Fishing Monthly - Latest Fishing Reports - Updated Weekly

Fishing Monthly - Latest Fishing Reports - Updated Weekly

These reports are updated weekly.
Last Edited: Friday, 19 August 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

A few tailor on the beach smashing into a lot of bait Cabarita and Hastings Point the best. A few nice bream around the headlands there too on cut bait and gut. Dart everywhere and salmon on cut bait if you’re that way inclined.
River: The odd jew around the mouth, a few schoolies around the deep holes up-river. Nice bream around the mouth on cut herring and gut. Blackfish plentiful at most of the usual places. Flathead improving by the day with school fish around the edges practically everywhere.
Offshore: Not many reports apart from the nice squire in close and out to the 30s, with trag and parrot around. Leatherjackets cleared. On this moon the outer 40s should be good for big reds and a few in the shallows.

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. Snapper, jewfish around the local reefs. Heaps of leatherjackets around Windarra Bank.
Rock and beach: Good tailor and bream with a few big salmon on New Brighton Beach and Seagull Rocks. Tailor on the north wall, tailor and a few dart on South Beach.
Estuary: Bream around the boat harbour. Blackfish around the Spur Wall. School jew up the river at night.

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

Byron Bay

Good fishing everywhere. Heaps of big tailor from the rocks around the cape with a few school jew off The Chair on pillies as well. Big flathead around the Belongil and heaps of big snapper out wide. Plenty of salmon still around.

David Keevers, Coastal Fishing Tackle (02) 6685 7133

Ballina

Mandy said the beaches have been good for nice bream, the odd tailor and plenty of dart and the occasional salmon.
The river has some nice jewfish after dark around the RSL and bigger fish from the walls. Black Head is also fishing well for the jewies. Still a fair few bream through the lower river and working upstream. Flathead mainly in North Creek. Whiting should start at Pimlico on this moon, try the deep running flats with bloodworms.
No outside report.
Pretty slow for the snapper of a morning off Evans Head but the next few evenings should be good unless the onshore breeze comes up. A few jew and some nice patches of trag, again best at night. The river has some nice bream but with the full moon at the moment, the best fishing is after dark and before the moon peeps over the headland. Some flathead turning up in the middle reaches, too. Beaches have dart, salmon, bream and the odd school jew, mainly after dark. Good tides for that caper this weekend. Jerusalem Creek is also fishing pretty well for beach jewies.

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

t.zann@fishingmonthly.com.au

Yamba

Every bream in the river is cringing in 60’ of water with its fins over its head hoping it doesn’t get hungry until Monday – there’s a 70-odd-boat fleet at Yamba for the ABT BREAM event!.
Offshore has been pretty good with good reds and pearlies out wider and plenty of trag. The bolt-cutters (jackets) are around also out there and the chopper tailor are in close but get through these and you’ll do well. Evening sessions are better than mornings.
Sporadic action around the rocks for a few nice tailor on lures and pillies with some bream in the washes. Iluka side has a few nice jew from the rocks on hard and soft lures.
Blackfish very patchy and no big deal down the bottom end with best catches from Lawrence to Brushgrove. Some good flathead on the flats from Yamba to Maclean.

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

Coffs Harbour

A few nice snapper to 8kg coming in from the shallow reefs. heaps of salmon from the beaches with fish to 4kg with a few tailor mixed in with them. The offshore islands have a few small kings.
Bream from the rock walls and racks in the rivers are going well and a few good flathead are turning up on plastics in the shallows.
The headlands have tailor and the odd jewfish, but mostly schoolies.

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

South West Rocks

We have had a very quiet week with
most people choosing to stay indoors. But a heap of fishos are chasing blackfish at the moment, with mixed success. Some are picking up half a dozen of good quality but the numbers don’t go much past that.
There are still plenty of bream around with the odd good one amongst the runts. Flathead are biting on plastics or mullet, tuna or whitebait.
The outside scene has been fair with snapper being taken north off the reefs around Grassy and Scotts. Most are just over legal with the occasional 3-4kg specimen. Out wide it’s been pretty rough. Kingfish at Fish Rock have been inconsistent with most of them rats but there is the odd fish to 8kg.
Front Beach has been producing mostly undersize whiting but Back beach has been OK for bream and the odd salmon on live worms. Smoky Beach has been very slow with some bream, tailor and salmon coming in after much hard work.

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

Port Macquarie

In the estuary, blackfish numbers remain reasonable with the north wall and coal walls in particular fishing quite well. Bream numbers remain quite good although the full moon will see the night time action slow considerably. Some nice lizards have continued to be caught over the past week, with whitebait proving by far the premier bait. Lure-tossers have been enjoying great success for this time of year, with the flatties eagerly scoffing soft plastics despite the cooler temperature. This is one species which certainly seems to be benefiting now that the Hastings is a recreational fishing area.
Off the beaches, bream numbers remain steady with North Beach the pick. School jewfish have been disappointing but should improve with favourable tide and lunar conditions now upon us. Tailor continue to intrigue, with very few choppers although there is a sprinkling of greenbacks well above 2kg on most beaches. These fish seem to be running with the salmon schools, which remain prevalent on all beaches to varying degrees.
Off the rocks, drummer continue to be reasonable with most ledges now producing rather consistently. The key is to seek the more washed-out ledges, particularly those with a good supply of cunjevoi and cabbage nearby, and a reasonable coverage of stirred-up water. Abalone gut or cunjevoi, together with some robust tackle, are the only other requirements. Tailor numbers have remained steady, as have bream, with Point Plommer fishing well over the past week. Reports of good numbers of blackfish off the rocks with the odd groper.
Outside, the consistent winds have made fishing quite uncomfortable on most days. For those who have ventured out, snapper numbers and quality remain excellent with most boxes containing multiple fish, with 3kg-plus specimens common. Closer in, flathead remain excellent with most who have drifted the flattie grounds saying the quantity and quality are as good as they have been for a few years. Leatherjackets remain an issue in places but thankfully are now an option you can either chase or comfortably avoid.

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

Forster

Offshore: Reports of good fishing are few and far between. There have been a few small makos in close and I know of one thresher shark accidentally hooked. The reds on offer have been small. No shortage of live bait on offer, but not much to eat it.
Beaches: Same as last week – lots of salmon.
Rocks: Where have these giant tailor come from? Some guys have reported fish they can't lift up onto the rocks they are fishing without the help of a gaff. Jannies Corner seems to be the place but don't expect the usual tailor bite. These big fish are being very timid. Still lots of reports of more bream and blackfish coming up the coast, particularly around the base of Cape Hawke.
Estuary: It's standing room only around the base of the bridge as the blackfish massacre continues. Lots of whitebait is being reported in the lake and this has seen the flathead active, looking for an easy feed. The bream seem to have moved up the lake a little with few reported captures from the breakwalls. Mulloway have been a little shy.

Lloyd Campbell, Great Lakes Tackle 02 6554 9541

Port Stephens

Estuary: Big schools of blackfish on the co-op wall with fish to 2kg, also at the Anchorage, Windy Woppa and Tomaree tubes. Good bream inside the Nelson Bay marina. Trumpeter whiting on The Paddock at the back of Soldiers Point and a few on the Middle Ground. A few flathead in the upper reaches around Karuah and the top of Tilligerry. Bream around the racks in North Arm Cove and Rocks Awash.
Beaches: Big schools of salmon on Stockton with fish to 4kg. A few tailor, bream pretty quiet, just the odd whiting. Tailor at Fingal. A few bream around Middle Rock on One Mile.
Rocks: Big pigs on Cemetery, Sunny Corner and Rocky. Blackfish around Rocky, Boulder Bay. A few tailor on Sunny Corner and One Mile Headland. Plenty of squid at Fishermans and Boat Harbour. A few squire on the south side of Boat Harbour.
Offshore: A few reasonable snapper in the shallows at Broughton, Mungo, Edith Breaker. Flathead on the edge of the Big Gibber and the back of Mungo. Good pigs off the Broughton washes. Bream and blackfish around Fingal, the Gantry and around Shark Island. A few nannygai out on The Tank with a couple of school jew. A few mowies on the back of the Three Mile.

Graham Duffy, Salamander Bait and Tackle 02 4982 0711

Newcastle

No one could really complain about the weather this week. It was nice to be out and about either in the boat or off the rocks or beaches. The wind picked up at times but usually there was somewhere to get out of it. Fishing this week has been good with plenty of reports of fish being caught and also reports of crabs down on the flats near Coon Island . They weren't in big numbers but at least there was a feed on the table.
Locally there have been some decent tailor in the lake with trolling the best option and then spinning for them once they have been found. Fish around 2kg have been the go and using light gear has been fun for all. There are also large flathead around in the lake and soft plastics such as the 3" Drop Shot PowerBait in pearl/watermelon doing the job. We still have these on special at 4 packs for $30. Match these with one of the Pflueger spinning combos we have on special and you are on the way to many hours of enjoyable fishing.
There have been reports of snapper being caught out at The Farm with Jason bagging out last Saturday but the action only started after the wind had dropped. Others have been out for no result so they are a bit patchy at the moment.
Kingfish have been around with a few being caught at the coal loader at Catho as well as off the rocks further south. Drummer have been caught in good numbers in the same area with some nice fish being dragged out of the water.
Luderick have been caught in the usual places such as Lucys Breakwall with cabbage and weed both working well. Whiting have been around with some nice fish caught on live bloodworms, which we have in stock at the moment. A few nice bream have also been caught on the worms in the channel.
On Wednesday there was a meeting to elect the office-bearers and create an action plan for the Newcastle arm of ECO Fishers. Peter Sanderson was elected as vice-president and there will be a committee meeting in a fortnight to outline a strategy plan and then in a month there will be a meeting open to the public. This issue is important to all of us so attendance at the meeting would be worth your while so that we can be kept up to date with what is going on. We will let you know of the date of the meeting and look forward to seeing you there.

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

Central Coast

Cold, clear water. Plenty of salmon from the rocks and beaches with quite a few pushing up into the estuaries. The odd bream around and what’s been caught is very good quality. Heaps of estuary perch working the leases in Brisbane Water and in the channels at times.
Offshore: out on the shelf for some big yellowfin to around 70kg. There has also been a really unusual run of big pearl perch in around 70m. kings going well on jigs on the wider grounds. Jewfish have been quiet apart from a nice 14kg fish at Woy Woy. It only gets better from here!

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

Sydney Northern

Fishing has been a bit patchy during the last week, especially inshore where below 14° waters have permeated throughout both Sydney Harbour and Pittwater. This is the time of year when water temperatures are always at their coldest in both these areas, and Pittwater is freezing, holding at about 13.5° until the run-in tide warms things a little.
Offshore the water is closer to 16°-plus and it gets even warmer out over the shelf, so it is no surprise that reef fishing has been a little more lively. There have even been a few really big yellowfin just north of Sydney.
The beaches are fishing quite well at present, with the salmon that have been schooling up offshore starting to investigate beach gutters of an evening. Jeff Yorsten has managed to pick up a couple lately off Collaroy. The odd tailor is also about, terrorising similar gutters and loving a piece of pilly. A few sharks are making their presence felt, particularly in the deeper gutters off South Steyne. Everything from Port Jacksons to whalers have shown up, often tempted by a strip of bonito or slimy mackerel.
Rockhoppers are still experiencing pigs aplenty, from under a kilo to over 3kg. Ab gut has been the pick of the baits lately, with several Fish Outta Water customers hooking up to big pigs on it this week. Luderick have also been a favourite of late and if you can find some nice, fresh green weed you should be in with a good shot at hooking a couple.
Reef fishing in the last few weeks has held its own with the comparatively warmer water providing more stimulus for the fish. Reasonable reds have been hooked up to on the closer gravel beds, mostly by those using fresh squid – obviously only when there is some run. Drift fishing has turned up quite a few flatties, with pilchards and whitebait the prime baits.
Out wider things are looking pretty good. There have been a few yellowfin around 20kg near Browns Mountain but the better action is reserved for those who can put in a few kilometres. The boat Diligaf went out last Sunday for a run up north towards Port Stephens, where near the end of the day they encountered a school of massive yellowfin. Three tuna all over 80 kilos made it onto the deck and a fourth fish three-quarter-spooled a Tiagra 50W at high speed and then made its getaway. That last monster of the deep had to be some fish. Needless to say, the anglers were all stoked! Stomach inspection of the tuna revealed some interesting finds, with crabs, small marlin or broadbill, and blue trevalla all inside, at least two of which are predominantly reef dwellers.
Harbour fishing has been slow again this week, but there are still plenty of bream around structure in town, mixed in with a couple of tarwhine. Des Toms of Hook’em Cook’em Charters fished Watsons Bay in 14° water for a few decent snapper around 40cm. The berley trail he used also brought around some hard-fighting trevally and the odd pike. Blackfish have been quite prevalent all around the harbour lately, once again as long as you can find fresh weed. Salmon have been on and off out the front of North Head, and have also filtered in and around the harbour, but in both instances the fish are incredibly skittish and easily put down. If you are interested in learning more about catching Australian salmon on fly there will be a talk on August 25 at 6pm with Jono Shales. To book call us on 99499488. Drinks and nibbles are provided.
Pittwater is also very cold and a little slow. The kings are still there and on the bite but are just not as consistent as they have been recently. Live squid is still the key, and Pete Le Blang of Harbour and Estuary Charters says there are a couple around, but expect it to be long, hard work. The ones that are there are hanging in very small groups with just a couple of squid. At least there are plenty of trevors around that will respond to a good berley trail. Unweighted baits, particularly whitebait or small pilchard pieces, have been going off once they are around.

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

Sydney Southern

Mac's Bait Bar Outside around Stanwell Park some nice snapper have been caught up to 5 kg on squid and pillies. Bate Bay off Cronulla has been firing for flathead on pillies and squid as well. Point Danger has produced drummer on ab gut and peeled prawns.
Further north towards Bondi there have been schools of salmon working.
Inside Botany Bay has been a bit quiet with some small catches of trevally near the breakwall. Tom Ugly's Bridge has been the pick of the spots with a lot of blackfish being caught there on green weed. The secret to catch them here is to fish with a two-hook rig with the sinker on the bottom (paternoster rig).
Caravan Head has again produced jewfish up to 5 kg on the top and bottom of the tides on Hawkesbury River squid

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

Wollongong

Lake: Some nice whiting in the channel near the bowling club on squirt worms and bloodworms. Nice blackfish near the kiosk and bream at the back of the lake around the creeks on peeled prawns and plastics in bloodworm and pink.
Beaches: Windang near the radio towers for salmon, good bream at Port Kembla and on worms. MM Beach for bream on chicken gut and mullet strips. Entrance to Little Lake for salmon and tailor.
Rocks: Trevally at Port Kembla on royal reds, pigs off Windang Island and some good bream on the gravel at the back of Bass Point.
Offshore: Nice bream around the Five Islands and a few salmon off Bass Point. Makos in close on dead baits. Good bream around Bass Point. South East Grounds for reds to 2kg with cuttlefish floating around there triggering the reds.

Garth, Deans Bait and Tackle, Windang 4295 1615

Batemans Bay

Snapper around the Tollgates and off Durras. Salmon and tailor from the rocks and the river is pretty quiet.

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

Narooma

Offshore: Still quiet. The algae seems to be breaking up a little. Close in there are plenty of sand flathead and some reasonable snapper and mowies.
Rocks and beaches: Plenty of salmon when there was a wash earlier in the week but it has gone calm. same with the drummer and blackfish. Forecast weekend weather should stir it up again.
Estuary: A few flatties, bream, trevally and tailor in very cold water. Lots of baitfish so as it warms, the lake will turn on.

Darryl, The Ocean Hut (02) 4476 2278

Bermagui

Offshore: Still a fair bit of slime out there but on days when it clears catches improve. A few reds and mowies and a few good snapper on the Twelve Mile along with a few scarlet perch.
Beaches have salmon, tailor and a few bream.
Estuaries: Still good for trevally, bream and blackfish around the Bermie River and the boat harbour and big blackfish at the Wallaga bridge.

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	22/07/2005	29/07/2005
5/08/2005	12/08/2005

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