Fishing Monthly - Latest Fishing Reports - Updated Weekly

Fishing Monthly - Latest Fishing Reports - Updated Weekly

These reports are updated weekly.
Last Edited: Friday, 5 November 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

River: Nice jacks around the bridges and rock walls with fish to 2.5kg. Some GTs to 3kg around the entrance. Big lizards gone but school flatties on the banks around Seagulls and the golf club. A few mud crabs around. Clarrie Hall is fishing well for bass.
Outside: Not worth talking about because of the wind. The odd spotted mackerel and mack tuna at Palm Beach. Some squire and bigger reds around Fidos and the Nine Mile, where there are also cobia.
Beaches: Fish the sheltered sides of the headlands for an odd tailor or two around Cabarita. Whiting in the gutters.

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

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

Byron Bay

Strong northerly making life hard. A few jew around Broken Head and the back beaches around the cape. Bream, whiting and flathead with the occasional salmon on Tallow Beach.

David Keevers, Coastal Fishing Tackle (02) 6685 7133

Ballina

Matt at Dave’s Bait Shop says there have been a few school jew from the walls on big soft plastics and quite a number of smaller fish along the town reach and at Wardell bridge. Some muddies in Emigrant and Fishery creeks. Whiting pretty good from the town up to Pimlico on bloodworms. Flathead still worth chasing on white pillies or lures.
Beaches have been pretty windy and so has offshore fishing.
A black north-easter for the past 30 hours at Evans Head. There were a few tailor and tuna around the rocks before it blew up, but there’s nowhere to escape this wind. The river has a few bream and whiting, not much around the walls. Beaches had whiting and dart with the odd tailor before the blow. Offshore earlier in the week there were some fair snapper and some cobia showing up.

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

t.zann@fishingmonthly.com.au

Yamba

Estuary: A pretty quiet week but some numbers of good bream in the river from Maclean down. Haven’t heard of a jew but lots of smaller flathead. Miles of whiting in the lower reaches on worms and yabbies. Also the odd jack in the channels.
Offshore: Earlier in the week there were some nice squire inshore and a bit of surface action but the wind has put paid to that. Rumours of a few spotted mackerel being caught.
Beaches and rocks have been quiet, too.

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

Coffs Harbour

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

South West Rocks

We have had our fresh go through the river, now all we need is this mongrel wind to slow down so we can take advantage of better water. But, as usual, there were fishos that went out.
If you want a shot at a big Jew, now is the time to have a go along the river walls using live pike, poddy mullet or well a squid bait. John Smith pulled another good one out of the river at 17 kilos. You should find school jew at the end of the wall or around the pylons of the Jerseyville bridge. There have been some nice flathead up to 4 kilos (don’t forget if you are keeping these female breeders only one over 70cm is allowed). Nice whiting are being caught on live worms and nippers. Bream are on the bite but most are under size at this stage. Good salmon are still available at the end of the wall along with the occasional tailor.
Fishing the beaches has been fair, but against the wind has made it difficult. There has been some whiting along Smoky Beach with some bream and dart. Gap Beach also has whiting coming in along with salmon. Front and Back beaches have small bream and whiting. Front Beach has some nice holes forming between the Boulders and the Wreck.
The rockhoppers have had a frustrating week with ordinary conditions but reports of good drummer have been coming in. There are tailor and salmon being caught of the ledges using pilchards or garfish. Bream are also around the rocks.
Fishing outside has been difficult, you really need to pick your day and go early before the wind hits. Mahi mahi are about now. Trying a little wider off the Lighthouse Grounds should but you among these fish. Matt Simmons and his mate caught two monsters going 18 kilo and 14 kilo there using skirted lures. The charter guys are getting these fish as well. Geoff Gardiner hooked a nice venus tusk fish off Grassy Head. Snapper are being caught up north as well. There have been kingfish around Fish Rock with snapper being landed as well. More whispers of cobia starting to show up.
Don’t forget to check your safety gear and watch the bar.

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

Port Macquarie

Great to see a little follow-up rainfall over the past week, albeit primarily storm-driven. The estuaries are beginning to fish quite well. Flathead numbers remain excellent throughout the Hastings and have picked up noticeably following the recent fresh. Best results have been around Limeburners and the Dennis Bridge while the breakwalls have also produced a few solid fish. Blackfish anglers have also enjoyed a resurgence, with the south wall fishing quite well. Bream have also been reasonable, with the better results from upstream around Rawdon Island.
Plenty of crabs for those willing to wield a few witches’ hats or a trap. This month’s dark has just kicked off for those keen on those delicious Lake Cathie prawns.
On the beaches, formations are a little scarce with the big seas last week destroying most of the remaining spits and gutters. However as I have said many times, you only need a minor disruption to an otherwise featureless beach to both attract and hold fish. This is usually a far better scenario than a beach which is a myriad of holes, spits and gutters. Whiting numbers have lifted considerably, with Lighthouse Beach fishing well. A few good bream remain on offer. Tailor remain scarce while this year’s bumper salmon run shows no sign of slowing. North Beach has been producing a few solid flatties since the fresh, with the very southern end the place to be.
Off the rocks, a few tailor are on offer although catches are spasmodic. Most bags are a mixture of choppers and the occasional good fish. A few solid mulloway haunting Point Plommer and surrounds. Local ledges have been producing a few bream and blackfish when conditions allow.
Little to report offshore perspective, with the past week providing only reasonable conditions. A few snapper and flathead have been snared from off Lake Cathie, whilst reefs to the north gave up the odd king, jew, pearlie and other assorted reef species. With the waters now beginning to warm nicely, our game fishing season is just around the corner.

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

Forster

Lloyd Campbell, Great Lakes Tackle 02 6554 9541

Port Stephens

Estuary: Jewfish to 15kg in the deep water on the south-west corner of Middle Island. Bream on the breakwalls, Corrie Island shortcut, Cromarty Bay racks. Trumpeter whiting kangaroo Point, Tahlee. A few good flathead around the mouth of lemon Tree passage and up Tilligerry Creek.
Beaches: Tough to fish in the wind. Bream at the huts on Stockton. Sand whiting on One Mile, Fingal, Hawks Nest. Jew on Little and Big Gibber. Salmon still haunting Stockton.
Rocks: A few blackfish around Cemetery, Skate Bay, Honeysuckle. Good chance of a snapper off the rocks around Fishermans Bay and Boat Harbour headlands and the platform at Fingal. A few tailor sunny Corner, One Mile. Squid turning up on rocky and Fingal.
Offshore: Yellowfin on the shelf, a few big mahi mahi, too. Jew on The Tank and The Vs. Trag on the Gibber. Sand flathead everywhere north of Broughton and wide of Little Island. A few snapper in the shallows Sisters, north Island and Mungo.

Graham Duffy, Salamander Bait and Tackle 02 4982 0711

Hunter Area

With the weather lately and the general time of year your chances of landing a prized mulloway are greatly increased. Reports of jewies being caught from all points with Newcastle Harbour producing for many on bait and soft plastic or hard lures. Mulloway can be found around structures like wharfs and breakwalls as well as deeper drop-offs. Popular spots to fish include near the pilot station, Walsh Point, under Stockton bridge and the brewery to Lee Wharf as well as Nobbys and Stockton breakwalls. Lures include the River 2 Sea Live Bait along with the Rapala Shad Rap, Killalure Jewie and the Bomber Long A. Bait fishers need to present large fresh baits like mullet, brined pilchards, whole large prawns or squid or a live bait like yellowtail or slimy mackerel. A lot of very large flathead are also caught when targeting mulloway so remember to only keep the fish you personally need.
Other reports include the continued abundance of whiting and squid in Swansea Channel with Lucys Wall the spot for the luderick. Also reports of yellowfin tuna to 30 kilos from the Outer Farm.
The inaugural Lake Macquarie Invitational Bream Shootout was held at Coal Point last Saturday with a number of experienced bream anglers competing in one six-hour session to present the largest live bream and flathead to the weighmaster. Russell Marsh secured the bream title and Mark Hamilton the flathead title.
DPI Fisheries have just released the Saltwater Guide for 2004-2005. This comprehensive booklet covers the rules and regulations for recreational fishers in NSW as well as providing a species identification chart and general fishing tips and is available free from most tackle stores and Fisheries offices.
Congratulations goes to the four local anglers, Matthew Kelly, Adam Hodges, Dominic Leib and Colin Peak who contested the ABT BREAM grand final at Foster last weekend. Adam secured third overall and Colin fourth in the non-boater section.

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

Newcastle

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

Central Coast

Scotty from Haven Charters at Terrigal reports stacks of silver trevally earlier in the week in around 40 metres and out to Terrigal Wide, with a few blue mowies as well. Scattered reports of kingfish but they’re patchy at this stage. Leatherjackets have been a hassle on the wider reefs. Scotty says Ross Hunter had been catching a few yellowfin to 40kg and albacore to keep them amused.
Random catches of flatties in the estuaries but it’ll be a while before things get into full swing. The rain has flushed the rivers out but we should expect better action once the tides get bigger again.

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

Sydney Northern

With more and more kingfish reports flooding in so early in the season, it certainly looks like we’re in for a ripper time over the next four or five months. Pittwater has double the reports of the Harbour with fish 90cm and larger being sighted under certain schools of fish. They’re following lures so it won’t be long before they scoff something dragged past. Getting a lure through the tailor, salmon and cowanyoung has been the problem.
Peter LeBlang of Harbour and Estuary Charters is off to a cracking start and has 12 fish to 90cm, averaging 3-4kg each. Preferred baits have been live squid and garfish. Peter reports Towlers Bay as the hot spot and Careel Bay to Taylors Point and around Stokes Point to Palm Beach also worthwhile. I saw two nice hoodlums around 85-90cm last Saturday morning in Pete’s icebox and some rather happy clients.
Squidding is hard at times so move around plenty and cover lots of ground. Try West Head around structure including wharves and jetties. The yakkas are playing games as well. Flint and Steel fished well for kings and jew to 4kg and West Head sessions provided good bream on whitebait. I managed an afternoon session for a nice king around 75cm at Stokes Point at 5pm on live squid. Don’t be shy on the berley and add plenty of pillies.
Sydney Harbour isn’t far behind in the kingfish stakes. Des from Hook ‘Em Cook ‘Em Charters is finding them every day and when the water temperature goes up, so does their appetite.
Rough conditions prevented many fishos from heading wide last weekend but some yellowfin were caught, including a 25kg fish aboard The Mission and two similar fish for JB’s crew. Vast patches of warm water are coming down the coast and plenty of fish are arriving with the water so prep your gear or get on a charter.

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

Sydney Southern

Mako Tackle
Gary Brown / Greg Mercedes 9600 6999

Wollongong

Lake: Nice fish in the channel, which is flowing and carrying prawns. Flathead of good size down near the kiosk on prawns and whitebait. Some large prawns over behind the islands and at Primbee. Soft plastics working well around Mt Warrigal for bream and flounder with the bloodworm colours going best. Berkley has plenty of bream near the point next to the shop.
Beaches: Plenty of salmon on Warilla on lures and pillies. Quite rough but still fishable. Big whiting on fishos beach at Port Kembla. Bream on MM Beach on worms. Nice salmon on Corrimal Beach on bait. Beakie Bay and the Boneyard at Kiama for bream and drummer, which are still roed up. Royal reds and ab gut the way to go.
Outside: Getting out has been tough in the seas but reports of yellowfin off the Kiama Canyons.

Garth, Deans Bait and Tackle, Windang 4295 1615

Batemans Bay

Increased activity this week after all the rain and misery last week. Flathead in abundance off the rocks and beaches and up the river. Flounder caught in the estuaries along with garfish and lots of small tailor. Snapper in large numbers but not size. They’re off the rocks, close in and out wide too. Salmon still about but should tin out as the water warms. Rumours of albacore and yellowfin offshore.

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

Narooma

Offshore: The odd days when anyone has fished have produced yellowfin and albacore for the trollers, who have been using everything from Christmas trees to marlin pushes. Confirmed best weight 40kg, rumours of 60kg. Albacore out there too. Bait everywhere around the island but not much in the way of the kings yet. A bit of warm water would help, but it’s 17° and rolling uphill.
Beaches, rocks: /Salmon, tailor and drummer.
Estuary: Flathead to a metre, good tailor to 50cm but bream are quiet.

Darryl, The Ocean Hut (02) 4476 2278

Bermagui

Offshore: Blowing but when it settled last weekend yellowfin to 50kg. Albacore fairly quiet but a few sharks and striped tuna. Bottom has plenty of tiger flathead from 40-70m off the reef edges. Some mowies and snapper with jackets, gurnard and latchet.
Beaches for salmon and bream. Rocks have been difficult to fish.
Estuary: Flatties in Wallaga on hard and soft lures going well. River has blackfish in the shallows on nippers, a few mullet, bream and flathead. A good run of flathead on lures with nice blackfish on the rocks and around the bridge on the falling tide. Brogo Dam now 62% and rising.

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	15/10/2004	22/10/2004	29/10/2004

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