Episode 8: Swan River Giant Herring With Scott Coghlan

Scott’s Tips For Swan River Giant Herring

• Giant Herring can be caught from a boat, kayak or by wading the flats around the Swan River. For best results, look for areas where the flats drop off into deeper water, but be aware that herring can also push up well onto the shallow flats.
• Persistence is required to find giant herring. They are fast moving and tend to follow the mullet schools around the estuary. Once fish are found they are usually easy to tempt with a lure (but landing them is a different story). Expect plenty of barren trips when the fish are nowhere to be seen.
• This is a species that really tests light tackle, so make sure your drags are serviced and your leaders are in good nick.
• It’s easier for giant herring to throw a heavier lure than a light one, but sometimes heavier lures are required to punch into a breeze.

Scott’s Preferred Tackle For Giant Herring

• Giant herring are a serious test for tackle, so buy good quality gear.
• A 2500-3000 size spinning reel loaded with 6-8 kg line and a matching 2.1-2.4m casting rod is the perfect combination.
• Scott uses a Samurai Infinite rod and a Shimano Stradic reel  loaded with 6kg Fireline and a 6-8kg fluorocarbon leader.

Scott’s Top Lures For Swan River Giant Herring

• Halco Twisty is one of the best lures for giant herring, especially if you are casting into a breeze.
• Halco Rooster 60 Popper is great for spectacular surface strikes when the wind isn’t blowing too hard – plus it’s a little harder for the herring to throw.
• Rapala X-Rap (80mm) is a good choice for trolling behind a kayak, especially for bigger fish.

Times And Tides For Giant Herring Fishing

• October is when giant herring tend to start appearing and when the bigger fish tend to be caught. They’ve been reasonably consistent for the past few years and usually persist through the warmer months until around April.