and to be honest we have too, but this is generally
the exception rather than the rule. The fish will
still move through these inshore waters but
battling adverse conditions as a surf fisho is never
easy nor fun.
Hitting the beach during periods of light
winds, or during times of offshore winds offer
vastly different conditions. It’s a lot easier to
identify deeper holes when the beach isn’t
churning with white water. Similarly casting and
setting a bait when the wind is light or at your
back is a lot easier, and the bait will invariably sit
pretty in the gutter without being dragged into
the shallows.
Having a moderate swell running is preferred
too - something around the 1 to 2m mark is
ideal. Bigger swell can make the fishing
conditions difficult, bringing in clumps of weed
and kicking that rip or side current. But having
some level of white water around the fringing
gutter is imperative.
We’ve also seen a definite link between
barometric pressure and mulloway feeding in the
surf. When a summer storm approaches and the
barometer starts dropping, we see an increased
feeding response. You know those days, when the
wind drops as dark clouds roll in from the west
and a thunderstorm approaches – this is a great
time to be on the beach.MOON, TIDES AND TIME OF DAY
There are many theories surrounding the best
moon and tidal phase for jewies, and also the
best time of day to fish. I don’t buy into
over-complicated theories, and I believe the
weather conditions and tides play a bigger role
than just moon phase alone. Having said that,
we have had good success during the new moon,
plus the lead up to the full moon.
From the beaches we frequent, the building tide
is the preferred period. That two-hour window
leading up to high tide is gold, and so too while
the tide remains quite full. There is often a bite
period just on dawn and again just on sunset- which comes as no surprise. A lot of fish feed
well during this low-light period, and jewies in the
surf are no different.
From more populated beaches surrounding
suburban areas, fishing into the night gives you
the best chance of success. Once again, focussing
on the building tide is the preferred option. You
will need to be well-prepared to tackle a surf
beach in the middle of the night, and it’s
definitely not as easy as day-time fishing.TACKLE AND BAIT
Chasing jewies in the surf is a waiting game,
there’s no two ways about it. A surf beach is a
difficult environment in which to repeatedly cast
lures, which means it is largely long hours spent
soaking a bait in a trough of water. Straight off
the bat this won’t suit all fishers, as it can be
laborious and involves a fair bit of prep work.
Over the past couple of seasons, we’ve made a
concerted effort to target bigger jewies and this
has resulted in stepping up bait size. The larger
baits tend to wean out the smaller fish to a degree,
such as salmon, tailor and small jewies. And when
sand crabs are a problem, the larger baits buy
precious time.
Whole squid are our number one bait, with
whole mullet and salmon trout being good
back-up options, so too slab baits of salmon and
silver trevally. Live baits are the bomb but
securing and keeping baits alive while on a surf
beach isn’t always an easy task. If you have an
estuary nearby in which to source your live
baits, then that’s an easier prospect thanBEACH FISHING
46 fishingworld.com.au | September 2019“Big jewies can be cunning creatures and
are likely to drop a bait as quickly as they
pick it up if they feel any resistance.”