Page 40 - BNB Fishing mag | May 2020

One of many beautiful sunsets.This one taken from a Brunswick Heads local reef perspective.
Lewan with another honking mackerel for the 2020 season. Apologies for the pic – it’s not the sharpest because the author forgot the camera, but his cheap phone recorded the memory.
SWhort and sweet mackerel season
ELL times are different that’s months ago, but it was still a cracker.
for sure. As far as the Brun- Tweed to Byron Bay May is the pick of the months for good- swick Heads boat ramp goes, sized jewfish on the close reefs. Jason and I
every day is Sunday judging by the number by GAVIN DOBSON fished the beach shallows one night recent-
of parked cars with boat trailers.
With fishing still being a legal isolation activity and many people out of work, a
season fish have always been bigger, so if the trend continues look out because records may fall.
ly. We only got one bite, but it was a solid 15.5kg fish. We filled in time by catching a few nice reef fish including some colourful moses perch.
little angling certainly helps fill the time. Mackerel season seemed to be short and sweet this year. It started late and seems to have finished early, however there’s time
2020 will go down as the year of big mackerel regardless of what happens in May and June. Most boats have caught more than one fish over 20kg this season.
The sunsets have been incredible with the recent great run of weather. Keira and I ha- ven’t been able to stop ourselves and have gone click crazy with the camera.
yet for the toothy critters to return.
May is definitely the transition month in these parts. With a reduction in the current out wide and a slight chance of mackerel in close the possibilities are vast, and if the great run of weather con- tinues, May could possibly be the best
Jigging bait one morning, I pulled the first little yakka out for a few minutes. It was small, so I only used a little rig on the spotted mackerel outfit.
Another bonus of isolation is that we have more time to enjoy the simple things, even if our bank accounts are going backwards.
month of the year.
As far as mackerel are concerned, late
Something soon took the bait and after half an hour of Lewan fighting the fish, I dragged another behemoth over the gunwales. It wasn’t as big as his 31kg model from a few
For people with jobs and businesses on the line these are very uncertain times. I wish everyone the best, stay safe and well, and hopefully enjoy a little more localised fishing.
Jason with a hefty night-time jewfish off the reef. A good-eating Moses perch in the boat.
Page 40 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, May 2020 www.bnb shing.com.au