Fishing Monthly - Latest Fishing Reports - Updated Weekly

Fishing Monthly - Latest Fishing Reports - Updated Weekly

These reports are updated weekly.
Last Edited: Tuesday, 10 April 2001

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Archived Reports, Weather & Tides.

COMPILED WEEKLY BY TONY ZANN IN EVANS HEAD:
e-mail: t.zann@fishingmonthly.com.au

Bream, tailor and school jew around the rocks at Broken Head. Bream, dart and choppers off the beach at Broken Head. Bream, dart, whiting and flathead at Suffolk Park. Bream, dart and whiting off Tallow Beach at Tallow Creek, Honeysuckle Hill and the main car park.
Bream, choppers and jew off the rocks at Cosy Corner. Tailor and big trevally off the rocks under the Lighthouse. Bream, dart and choppers at the Chair, Stepping Stones and the Bream Hole.
Bream and whiting off Clarks Beach; bream, dart, whiting and choppers off Belongil and Sunrise beaches.
Simmo and Dave, Byron Bay Bait and Tackle 6685 7711
byronbaitntackle@yahoo.com.au

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 and the seaward sides of the walls, where there have been tailor and bream. Tailor and bream off the beaches and headlands, especially around Lennox Head. Trevally also smashing lures off the rocks at Lennox. The beaches at last are establishing a bit of character, with plenty of good holes and gutters from South Ballina down to Evans Head. Good prospects for whiting, dart and bream with school jew also a chance.
Some school jew taking beach worms around Flat Rock, where there also have been tailor at night on cut bait.
Offshore has been too rough to fish but looks like settling down for the weekend.
Tony Zann

A quiet week on the fishing scene but things are getting better and better. Some good blackfish around the rocks to 1.7kg and that particular fish was taken on a saltwater fly over on the north side at the Iluka Bluff. Other good blackfish taken on the rocks below Craigmore Units at Main Beach Yamba. Fish only about 3 to 4 feet deep here and mostly on a half-down or half-up tide.
Still good bream and a few other species around the rocks with flathead on the beaches. The seas have been rough but are settling.
Everything is looking really good for Easter if the weather holds. Fishing will centre around Browns Rocks, the Middle Wall, Collis and the Turkeys Nest walls, primarily for bream. If you are a keen blackie fisho then please bring your own weed with you, as there's not much here after the floods. The Blackfish are really on the chew in the estuary and you should fish Sleeper, the Tavern and the top of Shores Drive.
If the weather holds anglers can be assured of getting some reds on the reefs over the holidays. Call in and see us at the BP Servo on Yamba Road.
Glen Porter, The Bait Place 6646 2017
ports@turboweb.net.au

Will post on Friday - good marlin and yellowfin, can say no more now!
Peter Russell, Fishing Tackle Australia 6652 4611
motackle@midcoast.com.au

Offshore reef fishing has been very quiet but Fish Rock continues to produce kingfish and cobia in the 10-16kg class. Many more fish have been lost, so the action remains hot.
Smoky Cape Beach again produced excellent catches of quality whiting and the size and numbers of bream is also increasing as they begin their northward run. The size of the tailor on the beaches and rocks has steadily increased as well.
Due to the closure of the Macleay River to all forms of fishing after the March flood, the Toyota South West Rocks Fishing Classic, due to be held in late May, has been cancelled. The event will be on again on May 18-19, 2002.,
Peter and Amanda Jordan, Rocks Marine Bait and Tackle 6566 6726

What beautiful follow-up rain we have experienced in the last week! Really, it is getting past a joke but life goes on. Too much rain from here on can totally wreck the winter migration of fish.
Thank heavens we are not a resident fisherperson of the Richmond or Macleay valleys, by now you would have enrolled in a knitting or chess course. Even trying to operate a fishing tackle and bait business on these rivers would be a difficult proposition.
The Mid North Coast has had huge swells for the last week, enough to shut down offshore bottom-bouncers and most surf fishing. The rockhoppers have carried on fishing just like there was nothing special happening.
Bream and tailor fishing is good at present, with water in the river still a chocolate colour. Around the rocks it is much cleaner.
The land-based game boys are out in force and doing nicely. Northern blues are the biggest drawcard, except for the sharks that are chopping them off cleanly just behind the head. All April is red-hot for northern blues and mack tuna, provided you can find some deep water.
On the days that one could fish the beaches, huge whiting were the catch – no bag limits, but quality fish.
Come Anzac Day, the fishing scene will be really jumping as the winter fishing kicks off. First species to move will be the mullet and within a week or 10 days, the blackfish and bream will also put to sea. With all this extra good food in the water, expect the normal predators to be not far behind this procession – a variety of sharks and, of course, jewfish.
Professional fishermen tell me that the rivers are totally void of prawns and more bad news is that the mud crabs have gone to ground. The professional fishermen have actually brought all their crab gear home.
Lloyd and Helen Hewens, Ned Kelly’s Bait and Tackle 6583 8318
nedsbandt@bigpond.com.au

Offshore: Reefs to the north, particularly those around the Five Mile, produced the best fish over the past week. Live yellowtail was the preferred bait and resulted in good captures of kingfish, samson, trag and some of the largest dolphin fish so far this season. Closer in, bonito remain prolific. Marlin are in the area but catches are rare.
Beaches: Tailor continue although fishing over the past few days has slowed. Best beaches remain to the south of Forster/Tuncurry, through to Seal Rocks.
Rocks: Bream and blackfish remain in good supply with the rocks in the Pacific Palms area providing the best results. Janeys Corner is still worth a try. LBG action is slow but the number of northern bluefin is slowly growing.
Estuary: Still very dirty on the run-out tide. Bream and flathead have slowed a little over the past week, although the first quarter moon phase seems to have that effect. Pieces of herring (caught on bait jigs) have been the best for bream.
Lloyd Campbell, Great Lakes Tackle 6554 9541

No report this week, Duff’s gone walkabout...
Graham Duffy, Salamander Bait and Tackle 4982 0711

Bream are the surprise of the week, especially on Stockton, Redhead and Blacksmiths beaches, with reports of 35-40cm monsters annihilating pilchards and big banana prawns.
Jewfish are also being picked up daily off Stockton breakwall, Catherine Hill Bay rocks, Redhead and even in Lake Macquarie. Size ranges from 8-20kg-plus.
Marlin are being caught off the southern canyons on live slimy mackerel and some on lures. The Shelf is producing some good blue marlin on large Hollowpoint and Pakula lures.
Flathead are in almost all estuaries and can be found in the sandy shallows by trolling or casting. Steve Starling recommends Deception Palamon lures.
For daily information, come to the experts at Freddy’s Fishing World at Newcastle, Maitland and Erina.
Geoff Rose, Freddy’s Fishing world, Broadmeadow 4927 2267

Bream, Bream, Bream.....that's been the word around. Berowra RSL Fishing club reporting bag limits 850g and over in the Vines. Also plenty around Milson Passage and Bar Point. The water is still very murky though, leaving mullet gut/and Chicken Gut your best baits.
Leather Jackets at Cottage Point, Smith's Creek and Looking Glass Bay.
Slimey Mackrel at Bobbin Head and the Basin.
Phillip reported tailor,flathead and kingfish (up to 4.2kg) in Pittwater using whitebait, yellowtail, nippers and squid. He also said that their were plenty of sharks. Lots of fun but a bit of a pest.
Also some reports of Jewfish of west reef.
Don't forget your entries to the INAUGURAL HAWKESBURY BREAM CLASSIC close on the 16th April. The Classic is on the 27th - 29th April. Great prize money with all proceeds from sponsorship going towards CAMP QUALITY. for more info. contact Windybank's 02 9477 1501.
Windybanks Bait and Tackle, John & Anne Windybanks
windy@tig.com.au

The action continues off the beaches with numerous reports of bream, whiting, tailor, salmon and jewfish. Best locations include the ever-faithful Narrabeen Beach and the Manly-Queenscliff stretch.
Jewfish are not plentiful but th lack of numbers is compensated for by their size – mainly around the 10kg mark, as Matthew Pitts discovered at Manly Beach while using fresh squid bait.
The harbour is still producing excellent numbers of flathead, tailor and bonito. the lizards are most prolific in the deeper harbour channels, whereas the bream are mainly in the quiet upper reaches, such as those around Roseville and Bantry Bay. Kingfish, frigate mackerel and bonito are still being caught at the usual harbour locations, including the Wedding Cakes and around North and South heads. Tailor are most prevalent of an evening. FOW staff have been enjoying smoked tailor lunches, thanks to Darren, who provided the fish, and Peter, who has the smoker.
The Hawkesbury/Pittwater system is firing, with very good-sized bream and flathead. Pick of the spots include Akuna bay, Juno Point, Dangar and Milson islands and the Vines areas. Jewfish reports have not been regular but this system should be worth a try with live baits or fresh squid. Flathead are taking baits and lures in Narrabeen Lakes, with areas around the caravan park, the upper reaches and channel drop-offs best. There are bream and whiting in the same locations.
Kingfish are creating some back-breaking experiences for some anglers. Alex Bellissimo says the best locations include rock platforms at North Head, Whale Beach and Barrenjoey Headland. Alex also caught a tailor of more than 3kg during the week on a skip bait aimed at kingfish.
Offshore has been relatively quiet with the exception of dolphin fish, which seem to have grown in size, around the wave-rider buoys. On Sunday Kurt Lehmann dropped a marlin which took a whole 4kg striped tuna. The fish threw the hook on its second jump. On the same outing Kurt and crew saw a kingfish wearing a tag cut through the berley trail.
Manly Lagoon may be starting to restock itself with the current tidal flushing. Mark Olsen witnessed outsized bream schooling close to shore in the uncharacteristically clear water. Mark also saw a big eye trevally mixing company with a school of mullet. Let’s hope sanity prevails and the relevant authorities continue to do their best to upgrade this waterway.
Peter/Kurt, Fish Outta Water 9949 9488
fishon@ozemail.com.au

Scott Lyons from Southern Fishing Tours has been getting his clients among some great fish. They have been drifting for bream and flathead using live nippers and yellowtail along the edge of the deep water just off the north side of Towra Point. He has been also trolling up tailor to 750 grams on Rapala lures at the end of the new runway, Henry’s Head and beside the oil wharf. Due to the oil tanker being moored in the middle of the bay, the kingfish have been a bit quiet around the marker buoys. Once it has moved on the action should hot up.
Klauss Weiss has been pulling some very large bream out of the oyster leases in Woolooware Bay on Hawkesbury prawns. He has a success rate of about six to one, in favour of the bream. His biggest to date is 1.35kg. Drifting between the Captain Cook and Tom Uglys bridges has been very successful for bream and flathead by those who have been using mullet strips and live nippers.
Farther upstream, Bald Face Point, the entrance to Oyster Bay, Como Bridge, the end of the old ferry at Lugarno and the Moons have been good for bream on rising and falling tides. Dave Kowe picked up three flathead and one bream while casting with soft plastics.
The Woronora River has been producing luderick for those anglers who have been spending the time seeking out where they have been holed up. The luderick have been moving about a fair bit lately in this system. Places to try are the edge of the mangroves in Bonnet Bay, the old bridge at Woronora and the northern side of the pedestrian bridge at Prince Edward park. Fresh green weed is a must.
Fishing licences.
You no must have a licence to fish anywhere in NSW and the boys at the shop have been continually running out the books sent out by Fisheries. So please be patient with them if they have run out – they are getting more sent out to them .
What’s on.
Due to the response of those wanting take my classes on how, where and when to fish Port Hacking, Botany Bay and the Georges and Woronora rivers the shop will run another set of classes from April 30 at 7pm. These classes over three Monday nights at the shop cover techniques, baits, rigs and fish species. 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

Big seas have kept most anglers inside, but those who have been able to get out have experienced some excellent fishing. Around Port Kembla small kingfish are prolific with the odd larger one taken. Live yakkas fished on the bottom have proved to be the most productive bait.
Small snapper, salmon, trevally and large bream have been taken by those fishing reefs and bommies in the area. Best results have occurred by using weighted and unweighted pilchards down through a decent berley trail.
The coinciding high tides around dark and the lead-up to the full moon have seen local beaches start to produce some quality mulloway, with fish of over 10kg not uncommon. Baits of mullet and tailor have been the best, though anything fresh is likely be snapped up. Remember to take plenty of spare tackle, though, as there are also lots of small sharks hanging around the beaches once the lights go out.
Small sharks have also been prolific out wide, proving to be the thorn in the snapper fisherman’s side. The action turns quiet once the sharks move into the berley trail. If these small sharks are the target, then live yellowtail or any dead bait will raise their interest. Fish these baits in a heavy berley trail under a balloon, with long wire traces.
The freshwater scene is starting to slow down a little with the cooler weather, however, if you can pick the high pressure systems and get a good morning, the bass fishing can still be excellent. This time of year deep-diving lures are proving deadly. With the cooler weather bass will start to move into the brackish water to breed. To target these larger spawning females, throw lures around snags and bridges in the salt water. However, if you are going to target these fish, remember these large breeding females are the future of these wild bass fisheries so please handle carefully and release all fish.
Estuary fishing has been consistent, with good catches of flathead, bream and whiting. Live prawns fished around dusk have been deadly on both flathead and bream. Small lures have produced mixed bags of tailor, bream and flathead.
Rowley Hoyer, Ern Webb’s Sports Store 4229 1915.

No report
Darryl, The Ocean Hut 4476 2278

No report this week

No report this week.
Bruce and Dawne Grant, Wonboyn Cabins and Caravan Park, 6496 9131
wonboyn@asitis.net.au

Archived Weekly Reports:

25/1/2001

01/02/2001 08/02/2001 15/02/2001 22/02/2001

02/03/2001 09/03/2001 16/03/2001 23/03/2001 31/03/2001