A crew from Bluewater in Scarborough were up recently on a fishing holiday and had some exceptional days of weather and fishing. The crew were on target for anything that ate lures and one of the pictures from this adventure is of a tuna that inhaled a Bonga Jerk lure. As you can see it is a rather large lure, but the tuna wasn’t too small either.  The angler is Steve Brown and these lures are designed to do up to 20knots! We all know tuna are fast and this certainly proves it. 

Bonga Tuna

We’ve had some overcast weather of late and a bit of rain, but the water clarity has been remarkable good for spear fishing enthusiasts.  Species such as red emperor seem to come in to shallower waters during this time of year and some lucky locals got amongst them on a recent dive. While the limit for reds is two per person, having the ability to choose which fish you want from a school (or a range of fish) is one way that shows how this style of fishing is selective and carefully calculated. Sadly, most spear fishers get tainted with the misunderstanding that it is all about ‘killing as much as you can’, when really it takes a lot of skill, fitness and timing with weather, water clarity, currents and the odd shark or two.

The majority of spearos are meticulously selective and most of those that live here particularly care for the future stocks and only take a small amount. If you are under the water and actually see what is around, it is amazing how much more respect and appreciation you have for fish as a food source.

The shore based anglers has increased in recent weeks as it gets colder down south. The easily accessible areas tend to be busy, while the areas where you have to walk a little further seems to be option for those trying to enjoy the wilderness experience up here in Exmouth.  Areas within the marina park on the west side are amazing at times and strolling along these empty stretches with a backpack and rod in hand is very rewarding, relaxing and rejuvenating. Make sure if you take up this option, that you have plenty of fresh water to drink, a good pair of pliers to remove hooks easily, and a camera. Barbless hooks are advised as well for the benefit of the fish and ease of release. Make sure you don’t drop your reel in the sandy water though? One customer this week did just that and complained about the reel not lasting. Sadly, reels aren’t designed to be washed by sandy-salt water and care must be taken while fishing.