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

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Current has cleared most of the weed but it’s been too hot for fishing, even at night.
Beaches: Nice bream, whiting and masses of dart on Tallow Beach. A few big bream towards the mouth of the Belongil.
Rocks: Around the cape, Broken head and back beaches on lures and bait.No reports of mackerel outside but the water is getting really hot.

David Keevers, Coastal Fishing Tackle 02 66 857 133

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Mandy from Dave’s Bait Shop says there are whiting and flathead in the river, school jew at night along the Porpoise Wall and behind the RSL. North Creek for whiting and a few flathead.
Beaches: Dart and a few bream.
Rocks: The odd good tailor from Flat Rock, Skennars and Lennox headlands.
No outside reports.
At Evans Head not a great deal to report, although the water has finally jumped above 23°. Still nothing in the way of mackerel but the odd jew and snapper poking about the reefs.
In the river there is the odd fair bream and some big whiting and blackfish. Best bet would be to fish the evening high tide around the budding seagrass beds with yabbies, worms or live prawns. Big tides this weekend mean a lot of water movement. That’s good for whiting in the estuaries on high tide and not much good along the beaches or around the rocks, where there has been the odd bream and school jew.

Dave’s Bait Shop 02 6686 2481
&
Tony Zann

t.zann@fishingmonthly.com.au

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There's some nice bream around the rocks, not a lot but sufficient for the keener angler to target. Also some quality sea gar and tailor. Jew have been quiet over the past week especially around the rocks.
Offshore on certain days the sea has been alive with small slimy mackerel which are being harassed by mahi mahi and spotted mackerel. There still are no large numbers of mackerel, either spotted or barred, to shout about. One reason might be the current flow which when we fished earlier in the week off Red Cliff had slowed to a virtual standstill. When we were steaming home the other day I was pretty sure that I saw a good-sized rat marlin soaking up the sun off on the port side and as we approached, the bill, which had been just poking out of the water, slid under and disappeared. Wouldn't surprise me if there were a few about.
In The Creek fishing remains just steady with a smattering of whiting, flathead, bream and blackfish around. There are some quality blackfish being taken off the rocks still and there is every chance that they might stay around for a while.

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

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We have Spanish mackerel at last! While still a little scarce they are around. You’ll need a boat, as the bankside water is still around 18°. Half a kilometre offshore it’s 24° so any shallow reef should turn up mackerel and also some nice big reds.
Beach gutters still turning up whiting and the odd bream and we should start to see a tailor or two soon.
Estuaries are fishing well with school jew turning up on the night tides. Good flathead and a few bream during the day.

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

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

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Off the beaches, there have been good numbers of whiting with quantity and quality excellent. Bream have improved a little and although not prolific, the average size is excellent for this time of year. Tailor have been hit-and-miss although those fishing North beach have been achieving more consistent results. Stingrays and other assorted vermin remain a pest for those fishing the dark hours, although the tides during the latter half of this week, and on the weekend, are excellent for those keen on chasing school jew.
Off the rocks, reasonable numbers of bream have been taken, with Point Plommer and Lighthouse fishing well, particularly at night. Pick of the baits have been either mullet or tailor strips. Tailor have been reasonable with Point Plommer and surrounds achieving the better results, although Lighthouse should not be overlooked. A few encouraging reports have also come in from Point Perpendicular and Lewis Rock regarding blackfish with the odd drummer. Perhaps the best news for rockhoppers has been a few whispers of cobia and kingfish finally beginning to show around South West Rocks, Hat Head and Barries Bay. No real word as yet on bluefin although anglers have reported the odd sighting of ’fin busting into baitfish close in.
In the estuary, flathead have been a little quiet but there are plenty of juvenile fish in the Hastings. While annoying, they are a great sign and testament to the current health of the river. Elsewhere in the estuary, a few blackfish continue to be extracted from the coal wall although results are patchy at best and below what is expected for this time of year. Bream numbers have been reasonable with the better catches reported from areas upstream around Rawdon Island, particularly on lures.
Lake Cathie has also again produced the goods over the past week or so, with good prawns and whiting. Just about everyone prawning the lower portion of the lake scored a good feed or better last weekend and during the early part of the week, although in the main, the small king prawns have been replaced by the standard, although equally succulent Schoolie. The whiting action has been outstanding, with some great bags of quality fish. Live prawns fished on the night time run out is the key for success.
Outside, John from Ocean Star charters reports excellent results although the currents and water temperature fluctuate from day to day. Among recent hauls are some great samson fish to around 6kg, plenty of small to medium kings with a good mix of snapper and pearl perch. A few marlin continue to hang around although finding the hot water and bait schools is the key, with the fish wide one day and in as close as 500 metres the next. A few mahi mahi are also occasioning the FADs and traps, although in the main the fish are juveniles or up to 3kg.

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

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Offshore: Water quality in close has improved but the current is still raging from the north. Reports from the reefs are mixed with most able to find a feed of small to medium snapper. Small bonito are in big numbers to our north. Mahi mahi are few and far between, as are the marlin.
Beaches: The improved water quality has helped those fishing the beaches with plenty of just-legal tailor about. Whiting, bream and dart are also being taken by those using beach worms as bait.
Rocks: Rock fishing at Seal Rocks remains hot with the mulloway and kingfish eager to take a live bait. LBG action is far from great.
Estuary: The mulloway off the breakwall have not been what you would expect. Fortunately, the estuary as a whole is fishing well with flathead still the easiest target species. Those that have been prawning after dark continue to comment on the giant sand whiting on offer. But be warned these fish are almost impossible to find through the day. Looks like we are in for a top bream season judging by the number of quality fish already in the lake system.

Lloyd Campbell, Great Lakes Tackle 02 6554 9541

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Estuary: Good flathead Corrie Island. School jew Salamander wreck, blue swimmer crabs Tilligerry Creek. Sand whiting Middle Grounds, Jimmys. Squid on Shoal Bay jetty, Little Beach.
Beaches: Good run of bream and whiting on Stockton Beach. Salmon and tailor moving in on dusk. Jew from The Huts to the wreck. Tailor on Box, Zenith.
Rocks: Good tailor sunny Corner, One Mile, Fingal headlands. Kings same areas. Squire off Fishermans north side. Salmon Cemetery. Blackfish Honeysuckle and Boulder.
Outside: Water up to 22° in close and 26° on the shelf. Mahi mahi to 17kg in 40 fathoms. A few black marlin on The Gibber. Stripes and blues on the shelf. Trag on The Gibber, Uralla, Birubi Wide. Snapper in the shallows, Cod Rock, North Rock, Sisters and Mungo. Tailor on the shoals at Tomaree. Kings Sisters, Looking Glass, East Head, Broughton. School jew Bulahdelah and the Vs, Big mowies at The Tank, pearlies on The 21.

Graham Duffy, Salamander Bait and Tackle 02 4982 0711

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A new scheme has been announced this week by NSW Fisheries to provide local luderick anglers with a free and reliable source of green weed for bait as well as protect our local wetlands from disturbance. This scheme will encompass the gathering of bait weed by an ecologist from the popular Stockton sandspit and relocate and grow this weed in a large bait ‘tank’ to be purpose-built on Ash Island. Funded fully from NSW fishing licence money, this scheme could see the continued availability of this most sught-after bait all year round, not just when natural conditions allow. Let’s all work together to see this succeed.
Offshore anglers have had to deal with a raging downhill (north to south) current over the last week with most anglers reporting difficulty staying near the fish. Catches of snapper and kingfish have been reported although most anglers are targeting the available flathead, tailor and bream from areas like the Dumping Ground and the Redhead area. Further out, reports of schools of striped tuna have been good news for game fishers who are preparing for the upcoming annual Interclub competition at Port Stephens.
This week will see the month’s dark arrive and the continuation of the excellent prawn run in Lake Macquarie. Whiting continue to be caught throughout the channel and there are large tailor around Pulbah Island. Mullet are thick in the lake’s feeder creeks awaiting their annual run to the ocean to spawn and this could be the reason for the presence of the shark seen cruising the Belmont Bay area over the last week.
The results of the annual Bulahdelah Bass bash have been gathered with over 230 anglers participating for 50 bass, 15 bream, 10 mullet and very large eels caught and released. Local comp angler Tom Weirs of Lemon Tree Passage came first from Bulahdelah local Brad Allan with Shannon Dansy third. The junior champion was home town boy Luke Benson who also caught the largest bass of the weekend with a fish of 1.370 kg. This weekend the first round of the NSW Pro Bass will be held from the Morpeth boat ramp with the new format allowing your own two-member team to fish together for the whole competition. For more info contact Chris Craig on 49 73 3373

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

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

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

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The Northern Beaches have proved a jewfish haven over the last few weeks, with the latest being a 15kg beauty taken off the beach at Dee Why by Joe Oppedisano. It took him 30 minutes to land after it ate a live yakka.
There have been good runs of whiting off the beaches lately. Fish of size can be found in the close gutters a couple of hours either side of high tide off most of the northern beaches. Beach or bloodworms will give you the best chance.
Sydney Harbour is still turning it on. Schools of salmon, while not the size they were, are still giving anglers hours of joy when they surface. Try around Middle Head on the Clifton Gardens side. The fish have become extremely skittish with all the boats and other activity on the Harbour at the moment, so to stop the school from disappearing beneath the surface, turn the motor off about 30m away and drift up to them. Small metal slices of about 10g-20g are accounting for most of the salmon. North Harbour has small schools of bonito which can be taken on small flies. The occasional lucky angler may also find themselves an amberjack underneath these schools.
Bream and tailor of good size are being caught on soft plastics from around Fairlight on colours such as Squidgys Gary Glitter, Silver Fox, and Killer Tomato. Hordes of small leatherjacket have invaded the harbour and are causing no end of headache for fishos around The Spit and Clontarf. Balls of jackets are stealing baits intended for bigger fish and ruining soft plastics with hundreds of tiny bite marks. The only way to beat them is to avoid them, so if you get the feeling you’re being had, it’s time to up anchor.
Jewfish are being taken around Shark Island. Try a live yellowtail, or a fresh piece of squid or mullet fillet.
The Parramatta River is a hot spot for big bream at the moment, and there are no shortage of them, with anglers taking home a bagful on most occasions. Very light line combined with soft plastics or diving lures, is doing the trick. Oranges and blacks are the best colour combinations.
For those of you who are going for a fish in the Hawkesbury this week, have a good think about getting a crab trap. Blue swimmers are being taken in quite good numbers from throughout the system at present, some measuring an incredible 90cm across. Use fish heads as bait. Good jewfish are taking fresh squid baits in Broken Bay proper, with catches around the 7-10kg mark. Bar Point Reef and around Juno Point are the most productive spots. Good-sized bass are delighting anglers around Sackville. Soft plastics or cicada-style surface lures are the best shot. Fly fishos are also doing well on the bass in the Colo River. Dahlberg flies seem to be the favourite.
Offshore, fast north-south currents are making game fishing particularly hard, though big blue marlin are still being tagged, and smaller striped marlin are being taken from inshore of The Peak. Mahi mahi are about but are struggling to hold onto the FADs because of the current. Most of the fish are only in the 3-5kg range, though the bigger ones can be seen lurking around when a school is found. The best bet seems to be drifting the inshore reefs for the nice-sized flatties that are responding to soft plastic jigs.
• Adrian Walsh saw a rough flutemouth at a small cove in Fairlight in Sydney Harbour. It was 75cm long in very shallow water just a few metres from shore.

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

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Mako Tackle
Gary Brown / Greg Mercedes 9600 6999

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Garth, Deans Bait and Tackle, Windang 4295 1615

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Offshore: Out around the continental shelf the marlin are firing with reports of plenty of fish being tagged. In closer, there is plenty of fun to be had on rat kingfish, snapper, trevally, leatherjackets, flathead and the list goes on. It is always worth trolling your favourite lures to your fishing spot as there are tonnes of salmon about – always fun on light tackle – and a high chance of a kingfish. If you’re after a bigger king, slowly troll live yellowtail or, better still, slimy mackerel.
Rock and beach: Salmon are back in full swing after goig rather quiet over the past two months. There are plenty of tailor with them. If live-baiting off the rocks is your thing, you’d better dust off your LBG gear and get out there. Now is the time to spin up a few salmon, tailor, bonito and frigate mackerel, put one out under a balloon and you could catch a king, small tuna or even a marlin if luck runs your way. The beaches have also been fishing well for salmon and tailor and of a night there have been a few jewfish coming in from the beaches.
Estuary: With the ABT BREAM tournament coming up on the Clyde River, there has been a two-week fishing ban for competitors so if you’re into tossing small lures at bream and aren’t going to compete, now is your best chance. Most locals into this form of fishing have entered, so most oyster racks, snags and rock bars will be vacant for you to try your luring skills on. The Clyde is still fishing well for flathead, flounder, whiting and a heap of garfish, which seem to be wherever you turn.
If you’re interested in checking out the BREAM tournament the guys will be on the water for their pre-fish on February 27 and the comp is on February 28 and 29. Check out the live tank where they keep all the bream for the weekend and let them go at the end of the tournament. Shimano and the Strudwick boys will be setting up stands near the live tank so if you want to check out the latest and greatest in fishing gear (especially that involving bream spinning) come down and see for yourself.

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

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Estuary: Flatties, whiting and a few jewies knocking around, along with some good tailor.
Beaches: Salmon, tailor and whiting on most beaches, but work your tides – high is best.
Offshore: Montague Island a little hot and cold but more often hot, with kings averaging 7-8kg and 20kg beasts in with them. Marlin and a lot of bait around. Nice mahi mahi to 12kg. Water around 22.5°.

Darryl, The Ocean Hut 4476 2278

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

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