Tin Can Bay Fishing Club Report May 2021
After all the recent rainfall, the bay has become a bit discoloured from the runoff, but don’t let that discourage you from getting out and trying a fun day’s fishing. As fresh water is less dense than salt water it tends to “float” on top of the salt water but has very little effect on the overall salinity (other than the very top of the water and at the creek run offs on the last of the run-out tide).
The increase in fresh water has got a few mud crabs on the move but they are pretty hard to find. The big quality bucks are well outnumbered by the females and there are some legal-sized bucks that are not “full” and really should be returned to the water, rather than keeping them to get a very small feed.
If you are new to crabbing, and don’t yet know how to tell if a buck is “full” (full of meat and ready for cooking and eating) or not, keep an eye out for one of the information days held by the Tin Can Bay Fishing Club. Check out Facebook or the website for details.
Tuna have been seen feeding aggressively around the Big Mick and Bluff areas, so casting metal slugs could be rewarding, if only for the exercise value.
Fast trolling various lures is also a good option, with the chance of catching Spanish mackerel which come into the straights at this time of year. The bay reefs have been a bit hit and miss, with only a few quality fish being caught among the many undersized ones, but it is still worth a try when the weather is good
Some good squid are around, with some anglers (in the right place at the right time) having good hauls in a short period of squidding. Large tiger squid; sometimes in schools up to eight, have been regularly seen in the shallows but they seem difficult to catch, showing little interest in lures, or jigs. Maybe some YouTube research is needed to find tips on how to catch them.
Flathead have been a bit patchy with only small congregations. However, once found, they will readily pounce on well-presented soft plastic lures as well as small hard bodied lures.
A few Mangrove Jack and cod are still being caught in the creeks, but their activity will reduce as the water temperature cools for the winter.
Summer whiting are a bit elusive at the moment but are still worth targeting on the sand banks with fresh yabbies, ideally on the rising spring tides.
If all else fails a feed of Diver whiting can often be found in the deeper channels, using small strips of the fresh squid you caught earlier in the day!
