Fishing Monthly - Latest Fishing Reports - Updated Weekly

Fishing Monthly - Latest Fishing Reports - Updated Weekly

These reports are updated weekly.
Last Edited: Friday, 1 April 2005

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

Ordinary conditions outside most of the week but when they can get out, boats have caught Spaniards around the Nine Mile and the islands. Spotties have gone a bit quiet around Palm Beach. Tailor are chasing frogmouth pillies from Kingscliff to Burleigh along the beaches and out wider. Whiting and some tailor on South Kingscliff Beach.
Jacks still around the bridges and rocks in the river, especially the Chinderah area. A few sand crabs in the lower reaches.

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

Not too much around but a few big jew lurking around Cocked hat Rocks at Broken Head. A few mackerel up around the Brunswick in crystal-clear warm water. A few big tailor around Tyagarah but they come and go pretty quickly. Lot of small flathead around the Belongil and Wategos. No swell at all.
Some big bream and tarwhine on Tallow Beach on worms and a few dart to 400g.

David Keevers, Coastal Fishing Tackle (02) 6685 7133

Ballina

Bruce at Dave’s Bait Shop says the whiting still did well on the big tides around Pimlico with near bag limits on worms. A few lizards persisting in the Town Reach with school fish to Wardell and above. Bream are showing up, mainly small yet but a few better ones on the beaches and walls mean they’re working up to schooling. A few blackfish schools moving into the river and some around the headlands.
Offshore the mackerel have fired down at Riordans with spots and Spaniards working there on live slimies. Try wider for a few mixed reefies on The 32 and The 48.
Beaches have had whiting, dart and a few bream with the odd jew in the deeper holes. Tailor improving with some fish to 4kg from the headlands and some fair fish from the beaches as well.
A week of ordinary weather at Evans Head but it looks like clearing for a good weekend. Offshore, mackerel have been a bit patchy but there are fish there, along with a few small reds and the odd trag. Out wider on the good days there have been pearlies, pigfish and reds.
There have been some tailor around the headlands and along the beaches but most have been just in the chopper class and are biting better on pillies than lures, although you can spin them up on deep-worked spoons cranked very slowly. Bream and blackfish around the rocks as well.
Those bream are still in the river but don’t seem to have co-operated with the holiday anglers too much, while there have been some decent whiting and lizards on the flats.

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

t.zann@fishingmonthly.com.au

Yamba

Iluka wall has been going great guns for northern bluefin on lures and live bait and garfish; if the bait comes in they’re on. A few stray mackerel as well with spots and Spanish to 17kg. Plenty of tailor from the rocks with most headlands and the walls having a few.
In the river it’s been a little quiet with some reasonable bream and flathead are still failing to excite but the next full moon should produce a good run. The odd school jew still coming in and some whiting still persisting lower down.
Still spotties and snapper on the southern side down to Sandon.
Some decent blue swimmers around the top end of Oyster Channel at last!

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

Coffs Harbour

Water temperatures have dropped along the coast after last week’s big seas but the mackerel don’t seem to have worried with good spotties and some large Spaniards taken. Plenty of good snapper as a by-catch with all other reef species on the chew.
Beach gutters have settled down and some good tailor and dart have turned up, and now the moon has gone you can expect jew on the late night tides.
Lower estuaries are fishing well for a good run of 1-2kg flathead.

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

South West Rocks

Fishing has improved with good catches in most areas of the river and out on the popular reefs.
It is still a little bumpy out wide but in general the conditions have been good. Spotted mackerel are on the bite with plenty of live bait available for these fish. Spanish mackerel are swimming with the spotties with Tony Viykovich from Melbourne getting amongst them, hooking one at 12 kilos along with a small marlin to finish the day. Snapper are coming off the close reefs at Grassy Head and pearl perch are out a little wider. Jeff Brown from Telegraph Point caught his first marlin, about 35kg, down south out at 60 fathoms. There has been a reasonable current running and our favourite fish, leatherjackets, have made a not-so-welcome return. Small yellowfin tuna are all around Fish Rock while the kingfish are still not playing the game. Wahoo have been caught around the Rock.
Beach fishing is on the improve with nice whiting on Front and Back beaches with some good catches coming off Smoky Beach.
Fishing off the rocks has been slow with some tailor around, along with some small bream. The swell has made it difficult to get on your favourite ledge. Abalone gut sales tells me there are a few drummer about but the prime locations are hard to detect.
Denny and Gary from The Rocks bagged out on whiting and bream last week fishing the river using live worms. There have been nice flathead coming off the wall at the end of the run-out tide.
Unfortunately the Fishing Classic scheduled for May had to be cancelled for this year. We would like to thank Kempsey Toyota for their sponsorship over the past 5 years but they have moved on to other things. Be assured, this terrific event will be back next year bigger and better along with continued sponsorship from Wilson Tackle and now Shimano Australia.

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

Port Macquarie

The weather over the Easter long weekend was simply fantastic, with the predicted rain and strong winds amounting to little more than a cooling south-westerly. Many anglers took full advantage of that with most vantage points on the rocks, beaches and estuary foreshores containing anglers wetting a line. Results were excellent and well above what is expected at this time of year.
On the beaches, the big news has been the amount of bream on offer over the past week, with many quality bags taken from Lighthouse and North Beach despite conditions being a little rough. Best results to date have come from early evening sessions before the moon gets up, with pipis and worms achieving good results. Along with the bream, a few solid whiting have been taken. Tailor have been scarce, as is often the case when the sea is stirred up, but a few school jew have also been on offer.
Off the rocks, tailor and bream are common, with Lighthouse producing some solid bags while Point Plommer and surrounds have given up some better quality fish. Blackfish numbers are solid, with several quality fish taken. Land-based game results remain below expectations with a few northern bluefin and cobia on occasions
In the estuary, blackfish have been excellent off the south wall with the rougher seas bringing plenty of solid bronzies on the chew. A few good bream have begun to show up, particularly for those fishing before the moon gets up too high. Limeburners and Settlement Point have produced pleasing results as well. Flathead numbers remain reasonable, as have whiting, while garfish remain abundant around the police station and Pelican Island. Plenty of mullet moving into the lower reaches, with their annual seaward migration now not too far off. A few muddies still about for those keen to set traps.
Offshore reports have been mixed with the seas a little lumpy over the long weekend. However, with the bar being well behaved, a few ventured out with bottom-bashers scoring some reasonable snapper and mixed reef species along with plenty of flatties from the closer sand drifts. Surface action saw the new FAD produce plenty of mahi mahi. NSW Fisheries will be replacing the head gear on the old FAD soon.

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

Forster

Offshore: Ongoing southerly winds should ease for the weekend and allow most craft to sea. The Easter weekend was a mixed bag with limited pelagic action and the reef fishing not as good as it could be. The best of the captures came of an evening when trag were really on the chew. In close at Latitude Rock you can catch anything from tailor, bonito, mac tuna and small reds. Live bait is plentiful. Mahi mahi are still being reported at the FAD.
Beaches: Fishing is at its best in months. Tailor are available everywhere. Migratory bream are also moving up the coast. Smiths Lake is open to the sea for the first time in almost two years and fishing around the outflow on Sandbar Beach could see you catch almost anything.
Rocks: Enough LBG action is being experienced to keep the addicts coming back. The previously mentioned tailor and bream are also available from the rocks. Seal Rocks is a standout.
Estuary: The run-out tide still sees Wallis Lake look like a swamp due to recent rain. Having said that, the bream fishing is outstanding. Fishing the Tuncurry Breakwall on the first hour or so of the run-in tide will guarantee some quality bream. Mulloway are also on the chew with sharks a problem for those fishing after dark.

Lloyd Campbell, Great Lakes Tackle 02 6554 9541

Port Stephens

Estuary: Blackfish schooling inside Tomaree, Co-op Wall, Windy Whoppa. Bream schooling around the Boulders, Co-Op Wall and Corrie Island Cut-through. Fresh is clearing and some bream on Rocks Awash, North Arm Cove. Squire off Nelson breakwall up to 45cm. Flathead around Shoal Bay, Fly Point and Baggies. School jew on The Wreck and Middle Island.
Beaches: Plenty of whiting on Stockton and bream coming on the chew, a few schools of tailor One Mile, Stockton and Fingal. A few jew at The Huts and on Hawks Nest Beach.
Rocks: Snapper on Fishermans, luderick Cemetery and Boulder Bay, some fair bream off Sunny Corner and Big Rocky. Tailor One Mile Headland, bluefin off Tomaree LBG.
Offshore: Yellowfin to 50kg off the shelf with marlin as well, water about 24°, mahi mahi on the FAD. Bluefin off both the Gibbers, good run of trag on The 21 and The Gibber. Snapper in the shallows around The Sisters, Cod Rock and East Head.

Graham Duffy, Salamander Bait and Tackle 02 4982 0711

Newcastle

I guess a lot of you would be interested to hear just how many fish and what species get captured that we at Fisherman's Warehouse hear about over a week. Well considering the fact that the Easter break was last week and that the weather wasn't that kind to those going fishing, the results were interesting and there is obviously a moral to the story.
The totals included: 228 bream, 87 squid, 38 tarwhine, 2 yellowfin tuna (trolled up at The Farm off Swansea), 4 60kg marlin (caught in 40-60 fathoms off Swansea), a 232kg blue marlin caught off Swansea, 22 snapper (2 x 2kg and all caught in Lake Macquarie) and 47 tailor.
So how's that all stack up – not bad? When you consider that not many went fishing over this period because of the weather and these reports are only from the select few, I guess you can assume that there are plenty of fish around.
So the moral is to go ahead and go fishing when the conditions are adverse because the fish stocks are in excellent condition and don't be afraid of the rain – fish tend to feed more aggressively when it's overcast and rough. Just don't go fishing if the weather makes it dangerous; pick the areas you can fish in safety.
Extract more info from our staff or listen to Jason on 2HD on Saurday and Sunday mornings or catch my rave on 2KY (1341 AM band) on the same days at 5.10am.
Still plenty of specials in stock including soft plastic rod and reel combos from $139.95 and 20% off selected stock. Some of you may still have some problems with tying knots needed to join the leaders for plastics but I’ll be working all weekend so call in and I'm happy to spend some time to refresh your memory.

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

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

Sydney Southern

Henrys Head has produced salmon and tailor with the odd rat kingfish in the early morning sessions on pilchards and garfish.
Watts Reef has had some reports of nice bream, trevally and leatherjackets caught on prawns and squid. Remember, for best results berley hard.
Molineaux Point has some top reports of mixed species like bream, leatherjackets, snapper, flounder, trevally, tailor and rat kingfish. One bloke fished this spot for 60 fish and 12 different species. The most important thing about this spot is to berley and berley hard. It’s a good all-day spot.
The Oil Wharf at Kurnell has some mixed reports of bream, trevally and snapper. Most of the fish are being caught on bloodworms, Hawkesbury prawns and nippers. Early morning for best results.
Towra Point and The Patches are really fishing well for bream and whiting with the run-out tide best. A lot of the bream have over a kilo and one fisho said one of his bream was 61cm long and one of the whiting was meant to have weighed 1.35kg. Gun baits are bloodworms, nippers and bottle squid.
The runway is fishing well on the run-out tide for bream on prawns, squid and worms.
The centre of the bay north of The Sticks is a good drift for flathead, bream and a lot of undersize snapper, best baits mullet strips and pilchards.
The bridges are producing jewfish up to 9kg on squid, yellowtail and tailor. All positive reports have come from sessions at night around the top and bottom of the tide.
Call me for more up-to-date info.

Mitch, Mac's Bait Bar
428 Princes Hwy Blakehurst
ph 02 9546 1341, mobile 0411 661 911.

Wollongong

Lake: A lot of blackfish in the channel on weed, try the bowling club wall and the road bridge with the baits down about two metres. Bream on the southern pylons of the road bridge and the southern wall on prawns and nippers. Flathead at Mt Warrigal and the drop-off. Blue swimmer crabs at Mt Warrigal and lake south.
Beaches: Whiting at Windang and MM Beach at Port Kembla, bream on Mystics at Minnamurra and Seven Mile at Gerroa on worms and strip baits.
Rocks: Black Head, Bass point and Hill 60 for salmon and tailor on lures and pillies early mornings. Kingfish worth a try on live bait at Blowhole Point and Bellambi Point.
Offshore: Tiger and sand flathead on the drifts, with morwong and chinaman jackets on the reefs, try Towradgi, Gap Island and 1km east of the Kiama light.

Garth, Deans Bait and Tackle, Windang 4295 1615

Batemans Bay

River: Plenty of bream but get out there before it cools off and shuts down. Also good EPs upstream.
Beaches: Salmon and tailor with the odd jew.
Rocks: Frigates and salmon off the rocks with the odd kingie and some northern bluefin.
Offshore: Snapper are on one day and off the next, so you figure it! Hunt the kings when the water is warm and snapper when it’s cold. No reports out wide.

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

Narooma

Offshore: Some nice kings to 20kg out at the island along with some striped marlin to 130kg. Some good snapper on the reefs and flatties on the drift with reports of a few rat yellowfin as well.
Estuary: Some nice flathead in the deeper water of the inlet along with a stack of tailor with nice bream in the channel on bait. Heaps of blackfish on weed and squirtworms at night.
Rocks, beaches: Big salmon to 4kg and the odd tailor on the southern beaches.

Darryl, The Ocean Hut (02) 4476 2278

Bermagui

Offshore: Weather clearing and some nice reef fish along with tuna and billfish.
Estuaries just starting to cool down a little but there’s still a good feed to be had.
Beaches for big salmon and some tailor.

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

Archived Weekly Reports

Year 2005 Weekly Reports
07/01/2005	14/01/2005	21/01/2005	28/01/2005
04/02/2005	11/02/2005	18/02/2005	25/02/2005
	18/03/2005	25/03/2005

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	31/12/2004

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