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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Outside: A good week for the outside fishermen, some good jew fish have been caught on the lead-up to the full moon. Still nice snapper being taken off the close reefs. The last few days have been almost to good to believe and people have been getting out wide, bringing in nice cod and big knobbies up to 7kgs.
Rock and beach: Beaches a little quiet, only the odd tailor being caught.
River: Nice whiting being caught up river towards Mullumbimby and a few around the sand spits. Flatties around the bridge and bar. School jew being caught up river.

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

Pretty quiet with the occasional big tailor and bream but not big bags. The Four Mile has produced some nice snapper in little current. Big schools of really big yellowtail with some white pillies and froggies but not much belting into them.

David Keevers, Coastal Fishing Tackle 02 66 857 133

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Ben Lovejoy at Dave’s Bait Shop says there are some nice tailor from the rocks from North Wall up to Sharps Beach. Good bream from Patchs Beach to South Ballina. A few school jew in the river behind the RSL Club and the Sundowner on the rising tide at night. Blackfish are OK at Prospect Bridge and the Porpoise Wall gaps. Outside reports pretty thin with the wind but the odd jew, snapper and pearlies out wide.
At Evans Head the inshore reefs have had a few squire and tarwhine, along with the odd jew on the pinnacles. Bar is shallow but there’s not much break. Rocks and beaches have fished quite well for bream, tailor, whiting and dart. River is clear but there are bream around, especially at night on the big tides before the moon comes up. Also the odd good flathead.

Dave’s Bait Shop 02 6686 2481
&
Tony Zann

t.zann@fishingmonthly.com.au

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Offshore fishing on the reefs is looking fairly reasonable with some good snapper coming to scale. Further down the coast around Wooli and the Sandon are producing. There's plenty of bait in the ocean along with a load of whales, they are everywhere.
In The Creek, flathead are still bountiful, blackfish are as scarce as, but hopefully improving, bream are tight but this coming week with some better tides could see an improvement in the latter two species.
Fishing on the beaches is patchy, tailor are about but this is going to be one of the worst seasons for many years. There's a few jew around but you have to be keen and if you are then be prepared to work the tides at all hours of the night and you might be rewarded. But hey, that's what keen jew fishos do, don't they?

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

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Beaches: The monster plague of salmon continues with fish in almost every beach gutter. Mixed with them are some nice tailor to 1.5kg and big sea-run bream to 1.5kg.
Estuaries a little quiet with the lower ends returning some nice blackfish, good bream and the odd flathead.
Offshore: The excellent conditions have seen anglers hitting the inshore reefs in droves. It has been a little lumpy out wide but the inshore spots are turning up nice snapper to 6kg.

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
rocksmarine@dodo.com.au

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Off the rocks, bream remain on offer, albeit patchy at times, with Lighthouse, Plommer and Diamond Head producing some nice fish in the lead-up to the full moon. Tailor numbers have been reasonable with some nice early morning and late afternoon sessions producing fish to a kilo or better. Blackfish remain an option with Point Perpendicular containing good numbers of fish, whilst the odd solid groper has been extracted courtesy of the westerly wind flattened seas. Drummer remain below par locally, with most anglers scoring only an odd fish here and there. The main problem at present, as was the case last year, would appear to be sand, with most recognised ledges looking more like they do in summer rather than how they should at this time of year. What is needed is big southerly ground swell for a couple of day to scour out these locations, loosen up some feed, and provide a purpose for the pigs to inundate our coastline. Until this happens, those with access to boats capable of fishing the close in reefs and bommies will enjoy the better success.
Off the beaches, things are at last beginning to look up, with a few reasonable mixed bags coming in. Tailor have been consistent if not spectacular, with the dawn session producing the better results. Bream numbers and quality too have improved, however as yet we have not seen level action expected at this time of year. Best bait has proven to be the humble pipi, a perennial favourite of big travelling bream at this time year. Mulloway remain a little inconsistent although those putting the hard yards have been rewarded with a few schoolies, although the upcoming week will contain some great tidal phases as long as the northerly current backs down a little. Plenty of salmon about as well which if nothing else, at least provides some great sport in between the more palatable species.
In the estuary, blackfish numbers continue to be a little patchy but a few good hauls are beginning to occur, particularly from Limeburners and the Maria. Flathead numbers remain reasonable despite the water now cooling considerably. Bream have picked up a little, and once the moon begins to wane, our lower estuaries should be at their best for night breaming. Pretty well any bait will catch fish in varying numbers but that delightful substance mullet gut, fished on a 1/0 chemically sharpened suicide hook and minimal lead, will prove a deadly combination.
For outside fishos, the story has been all leatherjackets and heaps of them. John from Ocean Star reports that recent charters have resulted in excellent numbers of big jackets, along with a few quality snapper and pearl perch. At times annoying, given their penchant for terminal tackle, there is no doubting their culinary excellence. Best bet is to make sure there is plenty of wire on board.

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

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Offshore: Reefs wide of Five Mile continue to throw up a mixed bag of fish. Over the last week these reefs have fished well during the early evening with trag, snapper and pearl perch the most common. A large spangled emperor provided Simon with his catch of the week. Small kingfish remain on inshore reefs along with the usual assortment of rubbish.
Beaches: Once again the reports from the Seal Rocks area make you wonder why you would fish anywhere else. Big tailor, salmon and bream are all on offer. A mulloway which topped the old 100lb mark came from that area last weekend.
Rocks: Charlotte Head is again fishing well with kingfish enjoying small metal slices and providing plenty of action. The drummer fishing up and down the coast has been good.
Estuary: The latest technique for catching mulloway from the breakwalls was developed by Rob, who landed a 45lb fish on 12lb line and a 1/0 hook while fishing for bream. Several other mulloway have been caught in the breakwall area using more conventional techniques. Blackfish remain scarce and the bream scattered throughout the estuary. Water clarity is outstanding due to the lack of any rain in recent times and requires you to use a bit of stealth and cunning to catch the bigger bream.

Lloyd Campbell, Great Lakes Tackle 02 6554 9541

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Estuary: Blackfish Tomaree, co-op wall, Anchorage wall. School jew on the Psyche wreck, Middle Island Soldiers Point and Oyster Cove. Flathead in the upper reaches of Myall and Karuah rivers, Tilligerry Creek. Bream full on – Boulders, Corrie Island Short Cut, the Duck Hole, Rocks Awash. Plenty of trumpeter whiting on the back reaches of Soldiers Point.
Beaches: Plenty of bream on Stockton from about 6km down. Good bream around the middle rock between Samurai and One Mile Beach. Heaps of salmon on Stockton, tailor late arvos on Stockton, Fingal Spit and Box. Whiting on Fingal Spit.
Rocks: Snapper to 6.4kg on high tide at Boat Harbour, also Cemetery and Rocky. Pigs at the Pig Pen at Boat Harbour, Hole In The Wall at Honeysuckle and Sunny Corner. Tailor on all headlands, especially One Mile. Plenty of blackfish Boulder Bay and Rocky. Squid in the bays between Tomaree and Birubi.
Offshore: Snapper anywhere in close, they’re spawning. Fishermans, Boat Harbour, Sisters, North Island. School jew on The 21, The Tank, The Vs. Trag in 40m off Boulder Bay. Tailor around Cabbage Tree and across the front of Tomaree to Fingal. Good kings East Head and The Breakers.

Graham Duffy, Salamander Bait and Tackle 02 4982 0711

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The rock and beach fishing continues to fire with some extra-large tailor up to 4.5kg being caught from the Stockton Breakwall and Newcastle Harbour. Black drummer are around in good numbers with Brad Harrison catching 10 fish to 2.5kg in two hours on fresh cunje through the week and a 9.5kg blue groper was brought into our Sandgate store on Saturday. Luderick are also available with the Hunter River, Newcastle Harbour and Lucy’s Wall in Swansea Channel accounting for good fish.
Despite a second placing behind arch-rivals Mattara in the annual Graham Dores Memorial Open event held last weekend, the Burwood club has secured the Champion Team shield for the 2003-2004 NDAA season. In windy conditions a range of both fresh and saltwater species were presented to the weighmaster with golden perch and catfish coming from the freshwater impoundments and tailor, luderick, salmon, drummer and whiting making up the majority of salt species. Bob Hodges from Mattara was the open champion ahead of Burwood`s John Maloney, Ladies champion was Michelle Martin, veteran champion Alan Hodges and Jeffery Small was junior champion. Highlights included a 4kg groper for John Maloney, a 2.15kg drummer for Craig Oaten, a 2kg golden perch for Serena Emmett and a 2.4kg Australian salmon for Kenny Martin from the Maitland Amateur Fishing Club.
The strong winds reached gale force cancelling one of the three sessions set down for the Duff’s Tackle Port Stephens Pro Bream event last weekend. Due to the winds only 59 competitors entered, catching 54 legal bream with young Anthony Thorpe blitzing some very confident local anglers to secure first place with four fish for 2.83 kilos, securing the Tacklepower Champion Boat award with mate Jason Hagerty, who had never competed before. Second was the ironman of these championships and last year`s winner, Brent Harding, with four fish for 2.17 kilos and third was Cardiff`s Chris Russell with 3 fish for 2.13 kilos. Again I will be $50 poorer after the Tacklepower Team secured the Team award by only a few points from the West End boys.

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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Howling westerlies, plenty of rock and roll, no fish in sight … or do you just stay home and wear another weekend off the water because of the stiff conditions out wide.
Plenty of bottom species interested in a passing meal down deep, with blue eye cod and gemfish encountered on the shelf as well as further inside, around the 50-70 metre mark. Mick Lyons of Allie Hunter Charters fished for plenty of keeper reds and legal flatties drifting the bottom with pillies. Two shark reports from Mick’s regulars included Sydney game boats Wahoo and Gambit weighing in makos at 160kg and 120kg.
Sydney Harbour fished pretty well through the week, including two big squid taken in two minutes off the Manly boat ramp. Both were downrigged from Quarantine Point to North Head proper and back for some big kilo tailor from the depths. No signs of surface salmon, with plenty of birds about but none really holding near or over the fish. Further west around The Spit, Andrew Parkes berleyed up some solid 35-40cm bream on light unweighted gear and prawns and plastics. Plenty of garfish in the trail.
Up to Pittwater the action is either on or off. You either get ‘em or you can’t find ‘em. There seems to be no shortage of tailor on trolled lures and plenty of dory in around Careel Bay Taylors Point area. West Head is holding plenty of bait still, yakkas, gars and squid.
The annual Fish Outta Water Shimano stocktake clearance sale starts at 8am on Saturday (July 3) and will run till the following Sunday (July 11). The store is open to 5pm weekends, 6pm weekdays and 8pm Thursday. Sale includes $49 12ft rock and beach combo; Shimano TR200G overhead reel only $99 – that’s half price; free Shimano Aernos reel with Steve Starling spin rod purchase. Don’t miss it.

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

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Morwong, snapper and pigfish are coming in from a number of the close offshore reefs. There are also a number of schools of sand flathead off the hospital at Maroubra. Fish in about 35 metres of water. Best baits have been strips of mullet and salted slimy mackerel. One good thing is the Chinaman leatherjackets seem to have thinned out a bit.
Out wide Greg reports that there have been a few small yellowfin tuna been trolled up on hard body lures and those large Christmas tree lures. If you are trolling and come across a school of striped tuna it is worth just drifting while at the same time cubing for the yellowfin. This will tend to bring on some of the larger models.
The bream have seemed to have moved further upstream as there have been a number of good catches at the base of the Milperra Bridge and the wall at Chipping Norton in the Georges River. The wall also has plenty of mullet and luderick feeding along it. Best time of the tide seems to be near the top of the tide. Make sure that you use plenty of bread for berley.
Good squid are being caught in Port Hacking. Try the baths at Lilli Pilli and Gunnamatta Bay. Blue, pink and orange squid jigs seem to be getting the best results.
The beaches off Cronulla have been producing few good catches of tailor and salmon in the early part of the morning. Once the sun is up a bit the sand whiting are starting to move about. Worms have been the best baits for the sand whiting.
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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Lake: Blackfish in the channel near the road bridge, taking squirtworms and weed. Bream between the islands and in the back creeks, prawns and bloodworm-coloured plastics working. Wind is a bit of a terror.
Rocks: Hill 60 at Port Kembla for blackfish and drummer but you’ll need to berley with bread. Nice groper at Windang Island on red crabs, try the northern side. Blackfish and drummer at Barrack Point. Good salmon and tailor at Beakie Bay at Bass Point.
Beaches: A bit patchy but try Windang close to the island for salmon and tailor, MM Beach for bream on worms, the odd whiting on South Shellharbour.
Offshore: Good bream around Rabbit Island and blackfish around Pig Island and Toothbrush. Nice mowies on Bandit and Wollongong reefs. Nice snapper off Rangoon Island but it’s been blowy.

Garth, Deans Bait and Tackle, Windang 4295 1615

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Rocks: Groper off Durras on red crabs. North Durras for plenty of drummer.
The odd flathead in the river.
Plenty of good salmon on Broulee Beach and the Moruya walls

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

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Offshore: Fairly quiet with some snapper, mowies and flathead around the island.
Rocks, beaches: Salmon and tailor pretty good. Leatherjackets still floating up.
Estuary: Plenty of tailor in Wagonga Inlet with flatties and bream but very clear water doesn’t help. Try Corunna Lake for flatties on plastics.

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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