Green Cape is about a two-hour boat trip from Twofold Bay and Eden, but the reef fishing in between is worth the effort.
Someone asked me about morwong. They’re flat-sided fish resembling snapper in some ways. Morwong are green, they have soft mouths and put up a fight when hooked. They’re also known as queen snapper.
They are deepwater fish, and they take all the usual baits. There are several variations — morwong silver perch, sea bream and jackass morwong. All are tablefish and are good for eating.
In the deep water to the south of the cape, the sandy bottom is teeming with flathead. Some of the fish are over a metre, and are best fished for using braid. A 15kg braid with a mono trace works well.
Flatheads of this size can be caught at a depth of around 20m, so a decent line is needed.
Along the bottom, you will also come across schools of barracouta, a relative of the garfish. These fish have a mouthful of needle-sharp teeth, and they tend to shred an angler’s ear with ease. Although they are not good for eating, they do make decent bait and burley.
As you can see, the Eden fishing experience is improving and well worth a visit.
Down south at Queenscliff, Rod Lawn from Adamas Fishing Charters is bagging snapper, even though it is still early in the season.
He was also catching flathead, whiting and salmon, although the tuna had gone off the bite.
Rod said he was bagging gummy sharks around the dive wrecks. These were taking fresh salmon, fillets and small fresh squid.
Rod said Western Port Bay was also fishing well around Hastings and Phillip Island. The best time was on the run-out tide.
Graham Cowley at Narooma said kingfish were on the move north of Montague Island. Flathead were being caught along the sandy bottom; snapper and other reef fish along the inshore reefs. Striped tuna and other fillets were the best baits.
At Eden, John Liddell said the inshore fishing for snapper, morwong and other reef and bottom fish was as good as ever. John said that off the shelf, fishing was a non-event at this time of the year, but it was spot on close to shore.
The fishing from Twofold Bay to Green Cape was patchy on the first few trips, mainly due to the fish traps that had been set over the years. These were large cages that literally trapped fish.
However, recent changes to NSW fishing regulations banned the use, so the number of free-swimming fish began to increase. Recreational fishing improved almost immediately, with snapper, morwong, kingfish, salmon and even flathead.
Green Cape is just north of the Victorian border, which means you will need to have a licence to fish. However, the charter operator, Mark from Freedom Charters, has an agreement with NSW fisheries, and he has a special permit to cover his customers.
However, all bag and size limits still apply, which makes the banning of fish traps a most important action.
Saturday is the first day of winter, which means the start of the cray season — while trout season closes on June 11. Check your copy of the Recreation Fishing Guide for the exact dates and which rivers and streams will be closed.
Meanwhile, Eildon is still fishing well, with cod, yellowbelly, trout and redfin on the bite.
The Murray and the Goulburn are still worth waiting in line for. Although most cod are under-size, Mulwala can still give up a metre-plus fish.
As we move into winter, the trout at Dartmouth are becoming more active, and the fishing there in the high country is becoming more active.
Trolling a fender with a lure or bait results in good bags of brown and rainbow trout. I love fishing at Dartmouth; it is one of the prettiest spots in the state, with an abundance of wildlife and postcard beauty.
Well, that’s what it is for this week. However, I must pass a message to George, an old fishing buddy: Stop watching football, it is just a waste of time. You would be better off going fishing.