HOW FISHING AT BERMAGUI HAS CHANGED

Southern Bluefin Tuna, Kingies, Marlin and other game fish.
Paulanderson
Rank: King George Whiting
Rank: King George Whiting
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2014 10:18 pm
Has liked: 51 times
Likes received: 131 times

HOW FISHING AT BERMAGUI HAS CHANGED

Post by Paulanderson » Sat Mar 17, 2018 2:51 am

I started fishing out of Bermagui in the late seventies after moving to Canberra. During the next 20 years or so there was a very small charter fleet like the Delcara and the Fredel and Johnny Jubbs boat and a growing number of rec anglers fishing out of Bermagui. Tru-Dee was also one of the earlier boats We mainly fished the shelf either towing live Striped Tuna or Slimies and sometimes lures, swim and skip baits or fished the shelf and the Island berleying/cubing for Yellowfin and Sharks. In those days there were very few bait balls on the shelf and while Marlin were taken two in a day was a very good day and fairly unusual. The concept of a bait ball with a dozen marlin around it was unheard of. This was when long-lining for Yellowfin first started. The early long-liners made some amazing catches using just a few hundred hooks. The way to catch a good Yellowfin (or sometimes several) then was simply to find a trawler bringing up its net and fish behind it using trash fish scooped out of the water for bait. Often large schools of fin and very large whaler sharks would follow the net. Many large Yellowfin were taken around Montague, sometimes dozens in a day, particularly off the North end and along the Eastern side, over the four mile reef, and along the 12 mile. We had a small friendly comp between Bermagui and Canberra GFC's one weekend in April back in the early 80's and half a dozen boats anchored on the 4 mile hooked up Yellowfin after Yellowfin - most between 60 to 80 kg. Truly amazing fishing.

We all know know that large Yellowfin are now very scarce for recreational anglers along the South coast and as for catching them at Montague or the 4 mile - forget it! They are long gone. I am not one to attack long-line fishermen as they do what AFMA allows them to, and some recreational fishermen also caught far too many, but the inshore population of large Yellowfin was decimated over a 25 year period and shows no sign of any recovery.

What has also changed are the number of bait balls and Marlin, particularly Striped Marlin, that move up and down the South coast and provide some amazing fishing if you are in the right place on the right day. Perhaps we did not target them properly during the eighties and nineties but as someone who spent many weekends fishing the shelf they just did not seem to be there in the quantities that are there now.

Times change!

smile0784
Rank: Premium Member
Rank: Premium Member
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 5:16 pm
Has liked: 39 times
Likes received: 356 times

Re: HOW FISHING AT BERMAGUI HAS CHANGED

Post by smile0784 » Sat Mar 17, 2018 4:14 am

Things have defently changed even over the last 25 years i been fishing there.
The size and quanity of marlin have dramaticly decreesed amd the chance of getting a big yellowfun 60+kg is very rare for private boats unless you travel 30nm offshore but then its just a random fish these days.

Boats that enter comps has degreesed and
I know some fishing licences were bought of the commercial boats about 8 or so years back but now the boats are just coming sydney or nowra to fish the waters.

I wonder if it will ever improve.
Last edited by smile0784 on Sat Mar 17, 2018 8:51 am, edited 1 time in total.

Nude up
Rank: Kingfish
Rank: Kingfish
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2013 5:08 pm
Location: Bellarine peninsula
Has liked: 333 times
Likes received: 569 times

Re: HOW FISHING AT BERMAGUI HAS CHANGED

Post by Nude up » Sat Mar 17, 2018 5:32 am

I saw a long line boat at the wharf unloading yellowfin the other day every fish was 50kg plus, I have been coming to bermie now for nearly ten years and in my circle of friends I have only seen a handful of yellowfin caught mostly out beyond the second drop off.
I think marlin numbers have increased with most fish in the 80 to 120 kg range, what I do find strange how it changes between black and striped marlin as the predominant type caught week to week with blue marlin being a bit rarer.

Fishing techniques have changed a lot in ten years when I started it was lures and livebait and skip baits, techniques which still work then came switch baiting towing teasers when the marlin is teased up drop a livie back to him. The latest thing is pitch baiting people worked out marlin follow the seals working the bait the seals push the bait up to the surface the marlin stay behind the seals and pick off the stragglers. It’s exciting you chase the seals pitch your bait at the back of the seals most times you can see the marlin take the bait.
I had dinner in bermie with my mates uncle a guy called bob Ellis past president of the AGFA and well renowned angler he has a 50 ft game boat now working out of cairns most of my knowledge of marlin fishing has come from him. At dinner he had 2 young deckies there they were in their 20’s but had an amazing insight on pitch baiting and stories of big marlin off cairns.

User avatar
Kimtown
Rank: Premium Member
Rank: Premium Member
Joined: Tue Jul 04, 2017 9:29 pm
Has liked: 303 times
Likes received: 310 times

Re: HOW FISHING AT BERMAGUI HAS CHANGED

Post by Kimtown » Sat Mar 17, 2018 5:35 am

I think the climate is changing fishing everywhere

I dont think Melbourne has ever seen as many king fish as it has in recent years, certainly not tuna hooked and caught in the bays either.

Paulanderson
Rank: King George Whiting
Rank: King George Whiting
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2014 10:18 pm
Has liked: 51 times
Likes received: 131 times

Re: HOW FISHING AT BERMAGUI HAS CHANGED

Post by Paulanderson » Sun Mar 18, 2018 12:08 am

Most of my old pics are back in Australia but here is an 81 kg Yellowfin caught by me just over the 12 mile around 1990 or so. That's me on the left and my old fishing mate Alan on the right. I even had dark hair then!
Yellowfin Tuna.jpg
Fishing offshore in a 5m Quinnie Fishmaster had its moments but we managed some great fish in those days.

smile0784
Rank: Premium Member
Rank: Premium Member
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 5:16 pm
Has liked: 39 times
Likes received: 356 times

Re: HOW FISHING AT BERMAGUI HAS CHANGED

Post by smile0784 » Sun Mar 18, 2018 9:13 am

A 5mt quintrex on the 12 mile.
I heard there was alot of that happenened back in those days

Paulanderson
Rank: King George Whiting
Rank: King George Whiting
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2014 10:18 pm
Has liked: 51 times
Likes received: 131 times

Re: HOW FISHING AT BERMAGUI HAS CHANGED

Post by Paulanderson » Sun Mar 18, 2018 11:08 pm

Smile we fished out of the Quinne for about 6 years within a 20 mile or so radius of Bermi. In those days there were plenty of 5 to 6 metre boats fishing the shelf. We only managed to get our ass seriously kicked twice in the Quinnie but as you can imagine we headed in the correct direction to have the wind behind us heading home and paid attention to weather warnings on the radio. After the Quinnie we bought a 24 ft Swiftcraft - not a good sea boat at all and prone to trying to broach with a steep following sea. Driving back from the KInk with a good North Easterly was not a relaxing experience. The Volvo stern drive was also a pain with the Chev V8 hard to start at times. We always carried a can of Aerostart! Our final Bermi boat was a Haines 19C - a great sea boat if ever there was one and well suited to day trips out of Bermi.

One of the more "interesting" experiences in the Quinnie was when a very green Mako almost came over the side and managed to bite a rod (in a rod holder) in half. Needless to say we were ready to abandon ship at that point! A 90 kg Mako at the Bermi weigh station.
Attachments
Mako Shark.jpg

smile0784
Rank: Premium Member
Rank: Premium Member
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 5:16 pm
Has liked: 39 times
Likes received: 356 times

Re: HOW FISHING AT BERMAGUI HAS CHANGED

Post by smile0784 » Sun Mar 18, 2018 11:36 pm

I wasnt having a go at you.
Just recallig stories pa use to say. He been livig there sincethe 50s
He use to talk about taking 5 mt boats upto the island and out to the 12mile.

Nice mako
They defently make for some good entertainment

Nude up
Rank: Kingfish
Rank: Kingfish
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2013 5:08 pm
Location: Bellarine peninsula
Has liked: 333 times
Likes received: 569 times

Re: HOW FISHING AT BERMAGUI HAS CHANGED

Post by Nude up » Sun Mar 18, 2018 11:58 pm

You still see 5mt tinnies out at the 12 mile while we were there this week s guy on a jetski caught a marlin at the 12 mile fought it for2 hrs then called for help to get it back

smile0784
Rank: Premium Member
Rank: Premium Member
Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2012 5:16 pm
Has liked: 39 times
Likes received: 356 times

Re: HOW FISHING AT BERMAGUI HAS CHANGED

Post by smile0784 » Mon Mar 19, 2018 12:32 am

Nude up wrote:You still see 5mt tinnies out at the 12 mile while we were there this week s guy on a jetski caught a marlin at the 12 mile fought it for2 hrs then called for help to get it back
Classic lol
would have been something different to see.

Post Reply

Return to “Game Fishing”