With an abundance of fish and perfect boating weather, it’s no wonder summer is the most popular seasons for fishing.
Summer is a perfect time to go fishing. The weather’s balmy, the days are longer, the water is warm, and more importantly, the fish are biting! Summer is here, so let’s look at some tactics and a few secrets I’ve discovered for maximising your holiday time and catching some fish over the next few months.
Avoid the crowds
Most of us take time off work over summer. The school holidays in most states take in the last week or two of December and the full month of January. It’s busy everywhere you go and our waterways are no exception. You can’t blame people for getting out and enjoying the fishing or boating lifestyle; after all, you and I are part of that crowd!
Crowds mean busier boat ramps, more boats, more fishing pressure, and as a result, shy fish. So even though summer is prime time for many species, the increased pressure can make things more challenging. But there are solutions. Set your alarm really early! I like to hit the ramp well before sunrise to avoid the crowds. Many people launch their boat right on sunrise and start fishing soon after. Go earlier and you’ll avoid the crowds and catch fish before most people are even out of bed!
If early mornings aren’t achievable, a late afternoon fishing session or even night fishing can be a good option. I’ve found fish in busier waterways will switch to night feeding. Keep it safe, however, and ensure you have adequate lighting and understand the heightened risk of fishing at night from a boat. Another way to avoid the crowds is to avoid the holiday destinations. That might be a bit tricky if you’re on holidays with your family in a coastal town, but there are ways around it. I’ve regularly looked on a map and discovered areas not far from major holiday towns that are more secluded. For example, drive 20 or 30 minutes inland from town and you will most likely find a boat ramp up river. There are usually some very fishy spots nearby without many others present.
Interestingly, I’ve also found urban waterways to be less busy around holiday time. It makes sense. With everyone travelling out of the major cities, towing boats, caravans and heading towards coastal towns, the cities have less people and more opportunities for fishing. And between you and I, places like Sydney Harbour fish incredibly well over the Christmas and New Year period.
Or, for something different, you could go all out and take your family somewhere truly remote this summer. Australia still has plenty of destinations in the north and south that are truly off the grid. It will probably involve a flight or a long drive and maybe some off-road driving. Find a remote campsite or a fishing lodge and enjoy the best Australia has to offer in solitude.
Tactics
It’s fair to say fishing over summer or during the holiday periods needs to be kept simple. If you’re on holidays with the family, it’s likely you won’t be fishing dawn to dusk. Instead, when the opportunity arises, you’ll find yourself fishing for a few hours at a time and hopefully catching a feed of fish. For the above reason, I like to keep my gear simple. Carry a couple of light-to-medium spin outfits that will cover fishing the estuaries, fresh water and rivers, and maybe a slightly heavier and longer rod for bigger fish or for beach fishing. Pre-rig as much of your gear as possible and have all of your gear in an easily accessible bag or tackle box. I can’t emphasise how important it is to be prepared. The last thing you need is to be rigging gear or looking for lost tackle when everyone around you is already catching fish.
As mentioned above, look for areas where others aren’t fishing and try something different. Use light line and leaders and unweighted baits. Remember, at this time of year, the fish are seeing baits and lures thrown at them all day and if you present something natural or different, they’re more likely to accept your offering. If you’re a keen lure fisho, surface lures or topwater lures are worth trying in the summer months. Whether it’s chasing freshwater fish such as bass or Murray cod, or offshore tuna or kingfish, they love topwater lures and nothing beats this type of action.
If you’re new to fishing and unsure what gear you will need over the summer months, I always recommend talking to your local tackle shop about the best tackle that’s required. It’s also a good idea if you’re travelling to a holiday town to visit the local tackle shop and talk about the best gear locally and what fish have been biting. Most staff in tackle shops are helpful and will point you in the right direction.
Summer clothing
Clothing is a subject that’s often mentioned in winter fishing guides. In that case we talk about warm jackets and rain gear. In my opinion, summer clothing is equally important. Australia and New Zealand have high rates of skin cancer and the days of removing a shirt to stay cool or look good on a boat are over. Or they should be! I’ve had several skin cancers cut out and I now ensure I always stay covered up. There are so many good brands of “performance” fishing wear these days. You can easily find long-sleeve shirts that are ultra-lightweight, cool and UV resistant. Some have hoodies and others have collars. You can also pick up a buff to go around your neck and over your face. I prefer them to a wide brim hat. The problem with a wide-bream hat is they’re not so good for travelling in boats. Instead, I wear a cap and combine it with a buff and long-sleeve shirt. Of course, sunscreen is essential. Although, if you cover up with lightweight clothing, you’ll find you don’t need as much sunscreen. That’s also useful as there’s nothing worse than using greasy sunscreen around lures and bait.
Another very important item for fishing during summer is sunglasses. I’ve owned many pairs of sunglasses and I can assure you they are not all created equal! Our eyes are precious and it’s worse investing time in a quality pair for that reason alone. Plus, as a bonus, a suitable pair of sunnies will help you catch more fish. When I say suitable, I mean choosing a lens colour and style that suits the sort of fishing you are doing. For example, if you’re offshore game fishing, there are few areas of shade and you will be staring at deep blue water all day. You can get away with a darker lens or a great lens that cuts more light and works well in this scenario. At the opposite extremes, you may be fishing a small mountain stream and it’s an overcast day. If you wear the same grey lens you won’t see much and your fishing will suffer. It’s best to choose a lighter lens, like a rose or yellow/green colour. It will literally brighten things up and cut glare so you can see through the water. Seeing through the water allows you to spot fish and see underwater structure and hazards when boating.
Species
Many species of fish are more active during the warmers months. Let’s start in the fresh water and highlight some of the popular fish to target over summer. Native fish such as Australian bass, Murray cod and golden perch all thrive in warm water.
In most states the bass season opens in spring and for cod it’s December 1. Bass can be found in the fresh and brackish stretches of our East Coast rivers, while cod and golden perch are found on the opposite side of the Great Dividing Range in the Murray-Darling. They all can be caught in impoundments as well. Even though they prefer warmer weather, it’s best to avoid fishing in the heat of the day.
Try early mornings and late afternoons. When it gets really hot during January or February, it’s also worth switching to night fishing. In the salt water, there are any number of species that prefer summer. Some of the favourites include whiting, flathead, bream, mackerel, tuna, marlin, mahi mahi and more.
The whiting, bream and flathead are all estuary fish and will be prolific around the estuaries in most holiday destinations. They can all be caught on bait, lures and fly. Meanwhile, the marlin, tuna and mahi mahi are offshore species and are very popular to target over the summertime.
It’s also worth checking the local tackle shop or looking for local reports about species in your area. Australia is an enormous country and what’s biting in the southern part of Western Australia is completely different from Cape York. The diversity and abundance of species is one of the factors that makes fishing in Australia so fantastic. Enjoy your summer fishing and stay safe over the silly season!
New Zealand Summer
New Zealand is a lot like Australia when it comes to its diverse range of species and summer is a fantastic time to make the most of this country’s excellent fishing. In the fresh water, trout can be caught in many rivers across the South and North Islands. Summer is one of my favourite times to target trout in New Zealand with so much insect life and therefore more food for the trout. The fish are active and generally easier to catch. New Zealand is one of the most iconic fly fishing destinations in the world and I would highly recommend targeting these fish on fly if you get the chance.
In the salt, besides the incredible kingfish and snapper that New Zealand is also famous for, there are lesser-known options for catching tuna and marlin. The late part of summer is prime time for these species. Again, the North and South Islands have good opportunities for these saltwater gamefish and it’s best talking to staff in local tackle shops for reports and advice.
By Scott Thomas.
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