Just about everybody has fished an estuary at some time or another. The great thing about estuary fishing is they are so accessible; you don’t necessarily need a boat and can literally pull up and cast a line in wherever you are around the coast.
The variety of species available is truly incredible, from bream to flathead, jewfish to mullet down south, while trevally and queenfish share the waters with the likes of barramundi and even sharks up in the tropical north. With so much variety on offer and such easy access it is little wonder that estuary fishing is one of the most popular styles of fishing in the country.
The added bonus is they are fishable in almost all conditions. Being enclosed means you are not so restricted by the weather as you would be if you were fishing offshore or on a big lake. Nor do you have to contend with the big swells as you would rock fishing so they are relatively safe environments that are ideally suited to family fishing.
BOAT OR BANK
The beauty of estuaries is that fishing off the bank is often as effective as fishing from a boat. Anglers can access some great spots from the shoreline and in some cases it is even better to fish from the bank than a boat. For example, if you want to fish the flats then the boat will often spook the fish in skinny water where wading will make you inconspicuous.
While bank fishing will certainly get you into the fish there is no denying that a boat will give you more options and allow you to access the entire waterway. You can work an oyster rack from all angles, drift along a channel edge or fish a line of mangroves and most importantly follow the tide change. Better still, since the waters are normally calm you can fish from almost anything including a kayak to a 10-foot tinny.
BAITING BASICS
There are a number of techniques that work in estuaries, but bait fishing is often the easiest. A simple paternoster rig baited with a prawn will catch just about everything. For those that don’t know, a paternoster rig is where the sinker is at the bottom and the hook runs freely on a dropper, the beauty is that this rig keeps the bait up off the bottom out of the weed where it is blatantly obvious and appetising to passing fish.
When it comes to hooks there is only one choice these days and that is the shiner, which is basically halfway between a normal J hook and a circle. Despite its ungainly looks it will catch everything from big duskies to whiting.
However, there are a few tricks to ensure you get the bites especially in more heavily fished areas where a bit of finesse is essential. The first trick is to use as little lead as possible. Big sinkers will not only spook fish, but can also make the rig appear unnatural, wrecking your presentation.
The second hint is to use the thinnest line; many estuary dwellers like bream and whiting have very good eyesight and will quickly shy away from heavy leaders. Many serious anglers will drop right down to as little as 1kg leaders, mind you, when you think about it there is little need to go above a 6kg leader for most bread and butter species. Alternatively, up north, with bigger fish, most anglers opt to run 15 to 30kg leaders. Just remember, the lighter the line the more bites so the lighter the better. Another option worth mentioning is a fluorocarbon leader, which is almost invisible in the water and while it is more expensive it does seem to fool more fish.
When fishing in shallow water around areas like oyster leases or bank-side snags it is often smarter to remove the sinker completely and just attach the hook direct to the line. Unweighted it will appear natural and can be drifted freely in the current.
There are a wide range of baits that will work in the estuaries but live baits are usually the best. Down south, sandworms, prawns, poddy mullet and nippers will catch everything that swims in estuaries. Up north, dead baits seem to be more effective but a live mullet or fresh prawn are at the top of the menu. The great thing is that most live baits can be caught while fishing with the aid of yabby pump or prawn net.
Bait presentation is also very important. Don’t just jam the hook through the bait. It must look natural in the water so with baits like yabbies, prawns and shrimps slide them up the shank of the hook, so that the eye is near the tail and the point is exposed near the head of the bait. Finish it off with a half hitch around the tail to keep it all neat and tidy.
Alternatively, live fish should be pinned lightly through the nose which will help to keep them alive for longer as well as increasing your hook-up rate; prawns should be pinned through the back.
Berley is a huge asset in southern waters and will work a treat on species like flathead, bream and mullet, but is much less effective up north where it can attract sharks and crocs. Anything can be used for berley from crushed shellfish to tuna and even bread. Berleying work best when sparse, just enough to get the fish fired up but not enough to satisfy their hunger. The quickest and easiest berley is a mixture of tuna oil and chicken pellets. Boat and shore-based anglers should use berley irrespective of where they are fishing to enhance their chances.
GO ESTUARINE
With estuary options right around the country there is always somewhere to fish. Being calm they are perfectly suitable for all the family. The great thing about the kids is when they get bored of catching fish they can always join them and go for a swim.
