Some of Australia’s biggest mulloway come from the wild ocean beaches of the Nullabor.

Yalata Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) has natural dune camping areas adjacent to 40km of arguably the best remote surf fishing beaches in Australia.

There is also public access at the eastern end of this coastline outside the Yalata IPA.

This is a truly remote 4WD location, being about 980km from Adelaide to Yalata Roadhouse and about another 50km from the highway to the surf beach, some of it over soft sand tracks.

The months either side of Christmas are good for mulloway, with the best results had fishing big tides of the full and new moons.

Use fresh or live bait and strong tackle that will handle large mulloway.

Daytime fishing at high tide can work, with less chance of hooking sharks and rays than at night.

Salmon are caught in winter, and snapper and tailor visit the area.

Lure fishing is always an option as the water is clear.

Shark fishermen will be kept busy.

Yalata Anangu Aboriginal Corporation offers 15 unique campsites, spread 40km along Yalata coastline. Each campsite is different, ranging from 100m to 900m from the beach and with several marked entry points allowing vehicle/ATV access directly onto the beach.

Strict camping conditions apply, and the possession of alcohol is prohibited.

Breaking the rules can result in removal from the site and a permanent ban.

Entry is allowed when a booking has been confirmed for the named guests on the permit.

The camping fee is $30 per person per night, with no concession options available.

This is not an area to be taken lightly because of its remoteness, but the potential rewards are great.

There is no mobile phone coverage.

Visitors need 4WD vehicles with recovery gear, and must be self-sufficient. A compressor to reflate tyres after sand driving is essential.

Campers must bring enough fresh water to allow for breakdown or sand bogging. Campers should also bring bring shade and refrigeration.

The campsites are positioned close to good fishing gutters, which minimises the need to travel.

Access to more distant gutters can be done with a 4WD or quad bike, keeping in mind that if bogged you are in a remote area and may need to self-recover the vehicle.

A Yalata spokesman said the fishery was being managed for sustainable development, with catch and release strongly encouraged.

Two marine sanctuary areas apply to landbased fishos, as well as no-go zones for boaters – the no-go zone is much larger from May 1 to October 31 each year.

Visit the website www.environment.sa.gov.au/marineparks/About/zones/far-west-coast for details.

Yalata bookings can be made through www.yalata.com.au with pre-payment by credit card.

The public access area outside Yalata IPA is at Dog Fence Beach and further east towards Fowlers Bay.

Yalata Beach is off limits. Access to Dog Fence Beach is via Nallanippi Road.

Entering via Dog Fence crossing is deemed trespassing.

Yalata campsite maps, from west to east …
Hilton
Bob’s Kitchen
Jaxson’s
Geues
Tjitji-Tjutaku
Coombra
Granites

Eucla (WA) tides
SA fishing regulations
SA marine parks
Yalata regional beaches at Beachsafe

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Some external videos filmed around Yalata are featured below.

Port Fairy is an all-round location with a river and reasonable sea access to excellent offshore grounds.

There are boat ramps at Port Fairy, Killarney and Yambuk Lake, with the last suitable only for cartoppers.

Salmon are one of the more common fish, mainly caught in the surf, but they show up everywhere.

They are caught all year but are best in winter and spring. Smaller fish enter Moyne River.

Snapper are best in summer and autumn. They are usually around rubble or rock bottom, but do enter the Moyne River channel in summer.

Coastal species include barracouta, caught all year, best in winter and spring. Coutta enter the Moyne River channel in winter but are more usually caught along the coast.

Black bream are caught in the Moyne, with the best fishing downstream of the footbridge.

Cod are caught in the bay and upper estuary from Martin’s Point to the end of the channel of Moyne River. They are caught year-round but winter is best, and at night.

flathead are caught all year, with warmer months best.

Yelloweye mullet are caught in close along the beaches, with winter best. They are also caught in the Moyne estuary. There is no need to cast far for them in the surf.

Garfish have separate runs in the summer and winter. Use a light line, float, tiny baits, and berley to bring them around.

Mulloway are occasionally caught in the Moyne River estuary. Summer is best, at night. Use small live fish for bait. Better mulloway fishing is had at the Glenelg River at Nelson.

Bluethroat wrasse are caught along most rocky areas. They bite all year, as do sweep, which like whitewash areas.

Estuary perch are caught in Moyne River mainly downstream from the footbridge. Try snags or trees hanging over the water, or bridge pylons. Summer is best.

Bluefin tuna are caught out towards the Continental Shelf, but sometimes come closer in. March to May is the best time.

Silver trevally are caught all year but spring is best.

Spotted whiting are found on sand patches adjacent to weedbeds. Most local bays hold these fish. They are best in summer and autumn.

Yellowtail kingfish are caught off the rocky coastline in mid to late summer.

Sand whiting are usually common off the beaches.

Freshwater fishing can be had in the upper Moyne, and also in the Hopkins and Merri Rivers at Warrnambool to the east.

Port Fairy weather and tides
VIC fishing regulations
VIC marine parks

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Robe is a popular holiday fishing destination in South Australia’s far east, and it arguably fishes best during the long summer school holiday period.

The town has good fishing within the bay for trailerboaters, and offshore fishing can be brilliant when the weather cooperates.

The harbour sea entrance is a safe ocean access point, and the town is well equipped with facilities.

Long Beach is the town beach, with 14km of driveable coastline, but beware soft sand and the rising tide.

The beach from the third ramp to Boatswain Point is arguably the best area for landbased fishing, with flathead, whiting, salmon, mullet, garfish and occasional snapper and mulloway caught.

Long Beach is shallow and fishes best at high tide.

School mulloway are about from spring to autumn, always with a chance of a big fish turning up. Mulloway are usually best in summer. Fish a large rising tide after dark.

Use the freshest or live bait for mulloway, but expect gummy sharks and the ever-present rays to make their presence known.

Surf fishing is generally done by 4WD vehicle, but in good conditions conventional vehicles can access Long Beach off Riviera Drive.

There are numerous 4WD tracks to the beaches from the town tip to Little Dip Conservation Park.

There is no need to travel far as nearby Back Beach and Evans Cave Beach have great salmon and mullet fishing in winter and mulloway, snapper and sharks in summer.

Within Little Dip Conservation Park try Bishops and Domashenz Beaches, but beware soft sand on the beaches.

The harbour rock walls produce school mulloway in summer, as well as squid, bream, flathead and passing salmon trout.

For boaters, KG whiting, squid, gar, flathead and snapper are the main catch on the reefs, along with gummy sharks and occasional seven-gill, whaler and school sharks.

The large smooth rays and eagle rays can be a nuisance when bottom fishing within the bay.

Thresher, blue and mako sharks are caught on the offshore grounds.

Southern bluefin tuna can be targeted out wide by trolling lures, usually best in early autumn.

Mulloway are caught on coastal reefs in summer, with salmon and mullet most common in the surf in winter and autumn.

Robe is renowned for its crayfish (rock lobsters), which are usually not hard to find. Check the latest regulations before fishing.

For those with a suitable offshore boat and electric reels to cope with the deep water, gemfish, blue grenadier blue-eye trevalla, hapuku and ling are on the wide grounds.

Robe’s jetty produces whiting, salmon, garfish, flathead, trevally and mulloway. Fishing is best in summer.

There are three lakes joined by channels near Robe, and all have produced bream, mullet, salmon trout and occasional school mulloway.

Cape Dombey has rock fishing, but note the marine reserve.

For boat fishing, Guichen Bay has good reef running north to south between Cape Thomas and Cape Dombey, with Baudin Rocks at the north end of the bay offering relatively sheltered fishing.

Beware the shallow reefs outside and at South Point as they may break unexpectedly, including the Black Pigs.

North of Guichen Bay is Wright Bay. This can be reached from the main road between Kingston and Robe or via 4WD access from Kingston to Cape Jaffa.

The middle and northern ends are best for surf fishing, with big mulloway in summer.

North of Robe, there is great fishing from the tiny holiday town of Cape Jaffa.

Robe is popular during holiday periods, so be sure to book accommodation early.

NOTE: Special snapper rules apply in South Australia – more info here.

Robe weather and tides
Robe coastline
SA boat ramps
SA fishing regulations
SA marine parks

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