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

Top

Outside: Not to much action this week outside with the wind holding off the keenest of boaties. The few boats that made it out there reported a few big cobia again and the odd good size snapper being caught.
Rock & Beach: Some really good size tailor being taking off the beach in front of the surf club and right down the south beach to the sign. Chopper tailor on the south and north wall. The local keen jew fishermen have been getting some monster jewies off the north beach right in close near the wall. (But you didn’t hear it from me … ha-ha.)
River: A few flathead still getting around. Bream around the traffic bridge and good whiting being caught up river.

Craig Wraight
BP Discount Fishing Tackle, Brunswick Heads
ausie_28_red@yahoo.com.au
Phone (02) 66851268

Very windy and cold. Tailor to 5.5kg and bream to 2.2kg along Seven Mile Beach. Tonnes of bait all along Tallow and Main beaches with birds going in everywhere. Big flathead on Tallow and Belongil beaches if you can get through the netters. Look out for the baby blue pilchards around 10cm long - everything loves them.

David Keevers, Coastal Fishing Tackle 02 66 857 133

Top

Bruce at Dave’s Bait Shop says the bream in the river are improving with some fair ones along the rocky walls. Still flathead from the lower reaches to Wardell. Blackfish only ordinary with no limits to be had. Beach bream have been really good with fish to 2kg from South Ballina and up towards Lennox. Tailor early and late from the walls, rocks and beaches. Plenty of action with jew to 13kg around the walls in the lower reaches of the river too. Outside pretty fair on the wider reefs for mixed bags when the wind allows with a few reds starting to work the shallows.
At Evans Head there have been some tailor and bream along the beaches but the swell has kicked up a bit. The odd school jew and tailor around the rocks but there are hordes of dolphins are everywhere so the schools can’t really concentrate on feeding. Offshore was fairly quiet before the southerly came through on Wednesday night with a few patches of fair snapper and not much else in between. Watch the migrating whales, they’re everywhere.

Dave’s Bait Shop 02 6686 2481
&
Tony Zann

t.zann@fishingmonthly.com.au

Top

I'm back. Though still catching up with the fishing scene, I can report that outside is fishing pretty well with some quality snapper and pearl perch further to the south around Wooli and the Sandon. These fish should be off the Angourie reefs as well.
Tailor off the rocks and beaches with some reasonable sized fish coming into the Creek. The blackfish fishos are wandering around in a daze and wondering what has happened to the schools of fish that by now should be in the system. They aren't and I'd predict here, as I have in this June issue of Fishing Monthly, that it just won't happen again this year.
Bream are around and with the BREAM Clarence round on this weekend it will be interesting to see captures come in. I fished Browns Rocks yesterday for a brief outing with two friends, scoring a nice 3.5kg lizard on plastics and some keeper bream on mullet strips as the tide started to roar just on dark. There was a lot of bait showing on the sounder and also quality fish moving through so maybe the competitors will have some luck.
Paul Kneller at big River bait and Tackle hasn’t been out on the river because of the BREAM pre-fish ban but says there have been some good bream off the walls with a few jew among the mullet off there as well. The lower river not so hot for blackfish but they’re OK around Illarwill. Scattered flathead.
Beaches: Flathead in the beach holes and near the rocks; good tarwhine, the odd good haul of bream. Tailor patchy with bigger fish on the southern side, like Sandon’s Back Beach.
Some squire, trag and tuskfish offshore but it’s been blowy.

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

Top

Offshore: Windy conditions haven’t helped out wide but there are some good snapper in close along with the tail end of the mackerel run, with only spotties available at the moment. Cold water has crept up the coast , bringing an incredible run of salmon with fish to 5kg recorded. No problems locking horns with one of these but if anyone has a recipe apart from fish cakes, let me know.
Beach gutters turning up good bream, jewfish and funnily enough, the odd whiting.
Estuaries fishing well with good bream and the odd flathead at the lower ends and luderick moving in and out with the tide.

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

Top

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

Top

The weather gods certainly smiled on the Mid North Coast over the long weekend, with many anglers wetting a line. With plenty of sunshine and little wind, the boat ramp was packed each day and you could scarcely locate a stretch of water anywhere which did not contain at least a couple of people enjoying a spot of angling. Just goes to show that the popularity of recreational angling has not diminished over the years, despite the myriad of other forms of entertainment now on offer compared to that of yesteryear.
On the beaches, tailor have remained a little fickle, but North Beach and Lighthouse have given up some reasonable catches. Bream numbers continue to be well below expectations but there have been some stud specimens, well over a kilo, landed. The odd report of reasonable bags have begun to dribble in some long-awaited action may be just around the corner. Salmon are around in big numbers, far more prevalent than the past few years. The beaches around Lake Cathie have yielded a few nice school jew with live worms the bait of choice.
Off the rocks, tailor have picked up locally and around Point Plommer, with the average size also on the improve. Bream have been reasonable, particularly at night. Improved reports of drummer continue to filter in, although the water is yet to cool sufficiently to really fire the pigs up. Also have had several reports from local anglers as well as those fishing Point Perpendicular and Diamond Head, of good numbers of early season juvenile groper. Anglers need to ensure bag limits of two fish per day are strictly adhered to.
In the estuary, blackfish have picked up a little albeit somewhat inconsistently, with the south wall giving up a few nice fish whilst reasonable numbers have also been snared from the Maria and Limeburners. Good numbers of above-average leatherjackets have also been caught around the co-op and the coal wall, with small prawns fished under a float or bobby cork doing well. Elsewhere, bream remain reasonable, particularly for those fishing at night, with gut baits achieving the better results. A few late season flathead continue to on offer although it is disappointing to hear of large females being taken regularly. While it is your legal right to take one flathead over 70cm each day, please remember these fish are all breeding females capable of producing countless offspring each year. From a culinary perspective, these fish represent extremely poor table fare in comparison to the smaller models. It is also worth bearing in mind, with the Hastings now off limits to commercial fishermen, the onus on protecting these fish, and ensuring great seasons ahead, rests solely with amateur anglers.
Outside, reports have been rather encouraging, with John from Ocean Star Charters reporting improved catches of snapper, plenty of pearl perch, morwong and kingfish. Mahi mahi remain thick around the FAD and other buoys, with the majority of fish from juveniles to around 4kg. Leatherjackets remain quite thick in places although by and large, the stud fish are yet to arrive in numbers.

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

Top

Offshore - Winter fishing patterns are now starting to establish themselves. Five Mile and Elsies are the places to go for a feed of Trag and Snapper. The occasional Kingfish will be taken as by-catch if using live bait. Small Kingfish are common in and around The Pinnacle. Tailor are thick at Latitude Rock as are small Reds. Those fishing reefs after dark have reported the occasional Mulloway.

Beaches - The beach fishing has been a little disappointing. Tailor and Bream numbers are down from what you would expect at this time of the year. Small Mulloway have been targeted with good results from Celito Beach.

Rocks - The pick of the fishing at the moment by a long shot. Most recognised rock fishing spots will provide Tailor, Bream and some freight trains called Drummer. Cape Hawke, North Boomerang, Danger Rock and Seal Rocks have all produced the goods. If you can get a spot at Jannies you'll also do well.

Estuary - Very hit and miss off the Breakwalls in regards to Mulloway. Hopefully the predicted cooler weather and winds will shift some of the Bream and Blackfish that are outside, into the estuary system. Bream luring is not at its peak and to find fish you should explore structure and shorelines away from the usual high traffic areas. The increased numbers of people fishing in this way have seen all the reliable and easily accessed spots heavily fished on a regular basis, and as a result of this the fish have been scattered. The ABT B.R.E.A.M Grand Final will be held here on the last weekend of October.

Lloyd Campbell, Great Lakes Tackle 02 6554 9541

Top

Estuary: Heaps of bream in the backwaters, oyster racks, Soldiers Point, North Arm Cove, Boulders and good run on the co-op wall. Blackfish both walls and Tomaree. Flathead Karuah River and the top of Tilligerry.
Beaches: Droves of salmon on Stockton, Samurai and Fingal. Bream at The Huts. Tailor at dusk on all the beaches.
Rocks: Snapper coming into the shallows to spawn. We got a few nice ones to 6.8kg on Monday. Try Fishermans, Boat Harbour, Rocky, Cemetery Point. Tailor on all headlands. Pigs improving in the cooler water, especially around Honeysuckle and Rocky, with bream and blackfish.
Outside: Snapper in the shallows around Sisters, North Island, Cod Rock, the font of Fishermans at Boat Harbour. A few jew on The Tank, The Vs. Flathead on the Wide Fingal drift and the back of Mungo at Broughton. Heaps of tailor on the troll around the islands.

Graham Duffy, Salamander Bait and Tackle 02 4982 0711

Top

Lake Macquarie hosted the largest number of competitors yet for a NSW Pro Bream event when over 100 anglers in 60 boats contested the Tackle Power Bream Pro at Wangi over last weekend. Fine weather and reasonable winds allowed competitors to fish the more open areas. Most of the over 200 legal-sized bream caught in the three sessions came from the shallower flats instead of the floating structures of past events.
In a very hard-fought battle between four skilful local anglers all using similar techniques, it came down to 250g to finalise this year’s champion. Brent Harding was crowned champion and received over $500 cash, pipping teammate Geoff Allen by 90g with Brendon Hughes third. Overnight leader Rob Irons was fourth and collected a new Loomis GL3 rod for the biggest bream, 1.57kg.
Champion Boat prize of a hand held GPS also went to Harding and Allen of Team West End Tackle and the champion club award was collected by Team Tackle Power.
The abundance of Australian salmon available from offshore and our local beaches continues. Schools of salmon are working close offshore from Wybung Head to Seal Rocks and fish to 4kg are common with visiting TV angler Rob Paxevanos landing a few on local charter operation B&L Charters.
Mixed bags are coming from the rock platforms with black drummer, bream, tailor and salmon caught from the Catherine Hill Bay platforms and some large luderick from Dudley rocks.
The drought has had a damaging effect on the trout numbers from the Barrington Tops and New England Tablelands with friends who visited Ebor last week getting very cold for nil fish.
This Friday sees the start of Tackle Power`s annual three day clearance sale at our Sandgate store with well over $1 million worth of fishing tackle to clear. Everything in the store will be heavily discounted with a marquee set up out front to offer bargains so don’t miss out on this chance to stock up.

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

Top

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

Top

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

Top

With the fishing scene moving into winter, locating fish in clear water isn’t so hard but taking home more than a feed is proving a challenge for boat- and land-based fishos on the north side.
Uncomfortable conditions over the long weekend prevented many skippers from putting to sea so there were few reports of yellowfin out wide. Mick from Allie Hunter Charters fished wide for fin with no success but did satisfy his clients when an 80kg mako swam up the trail and swallowed a tuna fed his way. Makos are very acrobatic once hooked up and an airborne 8kg dude is a sight worth seeing. In closer, in waters of 50-60m flathead from 15-60cm and plate-size snapper are on the bottom and if you move off the reef to the gravel good morwong will also be around. Just off North Head, schooling salmon and deeper rat kings are accepting small slugs and you should use the shorter, fatter units to assist in long casts as these fish are extremely boat-shy.
In the Harbour, the water has plummeted to 14.6° at Roseville and to 18.8° at South Head – just 20 minutes from each other.
Hookem and Cookem’s Des Toms reports Middle Head is the best spot for tailor, the odd king, cowanyoung and big slimies and even john dory on livies. Plague proportions of baby sweep are scoffing anything so catching yakkas ain’t easy but small the sweep are as good or better live bait for the dory, being a much slower target. When conditions and species make it hard, shoot over to Sow and Pigs Reef and chase luderick. These fish are a winter mainstay and when centralised in deep water they don’t seem as hesitant to eat. Plenty of small berley (small, small pieces) is required on every outing – it does make a huge difference.
In Pittwater FOW manager Peter Keep fished the front Barrenjoey wash for 20 tailor to a kilo while Pete Le Blang from Harbour and Estuary Charters says to try the topside of Scotland Island to long Nose point near the moorings for plenty of choppers. More dory on sweep behind Palmy near the moorings. Try around Bayview and Church Point for luderick – water temps are way down to 16.5° so fish with plenty of berley and depth. FOW customer Nev Taylor christened his new 4kg baitcaster on a school mulloway up Cowan Creek.

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

Top

Mako Tackle
Gary Brown / Greg Mercedes 9600 6999

Top

Wind has eased a little on Thursday evening.
Lake: Bream in the evenings on lightly weighted nippers and prawns around structure in the channel. Mt Warrigal and Berkley worth a shot on fire tiger and pink hard-body lures, red and gold plastics. Blackfish in good numbers under the road bridge on green weed. Mouth of Mullet Creek also worth a look for blackfish.
Beaches: Tailor at Warilla and Fairy Meadow on pillies or mullet strips. Bream at MM beach at Port Kembla, whiting on Mystics and Kendalls Beach at Kiama.
Rocks: Bream on the southern sides of headlands and drummer in good supply on ab gut and royal reds.
Offshore: leatherjackets busy everywhere, snapper increasing with cuttlefish showing up. Morwong and reds on South East Grounds at Shellharbour and north at Scarborough and Wombara.

Garth, Deans Bait and Tackle, Windang 4295 1615

Top

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

Top

Estuary: Flatties down in number but up in quality. Bream have moved to the back of the estuary. Thumpers of tailor in the main lake.
Beaches fishing well for salmon and tailor with a few jew coming in as well, which is rather unusual.
Offshore: Best fishing will be for snapper down around the southern end. Out wide still yellowfin over the 1000-fathom line – no place to be in a wind!

Darryl, The Ocean Hut 4476 2278

Top

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

Top