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| Shane Baker - Port Hedland, Western Australia |
Ok, let’s get down to business. Mulloway
are an awesome fish to catch and one of the most sought after
species on the West Coast. The thrill of landing one of these
marvellous creatures is one that most anglers aspire to but unfortunately
for some the opportunity seems to elude them no matter what they
try.
I have tried just about every method conceivable
including suggestions from local fishing magazines, fellow anglers
and even some new ideas of my own. After literally hundreds of
hours of experimentation I have come up with the tricks that
produce the best results and penned them here for you to try.
This article will be written with Port Hedland in mind but these
methods can be adopted anywhere with similar results.
Most anglers that I have spoken to say the best time to target
Mulloway is during the full moon period. As a rule I always fish
during the first quarter of the moon phase but any time leading
up to the full moon seems to produce well. Reasons why this happens
are varied and frankly who cares! At the end of the day you want
to catch what some people consider to be a ‘once in a lifetime
fish’ and if it works for others it is a good place to start.
Night time has produced the most fish for me but I have also
caught a few fish during the day. My biggest Mulloway was landed
at about 10pm so I would suggest arriving at or near sunset and
planning to stay until at least then.
As a rule fish tend to feed on the first movement of the incoming
tide so it makes sense to target them during this period. Be
in position about an hour or so before low tide so you are well
prepared. Too much water movement may limit the feeding time
to a shorter period because fish find it harder to hunt for food
when the water is turbulent. Think about It, if you were a fish
wouldn’t you hunt when it was easier to find your favourite
food. Speaking of food…
Most fishing articles I have read all agree on the type of bait.
Mulies or Pilchards are at the top of the list followed by Squid
or even a combination of the above. Some successful anglers have
also used live bait adopting the ‘fresh live and local’
sentiment with Mullet, Herring and even Trumpeter proving popular
choices. I had the opportunity to spend some time with a professional
fisherman in Darwin NT and this is where I stumbled on the best
kept secret yet, SHARK. Not so secret when this article goes
to print. Shark has a strong pungent smell that can be detected
easily by potential diners and this seems to be the key reason
for its success as Mulloway bait. Take a fresh fillet, remove
the skin, cut into small pieces (roughly 50mm by 20mm), and weave
it onto a hook as you would a piece of squid. Shark flesh has
the added advantage of being quite firm and this serves to keep
the ‘pickers’ at bay for longer allowing Mulloway to
track down your bait. Fresh bait is always best so try to catch
a Shark when you first arrive. A Mulie floated out on a set of
5/0 gangs (don’t forget a steel trace) should do the trick.
Bait choice is quite possibly the most important aspect of successful
fishing so pay special attention to this and you are half way
there.
Your choice of tackle is up to you but as a rule go heavy.
I suggest you start with a 100lb hand line or medium game fishing
rod loaded with 20 to 30lb line.
Recently in Hedland a woman landed a 15kg Mulloway on a rod with
a 4kg. This may turn out to be a state record for that line class
but the lighter the line the more chance you have of being busted
off or spooled.
If you are fishing a rocky bottom I would suggest tying a sinker
to the bottom of your rig with the hook/s about 250mm above,
otherwise employ a running sinker with hook/s tied to the end.
See examples pictured.
Set your lines as quietly as possible. After about 10 mins check
your bait. If you still have all your bait leave your lines for
longer waiting up to an hour between checks. If baits are being
smashed by pickers check more regularly to ensure you always
have a substantial morsel on your hooks to attract attention.
Always try to fish in the deepest water in the area. It may be
difficult to find a good spot but the locals are very friendly
and if you ask you are bound to come across someone who will
help. For those of you planning to fish in Port Hedland three
places that have produced fish for me are the 51 marker, boat
ramp and 46 marker at Hunt Point. To get to 51 marker and 46
marker you need a 4wd or boat but anyone can access the boat
ramp.
51 marker
By far the best spot I have tried in Port Hedland.
By boat, launch at the boat ramp in town and head upstream until
you can see the Nelson Point BHP ship loading facility to your
left ( town side ) and look right. You should be able to see
a channel marker with the number 51 clearly marked near the top.
Anchor level with the marker about 20-30 meters out. If you have
an echo sounder look for a 10ft drop off and drop your pick there.
By 4wd take the Finucane road until your almost at the Finucane
Island BHP security gate. You will come across a road to your
left which leads under a conveyor and over a set of railway tracks.
Stop here and turn RIGHT. Follow the dirt road down to the end.
Now you will be looking across the harbour to Nelson Point to
your right a few hundred meters is the 51 marker. Now turn right
down onto the beach and follow it through a small dry creek.
Keep going until you come to a very rocky track which will eventually
lead to the marker. Cast your lines out at least 20-30 meters
on the left side of the marker. Be careful not to retrieve your
lines too slowly or you may get snagged on the rocks below. A
tip for this spot don’t stay here more than a few hours
because at high tide the track out is under water. As a rule
once the water reaches the top of the rock ledge its time to
go.
47 marker
A little harder to get to by 4wd but worth the rewards.
By boat, launch at the town ramp and turn right. Just a few hundred
meters away on the left is 47 marker. Anchor on the channel side
of the marker to avoid the shallow rocky bank on the land side.
By 4wd take the Finucane road until you come to the rail crossing
under the conveyor. Turn left and follow the bitumen until you
notice a gate on the road. Turn left before you get to the gate
and follow the track to the right along the coast. The sand is
very soft in places so be sure to let your tyres down to about
20psi to prevent bogging. The track will eventually lead to a
reef which is exposed most of the time. Drive down onto the rock
platform to the right of the
reef and head straight out to the marker. Watch out for rock
pools some of them are quite deep and driving into one could
do some serious damage. As the tide rises the rock platform will
become completely submerged so access is limited to a few hours
either side of low tide. Set your lines anywhere near the marker
at least 10meters out.
Watch out for submerged rocks in front of the marker, this area
is particularly snaggy.
Boat ramp
The easiest way to have a stab at landing your very own prize
Mulloway with the least amount of effort is here. Park at the
boat ramp car park and walk down to the rock platform to the
right of the ramp. This platform is only exposed for a few hours
during low tide so plan your trip. Walk down to the edge of the
drop off and set your lines near the channel marker. From here
you can cast directly into the shipping channel. Deep water!!
No one can guarantee that you will catch
that elusive prize you seek but if you put into play the tips
I have given, you reduce the chance factor and turn it into odds
in your favour.
The key is persistence and patience coupled with correct method.
If at first you don’t succeed try and try again.
Happy fishing.
Shane Baker
November 2004
Port Hedland,
Western Australia
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