| Australia has some of the best and most productive light game fishing in the world. The entire coastline of the country has available some form of light game experience.
The Temperate Zones
In the southern areas (southern New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and southern Western Australia) there are cold water tuna (Southern Blue, Yellowfin etc), Australian Salmon (not a true salmon), tailor, bonito and others.
Australian salmon and tailor are surface feeding fish that readily take lures, they both range in size from 2lb to 15lb and provide exciting fishing either by trolling or by casting to surface feeding schools. These fish are found along the entire southern coastline of the Australian continent. They are generally around all year but the prime seasons are autumn (March to May) and spring (June to November)
The cold water tunas are more seasonal being at their best in late winter and spring. They provide top notch light game sport with live baiting and trolling being the main methods. You can expect fish from 10lb to 400lb.
As you move north from the latitude of Sydney you begin to encounter more tropical species such as Spanish Mackerel, Mackerel Tuna, Mahi Mahi and other serious sport fish. Between Sydney and Brisbane on the east coast and from Perth north to around Esperance on the west coast, these fish are somewhat seasonal. In these latitudes they follow the warm tropical currents that sweep down the east and west coasts in late spring and throughout summer. Your timing has to be right to be on the water when these warm currents bring the fish to these areas.
The Tropics
Further north, tropical species take over completely and the fish mentioned previously are joined by Giant Trevally, Queenfish and other tropical tuna and mackerel species. In the northern half of the country (from the Queensland coast, across the top and down the northern west coast, these fish are an all year round proposition. The ‘top end’ as its called (embracing the entire northern coast of Australia and the north west) is very sparsely populated and offers some of the best light game fishing in the world. Be warned, though, that some of these areas are very remote and can be difficult and expensive to reach. Having said that, there are many charter and guide services that provide access to these areas. In the more remote locations it is often a matter of living aboard an air conditioned mother ship and fishing from small boats. Many of these locations are only accessible by helicopter. – there are, however, many locations that are more easily reached where exciting sport can be had at less cost in time and in money. But the very best is in the hardest to reach locations
Most light game fishing in these areas focuses on trolling lures, live baits and dead baits. Many of the fish are also surface feeders and present lure and fly casting opportunities to schools of feeding fish.
If you want to get into the light game sport that this country offers your best bet is to take advantage of the professional guide services operating in the area you decide to visit. These guides know their local areas, are in touch with the action all the time and always know the techniques that are locally successful. When you go to a new fishing location you can waste a large amount of time getting the place wired, locating the spots and working out the techniques that work. A guide can short circuit all that. After all the effort, time and expense that you go to getting to the location, why waste great fishing time getting to know what works. A guide will get you on to the fish straight away. The fee is money well spent.
Use the search facilities on the Fishing In Oz site to find the guide you need in the area you are visiting. And you can also find the accommodation and bait and tackle suppliers. | |  |
