By Leigh McKenzie | Trout anglers fishing in the southern parts are coming into one of the most eagerly anticipated times of the year – the peak annual whitebait run. What’s so good about whitebait? Well, it’s not their fighting abilities! It’s got more to do with the fish that accompany them, trying to scoff as many of these miniature delicacies down as physically possible … searunners!
Sea runners in the Derwent River are a year-round prospect, but there are definitely better months than others. They start to appear in the system with around April/May as they head up-river for spawning, then when the jobs done, we pick them up on their way back down towards the sea.
July’s pretty quiet but come August they’re starting to increase slowly in numbers, culminating in a population explosion when the main whitebait runs occur, normally during September and October.
The sight of these awesome looking trout swirling vigorously or getting airborne while smashing up bait in the middle of the river is simply incredible.
Big bow waves charging in at full speed are a precursor to a shower of baitfish leaping out of the water on mass, trying to escape these silver bullets as they round up the baitfish.
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