GAMEX is here and kicks off tonight with Rose Tattoo in concert. As for the fishing, the club (EGFC) says the baitballs have been wreaking havoc in the gulf on the rising tide and hundreds of birds have been milling in the area. Large mack tuna and long tail tuna have been the main species encountered here, although trevally and cobia are also amongst the fare. Large sharks have been patrolling as well and picking up anything that is slow or injured in the frenzy. The tuna are full of roe and can be seen jumping out of the water to land on small baitfish with mouths open ready to snavel. Its all set to go off.

Good luck to all who are competing!

Another tournament coming up, the Solitary Islands Heavy Tackle Challenge on March 23 and 24.  Rick tells me that the incessant south-easterlies look like blowing themselves out, and there are reports of blue water out wide, with fishing on the improve just in time!

Skipper Mick Shadbolt couldn’t sit on his hands any longer, so took Kestelle out for a look around a couple of times over the past two weeks. He pulled a nice 15kg Spanish mackerel out of the floodwater pea soup that was masquerading as ocean off South Solitary Island, and managed to get a wahoo out of similar water as well. They hooked up a blue marlin out wide in better water, but lost it at the boat; however, it was encouraging to hear that there was good water out there!  The commercial guys have also been finding swordfish in the better water out wide.

I’ve also added the 2013 Riviera Port Lincoln Tuna Classic to the calendar. Nina tells me the event, which is now the largest off shore fishing tournament in South Australia will be hosted the weekend after Easter – April 6 and 7. Already the season has been producing plenty of good fishing. One recent weekend they visited Neptune Islands where they had 5 Great Whites around the boat (for those that don’t know, the Great Whites are a tourist attraction in South Aus and you can swim with them…in cages of course!)  Afterwards they went for  quick fish for the southern bluefin tuna.  Nina said they were everywhere and they bagged out within an hour. The fish were in the 15-20kgs range.