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Even though the water is dirty, there is enough bait for the tailor to keep working around the cape and nearby beaches, and some surface fish in the bay. A lot of bird activity in the bay in the discoloured water, but still some Spanish mackerel.
Bream on Seven Mile Beach; bream and jew around the rocks at Broken Head with drummer, spotted hind and blackfish. Broken Head Beach for whiting at high tide; Suffolk Park has nice gutters all the way up to Cosy Corner with bream and mullet at Suffolk Park. Cosy Corner rocks has quality tailor on lures and bait; under the lighthouse for school jew and tailor. Plenty of tailor around the Chair and the Stepping Stones. Belongil Beach has bream in some fantastic-looking gutters.
Simmo and Dave, Byron Bay Bait and Tackle 6685 7711
byronbaitntackle@yahoo.com.au
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Richmond River closed to all commercial and recreational fishing until June because of the big fish kill in February. Fishing available from rocks, beaches and offshore.
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Not a lot to report this week and any wonder? We have had the third-biggest flood on record. What I'm saying is that all those little fishes and all their mates have done gone to sea. Would YOU blame them, they've got that bloody much mud in them their eyes that the poor little buggers don't know which way to head, so they’ve gone with the flow, so to speak. So, what to talk about...
Well, the guns have been out on Lovers Point ( known locally as
Yamba Point, pretty boring name, really), but in flood time this is arguably one of the very best places to fish. Mark Smith, noted local and gun champion angler, was in his element during the week while in the company of another champion angler, John Garven – need we say more? Between them and Johnathon
Garven, they were quite happy to pluck one hell of a lot of good fish from the wash. These blokes are experts and if you are fortunate enough to see this quality of angler fishing his back yard, then the best you can do is to sit down and learn from the experience unfolding before your eyes.
Mark pulled a good blue groper on his bream gear– try 10.4kg for size. We have a photo on the make, but further on. There are some great jew being taken.
I think we can say goodbye to the mackerel for this year. What worries me more than anything else at the moment is the possibility of what the Richmond River is going through at the moment, and that is a closure due to a fish kill on our river. NSW Fisheries will have the overriding say in this but as of today (Mar 14), there is no sign that this may happen. As they said on the Titanic, God help us all...
Glen Porter, The Bait Place 6646 2017
ports@turboweb.net.au
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Apart from some reports of bass at North Solitary Island and along the beach gutters, that I view with some scepticism, things have been a bit on the quiet side. It has not been very nice for the offshore angler but a few did brave the conditions. Tim Otter from Portland in Victoria did, however, manage to stay connected to a very nice black marlin on Wednesday, estimated to be around the 150kg mark. The mackerel seem to have moved well offshore but that is hardly surprising when you consider that the tide line is almost out at the shelf. Conditions should improve over this weekend with some nice clean warm water expected. Fingers crossed.
The estuaries are running mud and even the usually easy-going flathead have moved out, looking for cleaner water. We need to wait and see just what is going to happen once the water clears up. I need to wait until a few anglers get to dangle a line and tell me all about it. Maybe we can add a bit next week.
Don't forget, if you would like a free copy of our mail-order catalogue just call (02) 6651 9530.
Peter Russell, Fishing Tackle Australia 6652 4611
motackle@midcoast.com.au
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For the last week South West Rocks has been isolated from the outside world by major flooding of the Macleay River. During the early stages of the floods quite a few jewfish in the 10kg to 15kg class were taken on lures, especially Cotton Cordell Big Os in chartreuse and green.
As the water began to clear on Smoky Cape Beach, good quality bream and whiting were taken. Tailor, bream and whiting were also taken at Little Bay.
The river will be unfishable for at least a week and we have had no offshore reports due to the dirty water. Things can only improve in coming weeks.
Peter and Amanda Jordan, Rocks Marine Bait and Tackle 6566 6726
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We expect reports up and down the coast this week to all read as though they were written by the same person – rain, floods, strong southerly winds, big seas, roads cut, good jewfishing, plenty of bream and flathead, also blackfish from protected headlands, if you could find one.
All of the above happened on the Hastings. Around 28 big jewfish, and I mean big jewfish, came off our north breakwall. Most of the fish weighed in the high 20kg bracket, with one on Monday reportedly pulling the needle down to 31kg whole. Needless to say, all tackle shops in Port are sold out of big floating bibless and diving lures.
Many first-time lure-tossers made their way to the north wall to try their luck. Most caught on quickly but I hear that there were a few non-conformist tossers who need further training; that is, fishing.
I cannot remember last when bream fishing was so good. They just love dirty water and should be around for a while yet, depending upon how quickly the water clears and how soon before it rains again.
There is absolutely nothing to report from offshore. The only craft to cross the river bar in the last week have been the local prawn trawlers which, I hear, have done well in catching medium king prawns.
If you own a mud crab trap, I suggest you get it baited up and set soon, as numbers of muddies are being had now in our river system. Just out of interest, you will now find Lake Cathie has closed to the sea in the last week. This is the way I expect it to stay until next Summer unless we again go into flood mode between now and then.
Lloyd and Helen Hewens, Ned Kelly’s Bait and Tackle 6583 8318
nedsbandt@bigpond.com.au
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Offshore: Seas have abated although dirty run-off has affected areas close to the lake entrance. Tailor and bonito have been active on the line between the clear and dirty water. Big bonito have been caught on jigs at the Pinnacle. The first of the mac tuna were reported on March 13, although they are less than 1kg. Small dolphin fish are common. No game fishing action reported.
Beaches: Seas have allowed beach fishos access to inspect the damage from recent big seas. Best reports come from the Nine Mile and Seven Mile beaches and are limited to small to medium tailor, with bigger whiting not uncommon. Schools of bream are moving through.
Rocks: The expected rush of positive rock fishing reports has not eventuated. Some tailor, bream and bonito have been caught. Blackfish and, to a lesser extent, drummer have been caught. Land-based game action from Booti Booti and Charlotte will be tested this weekend, assuming that the seas remain kind. Northern bluefin tuna were sighted for the first time last weekend, feeding on schools of tailor.
Breakwall and estuary: Recent rains have dirtied the estuary but have brought the bream and flathead out in force for the bait fishos. Both sides of the channel have been popular and productive, The lake generally has benefited from the flush-out and should continue to fish well.
Lloyd Campbell, Great Lakes Tackle 6554 9541
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No report this week.
Graham Duffy, Salamander Bait and Tackle 4982 0711
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No report this week.
Graham Duffy, Salamander Bait and Tackle 4982 0711
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Rain, rain, go away! This week there have been plenty of bream on the Gravel Patch opposite Juno as well as around Dangar Island and the bridge. Flathead and Jewies at Juno and School Jewies at the mouth of Jerusalem Bay North Side. Muddies have
also been caught around Berowra Waters.
With another large surge of fresh water, best fishing will be around the mouth of the river using chicken gut, mullet gut and local prawns.
This weekend, don't miss the Windybank’s Challenge (Ku-ring-gai, Hornsby Angling and Casting Club v the Galston Glenorie Amateur Fishing Club), start 4pm Friday (16 March), end 4pm Sunday, open competition and Presidents Cup. Hornsby/Ku-ring-gai contact John Rule 9985 9225; Galston Glenorie contact Glen Coddington 0408 682 201
Windybanks Bait and Tackle, John & Anne Windybanks 9477 1501
windy@tig.com.au
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The fishing scene has gone bananas after the big seas of late. Reports are flying in from everywhere as the old salts wet a line.
On the rocks, Alex Bellissimo reports kingfish to 80cm at North Head, North Curl Curl and Whale Beach, while fishing the bottom of North Head for snapper, Alex caught heaps of salmon to 2.5kg snapper to 800g and bream to a kilo.
The beaches have seen the jewfish creep into casting range, one Manly local losing three good jews at his feet before landing one the next night on fresh squid.
Middle Harbour has tonnes of frigate mackerel to 1.5kg on offer for the fly fisho. Both sides of the Spit bridge have turned up surface-feeding schools from dawn well into the morning, but they seem interested only in flies 25mm long, the size of the bait they’re feeding on. At Dobroyd Point gutter, there are heaps of tailor from 50cm to 60cm at night, taking live or dead bait.
off Long Reef, FOW staff Captain Kurt and Paul O’Hagen cleaned up on kingfish to 65cm, bonito to 3.5kg and frigates to 1.5kg on fly. At one stage all they had to do was drop the green and white Clousers into the water and there would be a dozen kings lining up for the stationary fly.
Further up the coast, at Port Stephens, the word is out that the marlin are on, with si x fish a day commonplace. It’s always the way, one week after the biggest marlin tournament in the Southern Hemisphere, the marlin turn up! Although the inter-club was quiet, Vic Levett captained Sydney Gamefishing Club boat Dominator to another champion tag-and-release boat victory with five marlin for the tournament. James Thackeray won champion angler with the aid of his fish-raising boat and skipper Dad aboard Black Pete. Well done to the Manly boys!
Fish Outta Water is in the midst of a boating accessories sale, come in and have a look.
Peter/Kurt, Fish Outta Water 9949 9488
fishon@ozemail.com.au
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Boy, haven’t we had some real crappy weather in the past week or two! This weather hasn’t deterred some anglers who have been getting amongst some very big salmon and tailor off the rocks in the Royal National Park at Sutherland. Best places to try are the south of Curracurrang, the north of Wattamolla and Garie Beach.
The rocks at Cronulla have been producing some very nice luderick and drummer on cabbage, cunje, ab gut and peeled prawns. The key to success is to fish very light or with a float and berley with chicken pellets, sand and chopped weed.
The Cronulla beaches have been a write-off with the pounding seas and the amount dead seaweed that has built up all over the beaches. By the time this report comes out, the weed should have been removed, allowing the beach anglers to get amongst the bream and tailor. Try using bonito or striped tuna pieces.
Botany Bay is still producing some very good kingfish around the buoys and channel markers on live bait and strips of squid. There are also some very big leatherjackets caught along the runways. Try drifting the mussel beds in the middle of the bay for bream and flathead.
Bream have been coming in at the Captain Cook Bridge, Bald Face Point, Lugarno and Alfords Point Bridge.
If you are after live bait come into the shop and have a look.
In conjunction with AFN Magazine I have just produced a map (No 23) on fishing the Port Hacking, Botany Bay, George’s and Woronora Rivers. There is also a map (No 22) on fishing in tSydney Harbour, Parramatta, Lane Cove, Iron Cove rivers and Middle Harbour. Come in and have a look at them.
Fishing Licences.
As of March 23 (next Friday), you will have to have a fishing licence to fish anywhere in NSW, so if you come into the shop the boys will help you fill out the form and purchase one.
What’s On.
Due to the response of the people wanting to do my fishing classes on how, where and when to fish the Port Hacking, Botany Bay, George’s and Woronora rivers, the shop is running another class starting on April 30 at 7pm so while you are in the shop next time you might also like to book into one of the series. I will be covering types of techniques, baits, rigs and fish species over three consecutive Monday nights. For further information phone Greg or John at the shop on 9600 6999, email me at gebrown@sia.net.au or phone me on 0417 690 508.
Gary Brown/Greg Mercedes Mako Tackle 9600 6999
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Watch this space!
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Beaches: A few salmon and tailor but generally pretty quiet.
Estuary: Some big tailor in the inlet, the best seen this week was unweighed but measured 108cm. Work the channel to the ocean for good bream and flathead. Quality whiting on the sandflats.
Offshore: Kingfish were going well but have gone quiet as the current is pushing up from the south. A few marlin inside the Shelf line in 60 to 80 fathoms. A lot of stripies and frigates around. Live bait the only thing working for the kingies, with Kianga Reef the best for bait, slimies and yakkas.
Darryl, The Ocean Hut 4476 2278
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Coming soon!
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No report this week, too busy, back next week.
Bruce and Dawne Grant, Wonboyn Cabins and Caravan Park, 6496 9131
wonboyn@asitis.net.au
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