Tasmanian fishing – Large shark hooked and lost in southern waters

by Carl Hyland on 3 Jan 2016 Tasmanian fishing – A recent shark fishing event held off the north coast saw one competitor hooked up to a large Mako for around seven hours, only to lose the fish alongside.

Numerous Makos were hooked landed and lost in southern waters last weekend, so their numbers seem to be plentiful at this time. Also plentiful are the striped tuna which are now starting to put in an appearance at Eddystone and down along the east coast.

Whilst not large, these little pocket rockets of the sea do make for fine sport and are prime bait for other species. We shall keep you posted on the tuna movements along the east and south coast over the coming weeks. Bread and butter fish comprising of yellow eyed mullet, Australian salmon and couta are being caught at many locations in and around the Derwent and the same goes for the north of the state.

Vast schools of seagull and cormorants are working bait schools flushed to the surface by pelagic fish. If you come across a bait school or ball, your fish catching options are improved by not steaming through the middle of the school as this has the effect of pushing the bait and attacking fish deeper or even splitting schools up.

Work the edges or better still, cut your motor and drift and you will find that no outboard noise will get you more fish.

King flathead and calamari have been caught over the last weekend off Slopen Island and large King flathead have been landed off Cremorne. If garfish are your cup of tea, try areas such as Clifton Bluff with a float and chicken skin.

Off the Low Head lighthouse in about 14 metres of water large tiger flathead have been caught as well as huge red gurnard and couta. You don’t have to go too far out to get gummy shark either as they seem to inhabit the sandy bottom close to the light.

50 metres offshore around in east beach will see you get amongst fish and a drogue or bucket thrown in may be required to slow your drift to ensure you are touching bottom with your bait and soft plastic. Large flathead are being caught from Weymouth waters and I had a good report of five kg Kingfish being caught from the Northern tip of Waterhouse Island by anglers trolling and using knife jigs last weekend.

For those who are contemplating hiring a fishing charter for tuna, or perhaps mako or marlin fishing, there are a few about and hopefully I can get some more information for our readers in coming weeks.

In the meantime, Tubby Quinn with Papazulu charters out of St Helens is worth following up as is Jim Males with Pauletta Charters out of Eaglehawk Neck. These guys and others are out there every day doing it and have their collective fingers on the piscatorial pulse.