Fishing South Australia: Part 2
By: Phil Foo
South Australia is an awesome place for a fishing holiday. There are lots of places in South Australia to fish at and these places often provide not only an awesome day out for anglers, but also to those who do not fish. In the last issue we looked at four awesome places to fish at. In this issue we will look at more awesome places where I’ve enjoyed fishing at.
[ One of the targeted fishes in the Murray River is the Murray Cod; the apex predator of the Murray River. … ]
St Kilda Beach
St Kilda Beach in Adelaide is a nice place to fish at. Not the beach itself but along the channel where boats travel in and out, to and from the boat ram, and yard. The channel is home to a variety of fishes such as bream, whiting, salmon trout, flathead, crabs, etc. There is more to fishing. Black swans tend to fly about the area and hangout at the beach, making for an awesome sight.
Fishing the channel at St. Kilda. This place is awesome. Every now and then black swans fly overhead and land on the nearby St Kilda Beach.
Victor Harbor
Visitors to South Australia will want to pay Victor Harbor a visit. There are some attractions there such as the South Australian Whale Centre, Granite Island, watching penguins, and taking a ride on the horse drawn trams; a thing with history. The long causeway that links Granite Island to Victor Harbor is a place where locals fish at. Personally I have not fished here but I have seen anglers pull up fishes such as whiting, bream, etc.
My place of choice to fish at here in Victor Harbor is at The Bluff Jetty or Rosetta Head Wharf. This place is great for fishing snook, salmon trout, garfish, mullet, whiting, snappers, squid, etc. Big squid can be caught here. Other places to fish at is the beach, and Inman River. There are fishing charters available there offering awesome fishing out at sea. And who knows, if you are lucky you may very well encounter some whales.
Casting a line out at a river in Victor Harbor.
The Coorong
The Coorong National Park is an area made up of coastal lagoon. It is also where the Murray River flows to. Coorong National Park is a protected area but fishing is allowed at certain areas such as the Coorong Ocean Beach, good places to fish for mullet, mulloway, etc. Areas such as the marine park sanctuary zones. Other fishes caught at Coorong are bream, golden perch, flounder, mullet, etc.
The Coorong is a lovely place to fish at. Pelicans may fly over for a visit while you are teasing the fishes.
Murray River
The Murray River is Australia’s longest river at 2,508 km. It starts from the Australian Alps in southeast Australia, and flows all the way pass New South Wales and Victoria, heading out into the Great Australian Bight (the Southern Ocean) through the Murray Mouth. There are plenty of areas to fish at along the mighty Murray River.
The mighty Murray River.
One of the targeted fishes in the Murray River is the Murray Cod; the apex predator of the Murray River. It is a large fish that many anglers target. It is not the cod as most of us anglers know; the saltwater marine fish nor is it related to it. The Murray cod is Australia’s largest freshwater fish. Other fishes that call the Murray River home are trout cod, silver perch, golden perch, catfish, carp, Macquarie perch, etc.
[ One of the targeted fishes in the Murray River is the Murray Cod; the apex predator of the Murray River. … ]
One of the targeted fishes in the Murray River is the Murray Cod; the apex predator of the Murray River. It is a large fish that many anglers target. It is not the cod as most of us anglers know; the saltwater marine fish nor is it related to it. The Murray cod is Australia’s largest freshwater fish. Other fishes that call the Murray River home are trout cod, silver perch, golden perch, catfish, carp, Macquarie perch, etc.
A juvenile Murray Cod caught at the mighty Murray.
Note that the Murray Cod is a fish that is protected. All Murray cod caught must be released except for those caught in the Coorong. Fishing them (catch and release) is only allowed from 1st January to 31st July annually.
Fishing Rules
South Australia has done pretty well in managing recreational fishing. A recreational angler can fish freely without the need of a license, although certain areas will require the purchase of a permit. This however does not mean that you cannot get into trouble. Daily bag limits, and size limits must be adhered to strictly.
It is important to pay attention and follow the rules or your could and will be arrested if caught.
Another thing to look out for is that certain fishing equipment such as lobster pots, mesh nets, etc. must be registered before use at certain places. Some fishing tackle or equipment may also be banned at certain places.
Closure of certain fishing areas is practised in South Australia to manage fisheries. An example will be total fishing ban within 150 metres of all locks and weirs at the Murray River. Locks and weirs should you be wondering what they are, are used for controlling the flow of water of a river. So, stay clear of these areas.
South Australia certainly is an awesome place to fish at.
Fish South Australia
The above are just some places to fish at in South Australia. South Australia is awesome, and a haven for anglers. There are a lot more places to fish at and it will take a whole booklet to list all of them down. Anyway, the above should be enough to give you plenty of fun fishing should you decide to visit and fish South Australia.
