Fishing Monthly - Latest Fishing Reports - Updated Weekly

Fishing Monthly - Latest Fishing Reports - Updated Weekly

These reports are updated weekly.
Last Edited: Friday, 10 December 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.
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

Flathead throughout the river to Chinderah. Muddies going well and a few whiting around the Anchorage. Better bream towards the mouth of the river.
Nothing from the beaches or offshore.

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

Humid and more rain on the way. Lots of little whiting and dart form the beaches and a few jew from Broken Head and that’s about it.

David Keevers, Coastal Fishing Tackle (02) 6685 7133

Ballina

Bruce at Dave’s Bait Shop says whiting still good in the lower river along the town reach, North Creek and Pimlico Island. Good run in the tides this weekend should bring them on the bite on bloodworms and at night, yabbies. Muddies in Emigrant and North creeks. Big breeding flathead along the Porpoise Wall with smaller ones through to Pimlico. School jew around the RSL and the ferry with a few bigger ones around the walls and headlands. Try along the beaches for some whiting and the odd flathead. No outside reports.
I’ve been in a very damp Brisbane putting out the January NSWFM but early in the week at Evans Head there were some very nice whiting taken from the beaches on live worms and even a few nice ones in the river. Some better school jew from the rocks this week and a few nice tailor as well. Haven’t heard anything from outside.

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

t.zann@fishingmonthly.com.au

Yamba

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

Coffs Harbour

The wet weather might put a dampener on this weekend’s fishing but the fresh water will stir things up when the weather clears. Good whiting still along the beach gutters with lots of small jew. Estuaries fishing particularly well for flathead with this week’s best going 5.9kg. Some luderick turning up at the mouths of the estuaries and adjacent rocks.
Offshore conditions have not been ideal but those venturing out are still finding snapper in shallow water.

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

South West Rocks

Not much to report due to another week of bad weather, in fact most of us have forgotten what it’s like to have a day without wind. There are still fish around if you want to wet a line.
Fishing in the river has not been too bad with good catches of whiting and bream. The causeway on the road out to the river is fishing well for whiting. More jewfish have been caught along the breakwall; most are just past the Jew Bite towards the mouth. Live bait is still the best bait, but a group of guys holidaying from Sydney have been getting them on mullet fillets and pilchards. Flathead and some good bream are also coming out of this location. Rick and Carol King picked up some nice whiting out of Spencers Creek, up past the Wreck. Kinchela has also fishing well for whiting and bream.
Very uncomfortable conditions for our beach fishos last week kept most of them at home. Smoky Beach, probably the most popular location, has been fishing well for whiting and bream. No reports from Front and Back beaches this week. Watch the tracks down to Gap Beach after the rain.
It is about this time last year the first of the billfish started to show up. There were a few groups of guys from Sydney up here all set to chase these creatures but due to the conditions they were river bound. There is a heap of bait out there at the moment so as soon as there is a break in the weather I am sure there will be interesting reports coming. The FAD has been relocated now, out wider at 60 fathoms. GPS marks are available for this location.
Don’t forget we have a rod and reel service and repair facility at the shop with quick turn-around times at very reasonable rates so make sure your gear is in tip-top shape ready for your Christmas break or take advantage of our line spooling machine to replace your line ready for the big ones.
Don’t forget we do lay-bys and gift certificates.

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

Port Macquarie

Yet another week of quite bizarre weather, with one of the hottest days on record followed by a cold change and more southerly winds. This Summer season cannot make up its mind what it wants to do, much to the annoyance of many anglers, particularly beach and outside fishos. While the weather has not been at all stable, at least the fishing is looking up, with plenty of good catches over recent times.
Best results have again been achieved by estuary anglers, particularly those concentrating their efforts well upstream. Flathead dominate with good numbers of fish taken on bait and lures. Catches whiting are also improving. Lake Cathie is improving almost daily as you expect with the prawn dark now in full swing. Bream and blackfish numbers are both reasonable for this time of year.
Outside opportunities have been rare over the past week, while beach and rock conditions have been unfavourable most days. The odd school jewie, good bream and whiting have been on offer off the beaches when conditions allow.
Rock fishing has been a little hit and miss, although a couple of tailor and the odd pig have kept rockhoppers interested.

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

Forster

Offshore: The run of bad weather continues. A couple of boats went to sea last Saturday including Seaquest, which once again found quality pearl perch and snapper.
The fish are there and the warm water’s on the way so a run of average weather would be better than what's been on offer for the last few months.
Beaches and rocks: Nil
Estuary: The prawns have been running but the wind has blown right through the nights and kept all but the professionals at home. The lake is full of fish which have had few, if any, anglers disturbing their routine. Enough mulloway have come from the breakwalls to keep the regulars coming back.
Maybe Santa can bring fine weather and give me lots more to write about!

Lloyd Campbell, Great Lakes Tackle 02 6554 9541

Port Stephens

Heaps of blue swimmer crabs in Tilligerry, around Upton Island, Mud Point. Good bream to 1.7kg from the co-op wharf, Corrie Island and the wrecks in the Duck Hole. Flathead on Little Beach, Baggies Beach and inside the co-op wall. School jew on the Salamander wreck and Middle Island at Soldiers Point. Flounder on the Middle Grounds and the bar at the Heads.
Beaches: Stacks of whiting on Fingal and One Mile, jew to 32kg on Hawks Nest Beach; salmon by the tonne everywhere as usual.
Rocks: A few school jew around Cemetery, snapper off Fishermans at Boat Harbour. Plenty of squid in all the bays between Birubi and Tomaree. A run of tailor on One Mile and Sunny Corner.
Offshore: Trag on The 21 and The Gibber, a few snapper in front of Boat Harbour and the shallows at Broughton. Jew on The Tank and Bulahdelah Wide. A couple of striped marlin tagged on the northern canyons.

Graham Duffy, Salamander Bait and Tackle 02 4982 0711

Newcastle

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

Central Coast

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

Sydney Northern

Fishing continues to improve as more anglers head out chasing their favourite species with good numbers on the chew. Sydney Harbour has turned on a few kings and stickbaits are the preferred method. Stuart Reid from Fishabout Tours hooked three kings casting at structure near Nielsen Park – note here that the live squid on offer didn’t get a touch yet the aggressive lure action came up trumps. Other Harbour locations holding fish are Dobroyd Point for trevally and Quarantine Bay for slimy mackerel and yakkas. Pete Roberts worked these possies then trekked over to South Head and boated flathead and flounder – whitebait and prawns in a berley trail accounted for his catch.
With the seas up and wind blowing, rock fishos work hard to catch not a lot with bream and blackfish most popular targets. Some kings are taking gars and poppers at North Head and Whale Beach with the bigger poppers being preferred. Up in Broken Bay jewfish are biting near Juno Point and Flint and Steel, with fish of 10.6 and 6kg taken on squid fell by one overnight fisho, with smaller fish averaging 4kg keen on a feed.
Pittwater Pete has produced kingfish every day this week with the hard-to-locate squid as the gun bait, seemingly producing a near perfect hook-up record. Pete’s preferred times are two hours either side of the change with Avalon Sailing Club to Sand Point and the seaplane runway drift two hot spots. Big flathead have fallen to baits intended for kingfish with some fish well over 75cm. With squid being the evil offering, try a yakka down on the first drift as the flatties love them and your squid stays healthy until you get a visual on the kings, which you will as sightings are very common in these spots. When they find you, drop a yakka over first and hopefully you’ll get a taker. If not, get that ‘kingfish ice cream’ out of the tank, submerge him to a metre and check out the inhalation as it gets nailed whole – it sure makes for some educational viewing.
The Stock up for Summer sale continues forward at Fish Outta Water so don’t miss out, come down and buy yourself a Chrissie pressie and get exactly what you want – after all, you deserve it.

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

Wollongong

Lake: Prawns moving well now with catches to 3kg in recent nights. Try Primbee Point and the Oasis for best chances. Flathead in the channel with whitebait and soft plastics working well. Whiting at the entrance on live worms.
Beaches: Whin at MM Beach Port Kembla, Gerroa worth a look for whiting and bream. Bream and salmon at Fairymeadow and Macauleys at Thirroul.
Rocks: Hill 60, Bass Point southern side and Kiama Blowhole Point have lots of baitfish and the kings are working.
Offshore: Snapper and jackets on the South East Ground and One Tree Reef. Morwong at Towradgi and Bombo.

Garth, Deans Bait and Tackle, Windang 4295 1615

Batemans Bay

Estuary: Plenty of bream on poppers up the back of the mangroves, bream and trevally on the rock bars, flathead on the sandbars and in the bays. Garfish everywhere and a few big long toms as well. The odd school jew still poking around.
Beaches: Not too many reports.
Rocks: Snapper, salmon and pigs going OK.
Offshore: Kingies showing up with a few yellowfin also working in close.

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

Narooma

Darryl, The Ocean Hut (02) 4476 2278

Bermagui

Nothing much happening since Tuesday because of the ordinary weather. Last weekend plenty of small yellowfin to 20kg. No reports of albacore. Heaps of big tiger flathead and mowies on the bottom. Snapper were a bit slow on the full moon but should pick up.
Estuaries: Flathead, bream, blackfish and trevally in the river and good flatties in Wallaga. Excellent prawns at Cuttagee with catches to 3.5kg. You have to dig them out of the sand but they’re big and juicy.
Beaches ordinary with just a few salmon, tailor and the odd bream.

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
05/11/2004	12/11/2004	19/11/2004	26/11/2004
03/12/2004

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