Streaky Bay, South Australia.

[Billmack]

Hi All,
I had been waiting for the covid windows to open to revisit this amazing area. They aligned, and off I set on the 2 1/2 day drive. Two night time stopovers and I’m there early afternoon on the third day.
I had both border passes needed, no check point going into Victoria and a quick check at the SA entry. 
I stayed at arguably one of the best designed and appointed caravan parks in Oz. 

The bay is known for its King George whiting, blue swimmer crabs and calamari.
The boat is now a 370 Quintrex Dart, still with the 15HP Yamaha, also an electric has been fitted. 
Like most areas, fishing is dependant on the wind, and it can be windy here, but there were ample days to fish. Mostly acceptable weather, one wet day, and a couple of 40’ days thrown in for the three weeks I was there. Launching for most boaters at this park is at a firm sandy beach about 1 k away.

No need for a day by day description, but I managed to find the whiting schools and you can pull in 5 or 6 in one spot, but then sometimes just the one, and sometimes several moves are needed to find any. Find the sand patches, and a slow retrieve does it. Size isn’t huge in this bay, a good one is 380, typical is 320-350. Standard rig used, 12 lb trace, but what may be different is I use a K/L 1/0 black magic circle hook.

Blue swimmers are abundant, there are several professionals working the bay, but the crabs are in near plaque proportions, with 3 drop nets you can get your 20 in 3-4 hours, all male and full. Or, as your fishing drop a net over the side. One day I watched the crab move onto the net, before pulling it up. 3 times. 

Calamari are plentiful, although I only caught them for bait, 1/2 a small squid will get you 10 whiting. But they make up the third part of my crab, whiting and squid pizza. 

Razor fish (razor clams) are in the shallows, and I had never tried them before, I had heard mixed opinions, but I enjoyed them, a bit like a scallop.

Snapper are protected in SA at the moment, and of course as my luck would have it I had to catch one whilst whiting fishing, released. Proof of just how good the circle hooks are, shown in the pic.
I also did a day trip to Smoky Bay jetty for the gars and some local oysters from Smoky Bay oysters. 

That probably sums the trip up, trip back home was again 2 1/2 days with stopovers on the The Murray and The Murrumbidgee. Happy to get some unleaded fuel at Mildura for just under a dollar a litre.
Cheers. 



 

[Blackfish]

Great report, makes me hungry just reading it.

[noelm]

Nothing wrong with a feed of crabs and Whiting, and being on holidays makes them twice as good.

[Yowie]

Sounds like a good holiday, all those critters are good eating.

Shame you could not keep the reddie, that is a good eating size.

[kingie chaser]

Sounds like an great trip & with all the makings of an amazing seafood spread 

[Smobaby]

Looks like you done it tough, great report.

[dunc333]

awsome reading mate ,i wish i was there at this time of year great pics also cheers dunc333

[mrsswordfisherman]

Ohhhh @Billmack you stayed at Islands CP.

It is the best isn’t it! The amenities block with private ensuites is fantastic.
We stayed there on our lap in 2019. We did not have our tinny with us at that time to fish. 
 

Great report and thanks for sharing! 

 

 

[Rebel]

Great report. Super photos. Well done

[Billmack]

On 3/2/2021 at 2:48 PM, noelm said:

Nothing wrong with a feed of crabs and Whiting, and being on holidays makes them twice as good.

 

On 3/2/2021 at 3:50 PM, Yowie said:

Sounds like a good holiday, all those critters are good eating.

Shame you could not keep the reddie, that is a good eating size.

Yes a professional holidayer, aka, retired. 🤣

Yep Donna, I don’t stay in many CP’s, but this is a great clean park, helps in our covid world.

 

We live in an amazing country, with an amazing fishery, went for a bottom bash yesterday outside Jervis Bay . 

 

 

Cheers.