then north past the Elliston surf beaches (Sheringa, Talia, Convention, Lock Well etc etc) & then Nadia Landing, Point Brown, Claire Bay, Point Sinclair & Fowler's Bay to Yalata. Mulloway are also off the Dog Fence beach & the Fowler's Bay Ledge. KG whiting are off Whyalla, Pt Pirie, Pt Augusta, Cowell, Tumby, Venus, Coffin & Streaky Bays, with some nice fish also in Proper Bay & Sleaford (Pt Lincoln). Quite a few anglers are catching flathead as they chase salmon from the shore & whiting in their boats. The Dashwood channel at Streaky & the Murat Bay islands in particular are producing some big flatties. Offshore crews at Waldegrave, Olive & Williams Islands are catching tuna to 12 kilos, red nannygai & kingfish, but it is big boat water & care is needed - safety first! I am happy to stand corrected, but I think its OK to target garfish on the West Coast?? If legal, then there are nice gar in Venus, Waterloo, Baird & Coffin Bays atm.
MAY SEAFOOD RECIPE: Almond crusted garfish. Ingredients: 8-10 fresh garfish fillets, 2-3 eggs, 1 cup of finely crushed almonds, 1 cup parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon garlic salt, 50gms butter, lemon wedges, 1 teaspoon lemon pepper, plain flour. Preparation: blend eggs with garlic salt & lemon pepper & set aside. Mix crushed almonds with cheese & set aside. Dust fish filets with flour, dip into egg mix & press coat the almond coating. Melt butter on medium heat in a pan & cook fish 1-2 mins each side. Serve with extra sprinkle of cheese and your favourite glass of traminer white wine.
KANGAROO IS: TIGHT LINES!
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Stories of men and women from WW2