Fishing Monthly - Latest Fishing Reports - Updated Weekly

Fishing Monthly - Latest Fishing Reports - Updated Weekly

These reports are updated weekly.
Last Edited: Friday, 15 October 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

Estuary: Tailor at the mouth of the river, flathead around Tumbulgum, Cobaki and Seagulls. Whiting around Tumbulgum, the Piggery and Chinderah.

Offshore: Pearlies and snapper but not much action because of the wind.

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

Brunswick Heads

NO REPORT

Joe
BP Discount Fishing Tackle Brunswick Heads (02) 66851268
brunswick-fishing@netspace.net.au

Byron Bay

Blowing hard from the north-east but a southerly coming. Quiet with very few reports apart from the odd whiting from the beaches.

David Keevers, Coastal Fishing Tackle (02) 6685 7133

Ballina

Bruce from Dave’s Bait Shop says whiting are going pretty good for early in the season, with best catches from North Creek and around Pimlico Island. Flathead going quite OK along the walls and upstream, with schoolies and flathead well up-river to Broadwater and beyond. Muddies kicking around up to Wardell. Too windy for outside.

I’ve been slaving in Brisbane on the November issue of NSWFM so I don’t have up-to-date reports for Evans Head but earlier in the week there were pods of blackfish schooling around the wall and some fairly good whiting up Airforce Beach. The odd school jew and salmon around the headlands but you’ll battle to pick them up. Windy offshore.

Dave’s Bait Shop (02) 6686 2481
&
Tony Zann

t.zann@fishingmonthly.com.au

Yamba

Estuary: Still a heap of flathead with some good-sized ones along with school jew in good numbers with a small fresh that just clouded the water enough to really kick off the action. A few whiting but not in great numbers. Some blue swimmers in Oyster Channel.

Beaches a little quiet but the odd big tailor to 4.5kg among the salmon.

Offshore has been pretty quiet with onshore winds.

Paul Kneller
Big River Bait and Tackle, Maclean (02) 6645 1834

Coffs Harbour

Offshore: Strong winds have limited chances and the weekend looks a write-off. Mid-week warriors took some nice snapper.

Beaches: Salmon still dominate but probably not for much longer as water temps rise. A few bream and tailor with the odd jew, with worms the best bait.

Estuary: gin-clear but a multitude of small flathead carpet the bottom ends. Last of the run out tide the best with soft plastics accounting for most of the fish.

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

South West Rocks

The weather is heating up but I am sorry to say the fishing is only just warm. But there are some positive signs that it is improving.

The beaches have been a mixed bag with only a few fish being taken. Smoky Beach is giving up salmon, small whiting, bream and dart with some flathead in the holes. Gap Beach has whiting, salmon and a few bream. Back Beach is still fishing well for salmon and the odd flathead. Front Beach should get you some bream and whiting.

The River is full of small bream and flathead to keep you on your toes, just watch the legal lengths. From one extreme to the other, John Smith hooked a 22kg jew on the run-out tide about 2pm while walking the wall using live pike. The end of the Wall is still the best spot to fish if you want to play with the salmon, with pilchards your best bait. Good bream have been caught around the boatshed at dusk and the oyster leases around Clybucca. There are still nice blackfish around the Wire Fence or the Jew Bite on the South Wall. Good flathead are being caught in most parts of the river, just keep your baits moving to improve your chances. Salmon have moved up river so if you’re in a boat, make sure your rod is in the rod holder. If you are chasing jewfish try the pylons under the Jerseyville bridge.

The odd tailor has been coming in off the rocks. There are still heaps of salmon around to keep you interested. Bream, along with some drummer, are being caught off the ledges.

Fishing outside has been a little quiet. Pearl perch and small snapper are up north towards Scotts Head but you may need to try the wider reefs. Mahi mahi are out at The Dot. Joe De Bono from Sydney caught a ripper 15kg dolly out there last week. Reports indicate the current has eased a bit. Fish Rock is still producing kingfish with Frank Prengengas and Mike Cassa picking up nice kings around 6kg using squid. We have fresh garfish at the moment and trolling these is great bait for these classic fighting fish.

Live bait has been difficult to get, especially around the buoys. There have been a lot of small kingies around these buoys but, again, watch the legal size limit. The water temperature has been slowly warming so the fishing should be ready fire.
Don’t forget to check your boat’s safety gear.

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

Port Macquarie

In the estuary, flathead remain the star attraction with some quality fish on offer from most parts, although the better catches have been upstream, with the Maria and around Rawdon Island fishing particularly well. Good bream are also on offer around Rawdon Island but the clearer waters mean stealth tactics are required, regardless of whether you are bait or lure fishing. A few more whiting also beginning to show in the Hastings, although in the main the throwbacks outnumber the keepers considerably. Blackfish remain elusive at best with any multiple catches all considered good going. Plenty of salmon around the breakwalls with small lures accounting for many great tussles.

Crab numbers remain excellent with blue swimmers and muddies pointing to a bumper season. The muddies are full, a little unusual for this time of year. Looks like it could be another good year for Lake Cathie prawns, with this month’s dark producing above expectations. Numbers were not substantial, though most managed a good feed on most nights.

Off the rocks, a few jew have been snared from Point Plommer and surrounds, with fresh tailor and squid the pick of the baits. Still very little action on the drummer front. Tailor have improved with some quality fish over a kilo from most headlands, with Lighthouse the pick. A few bream are also on offer. Blackfish remain reasonable, while the odd groper is still on offer when the swell is low.

Outside reports have been limited, given the constant winds. When conditions allow, John from Ocean Star has been managing some nice snapper. This hasn’t been a bad effort given the current has been screaming and a stack of small leatherjackets have been making a nuisance of themselves. The FAD has also produced mahi mahi with Ocean Star managing some great fish to 6kg one day and no interested fish the next. John says the water temperature is beginning to climb and a few small marlin have been sighted along with plenty of baitfish, primarily slimies. To date, not too many boats have begun any serious trolling but it sounds like it may well be worth a look in the coming weeks.

Beach conditions have been challenging with plenty of wind and current. The red weed has begun to disperse, with Lighthouse ands Crescent Head at least looking clearer than recently. Plenty of good formations north and south, together with great tides this weekend, so things are looking up. Best bet would be the late arvo or very early morning run-up tides chasing bream, whiting or school jew with live worms. If nothing else, at least there are plenty of salmon hanging around to provide a bit of fun.

Jason and Virginia Isaac, Ned Kelly’s Bait and Tackle 6583 8318

cjisaac@ozemail.com.au

Forster

Offshore: A very slow week outside which should not come as a surprise at this time of he year. Periodical reports of some monster kingfish, particularly around Seal Rocks.

Beaches: A bit of everything this week with some small tailor being taken on Tuncurry Beach. The salmon have not completely left our neck of the woods with a few to be had at Seven Mile Beach. Further south the whiting are a little more consistent. Quite a few dart now being caught.

Rocks: The drummer have slowed, in part because the number of fishos chasing them has dropped off. A few second-hand reports of mulloway south of Pacific Palms continue.

Estuary: The soft plastic brigade is again successfully annoying the mulloway off the local breakwalls. The last week has seen us experience a solid prawn run which in turn has produced a lot of fish activity in the lake. The annual trumpeter whiting massacre is under way, which is quickly turning into the summer version of what happens with the blackfish over winter. Funny how the same groups of people are involved and have a problem understanding that you stop at 20! The number of big bream again in the lower part of the estuary is terrific. These have no doubt been concentrated in this area by recent rain and the prawn run. Dusky Flathead are everywhere.

Lloyd Campbell, Great Lakes Tackle 02 6554 9541

Port Stephens

Estuary: Flathead in the upper reaches, mud crabs and blue swimmers working around, bream on the racks. Bucketloads of trumpeter whiting through the bay and flounder on the Middle Grounds.

Beaches: Tonnes of salmon as usual anywhere you want to cast. Bream and whiting on Stockton, whiting on One Mile.

Rocks: Drummer and groper from Fingal to Birubi.

Offshore: Squire off Fishermans and Boat Harbour, rat kings around the outer islands. Better snapper and kings around Broughton shallow reefs. Out on the shelf there are striped marlin and yellowfin.

Graham Duffy, Salamander Bait and Tackle 02 4982 0711

Hunter Area

NO REPORT

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

Newcastle

Lake Macquarie: Another landmark catch, a 24kg jewfish caught at Gwandalan at the boat ramp last week by an unnamed angler. Whiting season is here, with some locals cleaning up with 6-15 fish averaging 500g to 750g. Most are being caught on bloodworms and tubeworms. Berkley have a bloodworm look-alike, called the nightcrawler, which I can't wait to try out. Squid are also on the move but the winning edge is to use the squid spikes with a whole pilchard. This technique gets a little overlooked by most so don't be afraid to try something different.

Word is that tonnes of support steel is being placed under the Swansea bridge deck structure to support its ailing condition. The rock that was placed on the lake bed has settled but has reduced the depth of water in that area. The obvious thing is that the days for the bridge are numbered but the RTA will 'Band-Aid' the problem.

Where to fish this weekend?
Beach/rock: Blacksmiths Beach had some weed a few days ago so maybe worth a go now, should be jew cruising around. Redhead rocks for tailor, drummer and snapper.
Outside: The shelf has 18°-20° blue water and plenty of striped tuna so the marlin should be there. Inner Farm for snapper and flathead, Doctors Reef for kingfish and snapper/leatherjackets.
Lake: All the sand flats for whiting and bream. Blue swimmer crabs behind the old Swansea co-op and in front of Coal Point. Squid in Store specials: 50% off tow ropes with every towable purchased, 50% off selected hooks, 6hp outboard motor $1795.

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

Central Coast

NO REPORT

Joel

Freddys Fishing World (02) 4367 5555
Shop 1/ 229 The Entrance Rd Erina

Sydney Northern

You’d think summer was here with 40° temperatures during the week. It’s a pity no one informed the fish as it was a week of absolute hit and miss. To slightly redefine that, Monday worked quite well at one spot and then less than 24 hours later not so much as a bite at the same possie. Mako sharks are on the chew offshore and not much else.

Flathead are eagerly taking baits from the Six to the Twelve Mile, pillies mostly but soft plastic jigs are also worth a try. Longy and Newport reefs are holding small reds from sub-legals to 2kg.

The Harbour might as well be on holidays and has been quiet on most fronts, particularly with the salmon moving out during the week. Peter Roberts worked hard for some trevally inside North Head. Other Harbour reports include Peter Zurita, who fished North Harbour for a one bream and three flatties, one over a metre and more than 6kg. Pete used a yakka slab, lightly weighted, and after a quick photo op, let the big girl go to breed up a few more for us all. Great effort. Among the quiet reports, one other stands out, an 8kg jewfish from Middle Harbour on a squid bait.

Up on Pittwater, Pete Le Blang of Harbour and Estuary Charters reports a few blue swimmers on the move near Lion Island, with salmon wide of the same area but not overly interested. Pete reckons a Barrenjoey/West Head drift is still providing the odd flatty on whitebait, mostly bottom-bouncing.

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

Sydney Southern

NO REPORT

Mako Tackle
Gary Brown / Greg Mercedes 9600 6999

Wollongong

Lake Illawarra: Prawns showing quite well so the warm days have helped. Look around the Oasis Resort and Griffins Bay at Warrawong. Next dark will be really good. Also try down in the back channels and outside of the drop-off for those in boats. Fun on flathead in the channel with Bevans Island, Mt Warrigal and the drop-off all producing well. Try plastics or whitebait on the drift. Blue swimmers are encouraging with some numbers and size already.

Beaches: Salmon on most beaches in the deeper gutters. Try for bream at the southern ends of beaches at Windang, East Corrimal and Bombo on mullet strips and worms.

Rocks: Salmon and tailor but bonito yet to appear. Kings working on live yellowtail at places like Blowhole Point at Kiama and Hill 60 at Port Kembla.

Offshore: Shallower reefs productive for snapper in 18° water, try in 70m or less with squid or strip baits. Flathead drifts include Towradgi sands and Barrack Point.

Garth, Deans Bait and Tackle, Windang 4295 1615

Batemans Bay

NO REPORT

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

Narooma

Offshore: Albacore from 4kg to 22kg going very well with striped tuna and yellowfin to 30kg-plus mixed in with them. They start in about 60 fathoms a couple of kilometres from the island, with no preference for water quality – they’re in the green cacky stuff and in the clear blue as well. Snapper, mowies and longfinned perch from the reefs.

Rocks and beaches: Salmon seem to have backed off a little but still blackfish and drummer from the rocks.

Estuary: Flatties going quite well on lures and bait inmost estuaries with fish to around 80cm. Three jewies to 6kg on trolled hardbodies in Lake Tuross in the middle of one day this week.

Darryl, The Ocean Hut (02) 4476 2278

Bermagui

Offshore: Plenty of reef fish and still albacore and yellowfin. Bait galore a few days ago but Friday looked windy and grim.
Blackfish and bream turning up in most estuaries.
Still salmon and the occasional tailor and bream from the beaches.

Darren Redman and Mark Rose,
Bermagui Ocean Hut and Charter Booking Service, (02) 6493 4688

Archived Weekly Reports

Year 2004 Weekly Reports
05/01/2004	09/01/2004	16/01/2004		30/1/2004
06/02/2004	13/02/2004	20/02/2004	27/02/2004
05/03/2004	12/03/2004	19/03/2004	26/3/2004
02/04/2004	08/04/2004	16/04/2004	23/04/2004	30/04/2004
07/05/2004	14/05/2004	21/05/2004	28/05/2004
05/06/2004	11/06/2004	18/06/2004	25/06/2004
02/07/2004	09/07/2004	19/7/2004	23/07/2004	30/07/2004
06/08/2004	13/08/2004	20/08/2004	27/08/2004
03/09/2004	10/09/2004	17/09/2004	24/09/2004	01/10/04
08/10/04

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