The past month has had many changes in weather and fish movement. The mullet have run and the overall catch by the netters was not up to usual standards. The weather was not consistent with nice sunny days mixed up with rain, wind and southerly seas.

The conditions were hard for the outside anglers as well as the beach and rock fishers. The saltwater part of the estuary has cleared and the saltwater has moved right up to the falls, where it should be. There is plenty of water in the freshwater part of the Manning and everything looks great for the spring.

The estuary is fishing really well for bream and luderick. The bream are schooling along the wall on the Harrington side as well as along the spur wall at Manning Point. Mullet strips, yabbies and small plastic crabs will all get fish. The first of the run in and the period around high tide are the best times to float a bait.

The luderick are taking green weed and cabbage baits during the day and fresh yabbies at night. The flathead have moved up river and are still being caught in good numbers by boat anglers. Those who fish from the bank have a more difficult task, but the good anglers are still getting a feed. Bait and soft plastics are the way to go.

Sea conditions together with the eroded state of the beaches have made it hard for anglers to fish all parts of the beach, especially on high water. Tailor and salmon have been caught on Crowdy Beach on pilchards and lures. The tailor aren’t large. The average fish would be 35-38cm while the best of the salmon would make 2kg.

Some tailor of 2-2.5kg have been caught at night from the northern end of Crowdy Beach. Kylies Beach has produced mulloway to 5kg on worms at night around high tide. The southern end of Crowdy Beach just up from the surf club has fished well for whiting at night on worm baits.

Snapper are the most sought-after fish at present and good catches have been made from both the northern and southern grounds. The best fish have been taken from off Old Bar with some fish in the 5-6kg range. Bar cod have been boated in 150m of water and mahimahi taken on live baits and lures around the FAD. Mac tuna are taking trolled lures along the tide lines.

July is the month when we see a changeover of fish species in the Manning area. The tailor head north at the end of the month and then the black drummer start spawning. After the drummer have spawned they really go on the bite. They will take most baits and a bit of berley works wonders with these fish. In the estuary bream and luderick can be caught from the river wall on bait. Mullet strips or yabbies work for the bream and green weed for the luderick.

Photo courtesy of James Howarth.

Photo courtesy of Rob Kneeshaw.