help needed for some middle harbour pelagics

[odysea_yt]

hey raiders,

Tommorow I'm going out with my mates around middle harbour, and I'm hoping I get them hooked onto some pelagics like salmon. We are restricted to middle harbour and are landbased. Please if you got any advice, locations, lures/bait or anything I will greatly benefit. Thanks!

[Aussie_fisher]

I barely fish middle harbour but do fish the parra quite a bit. have landed a few salmon this season though now it seems to have slowed down a bit. Can’t give you much locational advice but the thing about pelagics is they move around. On a boat u can chase the fish and find where they are. Landbased you just have to hope a school passes by or busts up near you in most cases.
 

Landbased opportunities in middle harbour from what I know are more limited and difficult to access than the parra for example. But you can fish anywhere in general around the spit bridge/reserve, Clontarf, balmoral etc: or jetties here and there. and if you can access some of the more difficult spots go for it. I’ve actually caught all my salmon this season on soft plastics when I didn’t expect it while chasing flathead and bream during bust ups. But the best way is to take a few metals, top water lures and for bait take pillies  

[odysea_yt]

ok thanks, I got some pretty big metals though i'll try pilchards

[Aussie_fisher]

I’d suggest taking the metals anyway. If you come across a bust up it will be helpful

[juicy233]

At the bottom of the spit bridge, especially at night there's heaps of tailor and salmon around, just cast a metal into the border of the shadow and sunlight under the bridge and you'll be in for some fish

[juicy233]

From my time fishing middle harbour, I've been told and found out that there are 5 reefs in the upper reache around bantry bay and this is where the kingfish, salmon, bonito and other pelagics hold during the rising tide and high tide, however I've seen the second it turns to outgoing tide, you'll see birds following schools and this is when the fish come out of their reefs and out past the spit bridge and often hang around balmoral. Birds in middle harbour are the best indicator as if you see them circling a spot and diving, you're in for some fish. I've spent hours watching from down on the water at seaforfh at a jetty the tide beginning to come out and have seen schools all sorts of pelagic fish come through and it's always the birds which tell you where they are. Seabirds are like fishermen, they stay at places they have caught fish before. There are plenty of good spots to fish in middle harbour but it's really just chance if those pelagics up in the reefs decide to swim past the bay, headland, jetty that you are fishing. In terms of technique, float pilchards down a berley trail on an unweighted hook, use a whole pilchard but cut the head off at an angle to make it look realistic and have the scent bring fish in. If the current and wind is really strong, put a tiny sinker above the pilchard. Hope you get some fish today

[odysea_yt]

thanks, I'll try match the tides with my spot caus im fishing from two tides lol

[sashkello]

On 7/13/2024 at 9:08 AM, juicy233 said:

At the bottom of the spit bridge, especially at night there's heaps of tailor and salmon around, just cast a metal into the border of the shadow and sunlight under the bridge and you'll be in for some fish

That's a great spot, but be weary of literal crowds often fishing off the bridge - they constantly tangle with people underneath and don't seem to care much about fishing etiquette. You actually don't have to go that close to the bridge - bigger fish lurks at the edge of darkness, a bit away from the bridge. There are a few deeper spots a little downstream where I caught some decent tailor & bream, and wasn't as much bothered by undersized ones which will not leave you alone under the bridge...