Fishing Monthly - Latest Fishing Reports - Updated Weekly

Fishing Monthly - Latest Fishing Reports - Updated Weekly

These reports are updated weekly.
Last Edited: Tuesday, 26 July 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

Estuary: Blackfish in the river around Boyds day and Dry Dock. Good-sized bream throughout, the best around the entrance and the boat harbour. Trevally and chopper tailor at the entrance.
Offshore: nice kings and amberjack on the 36-fathom reefs, pearl perch also around.
Beaches: A few tailor around Kingscliff with some bream 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

Splendour in the Grass is on this weekend so town will be full. The odd big tailor to 4kg and plenty of big salmon. Heaps of blackfish around the rocks and nearby estuaries, they’re biting in the Brunswick on yabbies in the dirty water. Sea has been up and exposed beaches have been unfishable.

David Keevers, Coastal Fishing Tackle (02) 6685 7133

Ballina

Bruce at Dave’s Bait Shop says there are plenty of bream in the Town Reach on a rising tide. Blackfish have come on fairly well at the North Wall and the old slipway with black weed working best. A few flathead in North Creek. The odd school jew along the walls with some bigger fish spun up on lures.
Beaches have been a bit rough but settling, some tailor and salmon.
Offshore for some reef fish on the wider grounds when the weather allows anglers out.
Nothing much happening at Evans Head after a week of wind but things look like settling. No boats have been out but bar is OK and wind abating. Some nice whiting and the odd bream in the hole in front of the surf club and a few bream along the walls with stray blackfish.

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

t.zann@fishingmonthly.com.au

Yamba

Estuary: Bream and blackfish in droves along the Middle Wall but it’s crowded. A smattering of flathead and the odd small jew. Blackfish also along Collis’ Wall.
Offshore: Earlier in the week some nice squire, trag and tuskfish in the slop.
Rocks, beaches: A few jew last weekend caught off the rocks along with tailor and thick salmon but weather has been a problem. Also the odd red from the Woody Head rocks.

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

Coffs Harbour

Offshore: Good big snapper with fish to 10kg and plenty between 6-7kg. Big samson and a nice run of pearl perch but get in quick as the leatherjackets make way for the green toads shortly.
Rocks and nearby beach gutters fishing very well for big tailor to 4kg, big bream and the odd whiting over the sand.
Estuaries: Fishing well in the lower ends for bream, whiting and flathead with the dirty water fishing well on the run-up tide.

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

South West Rocks

The Rocks this week has been Blackfish City. Beginners and experts alike are pulling them out in good numbers with some monsters among them. The Jew Bite, Kemps Corner and off the north wall have given up quality fish. The wire fence has been a little slow but is showing signs of improvement with the odd bigger fish coming out. Towards the end of last week there were a few jewfish being caught off the breakwall. Bream are on the bite; find some structure or an oyster rack and you should be successful. There have been one or two good flathead off the south wall.
Beach fishermen have been doing it a little tough through the week with only a few bream and tailor coming off the beaches around town.
Fishing the rocks has been reasonable with some nice tailor coming in all along the coast down to Hat Head. I had a report of a nice jewfish caught off the rocks on the north of Smoky Beach. Bream are also along the ledges with some good ones out of The Gutter.
There have been plenty of reds, morwong, pearlies and the odd venus tusk if you head north on the reefs around Grassy and Scotts in 40-50 metres. The Dot has been a hot spot with good pearl perch, reddies and some good nannygai. Kingfish were around Fish Rock last weekend, a little hard to find but they were there and leatherjackets are out in force so check your gear and make sure you have spare tackle on board.

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

Port Macquarie

On the beaches bream remain the star performers with some terrific fish on offer from most local beaches. North Beach, Lake Cathie and the lower end of Lighthouse have produced some excellent hauls, with the vast majority of fish well and truly in excess of legal length and in excellent condition. Best results have been achieved in the early hours, fishing the top of the tide. Tailor numbers remain somewhat disappointing although there are plenty of salmon about, particularly off Lighthouse and beaches further south. The tides are terrific for jew at the moment so North Beach and Lake Cathie will be well worth a go.
In the estuary, blackfish at long last have become a little consistent, with the breakwalls and Limeburners fishing well on most days. Flathead numbers remain excellent, with Blackmans Point and the flats around Pelican Island well worth a go. Bream numbers remain solid although the current full moon will see them a little gun shy during the darker hours.
Off the rocks, solid reports on drummer continue to filter in, with Point Perpendicular, Diamond Head and most ledges around Plomer giving up some nice bags. Rockys, Shelleys and Lighthouse have all produced fish, albeit not as consistently. Reasonable tailor reports continue to filter in from Point Plomer and areas further north, with some bumper greenbacks. Rob Atkins has been at it again with another top greenback topping 4kg. Plomer and Hat Head have been giving up a few school jew with whole squid achieving the results, although a few better fish have been encountered by those throwing livies or slabs. Plenty of blackfish around with Miners giving up some nice bronzies.
Offshore results over the past week have been terrific with snapper dominating. Good boxes have been achieved off Bonny Hills and Lake Cathie although most reefs are well worth a go. The leatherjackets have been a little quieter of late although I doubt if they have moved on so early in the season.
Don’t go looking for the FADs at the moment as they have been removed for annual maintenance and are due to be redeployed around September.

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

Forster

Offshore: Fingers crossed we are in for a few decent days of weather. Very few boats have been to sea in the last week as the fish on offer have been less than spectacular. A few small reds has been the usual result. If you like squid, a visit to The Pinnacle just on dark will see you well rewarded. Traditional squid jigs need some bait attached to them for best results. Despite the big numbers of squid, the predators like yellowtail kingfish are nowhere to be seen.
Beaches: A few salmon at best.
Rocks: As usual at this time of the year, this is the place to be. Strong SW winds over the past week might have moved along the schools of bream and blackfish that have been holed up down south for some time. Some of these fish might even come into our estuary as it slowly cleans up after the ongoing rain. The drummer fishing has been outstanding, just find a hole that doesn't contain too much sand. The best of the bream and what tailor that are around are coming from the rocks.
Estuary: The lead-up to the full moon saw a few mulloway taken off the Forster wall, but the last few days have been quiet. Bream on lures have been active and in some cases unstoppable. The blackfish season remains poor.

Lloyd Campbell, Great Lakes Tackle 02 6554 9541

Port Stephens

Estuary: Plenty of bream on the breakwalls, Corrie Island, Cromarty racks. Flathead Shoal Bay, Bagnalls. Stacks of blackfish co-op wall, Anchorage.
Beaches: Plenty of tailor and salmon on Stockton, a few good bream on One Mile, tailor on Box and Zenith.
Rocks: Pigs are on! Boat Harbour, Cemetery Point, Honeysuckle. Stacks of blackfish in any bay between Tomaree and Birubi. Bream in the washes around Big Rocky. A few snapper off the racks around Fishermans and Boat Harbour. Tailor and salmon Sunny Corner and One Mile headlands.
Offshore: The good run of snapper last weekend should hold, North Island, Sisters. A few trag on The Tank, Gibber. Plenty of flathead on the lighthouse drift and the back of Mungo . Tailor around Cabbage Tree and Little Island. Heaps of pigs in the washes around Fingal, West Island and Flat Rock on Broughton.

Graham Duffy, Salamander Bait and Tackle 02 4982 0711

Newcastle

So very sorry for not keeping you all up to date over the last few weeks. We've been updating our whole computer systems to and subsequently opened a can of worms.
Back 15-20 years ago the fishing locations of Port Stephens were among the most favourable spots targeted for a fishing expedition. It's all about to change! The Marine Parks Authority has released the Manning River Bioregion Assessment Report which recommends that a series of marine parks be formed along from Stockton to Nambucca Heads, taking in Wallis, Smiths and Myall lakes, Broughton Island and Seal Rocks. I've had the opportunity to have been able to fish these areas for nearly 30 years and have caught/witnessed some great catches Nowadays larger numbers of people fish these hot spots with bigger boats, high-tech electronics, braided lines and chemically sharpened hooks, placing much more pressure on the fish stocks. The favourite saying is "I caught a heap here yesterday but went back today and didn't catch any." I wonder why! I agree there should be more control/management to protect our valuable fishery but don't go overboard. DPI Fisheries has also expressed concern over the number of persons being fined for fishing the closed areas of the hot water outlets of Lake Macquarie. The Munmorah outlet seems to be the worst with numerous offenders being fined up to $900 (no licence $200, fishing in a closed area $500 and undersized fish in possession $200. The areas are well signposted and there are no other areas to place any more signs.
Most of the reports are of luderick, tailor, bream, huge salmon and the odd snapper. This weekend should deliver some excellent weather so most favourite locations will be approachable.
Spots to try:
Newcastle Harbour: Luderick by the load at the pilot station along wharf road. Pick up some green weed at the Belmont lagoon.
Southern end of Lake Macquarie: Flathead and bream.
Blacksmiths Beach: Sizeable salmon and tailor early in the mornings with bream.
Offshore: Sea temp 17°-18° and some current to the south. Catherine Hill bay Coal Loader for kingfish, tailor, luderick. Redhead close for bream, small snapper. Caves Beach Reef for morwong, groper, small snapper.
While stocks last we can offer you a whopping 25 % off the price of all Tohatsu outboards – 15hp short shaft 2 stroke normally $2395 special $2150; 9.8hp short shaft 2 stroke normally $2095 special $1795.00.
I’ve started writing a Swansea column in NSW Fishing Monthly and I'm on the hunt for anyone who would like to have their catch photo published. Call me on 4945 2152 or 0427 617 064.

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

Central Coast

Offshore: Friday the first day for charter boats who smashed kingies to 10kg and over on the Perch Grounds. Close inshore snapper in good numbers. Rocks salmon, drummers, blackfish gropers. Snapper 40m out to Terrigal Wide. Bonito schools also around.
Estuaries pretty quiet apart from the odd school jew on plastics around the bridge pylons and the odd flathead.
Beaches have tailor and salmon with Wamberal and Terrigal the pick of the spots. Salmon should pick up in the flat ocean. Also some big schools of slimy mackerel around Lion Island.

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

Sydney Northern

With the water and weather set to remain cold for the next month or two, and the fishing stuck in slow mode, you could be forgiven for being tucked up in bed til the end of September. Many fishos will be, but they will also be missing out on a few of the different fishing experiences that are only available during these winter months. Sure the salmon schools are not here as early or in the same numbers as in previous years but there are some massive drummer about off the rocks and plenty of blackfish spread all throughout Sydney, from the beaches to high inside the harbours and estuaries.
The beaches are really the pick of Sydney’s fishing areas this week, as they have been for a while. Drummer over 3kg continue to be taken on ab gut and bread from the washes off Queenscliff and Long Reef. Salmon around 2-3kg are also about in sporadic numbers off the headlands too, taking squid and pillies. The real reason for a big beach fish at the moment though could be thoughts of hooking up to one of the steam train jewies. There have been a few mid-sized fish taken this week, as well as at least one spooling from a slightly larger fish. Striped tuna and mullet are the two best enticers, so try throwing one into a gutter off Dee Why, Curl Curl or Narrabeen and you will be in with a shot.
The Harbour has been variously described by those in the know this week as cold, windy and patchy. Des Toms also added the words ‘clear’, ‘barren’ and ‘small squire’ to the mix. Not sounding overly promising. But there is still a fish or two for those willing to do the hard yards. Salmon haven’t come into the harbour in any numbers yet and there is therefore very little surface action, but the odd fish is still being trolled up from around a few headlands. Middle Head, Dobroyd Pt, Quarantine Point and the run from South Head to Nielsen Park have all been occasional producers. Bibbed minnows such as Rapala CD-7s in blue or silver seem to be working the most effectively at present.
There are still a few good bream around town, especially Rose Bay way, and there has also been a showing of a couple of monster bream around The Spit bridge. Simon Cosgrove’s recent fish, taken from a boat sitting just off the Seaforth moorings, went nearly 2kg and ate a thin, lightly weighted strip of mullet fillet. There are even a few winter jewies roaming about the Harbour, with one lucky customer picking up a decent 4kg fish while flicking for bream with a 4” Watermelon Berkley Bass Minnow. Flatties are still about as well, many lately falling to a fresh slab of slimy mackerel, though the average size is pretty small right now. There seems to still be plenty of baitfish as well, including yakkas and slimies.
Pittwater is back down to 14° and the fish are feeling it. Pete Le Blang has found his fair share of salmon moving around but they are the most skittish creatures on the face of Gary Ablett’s green earth, moving from Soldiers Point to Portuguese Beach, to somewhere else, surfacing only when they feel the need and in a different spot every time. There has been the occasional pick-up on trolled minnows, as well as on fresh squid, fresh pillies, and amazingly, on live squid. It is not as if there are so many about that you could target them, though, with most being caught while angling for something different.
There are a few Flatties on the chew, though they are fairly small. They can be found hanging out in the vicinity of a few tasty flounder so if you find the flatties, have a drift of the area to see if you can’t uncover more. Small trevally are on structure around the bay and can be berleyed up, and using the same method around West Head should also bring in a few nice bream.
Offshore fishing has been a little slow and hard to access, though there is some good water up north near Norah Canyons, where some decent size yellowfin and an occasional broadbill has been found. Browns Mountain has been a little slower on the fin. A few of the reef drifts have been producing fish though, with flatties, mowies and snapper the protagonists.

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

Sydney Southern

It has been a cold but beautiful week with good catch's to those few that brave the cold.
Just out the front of botany bay near the light house there have been a few snapper and trevally on squid and pillies.
around the heads there is some good drummer to be caught on pealed prawns ,nippers and salted ab gut. Tip to catch these top fighting fish is to burley hard with bread.
Same problem as last week there are bream and trevally but those little snapper keep making it so hard to get a decent catch.
On the bend just past Lugarno towards the moons drift and you will catch trumpeter whiting on blood worms and Hawkesbury prawns.
Further up the river they are picking up blackfish on green weed.
There has still been the odd report of a school Jew here and there.

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

Wollongong

Lake: Good channel flow is bringing in trevally and nice bream on prawns or nippers at night on the high tide. Blackfish at Bevans Island in the deep channel and along the bowling club wall. Try the drop-offs for flathead and bream on whitebait and prawns.
Beaches: Tailor to 1kg on pillies and bream in the deeper gutters on prawns. Try the southern end of Shellharbour Beach or Port Kembla.
Rocks: Hill 60 north side, Wollongong breakwall and northern side of Bass Point for trevally, blackfish and bream in fair numbers. Berley hard for best results and use royal reds as bait.
Offshore: Snapper to 1.5kg are about with deeper water producing reds to 5kg. Mowies, jackets, trevally and sweep on the shallower reefs.

Garth, Deans Bait and Tackle, Windang 4295 1615

Batemans Bay

Offshore: Snapper have been going pretty well inshore with fish around a kilo with some pigs, mowies, bream, trevally and masses of pike in the berley trails.
Rocks, beaches: A bit hit and miss but beaches around Bawley Point and Binji going well for salmon. Still good snapper from the rocks to 2kg. Tailor also mixed with the salmon. Try plastics if the salmon aren’t biting on metal. Good drummer coming in most places.
Estuaries: The Clyde is fairly quiet apart from a few flatties near the entrance, Tuross fishing fairly well and Moruya River for tailor and trevally near the entrance. Bream in Durras Lake.

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

Narooma

Offshore: Out wide is pretty quiet. The island has been OK for kings and bonito, mainly on jigs. Water about 18°.
Rocks and beaches: Plenty of salmon and some nice tailor to 5kg. Drummer and groper going off after the rough weather.
Estuary: Bream, flatties and some trevally in the inlet.

Darryl, The Ocean Hut (02) 4476 2278

Bermagui

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

Archived Weekly Reports

Year 2005 Weekly Reports
7/01/2005	14/01/2005	21/01/2005	28/01/2005
4/02/2005	11/02/2005	18/02/2005	25/02/2005
	18/03/2005	25/03/2005
1/04/2005	8/04/2005	15/04/2005	22/04/2005	29/04/2005
6/05/2005	13/05/2005	20/05/2005	27/05/2005
3/06/2005	10/06/2005	17/06/2005	24/06/2005
1/07/2005	8/07/2005	18/07/2005

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