REPORTS
Over the past 2 weeks I have been out on the water a fair bit chasing yellowfin bream, dusky flathead, sand whiting, silver trevally, tailor and Australian salmon with hard bodied lures, soft plastics and bait.
The Georges River has been producing plenty of luderick at Silo Point and Lugarno on the run-up tide. The Baths at Picnic Point have also been holding a few luderick and yellowfin bream. Try using either squirt or blood worms here.
George Klew from Milperra fished the Milperra Bridge on the run-out tide for 3 yellowfin bream, 2 small dusky flathead and 1 jewfish. All were caught on blood worms.
Johnny Jewfish fished Congwong beach in Botany Bay earlier in the week for 14 silver trevally, 2 snapper. They measured 32 and 35 cm. All were caught on pilchard tails. He also fished down at Burning Palms in the Royal National Park for 5 drummer to 52cm, 1 bream to 36cm, plus a few silver trevally and a 9 kilo groper. All were caught on cunje and crab baits. Johnny also managed to get his first jewfish on a soft plastic at Chipping Norton. The jewfish weighted in at 3 kilos and was caught on a 4 inch Gulp Pogy.
Jake Whitlock fish with his dad Alex in Cowan Creek. Jake managed to get snapper, jewfish, silver trevally, bream, leatherjackets and tailor, while Alex caught tailor, silver trevally, bream and leatherjackets. Most of them were released.
Dave Steele and Andrew Letho fished their first Bream competition. It was a social event that was run by the guys from the http://www.thefishingsite.com.au/ and was run on the 6th of July
Venue: Hawkesbury River. Meeting Place: Deadhorse beach. (next beach immediately south of Parsley Bay)
Competition hours: 7am and weigh-in at 2pm.
Fishing Boundaries: Lower boundary is a straight line from Middle Head to West Head. Everywhere else up into the Hawkesbury and Cowan is open for fishing. The protected area in Parsley Bay will be off limits to comp fishing
Dave managed to get first place for the non-boaters and Andrew managed to pull in first place as the boater with a 938 gram fish. Dave told me that the water temperature was 13 degrees in places making the fishing very tough going.Andrew and Dave were out on the water again chasing bream over the weekend of the 12th of July and they managed to get amongst a few. They caught 12 yellowfin bream and 2 jewfish between them. The biggest jewfish weighed in at 5.194 kilo.Not bad on Gloomis DSR 820 4 to 8lb with twin power 1000, 10lb PE Castwaywith 6lb Sunline fluro and 1/0, 1/8 TT Jig head and a 2inch banana Gulp soft plastic.
Dave said that it took about 10 to 20 minutes to get the jewfish back to the boat. They were fishing in 10 to 12 metres of water not far from the road bridge. Dave has also now got the club record for the Windybanks Fishing Club.
BREAKING NEWS
Yabbie Bait and Tackle is no longer. The shop has been brought by Marcus Unkuri and is now called Southside Bait and Tackle and is situated at 2a Toorak Avenue Taren Point. Marcus is opened 7 days a week and has plenty of winter special on at the moment.
So when you are next in the neighbourhood call in a have a look around. It may only be a small shop, but I am sure that Marcus will help you out and also give you a few spots that are worth fishing.
FISHING CLASSES.
My next fishing class will start on Thursday the 28th of August starting at 6.30pm and will run for 3 consecutive Thursday nights. The cost of $95.00 includes a fish barbeque and the class. To book in and pay you will need to either ring the shop or pay them a visit.
Windybanks Bait and Tackle
523 Pacific Hwy Mt Colah NSW 2079
Ph (02) 9477 1501
Annette, John and Luke
If you can’t make that class I will be running another class later in the year on 3 conconsective Wednesday nights. The class will start at 7.00pm and finish at 10.00pm.
For further information you will need to ring or pay them a visit at the shop.
The cost will be $80.00 per person.
Absolutely Hooked
174 Merrylands Road
Merrylands
Ph (02) 9897 3474
Mike and April
NEW PRODUCTS
DVD No 1.
Australian Fishing Championships Series 4.
This is a 2 part DVD.
Approximate running time is 5 hours
RRP $39.99
The AFC Outdoors presents Series 4 of the Australian Fishing Championships from the Hawkesbury River in NSW TO Lake Awoonga in Queensland. There are 4 teams of 2 anglers competing for the ChampionshipTitle at places like the Hawkesbury River and Forster in NSW and the Gold Coast chasing yellowfin bream. Australian Bass are the sort after species in places like Lenthalls and Lake Boondooma dams and Lake Cania in Queensland and last but by no means least Barramundi in Lake Awoonga in Queensland.
I have watched these DVD’s over and over again and I am still finding a few different techniques that will have improve my fishing. You don’t have to be into competition fishing to enjoy and learn plenty from these DVD’s.
DVD No 2.
Snapper Down Under by Brendan Wing and Warren Carter
This is a 2 part DVD.
Approximate running time is 4 hours and 16 minutes
RRP $39.99
Fishing identities Brendan Wing and Warren Carter from Victoria have already brought you Great Grey Submarines (gummy sharks) and Secret Silver (mulloway) DVD’s, both of which I have reviewed in earlier reports. They now have put together this great DVD on how, where and when to chase snapper in Victoria.
If you are after a DVD on snapper that tells you all, while at the same time will keep you on the edge of your set, then Snapper Down Under is the one to get.
I have fished for snapper for many years and have caught my fair share of them, but after watching these DVD’s I can say I have learnt plenty more about how to fish for snapper in my home grown area of Sydney.
There is loads of tackle tips, how to present your baits, scenery profiles, maps and aerial footage of places to fish in Port Phillip Bay, Western Port and the Spenser Gulf.
This is not just a catch and kill type of DVD. The boys release most of the fish that are caught, some of which are in excess of 20 pound. They will take you through ways to catch snapper with bait and soft plastics.
Watching these DVD’s has made me green with envy and the next time that I am down in these areas I too will be chasing the Big Red Experience.
MORE REPORTS
Scotty Lyons from Southern Sydney Fishing Tours (http://www.fishingsydney.com.au/.) reports that what’s coming up on the fishing trip scene;
*Saturday the 19th is open.
*Fish the school holidays mid week I have days free just give me a call.
*I have one spot left for the Fishing School on the 14th this is a Monday night plus a full day out fishing on Botany Bay.
Singles day
Saturday the 26th Deep sea only three spots left.
Sunday the 27th Botany Bay day Four spot left.
Weipa trip in September 8th to 14th only one spot left six nights seven days of tropical fishing up on Cape York for all detail give me a call.
Give Scotty a call on 0418 169 439. For more information and some great photos you should go to Scotty’s web site at http://www.fishingsydney.com.au/ and have a look.
Ron Osman from Estuary Fishing and Tours reports that he is back after a short holiday I am back fishing again and some days have been good and some bad. They caught hairtail down Jerusalem Bay in Cowan Creek to 4 ½ foot, but dropped a 6 footer right next to the boat on the first night down there. On the first night they caught a total of 4 and the second night which was about three days later they caught 3 then the third and fourth nights which was only last week we got none, but no one down there was getting any so I didn’t feel so bad.Ron has his own rig set up for hairtail, but people use all sorts of rigs from gang knots to single
hooks, but nearly everyone uses Pillies for bait and burly. I will put up a photo of the rig I use and you can give it a go if you’re down that way fishing for them.Ron have joined a fishing chat room called smellsfishy.com.au and joined them on their Hairtail social. There wasn’t many hairtail weighted in but it was a great time down there and everybody had fun. It was very nice to meet and chat to other fishos. Check out the website if you like it is very informative with not as many members as other sites so you know who you are talking to and if you post a really good fishing report you won’t have 100 people there the next day.
Ron has been catching a few Kingy’s down Pittwater mostly at one wreck, but also around Scotland Island. They aren’t’ big fish with the biggest only 75cm and we are still catching rats of about 60cm which is surprising for this time of year because you usually only get the bigger ones in winter but not as many.
They are taking live slimy mackerel or live squid, but don’t seem to be interested in the Yakkas and Ron has been trialling my new Shark Downrigger Bomb from Flybridge.com.au which has been catching most of the fish. They look fantastic in the water and attract the fish a lot better than a piece of dull lead.
Squid are hard to find some days but some of the squid are huge. One of my customers Michael came out with his dad Neil and had never caught a squid before and he landed a monster (see photo). We could only get one small one for live bait and he was eaten by a 60cm kingfish at Scotland Island. Then we only had Yakkas left and they weren’t interested in them so we went fishing elsewhere.
We are still getting a few Jewfish at the Rip Bridge on soft plastics but they are only throw backs and up to 55cm but still a Jewie with the odd big Flattie thrown in. We go through a few plastics there because of all the Leather Jackets taking chunks out of them. Go with the Gulps if you are going to give it a go with a 3/8 jig head to get you down to the 30-50 ft they are at.
Blue swimmers are still around surprisingly we are getting about 8-10 a day but no real big ones. They are only just legal but with 8 of them you get a good feed. The spots I put my traps in down the Hawkesbury are in between the road and rail bridge, Mooney Creek mouth or between Juno Point and Croppy Head and no one place has been better than the other. Lion Island has been hot and cold as well with some days not even a bite and other days full of Bream, Trevally, Leather Jackets, Tailor and Pike. Burly is a must and the best bait has been big peeled Hawkesbury prawns. The pelagic fish have been very quiet and we have only seen small schools of Salmon and Tailor in Broken Bay and only a few times. There aren’t even many birds flying around except for around the trawlers.We have been doing a bit of Black fishing lately and Brisbane Waters has been the best. We have caught them to 38cm at Lobster Beach, Rileys Island, The Rip and Paddys Channel but I have been catching more of the banks at Davistown on my days off. A lot of people haven’t fished for them before and are always keen to try different styles of fishing.
We have been catching a few Flatties on soft plastics in Patonga Creek and in Brisbane Waters but they are no where near as thick as in summer. But they are my favourite eating fish and always welcome in the esky.
If you are keen to come out Ron has knocked $100 off the price of a mid week charter for winter. So if you have 6 people it will only be $80 each and although it is cold there are still plenty of fish to be caught and there aren’t many boats out even on the weekends which is great.
To find out what type of fishing has been happening in the Hawkesbury, Pittwater and Brisbane Waters area you could have a look at the reports that have been put up on http://www.estuaryfishingtours.com.au/ web site or you could email him at ron@estuaryfishingtours.com.au
Jason and Virginia Isaac from Ned Kelly’s Bait and Tackle jasned@ozemail.com.au reports that off the rocks, drummer numbers have now really hit their straps with good numbers of fish taken from most ledges. Call them what you like, eastern rock blackfish or drummer, but the appropriately titled pigs are one species that perhaps more than any other, is eagerly awaited by many rock hoppers along the NSW coastline. You only need to experience a good session on some knuckle busting pigs to understand what all the fuss is about.
Locally, Lighthouse, Rockies and Shelley’s are beginning to give up increasing numbers, as too are Plommer, Hat Head and Point Perpendicular, whilst most other recognised ledges are also providing fish when conditions suit. With the pigs favourite morsel, abalone gut currently prohibited from being used, cunjevoi, large prawns and bread are all yielding results. Elsewhere off the stones, bream remain on offer albeit patchy at times, with Lighthouse and Diamond Head producing some nice fish. Tailor numbers too have been a little inconsistent, however the salmon have turned up in good numbers to provide a bit of sport if little else. Also on the continual improve are groper, with the westerly winds and calm seas seeing ideal conditions for tackling these tough fighting fish. Blackfish of course remain in good numbers for those willing to float a bit of cabbage around the washes.
Off the beaches, things are certainly looking up, with Lighthouse and North Beach now holding better formations than we have seen all year. Let’s hope we don’t get any big seas for a while and these formations develop even further. Whilst tailor have been a little slow over the past week, there have been a few isolated reports from the beaches around Laurieton, including the odd fish well above chopper class. Mixed in of course, are increasing numbers of salmon. To date we have not seen any complete inundations like the past few years, however time will tell as to what numbers make their way up the coast this season. On the bream front, results have been a little below expected, however a few good fish have been coming from Lighthouse and North Beach over the past week, with mullet strips accounting for the better fish.
In the estuary, blackfish numbers continue to improve however remain somewhat inconsistent. The south wall as often is the case, is fishing as well as anywhere. Flathead numbers are down a little as expected with the water now cooling considerably, however the good news is there are large numbers of bream now in the lower reaches. As far as bait is concerned, pretty well anything will catch fish in varying numbers, however gut baits or yabbies fished with minimal lead will prove a deadly combination. The next few nights leading up to the full moon should fish as well as any time of the year, although a bit of extra clothing will be mandatory given the bite in the westerly winds at present.
Offshore, wire is now essential if you plan to go wider than about 40 meters, with the jacket population beginning to make their presence felt. If you can get past them, some nice snapper and pearl perch have been on offer of Plommer, whilst closer in off Cathie and Nobbies, the better reds continue to respond well to plastics of all types.
When you are next up in Port Macquarie call into the shop and have a look at their great selection of tackle and bait they have on offer. You could also ask Jason and Virginia for their daily report on what’s happening on the fishing front. Call them on (02) 6583 8318.
Paul Martin from Rock Marine Bait and Tackle (rocksmarine@tsn.cc) reports that
there has been plenty of fish’os taking on the cold mornings to get a feed with some good results.
Its wild and woolly out wide so most guys are targeting the closer reefs. Nice Snapper are still coming in from Grassy in around 30 meters as well as in close off Scotts Head and as far as Nambucca. Reports of 6 kilo plus have not been uncommon over the last week. Down south has been a hot spot for nice Bream around Green Island and the odd Green back Tailor. Fish Rock has small Kings and the odd Snapper but the conditions have been only ordinary. The Pro’s are working the wider reefs for Leather Jackets, out there in huge numbers.
Tailor were on the bite off the rocks late last week with quite a few over the 2 kilo mark while Bream and Trevally are in good numbers. Bitter cold mornings on the beaches have rewarded guys with some good Bream, Tailor and some monster Salmon off the north end of Smoky beach.
We are well into our Blackfish run and they just keep coming. Biting on a mixture of weeds and tides they can be a little tricky to hook but the good news most are keepers. There are plenty of Bream around along the walls down river while Jerseyville and up to Smithtown are fishing well for bream with the odd Flathead. Small Jews are about taking live bait and assorted Plastic baits.
For daily reports and special call Paul on (02) 6566 6726.
Steve Williamson from Jindabyne sent me a news letter about The Discovery Holiday Parks Family Fishing Challenge 2008/9 NSW Series which will be held at the following places.
Koala Shores Beach Resort – Lemon Tree Passage
2nd, 3rd and 4th May 2008
Holiday Hub Beach Resort - Pambula Beach
5th, 6th and 7th September 2008
Gerroa Shores Beach Resort – Gerroa
3rd, 4th and 5th October 2008
Shadrack Beachfront Resort – Two Fold Bay, Eden
7th, 8th and 9th November 2008
Snowline Holiday Park – Lake Jindabyne
20th, 21st and 22nd February 2009
If you are interested in finding out more about this great competition you can email Steve at swtrout@airlan.com.au or just pay a visit to his web site at www.swtroutfishing.com.au
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