Fishing Monthly - Latest Fishing Reports - Updated Weekly
COMPILED WEEKLY BY TONY ZANN IN EVANS HEAD:
e-mail: t.zann@fishingmonthly.com.au
Tweed Heads

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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Byron Bay

Good greenback tailor and jew around the lighthouse and Broken Head. Nice bream, whiting and dart along Suffolk Park, tailor and bream around The Pass. The Belongil for tailor, bream and flathead. Still good mackerel outside.

David Keevers, Coastal Fishing Tackle 02 66 857 133

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Ballina

Bruce at Dave’s Bait Shop says the size of the jew between the RSL and the Beacons along the Porpoise Wall is improving with some bigger fish on the sea walls after dark. Blackfish impriving day by day with good catches along the walls and at The Gap. Flathead still going OK along the Porpoise Wall and up to Burns Point, with bream in the river improving in size. Muddies up the creeks. A few nice tailor and bream on South Beach and a few snapper on the wider grounds. Mackerel have gone a bit quiet.
At Evans Head some fair bream and the odd jew (after dark) on Airforce and Broadwater beaches and around the headlands with the odd tailor as well. River has bream at night and a few flathead. Offshore water is too cool for mackerel but the occasional catch of reds and trag.

Dave’s Bait Shop 02 6686 2481
&
Tony Zann

t.zann@fishingmonthly.com.au

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Yamba


Glen is away.

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

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Coffs Harbour

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

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South West Rocks
Once again we have had another week of great weather and terrific sea conditions. A large number of boats are out on the water taking advantage of this.
Fishing off the beaches has been slow. Some bream have been taken but you do need to work the beach for them. Dart are still around while the whiting have just about finished for the season. Smokey Beach is the pick of the locations if you are chasing the bream, but further along past Black Rock seems to be fishing better. Early reports this week of tailor on the north side of Gap Beach. There is a fair bit off netting happening on Front Beach so I would give that a miss for a while. Back Beach up towards the wall should yield some fish.
The river this week has been very productive. The full moon has opened a heap of opportunities for jew fishermen to go head to toe with these tasty treats. They’re not monsters, but around 3 to 6 kilos being the average, and with some specimens up to 12 kilos, they will get the adrenalin pumping. These fish are being caught around Jerseyville as well as drifting or walking the river walls using live bait or 4”-plus plastics. Good bream, along with 50 to 60cm flathead have also been landed this week. For a bit of fun, throw a small metal spinner up around the opening of the river for some of the bonito that have made their way into the Macleay.
The Spotties are doing what they do, come on one day and disappear the next, frustrating the hell out of the fisherman. Late last week the current cooled up off Grassy which would not have helped. While you’re waiting for the Spotties off the Grassy grounds, drop down and fish the bottom where some fair reds have been landed. Expect some sergeant bakers to take the bait. Bar cod out wide if you venture out to around the 60 to 100 fathoms. There are still mac tuna around Fish Rock but no reports of kingfish this week. Reports of cobia around Black Rock, along with some snapper, have been filtering through. Out wider, the current seems to have slowed down so you don’t need a house brick to get to the bottom.
We have some great Shimano combo specials at the moment, come in and have a look. Garfish are also available, just in time for the tailor run.
Don’t forget the 22nd and 23rd of May for the 2004 Kempsey Toyota Fishing Classic. Over $20,000 in Prizes up for grabs.
Entry forms are now available from the shop. Great prizes for early entries.

Mark and Denise Bird and Paul and Michelle Martin
Rocks Marine Bait and Tackle 6566 6726
rocksmarine@dodo.com.au

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Port Macquarie

On the beaches, bream remain rather quiet apart from the odd couple of good fish here and there. As yet, those big travelling silver bream are yet to show but don’t be surprised to see the next week or so produce the goods. Tailor too have been rather elusive off the sand, although the continued presence of feeding birds wider out indicate plenty of baitfish are about so it is only a matter of time until the tailor move in a little more consistently. School jew on the other hand remain in reasonable numbers with North Beach and Rainbow Beach giving up some nice fish. The biggest challenge at present remains selecting a location, as there is simply too much good water to choose from. A few salmon have also begun to show indicating a cooling of the waters, and as you would expect, whiting catches have begun to wane accordingly.
Off the rocks tailor have been a little easier to find, and although not in great numbers the average size has been encouraging. Bream have been quite good and will be even better once the moon dims. Drummer continue to improve, with the odd reasonable pig being extracted from Miners and Shelleys, whilst a more consistent showing has been encountered from Plommer and Big Hill. Good numbers of blackfish remain for those keen to throw the float off the stones, whilst a couple of early season groper to around 5kg have been winched out. On the land based game scene, little action to speak of from the enthusiasts, however I have had several reports of monumental bust-ups from bluefin by those spinning for tailor.
In the estuary, blackfish remain patchy at best with cabbage accounting for a few nice fish off the Coal Wall last weekend. Flathead numbers remain solid with the Maria producing some solid fish. Bream remain a little quiet. Plenty of great fighting and great tasting garfish remain on the chew, with just about anywhere in the lower estuary producing the goods. Good numbers of muddies remain for the keen crabbers, although the swimmers have continued to quieten as is usual in the lead up to winter.
Offshore has been a little better with the strong northerly current beginning to slow and allow the wider reefs to be fished a little more consistently. Snapper numbers are solid with plenty of fish to around 5 kilos on offer, together with a reasonable showing of kingfish and pearl perch. Flathead numbers and quality are apparently excellent for those keen to drift the sand and score an esky full of these. Plenty of mahi mahi to around 7 kilos are on the chew, with the good news being the traps and FADs are at least locatable now the current has backed off.

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

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Forster

Offshore: Sadly the reef fishing has dropped off from the highs of the past month. Bonito and tailor remain common around Latitude Rock and this is always a good time for the last of the cobia.
Beaches: Light offshore winds have minimised wave action and beach structure is poor. The best of the beach fishing has been at Seal Rocks, where mulloway and tailor are common.
Rocks: Forget LBG. The best of the bream, tailor and drummer are being caught from most recognised rock spots.
Estuary: High tide on Thursday (May 6) had the temperature in the lake at 23° and probably explains why the flathead remain so active. It’s MegaBREAM weekend in Forster so it’s probably a good time to stay off the lake and watch the weigh-ins at the Forster boat harbour at 2PM on Saturday and Sunday.

Lloyd Campbell, Great Lakes Tackle 02 6554 9541

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Port Stephens

Graham Duffy, Salamander Bait and Tackle 02 4982 0711

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Hunter Area

I, like many others, have been catching juvenile snapper (squire) in Lake Macquarie while targeting the bream on soft plastic lures. Lately we have been trialing different sized lures and some new areas to try and get a better idea on how to catch more squire and the bigger fish.
Other keen and accomplished local snapper anglers are getting bigger fish and better results from the washes of our offshore reefs. Many other local anglers are starting to target the local mulloway and yellowtail kingfish populations with the soft plastics and assortment of hard-bodied lures and flies with mixed results.
With these fish available to most anglers locally a free information night will be held on Monday (10th May) at Tacklepower Charlestown from 6pm by well known anglers Mike Connolly, Josh Batterson, Dave Seaman and Peter Horrobin, who are developing successful tools and techniques to catch more fish. Numbers are limited so call 02 4943 8780 to secure a seat or hop into either store and register your interest.
Locally the beach fishing continues to shine with the annual mullet run in full swing with over 60 tonnes caught by the beach haulers already. Bream and tailor continue to be caught along Stockton Beach with some large catches of flathead from the northern end.
The tailor fishing in Lake Macquarie remains productive with reports of large tailor caught from Wangi Point and the drop-over with John Hills of Charlestown landing a 1.3kg fish and many more on his first outing in his new boat with son-in law Terry Malbourgh. Others who have been pre-fishing for the upcoming bream comp to be held on the lake in June are reporting good numbers of bream from under floating structure with Chris Russell of Macquarie Hills landing a personal best fish of 1.4 kilos on the weekend.
The NDAA held its annual Deep Sea event last weekend with the Mattara club once again victorious by less than a point over the Burwood Team. Tailor, bream, groper and trevally dominated the bags of competitors although a 15.5 kilo Northern Bluefin Tuna caught off Port Stephens by Mattara angler Bob Hodges was the exceptional catch of the event. Ladies champion went to Michelle Martin, veteran champ was awarded to Alan Hodges and Champion junior was Sam Tapp all from the Mattara club.

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

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Newcastle

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

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Central Coast

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

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Sydney Northern

If you missed the opportunity of wetting a line since last report – congratulations, your timing was perfect. You possibly just missed the worst week’s angling for 2004. Offshore fishos reported a quiet Saturday with the odd free-swimming marlin out wide showing very little interest in any lure or bait presented. Mahi mahi have vacated most local inshore fads moving wider with the 22º+ blue current. Closer inshore flatties have been caught slow drifting the bottom with pillies but have not avoided the metabolism swing induced by this time of year’s seasonal changes.
The chain reaction of winter has not missed Broken Bay this week with a drop of 1.5° to 2º in water temp sending all the summer pelagics off on holidays. The kings have almost vanished, the few that remain are stubbornly refusing to play ball. Some decent tailor are about, usually found stealing baits well placed for some bigger better fish. Flatties are the best go at the moment on the drift using livies west of Juno point and around Dangar Island. The occasional jewie is still about scoffing fresh squid baits on the run out at the Flint.
The Harbour went and purchased some uggies this week as the clear water dropped to 19.4º, the kings have mostly run off to hide but Des Toms of Hookem and Cookem still reports the odd king still about off North Head and Balmoral and some samson fish about on the shallower reefs. Some big tailor have moved in to the harbour, especially around Dobroyd, Washaway and North Head, most taken on live yakkas rather than pillies. John dory have been a top catch around Reef Beach, the Wedding Cakes and Clifton Gardens. Good bream are being taken from structure in most parts of the harbour thought strangely enough trevally don’t seem to be about yet.
Up in Pittwater, Pete Le Blang of Harbour & Estuary Charters reports a very quiet week with even the blue swimmer crabs well down on captures since last week, Pete has fished inside the Joey for bream and trevally with neither species showing full co-operation. Yakkas and squid are also struggling with this cooler water temperature which with these nippy breezes has dramatically dropped surface temps by as much as 5° or 6º in only the last week! Maybe Thursday night’s 2m high tide will bring a few out to play and I would choose a jewfish sortie either in the Hawkesbury or a local beach depending on swell, winds and livie availability – if donuts on the livies then a good slab bait or Belissimo’s fresh/frozen squid will certainly fit the bill.

Darren Thomas
Fish Outta Water 9949 9488
fishon@uunet.com.au

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Sydney Southern
Earlier in the week I had a chance to get out in the afternoon to have a fish for bream. It was decided to anchor just north of the starboard marker out in front of the grey block of units at Dolls Point. Within two to three minutes of the first bait hitting the water the bream were taking off with them. This really hot bite lasted for around 40 minutes and we managed to catch around 25 bream, 16 of which were kept. Mark and I were using pink nippers, mullet strips and chicken in parmesan cheese. The rig was a 1.5 to 2.0 metre leader and a 1/0 Mustad Penetrator hook.
Chris Taylor trolled the entrance to Botany Bay using Mann’s Stretch 10s for a couple of hours on Wednesday morning for 6 tailor to 38cm, 4 bonito and one under sized yellowtail kingfish. Chris then fished Bare Island with peeled prawns and nippers for 12 silver trevally, berleying and fishing a 00 ball sinker right onto the hook.
Leatherjackets are being caught off the end of the third runway, Watts Reef and at the end of Molineaux Point. Small pieces of squid or peeled prawns on a number 8 or 10 long-shanked hook are the go. You will need to berley to keep them around. I have been using these PVA bags that you put your berley into and then tie it onto a weighted line with PVA string. The whole thing is then lowered to the bottom and left for about three minutes. The PVA bag and string will dissolve, releasing the berley onto the bottom. This keeps the leatherjackets directly below your boat. You can use these PVA bags for most or your berley applications.
If you are after a few squid you could try around the groynes at Kurnell, the hot water outlet and Watts Reef. The small sandy bay just inside of Henrys Head is also worth a try.
Peter Johnston fished Port Hacking on three consecutive days earlier in the week for luderick. Fresh green weed and cabbage gathered off the rocks was the key to his success. The first day’s total was 11, second day’s was 14 and the third day he caught nine. Not bad for three days fishing. Peter also caught a dusky flathead and a yellowfin bream on the green cabbage.
Further south the rocks at Coal Cliff are worth trying for bream in the morning and then luderick as the sun is a bit higher in the sky. Make sure that you keep an eye on the swell, as it can come in at any time.
Close offshore there are plenty of Chinaman leatherjackets but you will need wire traces. Bonito can be trolled up to about a kilometre offshore on Christmas tree lures. They make great bait for bream and snapper, especially when they have been salted down.
Fishing classes
Classes at Mako Tackle on how, where and when to fish the waterways of Sydney from the shore and boats will run for three consecutive Tuesday nights for $80. Email me at gbrown1@iprimus.com.au or phone 0422 994 207 or next time you are passing the shop come in and book.

Mako Tackle
Gary Brown / Greg Mercedes 9600 6999

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Wollongong
Lake: Plenty of blackfish and bream in the channel near the southern wall on prawns and live nippers. Hard body lures in the channel and outer lake at Macquarie Rivulet and Hook Creek working well on the bream. Blackfish at the road bridge and mullet creek entrance. Blue swimmer crabs still turning up.
Rocks: Bonito, salmon and tailor plentiful with big schools of bonito in close. Bass Point north side and Blowhole Point Kiama best. Stanwell Park and Garie Beach for drummer and blackfish.
Beaches: Tailor in the deeper gutters on Windang, Warilla and South Shellharbour.
Offshore: Hordes of leatherjackets with kings on the troll at Minnamurra. Around 50 fathoms is best for reef fish.

Garth, Deans Bait and Tackle, Windang 4295 1615

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Batemans Bay

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

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Narooma

Outside pretty quiet with a few marlin early in the week, good water around 22° but the fish aren’t firing. Piranha schools of leatherjackets chopping at all sorts of gear.
Plenty of salmon and tailor on the beaches and pigs off the rocks on cunje or ab gut.
Estuary flatties still firing (up to 6kg) and some nice bream on lures and bait. Plenty of tailor still in the main estuary with fish 35cm to 55cm. Unfortunately they like soft plastics!

Darryl, The Ocean Hut 4476 2278

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Bermagui
On Thursday (May 6) yellowfin, albacore, mahi mahi and marlin came in and it looks like more coming in on Friday. Water just shy of 23° on the 12 mile and the shelf and 21° in close, striped tuna about. Plenty of salmon and tailor on the beaches with a 3.5kg tailor (gilled and gutted) weighed in on Friday. Caught fishing for jewies and the angler had already taken a slab off the tail for bait. The beach at Wallaga was the spot.
Plenty of bream in the river taking nippers and cut bait.

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

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