Fishing Monthly - Latest Fishing Reports - Updated Weekly

Fishing Monthly - Latest Fishing Reports - Updated Weekly

These reports are updated weekly.
Last Edited: Friday, 16 January 2004

Quick Jump Links:
Byron Bay, Ballina, Yamba, Coffs Harbour.
South West Rocks, Port Macquarie,
Forster, Port Stephens, Hunter Area,
Newcastle, Central Coast, Sydney Northern.
Sydney Southern, Wollongong,
Batemans Bay, Narooma, Bermagui.
Archived Reports, Weather & Tides.

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

Tweed Heads

Plenty of rain.
Some nice flathead through the river with some quality mangrove jacks and estuary cod around the bridges and rocks. Nice whiting around the golf club and the piggery with tailor from the seawalls.
Outside: Spots and Spanish mackerel and some cobia.
Beaches: The odd tailor around Fingal Headland. The odd jewie down south.

Julie/Graeme, Anglers Warehouse Tweed Heads (07) 5536 3822
anglerswarehouse@shopsafe.com.au
Wayne, Kingscliff Bait and Tackle
Matthew/Charlie, Deep Sea Fishing Charters

Byron Bay

David Keevers, Coastal Fishing Tackle 02 66 857 133

Ballina

Good bit of rain but the breeze is OK, says Bruce from Dave’s Bait Shop.
Whiting pretty good in the lower river on the bigger tides with Pimlico Island producing well on bloodworms, with some bag limit catches. Quite a few decent flatties along the banks from the Porpoise Wall to Wardell with livies best for the big fish but plenty for the plastics chuckers. A few jew around the walls and around the RSL in the evenings. Mud crabs should be on the march downstream with the rain chasing them.
Some tailor to 3kg but not a great number from the walls and beaches. Whiting and a few bream off most beaches.
Outside: When conditions allow some early mackerel, spotted and Spanish, and plenty of mahi mahi around the traps.
I’ve been at work in Brisbane for a few days so I don’t know much about Evans apart from the fact it’s been pouring, but Neil at Evans Head Sports and Marine says there are bream and whiting on Airforce Beach with some bream around the walls; flathead, whiting and the odd jack in the river and a few tailor around the headland. Pretty rough outside.

Dave’s Bait Shop 02 6686 2481
&
Tony Zann

t.zann@fishingmonthly.com.au

Yamba

This great rain that we've had over the past couple of days should help the estuary fishing. Unfortunately, it has probably come a little late for the majority of holiday makers who have not, for the most part, found many fish. Listening to the reports of falls further up in the catchment, it’s just possible, (just) that there might be enough dirty water coming down to bring some of the fish and prawns down into the lower part of the river. It may be though that the fresh, if it happens, might get to only somewhere like Maclean, but that's close enough.
Offshore, mackerel are about, along with other pelagics.
Last week a visitor caught a nice mangrove jack at Browns Rocks which tipped the scales at 3.4kg.
Tailor about off the rocks also and not a bad size, from what I hear.

Glen Porter, 6646 2017
The Bait Place 6646 2017
ports@reeltime.com.au

Coffs Harbour

We’ve certainly had some rain, with flood warnings issued for the Bellinger River.
The mouths of the estuaries on the falling tide will be the places to be when the pelagics move in to snack on anything flushed from the systems. Beach gutters will also fish well once the heavy seas abate.
A number of good fish were taken last week including good snapper on the inshore refs and excellent whiting along the beaches.

Peter Russell, Fish Tackle Australia 6652 4611
motackle@midcoast.com.au

South West Rocks

Mark and Denise Bird and Paul and Michelle Martin
Rocks Marine Bait and Tackle 6566 6726
birds@tsn.cc

Port Macquarie

We have just experienced about the best week of weather the Mid North Coast has had for some time. Light winds and kind seas have been the order of the day, and if you can put up with the heat and humidity, conditions have been close to ideal. While the days have been mild, we could still certainly do with some rain and we could be in for a decent drenching – fingers crossed.
On the offshore scene, the Golden Lure has been the focus of the week and there have been some terrific captures including blue and black marlin, sharks, mahi mahi and tuna. For bottom bouncers, the strong currents, while easing a little, have made conditions difficult. Best results have come from the close reefs off Point Plomer and Lake Cathie, with a few nice snapper, kingfish and pearl perch. Don&Mac226;t overlook the offshore flattie when the currents are strong. Also the odd report of cobia around Barries Bay last weekend but for the time being the baitfish have disappeared and so have the cobia.
Off the beaches, conditions have close to ideal, with most local beaches producing great results. Off Lighthouse, whiting have been the order of the day along with the odd good bream on worms and pipis. Anglers fishing the night high tides also enjoyed some moderate jew action, with the southern end of Lighthouse and North Beach giving up a few solid schoolies on live worms. Tailor remain scarce although it is only a matter of time until the bait schools, and then the tailor, move in with the big mulloway behind them. If you can find tailor and some decent water just on dark, simply send one back out and you are always in with a chance.
In the estuaries, blackfish numbers have improved a little with several large schools seen moving in along the walls. Young Daniel Rowe managing his best-ever catch last Monday with 18 solid fish. Bream numbers have been on the improve, with several good fish being snared during the middle of the day, along with plenty of flathead and whiting. Areas upstream fare better and will continue to do so until a decent flush. Good numbers of blue swimmers remain on offer from Blackmans Point downstream, whilst Rawdon Island and the Maria River have plenty of solid muddies. On the prawn front, Lake Cathie again looks like firing with early sessions this dark most encouraging. Now is prime time, so if you are keen to get a feed of the best prawns, grab a scoop or drag net and give it a go.

Jason and Virginia Isaac, Ned Kelly’s Bait and Tackle 6583 8318
cjisaac@ozemail.com.au

Forster

Offshore: A rather frustrating time with plenty of warm water off the coast but no solid trends regarding pelagic species. At least the reefs up north are providing great snapper, pearl perch and large quantities of morwong. Big mahi mahi are regularly taking up position around boats at anchor, but without a live bait to throw at them they are hard to hook. Sharks, particularly bronze whalers and hammerheads, are in big numbers in all areas.
Beaches: Once again beaches to our south have varying degrees of red weed. Most beaches that are clear will fish well for whiting, dart some bream and tailor which seem determined to bite at times the experts say you won’t catch fish.
Rocks: No LBG action, but plenty of sharks.
Estuary: Three rare and endangered grey nurse sharks were caught and released off the Tuncurry Breakwall on the night of the 14th. I suppose that means another critical habitat will need to be created. Excuse the sarcasm, but those doing the science for NSW Fisheries really need to talk to some people without a vested interest in the dive charter industry, because these creatures are not as rare as they make out – certainly not in this area.
The Prawn Dark is upon us, which will see the lake fishing well, particularly after dark. Whiting and flathead are in big numbers throughout the lake with quality bream well established throughout the river systems. Crabs are readily available.

Lloyd Campbell, Great Lakes Tackle 02 6554 9541

Port Stephens

Estuary: School jew co-op wharf, big jew to 30kg Middle Island at Soldiers Point and schoolies on the wreck in Salamander Bay. Flathead in the Myall River, Corrie Island and Karuah River above the bridge. Sand whiting on the Middle Ground, Jimmys Beach and Shoal Bay. Blue swimmers Pindima, Tahlee and Taylors Beach. A few flounder on the bar at the heads.
Beaches: Stockton for whiting in warming water with some big bream; jew from the Huts to the Wreck; a few schoolies on the Green Hill at Fingal, Hawks Nest Beach and the Little Gibber. Stacks of whiting on Fingal, Samurai, Kingsley and One Mile.
Rocks: Kingies Sunny Corner, Fingal Head. A few good afternoon tailor Cemetery, Boat Harbour’s northern headland. Good bream in the washes around Rocky and Boulder Bay. Luderick Honeysuckle and Fingal.
Offshore: Water up to 24° in 60 fathoms, mahi mahi on the traps, 30 fathoms, Uralla, Boulder Bay Wide, the Minefield. Good snapper on Big Island, Fishermans Bay and the shallows around Broughton. Kings at the Looking Glass, East Head and The 21; trag on The Gibber, The Tank and V Reefs. Jew around Mungo, The Vs and The Tank. Tailor on the troll around Cabbage Tree. Plenty of striped marlin off the southern canyons.

Graham Duffy, Salamander Bait and Tackle 02 4982 0711

Hunter Area

Varying ocean water temperatures with cold currents drawn onto our coast over the last week. At one stage the water temp reached as low as 16° changing the ocean to a murky green and slowing the fishing. Luckily we have seen an increase to warmer water and with better catch reports.
Tailor have been caught in very good numbers from all over Stockton Beach and the breakwall with many anglers catching their bag limits in quick time. Most of the successful anglers are using whole pilchard as bait onto a ganged 3 hook rig although fish fillets or whole garfish can produce results. The quality of the pilchards available can vary dramatically between suppliers and their retail sellers so when purchasing, enquire about the freezer age of the bait offered. Whiting also continue to be caught from the beaches with Graham Sharpe and his mate Jim reporting good fishing from Stockton with some exceptional fish caught using the locally farmed Tubeworms as bait.
Lake Macquarie is offering flathead and bream. Some large flathead have been caught, and mostly released, with keen young fisho Semesa Brown of Warners Bay catching two exceptional flathead from the Green Point area on half-pilchards. Other fish have fallen to slowly-worked soft plastic lures with James Carrol and his Dad having a ball using Sliders.
Blue swimmer crabs are being caught with witches’ hat traps or lift nets the only allowed trapping methods. Remember your trap floats need to be marked with all your contact details and a NSW recreational fishing licence is required. Over 190 illegal crab traps have been seized since Boxing day by patrolling Fisheries officers.
Offshore anglers are reporting mixed bags with some finding good numbers of flathead off Newcastle and Redhead while deeper trips have ended fishless. More anglers are encountering yellowtail kingfish on their trips with Michael Fair bagging out on his maiden use of a new boat and Matt Kelly landing his first fish via a soft plastic lure.

Jordan Armstrong,
Tackle Power Fishing Stores,
Jordan@tacklepower.com.au

Newcastle

Lake Macquarie: The lake has had an extreme amount of traffic over the previous week and but is still fishing well. Three kingfish were caught at the drop-over on Wednesday, one of 6.5kg and the others just a touch smaller. The same angler also caught a small 7kg jewfish. Big tailor are in Swansea Channel, mostly at night on the run-in tide between the bridge and Pelican, mainly in the deeper waters. One angler said he was using 4/0 hooks and was catching 2-3kg tailor and bream and squire. Plenty of big Flathead still getting around the western side of Swansea – don't forget to try the soft plastics.
The prawn run will start this Saturday around 9pm. We now have miner’s light-style spotlights at $79.95
Beach/rock: Blacksmiths breakwall has been holding good numbers of tailor just above chopper size at dusk on whole pilchards on 3 x 4/0 gang hooks, sometimes with a Starlite float. Fish the northern side of the wall and remember the bag limit for tailor is 20 per person with a legal limit size of 30cm. Quite a few reports of jewfish caught along Blacksmiths Beach with fish from 17-22kg caught on fresh tailor and squid. Plenty of groper around Moonee and Catherine Hill Bay rocks as well as big kingfish and some whopper bream.
Outside: With the water warming up last weekend, we saw some great mixed bags coming back to local boat ramps. Some of the fish included squire to 45cm, tailor, kingfish and some huge nannygai from The Farm Reefs. The current has dropped.
Up to 10 striped marlin were tagged last weekend, mainly down on the southern canyons off Norah Head. The water off the bay was a little cold so not a lot came from that area. Don't forget the Big Fish Bonanza game tournament out of Swansea on February 7-8. Jason Nunn and I will be taking part and will give some reports on 2HD and a post-fishing roundup.
The Slip Not makes anchoring your boat easier. It’s a small piece of stainless rod bent so that it can clinch down fast on your anchor rope and when you need to untie, it just slips straight off. It’s $14.95 and comes in three sizes to suit your rope diameter.

Peter Sanderson, Fisherman's Warehouse (02) 4945 8922
enquiries@fishermanswarehouse.com.au

Central Coast

This week we have finally seen the water temperature rise to a warm level offshore. For the last three weeks the offshore fishing along the Central Coast has been shut down because of freezing cold currents pushing up from the south. Fishos that ventured south of Broken Bay found good numbers of flathead, trevally, morwong and small to medium kingfish. Down off Long Reef striped marlin were caught on trolled lures. The marlin were not of record size but it was great to see so many about.
Brisbane Waters is still producing those big flathead on live baits in the channels at low tide, and there are plenty of crabs about early in the mornings.
We can confirm a monster kingfish being caught off the South Avoca rock platform by a visiting Sydney live-bait angler. The kingie fell to a live slimy mackerel bait fished under a float on 24 kilo line and took 20 minutes to land. Other catches out on the platform have been salmon and some small tailor. Down at Littles the drummer have been on the chew, taking lightly weighted bread baits on the rising tide.
Up at The Entrance the prawns are still running at night and there are plenty of whiting in the main channel taking live worms or pink nippers.
For fishos in the Gosford area launching their boats at any of the local boat ramps, be warned: The rangers have been booking cars with boat trailers which aren’t parked in the car parks.

Gary Oxley Coastline Bait & Tackle, East Gosford ph/fax 4325 4255
kathgaz@bigpond.com
http://www.coastlinefishing.easysites.ws

Sydney Northern

The offshore scene turned it on big time this week and it’s gotta be the best season start since about 1997. More marlin have been encountered in the last two weeks the past three months with many a beaked dude now sporting a Fisheries tag. Steven Hagarth of Australian Bluewater Charters reports his previous four trips aboard The Force: First trip 7 mahi mahi to 12kg, second trip 4 marlin tagged out of 12 up, next trip five beakies from six and last trip seven fish tagged from 10 hook ups, two before 8am. Steven has been fishing in 80-85 fathoms with these fish moving about 5km a day south.
Mick Lyons of Allie Hunter Charters is working the 65-75 fathom mark for very similar results, Mick has been having a lot of luck with small skirted lures, which seem to be a requirement even in larger seas. To compliment the wicked season start, Fish Outta Water have the soul Peninsula dealership for McGoo lures, rigs and skirts, with 32 colours available. These will catch everything from tailor to marlin and are becoming this year’s most popular skirted lure.
In shallower water off Long Reef FOW staff member Mark Hudson fished with Des Toms for 25 kings on fly, all released, with multiple triple hook-ups.
Rock and beach reports have thinned (probably cause they’re all fishing from boats). Dee Why beach provided one FOW customer with an 8kg mulloway during a tailor outing with ganged hooks and pillies. Plenty of whiting roaming the suds as well, with Chris Leslie landing plenty up to 800g off Narrabeen.
Alex Bellissimo reports reds to 1.3kg, bream to 1kg and similar size trevally from the wash at Dee Why and at Curl Curl. The metal-pelting brigade are getting rat kings, good tailor and bonito off most peninsula headlands on 40g-90g slugs.
Hookem Cookem’s Des Toms has the harbour water temp from 20.5º to 24.4º with all manner of species on the chew at Reef Beach and Quarantine, big slimies and rat kings plus the odd jew at Clifton Gardens, Rose Bay and Dobroyd for salmon, bonito and rats while down at Roseville, tailor, kings and amberjack are clobbering bait schools right through.
In Pittwater, charter operator Peter Le Blang says leave your sinkers at home and take your lures for a swim, – plenty of kings, salmon, tailor and bonnies on the plastics, poppers and Rapala CD 5s in any colour. Pittwater temp is averaging 23º and you need to find working birds or sound out bait schools down deep and troll around. Expect to find some good-sized fish. Dom Wiseman fished with Pete amongst boat moorings for an 80cm king on 4lb line, released after a 20-minute battle, Blue swimmers are still being caught on the flats so take some witches’ hats.

Peter/Kurt
Darren Thomas, Fish Outta Water 9949 9488
captainkurt100@hotmail.com

Sydney Southern

Mako Tackle
Gary Brown / Greg Mercedes 9600 6999

Wollongong

Garth, Deans Bait and Tackle, Windang 4295 1615

Batemans Bay

Former fishing writer and current tackle rep Allan Perry, of Bawley Point, says there are plenty of salmon up his way. A Durras local who fishes for snapper tells me he is doing well with fish up to 5kg.
There are numerous sharks around with the boys catching small bronze whalers and school sharks off the beaches. Sean from Bairnsdale, a regular visitor, tagged and released a 1.8-metre hammerhead on the inside of the Tollgate Islands. Kings are still patchy.
The Tollgate Classic is on this weekend and anglers have really hit their straps after a fishless few days beforehand. There have been 10 marlin tagged so far, and that’s only on Friday morning, so the cold current has definitely disappeared.

Rodney Stockman,
Harry’s Bait and Tackle
ph 02 4472 4393, fax 02 4472 3405

Narooma

Estuary: Lots of flathead all throughout on plastics and live bait; tailor from up the inlet in deeper water on chrome lures with some big jewies feeding on the small tailor.
Rocks: Salmon and tailor going well on North Wall and the golf course rocks in the whitewater.
Outside: Slow on the kingfish but the marlin are back in town and there are yellowfin around the shelf. The reefs are fair to middling with some patchy days and good snapper and mowies on the good days.

Darryl, The Ocean Hut 4476 2278

Bermagui

A little quieter and north-easters have been annoying. Still good reef fishing and marlin should be OK when the boats can get out. Some kings turning up at the island.
Still plenty of fish from the beaches, and the estuaries are all at full speed and supplying the best fishing. They don’t get any better than they are now so get out there.

Darren Redman and Mark Rose,
Bermagui Ocean Hut and Charter Booking Service, 6493 4688

Archived Weekly Reports

Year 2004 Weekly Reports
05/01/2004	09/01/2004

Year 2003 Weekly Reports

07/01/2003

10/01/2003

17/01/2003

24/01/2003

31/01/2003

07/02/2003

14/02/2003

21/02/2003

01/03/2003

07/03/2003

14/03/2003

21/03/2003

28/03/2003

04/04/2003

10/04/2003

17/04/2003

24/04/2003

02/05/2003

09/05/2003

16/05/2003

23/05/2003

30/05/2003

06/06/2003

13/06/2003

20/06/2003

27/06/2003

04/07/2003

11/07/2003

18/07/2003

25/07/2003

01/08/2003

08/08/2003

15/08/2003

22/08/2003

29/08/2003

05/09/2003

12/09/2003

19/09/2003

26/09/2003

03/10/2003

10/10/2003

17/10/2003

24/10/2003

31/10/2003

7/11/2003

14/11/2003

21/11/2003

28/11/2003

5/12/2003 12/12/2003 19/12/2003 29/12/2003

Year 2002 Weekly Reports
04/01/2002	11/01/2002	18/01/2002	25/01/2002
01/02/2002	08/02/2002	15/02/2002	22/02/2002
01/03/2002	08/03/2002	15/03/2002	22/03/2002	29/03/2002
05/04/2002	12/04/2002	19/04/2002	26/04/2002
03/05/2002	10/05/2002	17/05/2002	24/05/2002
01/06/2002	07/06/2002	14/06/2002	21/06/2002	28/06/2002
05/07/2002	12/07/2002	19/07/2002	26/07/2002
02/08/2002	09/08/2002	16/08/2002	23/08/2002	30/8/2002
06/09/2002	13 /09/2002	20/09/2002	27/09/2002
04/10/2002	11/10/2002	18/10/2002	25/10/2002
01/11/2002	8/11/2002	15/11/2002	22/11/2002	29/11/2002
06/12/2002	13/12/2002	20/12/2002		30/12/2002

Year 2001 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
6/04/2001	12/04/2001	19/04/2001	26/04/2001
3/05/2001	10/05/2001	17/05/2001	24/05/2001	31/05/2001
7/06/2001	14/06/2001	21/06/2001	28/06/2001
5/07/2001	12/07/2001	19/07/2001	26/07/2001
3/08/2001	10/08/2001	17/08/2001	24/08/2001	31/08/2001
7/09/2001	14/09/2001	21/9/2001	28/9/2001
5/10/2001	12/10/2001	19/10/2001	26/10/2001
2/11/2001	9/11/2001	16/11/2001	23/11/2001	30/11/2001
7/12/2001	14/12/2001	21/12/2001	28/12/2001