Will the rain abate?

by Jarrod Day on 18 Jun 2013 So how do you sugar coat torrential rain, cyclonic winds and ocean swells big enough to topple the QE2, well quite honestly, you don’t. Unfortunately, Victoria has been batted, beaten with relentless weather that seems as if it’s going to hang around for the entire winter period.

Though I’m not trying to put a dampener on the situation, I’m just putting things into perspective as to what we are trying to deal with from an angler’s point of view.

Most recreational anglers get to fish only one day a week and with the weather dealt as it is currently, what else do they decide to do? I guess, that question is best answered by the die hard anglers that just have to wet a line regardless of the situation.

Though I am one of those self confessed fishing addicts, there are many out there just like myself. Some call it crazy, some call it desperate but all in all, we are just doing what we love, enjoying the outdoors no matter what the conditions.

In saying that, though we may get wet and cold but there is still the element of safety overhead. Sure it might be blowing 30 knots from the west, but in this situation, I know there is know way we can get a boat out, so as dedicated anglers, we look to other avenues to explore. Some head to the country for some trout fishing, some to the surf for some salmon spinning and some just hang around the local pier in an attempt to catch something.

There is no doubt that fishing is a serious addiction and if you’re anything like me, regardless of the weather, you just go fishing at every chance you can. I am known for making split decisions and one day and drive to Portland for a days tuna fishing and back home again or if the weather is bad in the west, I head east for a bream fish. Either way, it is a five hour drive west or east just for a days fishing, mad eh? But this is dedication and a passion that I just can’t get enough of. If you’re the same and find yourself reading this on your iPad while flicking a line in at your local jetty, I hope you enjoy the line up for this week.

Last week we had a few internet hiccups so I have added in some of last weeks features for those that missed them.

Lee Brake looks at the winter fishing options in Queensland and while the rain is falling, the fish are still on the bite. Lee helps you decide how best to beat those winter doldrums in North Queensland. He tells you what species to chase depending on what the weather and tides are doing so that you can effectively plan your next weekend on the water.

Lee also looks at the ideal species for those quick trips on winter mornings, the spool burning tuna! He reveals how if you're after a bit of adrenalin to get the blood pumping back to those cold extremities, then these are the fish for you!

Ben Knaggs goes in search of baby billfish in Exmouth, WA and explains that the onset of winter spells the end of the summer game fishing season but with the warmer, southward flowing currents of summer ease off by mid May, and the waters south of the Tropic of Capricorn becoming too cold for most of the large, pelagic predators. Marlin are by far the most popular and highly sought after of these game fish species, and winter fishing for marlin is basically a non-event in almost all of our major game fishing ports. All except that is, for those in the north of Western Australia as Ben explains.

Last month I took the Robalo R180 for a test run and put it through its paces and this month I decided that I wanted something a little bigger to explore. I’m not sure what he was thinking, but Scott from Chaparral, Victoria was more than happy to pass on the keys to the next model in line, the Robalo R200.

I also finish off last weeks feature on targeting XOS albacore tuna and go into the more intricate details of tackle and techniques on how to separate catching albacore from southern blue fin.