PLEASE NOTE: This planner is intended as a guide only. Trends indicated in this calendar are subject to seasonal variations and changeable climate patterns. For more up-to-date and specific information, always talk to the staff at local tackle shops in the regions you visit. ALSO, be sure to stay across all current rules, regulations and seasonal closures* in the areas where you intend to go fishing.
It’s very important to note that new and sometimes temporary or fixed-term closures, restrictions and bans apply to certain recreational fisheries around the country, and that these can and do change over time, often with little advance warning. Examples include (but are certainly not confined to) restrictions on the snapper fishery in SA, the Spanish mackerel fishery in QLD, and the demersal (bottom or reef) fishery in WA.
MAKE SURE YOU ARE COMPLETELY AWARE OF THESE CLOSURES AND RESTRICTIONS!
Ignorance of the law is no excuse. Talk to the staff in local tackle shops and visit the on-line sites of relevant fisheries management authorities for updates.
This is usually the most stable month for weather along the southern seaboard. Some good snapper fishing continues, with fewer but larger fish often present. Southern bluefin tuna numbers also begin to increase, typically moving from west to east and there are some “jumbos” among them. Big kingfish and Samsons are available offshore in some mainland areas. Surf fishing for salmon is becoming more predictable on the ocean beaches. Crab numbers are diminishing in the South Australian Gulfs.
Tailor numbers are dropping, but their size is up. Snapper are being caught on inshore reefs. Dhufish, Samson fish and kingfish are becoming more common inshore. Salmon schools are pushing west and then north along the coast, and there are also some large mulloway on the beaches. Mid-west coast fishing is good for both boat and shore fishers. Ballooning for mackerel becomes a viable proposition in offshore winds.
April usually sees the peak of the “run-off” period, and with it some of the year’s very best barra fishing action. There are also some big black jewfish, threadfin and fingermark (golden snapper) to be had in the salt.
Offshore waters are cooling now, but many pelagic species remain present. A great month for yellowfin tuna and albacore. Kingfish are present in many inshore waters, along with tropical mackerel (Spanish and spotted) north of Port Macquarie. Excellent surf fishing is available for bream, tailor and salmon. All species, including jewfish, are active in estuaries, where mullet are now massing for their annual migration to sea. Bass and estuary perch begin to drop downstream in numbers prior to spawning.
Murray cod and golden perch are feeding more actively now. Look for bigger cod after the first frost of the year. There’s some great trout fishing available in streams and lakes. By the end of the month, many brown trout have begun to “colour up” and move upstream or into lake tributaries prior to their main spawning run in May and June.
Shimano Australia Fishing (SAF) and Steve Starling (River & Sea Pty Ltd) accept no liability whatsoever for injuries, loss, expenses, legal prosecutions or any other damages or inconvenience caused or contributed to by adherence to the general advice offered in this calendar, whether due to negligence or otherwise arising from the use of, or reliance on, that information. Before acting on any general information of this type, carefully consider the appropriateness of the information provided, and any specific circumstances applying at the time. In particular, it is incumbent upon the individual using this general advice to be fully aware of all current rules and regulations, as well as all other existing conditions or potential issues.