Western Port's silver bullets

by Jarrod Day on 27 Jun 2012 The boat swung ninety degrees with the anchor rope taut.

In routine fashion, I filled the berley bucket with tuna oil laced pellets and minced pilchards deploying it to the bottom. The current was running just enough to concede a steady berley trail.

I attached a 2oz sinker to the bottom of my paternoster, thread on two pieces of pilchard fillet and flipped back the bail arm releasing the bait beneath the water.

It was only two, maybe three seconds and the line went slack, a sure sign to flip back the bail arm engaging the reel into gear. I quickly placed the rod into the holder and reached for another to bait up. Just as the line pulled tight, I noticed the rod tip beginning to arch. As one rod buckled, the other followed suit and caught us both unaware. Blakey looked over with a grin and said happily 'there here'. Within a short time of the initial hook up the tell tale signs of a solid fish could be felt through the rod as if it were an elastic band. With only a metre or so to go, the silver flanks from a little trevally glistened just below the surface.

As quick as you could bait up a rod and cast it out the rod loaded with another good fish.

The berley trail had been set and the fish had followed the trail right to the back of the boat.

Each cast resulted in another fish sometimes a double hook-up which was the bonus from using a two dropper paternoster rig.

The school was thick and stayed for a good hour or so, although small fish they still put up a challenging battle on our light tackle.

The tails of silver bullets: Silver trevally are one of the few species that are not often specifically targeted in Victorian waters but are generally caught as a by-catch.

They can be found from Brisbane, extending south to Geraldton in W.A.

When encountered, trevally can be caught in numbers and usually of good size. While they have been recorded growing to a staggering 10 kilos around Lord Howe Island in the South Pacific, most trevally found around the Australian coastline can reach 80cm and 4.5 kilos in weight.

Not regarded highly as a table fish, there are many mixed reactions from anglers when caught. In Western Port however, the silver trevally is regarded as a baitfish for other highly prized species.

Trevally are brutal fighters for there size, once hooked they tend to dart ferociously and nearing the end of the battle lie on their sides making it a challenge working them to the surface when using light tackle.

The initial hook-up is fast with line being pulled immediately from the reel, head shakes and tail beats that send thumping jolts through the rod are what’s expected when tackling these aggressive little fish.

On light tackle, silver trevally are great fun and no matter what to level your fishing experience, the battle from even a small trevally can make you weak at the knees.

Pieces of the puzzle: Although silver trevally can be caught year round in Western Port, in numbers they are more prolific during autumn. More specific times can vary when the fish will turn up but some locations become regular haunts. Over time anglers can predict times and locations to where and when they will show up. Although a huge learning curve, keeping a fishing diary is a good start.

The flood of silver trevally into Western Port almost comes and goes without too much notice. For those anglers that are in-tune with the goings on, usually keep their findings to themselves but for those willing to experiment in searching them out are often surprised at the results.

Trevally are more active feeders during the day with the most productive times being early morning and first light.

Considered to be more of an estuarine species, trevally are suckers for structure. Western Port has a maze of reefs and other structures including extensive weed beds and plenty of piers in close proximity to deep water.

Although land based anglers can have some memorable trevally fishing from the majority of the piers, it is the boat anglers having to do some hard work to find frequented locations.

When looking for reef structures to find silvers, boat anglers are best to effectively use a depth sounder. Knowing how to use it will aid in finding any structure where trevally can be schooling up.

Trevally are a reef dweller always searching for a meal; they tend to graze over areas which have an abundance of food including small shellfish, baitfish, worms and shrimps. With this in mind, areas of Western Port regularly frequented with trevally seem to be Rhyll, Rutherford Inlet and the Warneet Pier, Newhaven Jetty, The Middle Spit weed beds, Tankerton and along Long Reef out from Lysaghts. These locations attract large schools of silver each season because they all contain structure and a good food source.

For the larger versions encountered in the Port keep your focus on the Newhaven Jetty. Not often spoken about, this seems to be the place for the thumpers.

Land based anglers can also get in on the action at Stony Point, Corinella, Newhaven and Cowes Piers.

Stockyard Point, well known for its excellent run of elephant fish during the season by the Land Based Brigade also has a good run of silvers particularly on the low tide when anglers have access casting into the channel.

Weapons of choice: Trevally aren’t your typical run of the mill fish, rather for their size they are a dirty fighter. They complete a solid short run then lie on their side and repeatedly thump their tail causing your rod tip to thump and shudder. As most trevally are caught in the 500g to 1 kilo bracket with the odd 2 kilo fish turning up, the light tackle approach is often preferred.

Small thread line reels loaded with 4lb braid make ideal weapons and if matched up with a 7’ 2-4 kilo spin rod you’ll have an outfit suited to a tee.

Of course, your standard whiting gear is also recommended but 7’ spin rods are preferred in most cases as butt strength is often a necessity.

For those wanting a little more sports fishing action I suggest using a light graphite rod and 2500 series thread line reel.

This will give you another fishing option if you want to catch silvers on soft plastics or metal laser lures.

Rig it right: Rigs specific to catching trevally don’t need to get to technical, I’ve found the best success coming from a double dropper paternoster rig. Ideal for fishing reefy areas this rig enables two small baits to be suspended above the sinker.

Trevally have quite a soft mouth requiring small hooks, in most cases long shank hooks are used but fish can be dropped during the battle. For best results small size 1/0 circle hooks will avoid loosing a fish during a fight.

Rigs can be tied from light leader unless you’re specifically targeting the larger versions. In this case tie your paternoster from 20 or even 40lb fluorocarbon for abrasion resistance. Occasionally, a trevally can sever your leader if it rubs on their tail flutes. These are sharp and can inflict a cut on your hand if you’re unaware of their sharpness. In most cases, leaders ranging 12 to 20lb are substantial when fishing in Western port.

Pre-tied rigs are also worth using if you unaware of how to tie a paternoster. Made from 40lb tough trace the new IFISH whiting rigs are ideal for most fishing situations and especially when fishing for trevally. They are made from high abrasive 40lb trace and come fitted with two chemically sharpened long shank hooks.

For those choosing to flick a few softies around I highly suggest matching the plastic with the baitfish in the local area. Small 70mm squidgy flick baits work well in the pillie, evil minnow and pearl white colours as do pearl watermelon 2' Berkley bass minnows.

To use effectively, you will need to rig them on light jig heads with small hooks. I have favoured TT’s 1/16 head with a size 2 hook. Obliviously for any fishing in fast current areas the weight of your jig head will need to be increased so have a few options available if the time comes. This will especially apply when fishing around Mchaffies and Hen and Chickens reefs.

Occasionally when schooled up, trevally are also partial to eating silver lazer lures. These are best used in a vertical jigging motion in most areas where deep water prevails; although in western port the most productive technique is too slowly troll them along the edge of shallow reefs.

Bait and berley: Trevally are quite a finicky feeder, in that they can be taken on a variety of baits. They do however have a keen preference for baits like bloodworms, Bass yabbies, prawns, pilchard fillet and pipis.

At times they can be rather fussy and good quality bait is almost always needed.

One the most positive aspects of trevally fishing is that they can be easily found when using berley. Trevally often move in on berley trails and thus, become a by-catch for many anglers. Although only a few maybe caught, anglers are often using larger hooks while targeting other species. When trevally are abundant in Western Port, anglers fishing for elephant sharks usually find trevally as their by-catch.

A favourite blend of berley I like to use for species such as elephants, whiting, pinkie snapper and of course silver trevally is a rather simple recipe. Blend together, two kilos of pilchards (mashed), two kilos of chook pellets, one litre of tuna oil and five litres of water and leave to sit for an hour or so.

When all mixed together, it can be placed into a berley bucket and placed on the sea floor while fishing. If you blend it correctly it should be very fine, almost like thick dust. Blending it into almost a fine wet powder enables the smell of fish offal to be carried with the current to attract them. Big chunks of berley will only feed them and you’ll limit the numbers of fish you could be catching. Keep the berley fine and trevally will search out your baits rather than just the berley.

Effective trevally fishing comprises of locating the school of fish. Once you have found them, anchor accordingly to the direction of the current. If you anchor in front of the school, when your berley trail is established they will follow it towards the boat, swimming away from the reef.

This will aid in preventing bust offs if they decide to make a run back to the reef.

Your rigs containing the appropriate baits should be cast in uniformity just behind the berley pot. This way when they travel up the trail the first chunk of food they encounter is your bait.

Regardless of how you catch them, silver trevally provide some of the greatest light tackle entertainment you can experience. The next time you’re fishing Western Port, drop in some berley and get ready to hang on.