Fishing Monthly - Latest Fishing Reports - Updated Weekly

Fishing Monthly - Latest Fishing Reports - Updated Weekly

These reports are updated weekly.
Last Edited: Friday, 31 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

Angela says try the mouth of the river for bigger flathead and some nice whiting, which are also biting well around The Anchorage. Bigger bream around the walls with some smaller specimens upstream.
Beaches have been pretty slow apart from the occasional dart and tailor.
Offshore some nice black marlin have been on the bite when you can get out but the southerly winds have made things hard for a week.

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

Outside: Fishing best in morning before the wind comes up. Try for snapper on the local reefs and up around Wooyung. The warmer current is turning up an odd mackerel and cobia around the Plonk Hole as well as small black marlin.
Rock & beach: Bream, whiting and dart on South Beach. Bream and dart on New Brighton Beach. South Wall has bream. Bream and tailor on North Wall.
River: Bream and blackfish around the boatharbour, bream and mangrove jacks around the Spur Wall. Whiting and flathead at Simpsons Creek right up to the bowing club. Whiting outside Massey Greene Caravan Park. Bream, flathead and school jew around the highway bridge, flathead around Ferry Reserve Caravan Park. Whiting up the river with school jew, GTs, mangrove jacks and mud crabs.

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

Byron Bay

Town is absolutely chockers for New Year’s Eve celebrations and is closed to traffic until Saturday arvo.
Fishing is pretty quiet apart from the normal whiting, bream and flathead on the beaches. Some locals have caught black marlin out in the bay but it’s a nightmare launching and retrieving at The Pass through the surfers, swimmers and kids. Most locals are staying at home because even if you could go anywhere, you wouldn’t find a park when you got there!

David Keevers, Coastal Fishing Tackle (02) 6685 7133

Ballina

Bruce at Dave’s Bait Shop says whiting are still doing well in North Creek and the lower river but around Pimlico Island is best. Try bloodworms, yabbies and beach worms. A lot of big breeder flathead along the Porpoise Wall with quite a few school fish worth chasing for a feed. A couple of small school jew around the RSL at night and up to Pimlico and Wardell on live bait and soft plastics. A few decent trevally up around the ferry and the odd jack on the rock bars. Muddies around the double bridges at Teven and around Wardell.
Beaches fairly good for whiting and dart but the swell is up now so it should bring the jew around the walls and headlands.
Offshore: Gravel around The 32 for good flathead, with snapper and pearlies wider. A few baby black marlin doing the rounds.
At Evans Head the southerly has stymied most of the holiday fleet heading offshore but when they did get out there were some mackerel down south, some fair snapper and squire in fairly close and plenty of tales about those baby black marlin.
Beaches have been pretty crappy with plenty of swell, wind and sweep, and the annual upwelling seems to have kicked in a little with water temps falling over the past few days. River has bream, a few whiting and the odd flathead as well as some good crabs upstream.

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

t.zann@fishingmonthly.com.au

Yamba

River: Early in the week the spotties were thick north of Woody Head, along with mack tuna and some snapper on the bottom.
Big flathead in the lower reaches with not too many smaller fish, which should be well downstream. River is lousy with blacktip sharks and you can’t even put out a crab dilly without it getting mauled. Palmers Channel is thick with them. Plenty of whiting in the lower reaches but the bream have been patchy and small.
Around Plover Island at Sandon has been sheltered from the southerly so there have been dart, whiting, bream, flathead and the odd school jew.

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

Coffs Harbour

Marcello says some bream moving in the surf gutters on pilchards and mullet strips, along with a couple of jew at night on the more sheltered northern beaches. A few flathead up to 5kg in the rivers around Urunga. Offshore has been pretty ordinary although some kings have been jigged up and there are good snapper in close.

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

South West Rocks

With any luck the southerly winds have left us. There have been some positive reports of fish coming in.
Beach fishing has been a hit-or-miss affair with mixed bags caught. There are plenty of whiting on Smoky Beach but heaps of just undersize ones. Bream and dart are also on the bite. The recent southerly winds have made it a little uncomfortable to fish. Gap Beach is producing whiting, bream and flathead. Back Beach is fishing well for whiting.
Rockhopping has been a little quiet lately with a few bream and tailor coming in. Better results are coming in from Hat Head with catches of tailor, bream and the odd kingfish. If you are driving on Smoky Beach watch the Hat Head end, it has been washed away in places.
Fishing in the river has been good with some monster flathead up to 7kg. Most of these big flatties are breeders so think about weigh and release and keep the kilo fish, they are tastier anyway. We have weighed in some great bream over the past week so they are out there. Once again there are a heap of small ones amongst them. Whiting are being caught on the flats around Jerseyville on live worms and nippers. If you want to try something new have a go at the soft plastics for the bream, flathead and jewfish. If you need help come in to the shop and we will put you on the right track.
All the action is blue water fishing this week. The magnificent marlin are in our waters again, not in big numbers yet but a couple of hook-ups each day. There are heaps of mahi mahi about around the traps. The FAD out at 60 fathoms has been loaded with them, just be careful coming up to them or you spook them. The bait has been a little hard to get around the buoys and bait grounds, but skirted lures have been working well. Snapper have been up at Grassy in 30 – 40 metres. Let’s hope for calm seas over the next few weeks.
You will need a little patience around the boat ramps with everybody trying to launch their boats at the same time. Please log on and off with our Coastal Patrol. Don’t forget to check your safety gear and watch the bars.

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

Port Macquarie

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

Forster

Offshore: Another week of fickle weather which has spoilt some very good offshore fishing. The NSW Fisheries FAD has been holding some quality mahi mahi and a lot of smaller kingfish. All reefs have been producing fish of sorts. Water quality and temperature indicates those hunting billfish should start to get serious.
Beaches: A week of southerly wind has done little for the beach fishing. Most beaches have been quiet except for Diamond Beach which has the best of the tailor, salmon and what whiting are on offer.
Rocks: As the recent winds abate the swell should roll in and improve the rock fishing. Bream and tailor are the easiest to target.
Estuary: A local took a dive in the main channel a few days ago and reported big numbers of mulloway between eight and ten kilo. The flathead remain active as do the surprisingly large bream in the lower parts of the lake. Whiting are there for all those wishing to target them. Blue swimmer crabs are said to be in big numbers but the average size is a little small.
Lots of people are in town for a holiday so expect delays everywhere you go!

Lloyd Campbell, Great Lakes Tackle 02 6554 9541

Port Stephens

Estuary: Stacks of flathead near the Corrie Island cut-through, Myall River, Tilligerry Creek. Good sand whiting on Manton Bank, Middle Ground, Shoal Bay Beach and Jimmys. Blue swimmers Tilligerry, Taylors Beach. Muddies in the Karuah Branch Arm. Bream on Co-op and Anchorage walls, Cromarty Bay and North Arm Cove around the racks.
Rocks: Snapper on after the blow, with Colesy getting a 7.4kg red from Fishermans Bay Thursday night. Also some squire to 2kg. Good blackfish on Cemetery, Tailor Rock. Good schools of choppers to 1.5kg One Mile Headland and Sunny Corner. Stack of bream around the washes at Fingal Point.
Beaches: Bit washed out but before the blow pretty fair whiting on Stockton, One Mile and Fingal. Jew at Green Hills at Fingal, Little and Big Gibber, Stockton at the wreck. A few schools of tailor on Stockton, Middle Rock and of course a poultice of salmon on Stockton.
Offshore: Trag on The Gibber, The 21 and Uralla. Big kings to 26kg on Looking Glass, East Head and the Seals. Sand flathead off Mungo, the Lighthouse and Little Island drifts. Jew to 15kg in 50 fathoms off Bulahdelah, big mahi mahi to 20kg on the shelf and black marlin on their way.

Graham Duffy, Salamander Bait and Tackle 02 4982 0711

Newcastle

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

Central Coast

Quite a few jewies around towards the mouths of the estuaries on big live baits. Good bream around the oyster leases have been good fun. Big flathead to 6kg from the lower estuaries. Kingfish off the rocks on live bait at Avoca and Winny Bay.
No one been offshore much but a few mahi mahi out wide signaling warmer water.

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

Sydney Northern

It’s arrived: That time of the year when the majority of anglers actually get a chance to not just wet a line but have a good go over a few days.
Those who are allowed to go fishing (or who just risk it!) should be in for a bit of action. There are reports from the Harbour of good-size kings but they are a little shy so a delicate presentation and a light leader are essential. Around The Spit have been some of the biggest slimy mackerel that any of Santa’s helpers have ever seen. The yakkas seem to be in most well-known haunts as well as a few gar so with all that bait around the big ones shouldn’t be too far away.
Out wide the tuna have given way and the beakies are being caught more often all the time. With the increase in boat traffic over the next few weeks we might get some indication of what sort of season we might have. Keep those fingers crossed.
Probably the most common fish caught and enjoyed at the table at this time of year is the old flattie. Reports of fish in the Harbour off Balmoral as well as good numbers out on the drifting ground starting at 30 metres.
From everyone at FOW we hope you have a happy New Year.

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

Wollongong

Lake: Good whiting at the entrance on worms. Nice flathead in the back channel around the kiosk on plastics and prawns. Chopper tailor and some legals around the boatshed on metal lures and whitebait. Flatties near the drop-off. Mud crabs around Oak Flats. Prawns should start around the 7th with Primbee looking good, also behind the caravan parks.
Beaches: Good whiting on MM Beach at Port Kembla on worms. Around Port Kembla headland try for trevally, salmon and tailor. Windang Beach for whiting and flathead. Some smaller drummer of the eastern face of Windang Island, some slimy mackerel off the Blowhole and Marsdens at Kiama, with a few kings busting them. Try a fillet of slimy.
Offshore: A few bonito on the troll off Shellharbour. Snapper off the Five Islands. Plenty of bag limits of flathead drifting off Port Kembla Beach.

Garth, Deans Bait and Tackle, Windang 4295 1615

Batemans Bay

Flathead everywhere in the estuaries, not many jewies but a lot of bream in the Clyde. Offshore bottom bashing is going well for flathead, reds and morwong.

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

Narooma

Offshore: No one has been out until Friday morning and they haven’t come home yet. Heard of a few albacore and yellowfin but the rough weather seems to have broken them up. All still on the troll with dark lures. Island has rat kings and the odd better, snapper and mowies on the bottom and flatties in close.
Rocks: Pigs and bream with the odd salmon
Estuaries: A motza of whiting from legal to 500g on nippers, squirties and bloodworms. Best flattie heard of this week that has been measured went 83cm and was released, but there have been bigger fish lost. Plenty of nice bream around the leases up the back, with some school jew but nothing larger.

Darryl, The Ocean Hut (02) 4476 2278

Bermagui

No one has been out much because of the wild weather and apart from today no one has got to the Twelve Mile. Apparently there are baitfish galore from in close to the shelf. Reef fishing is brilliant for mowies, reds and all sorts of other stuff.
Bermie River has some nice whiting as well as heaps of flathead, blackfish, trevally and bream.
Beaches a bit ordinary because of the sea.

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
01/10/2004	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	10/12/2004	17/12/2004	24/12/2004

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