The coast line of Sout h Australia offers some great spots to go rock fishing which can be very rewarding but by the same token can be dangerous if you are not careful.  Most of the best rock fishing spots in South Australia are either on the west coast, bottom of Yorke Peninsula or down the south east of the state, but if you know where to look and when to go some great rock fishing can be found reasonably close to Adelaide.

One of my favourite spots is the rocks at Myponga Beach.  To get there head south out of Adelaide along the road leading to Cape Jervis, just before the township of Myponga.  Take the Myponga Dam Road which leads to Normanville. Along this road take the Myponga Beach road off to the right, follow it right to the end, and head to the left of the beach to a small car park.  From here is where the real work begins before you get to wet a line.

The rock platforms can be reached via a small track along side of the cliff face.  The track is a goat track and some climbing will need to be done.  I only take the gear that I will need for a few hours fishing in a back pack so it's easier to make your way along the track.  Once reaching the platforms take a bit of time to carefully watch the waves and see how they are breaking over the rocks, as one of the platforms is almost at sea level but gives good access to some very fishable water.

Big Squid can be caught around these rocks as can good Salmon when the water is right.  As always keep an eye on the sea, it's a long swim to shore if you get washed in.  You can either bait fish or throw a lure or two if that's your want.  In this area if I’m not going for Squid I prefer to bait fish, and the rig I use is fairly simple as it is my standard rig for rock fishing.  I use 10 kilo line on a reasonably big spinning reel, (never really got on with over heads), with a 2/0 or 3/0 hook no need for anything bigger, a 20 kilo trace line with a squid float attached to the main line via a swivel.  I use this set up in this area because it keeps the bait off the bottom and makes it less likely to snag on the rocky floor or in the seaweed that grows all around this area.  If I feel the need to use a sinker I use old car spark plugs, or if I don't have any of those use as little weight as possible, as you don't have to cast out a long way here to get to some reasonable water.

This is not a place to fish at night but early in the morning Snapper have been taken from these rocks.  In winter good catches of Salmon can be had, particularly if you throw a chrome lure around, but again and particularly in winter BE CAREFUL as some big seas occur around here particularly if the wind is blowing from the north or west but with caution some good fishing can be had. 

I use my trusty old 12 foot surf rod to give me a bit of clearance over the rocks and to give a bit of casting assistance.  It also helps if you can get a bit of a berley trail happening as it will bring our finny friends into casting range.  I have also heard of the odd shark being taken from these rocks as they come in looking for Snapper in the summer, but I have never taken any in my time fishing these rocks.

It's a great spot for a bit of rock hopping and it's close to town.