Last year we had Steve Smith enter a pic into the fishing monthly competition with a bit of a difference. It was a large mackerel caught off the back of a kayak. Well, over the festive break, Steve went out again off Pilgramunna and caught this MASSIVE mackerel from his kayak.  It bottomed the 40kg scales he had and we reckon he deserves a massive congratulations for such a fabulous effort from a kayak. Especially given the fact that it was such a big fish, he was in such deep waters and we don’t doubt that this wasn’t the only fish around with teeth! Well done Steve.

Yak Mack

The winner of the yearly prize for the monthly fishing competition was Trevor Earl. Trevor lives in Esperance and comes to Exmouth every winter to enjoy the fishing and warmth. Trevor and his wife Rose love their fishing and practise good fishing ethics with catch and release and keeping enough for a fresh feed when required while staying in their caravan over the few months of winter. Well done to Trevor who won over $700 worth of Shimano tackle.

If you want to enter the monthly fishing comp, drop in to the store with your pic and story and $5. Half of the money raised goes to Exmouth Volunteer Sea Rescue and Exmouth Game Fishing Club, while the remaining gets pooled as a gift voucher for the monthly winner. All entrants go into a draw for a final yearly prize.

Spangled emperor have been showing up in good numbers lately, both from the shore and boats. Lures and baits have been working well, although bait must be fresh and not rotten, otherwise sharks tend to come in searching for a feed. Berley is a good attractant and once again freshness is the key. Lures such as poppers, savoy shads and soft plastics in smaller sizes work well. Small cod can be thick in areas, but if you work areas away from rocks and more on the open ground, you should have less hassle from the small cod.

Whiting have also been prevalent along the shoreline in the gulf this summer and they are not bad for taste! Make sure that whatever you catch to keep is kept in a good cold slurry of salt water and ice, as the heat turns flesh off quickly and ruins good food quicker than you think. With water temps in the high 20’s to 30’s in the gulf, a dead fish will rot fast if left in a bucket of water. Not to mention that the outside temperature is hovering in the high 30’s and sometimes high 40’s!