The price we pay for living in paradise is that we are continually at the mercy of the elements.
The strong southerly winds of late have made it tough for both recreational and commercial fishermen who want to fish wide of the Cape.
Out on the shelf there have been some beautiful Flame Tails caught as well as some quality Bar Cod. The Dolphin Fish (Mahi Mahi) that have been hanging around for months have now gone a bit quiet (and those that are still about in any numbers are a tad undersize).
The commercial fishers are gearing up for the Spanner Crabs, and the Local Reef at Brunswick Heads has been producing Snapper and a variety of Tuna (Frigate, Mack & Longtail).
Quality-sized Mack Tuna up to 8kg have been all over the place of late, some have even been caught from the beach. These tuna are pound for pound, one of the best fighting fish out there; and also make excellent bait for just about anything.
Local enthusiast Jack Van Delft has been landing (and releasing) some fine sized Bream and Dart on fly fishing tackle at Belongil. The Bream and Dart have been herding large schools of Frogmouth Pilchards into the gutters at low tide.
You can not miss them as these bait balls look like a big black moving blob in the otherwise pristine water. If you see these bait balls, try a very small and lightweight lure and work the edges of the school.
These predatory fish have been taking just about anything that moves, provided that the size of the lure is small.
~ Doug Benjamin, Byron Bay Charters 0400 946 066
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