WEB REPORT 29/11/08
Normally I don’t let to me things get under my skin, but of one of the many emails that I received last week did get under my skin a little bit, so I had decided to let you know of my response.
Trevor Martin [don’t know where he is from or who he is, but you know (Trevor Martin) who you are] sent me this email at 7.30pm on the 26/11/08. Now just to let you know I haven’t changed it in any form or text.
It goes like this;
I fail to understand why you have a weekly report that is 4 weeks old. It would appear that you are taking significant advantage of your reputation (that is rapidly deminishing due to the capatilistic approach but i guess it is due to your age rather than your passion and retirement looming) and as such are now treating the people that made you with total disregard.
Congradulations on your past exploits but remeber this, at the end of the day you are remembered for what is more recent than what was in the distant past and at the moment you do not make much in the way of being informative on what is your backyard for fishing!!!!!!!!!
Regards
Trevor Martin
So, just to enlighten and correct you (Trevor Martin that is) on a few facts, I have listed the following and by the way I have put them in point form so that it is simple to understand. Especially for someone like you.
1. The report is actually 26 days old, not 4 weeks (28 days) as you stated in your email. Although some people may say that 4 weeks is a month. Which as most of us know can be either 28 days, 29 days in a leap year, 30 or 31 days depending on the particular month of the year.
2. I have actually had the weekly report drop down on my web page changed to REPORTS on the 12/11/08. So it would occur to me that after you had checked (26/11/08) to see if I had put up my latest report you may not have noticed the change to the front page of my web site or maybe you just you can’t read.
3. I don’t know how you came up with the fact that I was a capitalist (capatilistic approach), as I don’t get paid to put together my reports, that I own my web site, that I do these reports in my own time, on my own computer, send them by email, print some of them on my own paper and use my own ink. Now I could keep going on, but I won’t. Oh, one more thing, I pay for it myself.
4. Also, as other readers of this report would realise, is that you have trouble with your spelling or you are not very computer literate and you don’t know how to use SPELL CHECK on your computer. So for your (Trevor Martin) information the spelling mistakes are as follows; (deminishing = diminishing), (capatilistic = capitalistic), (Congradulations = congratulations) and (remeber = remember).
5. Thank you (Trevor Martin) for your Congradulations, congratullations, congradullations, bloody hell I forgot to use SPELL CHECK congratulations on my past exploits. I am very proud of myself for being able to author two fishing books, 8 fishing maps and 1 DVD; even though when I first started I too couldn’t spell all that good. But after buying a dictionary and learning a new word each day I have got to where I am now. If you (Trevor Martin) are having trouble with your spelling (which is a plain as the email you sent me) I would suggest that you too buy a dictionary and start learning how to spell. I would suggest that you start with words like at, it, be, is, to, me, am and an. That would at least fill in your next week. Then once you have mastered these words you could may try learning words like nob and head.
6. I didn’t know that I have a reputation (bad, good or ugly.)
7. Now, some people may think that being over 50 years old is over the hill, but I don’t and for your information I am not intending to retire for a long time. Actually I am having too much fun.
8. The only 2 people that made me were my mum and dad, and no it wasn’t the milkman.
9. I don’t know where you think my fishing backyard is, but I do know that I will fish anywhere am allowed to in Australia and overseas. Ninety eight percent of this time spent fishing I will manage to catch something of value. So the question of would ask of you, “Does that make the world my backyard?” Boy, if it does that would be a bloody lot of grass I would have to mow.
10. I am not going to go anywhere near the grammar errors that have been made, as I still get confused at times and have to ask my wife and kids.
For those of you that do read my reports and send me emails with questions, reports of your own and photos of your recent captures. Please keep them coming and I will respond to all of them, even though it may take a little while. I will also endeavour to get my reports out more frequently during the summer months.
Anyway, enough of responding to the first email that I have ever received like this,
But, it has been fun. Maybe Trevor Martin (who ever he thinks he is) will get to read
this report when he once again checks up on me to see whether I have done my report.
Now I can’t remember whether it is supposed to be an hourly, weekly, monthly, daily
or yearly report.
Oh, what the heck. It’s a REPORTThere has been a number of updates on my home page to make it easier for you to be able to find the reports, book reviews, DVD and Video reviews and new products.
For all his hard work I would like to thank Adam Ford for what he has been able to achieve. The updates took him about 12 hours, and believe me I am sure that Adam would have preferred to be out on the water chasing a few fish rather than sitting in front of a computer.
They are as follows;
Reports – When ever I can get to them
Book reviews – Now 19
DVD and Video reviews – Now 15
New products - Now 6
In the New Year there will be a copy of more changes and additions, so keep a look out for them.
Carl from
http://www.kyakafishingsydney.com.au/ reports on the following;
Squidgie Bream Challenge –Round 1
25-30 knot winds with gusts up to 40 knots. Sensational breamin' weather...NOT! These conditions completely stuffed any ideas that Gary and I had of venturing up to the Cooks River. Instead we stuck it out in the Georges which was a battle enough in the wind.
Things started off slowly until we hit some weedbeds that we figured would fish ok with the falling tide. Gary eventually rigged up with a Gulp 2" Banana Prawn and bang!, was on straight away. A few minutes later, he added number two to the well. After about 3 hours I finally get a hit and it's a small flattie. Not long after that I get another take and this one is much better..but it's still a flattie. Very nice size at 65 cms but useless in a bream comp.
As the day wore on, we slowly added bream until we had our 5 bag and even added a couple of upgrades. When I say we, I actually mean that Gary hooked them, I netted them and then put them into the well. I couldn't catch a bream for love nor money. Talk about being a spectator! And with 10 minutes to go I finally hook up to another decent fish but this time it's a whiting that stretches out to 44 cms. Sheesh...
Our (i.e. Gary's) bag ended up weighing 2.16 kgs which saw us nab 16th place out 41 boats, so not too bad considering the conditions. And to top it all off, two out of the top five boats caught their bream in the Cooks! Aaaarrgghhh.... Sorry Gary, next time I'll do better, I promise. : )
Botany Bay Kingie Madness
I'd heard that there were a few kingies around in Botany Bay so I ventured out for a midweek early morning session. Perfect conditions saw me flicking out an East Coast Popper bang on 5:30 am. Six or seven cranks of the handle and 'BOOF-O', I'm on! At first I thought it was a tailor but a strong run had me thinking that maybe it's a king. I had to go fairly easy with the 6lb braid and eventually I netted a feisty king that was about 60 cms. And first cast too, how sweet is that?
Just in case there were a few more bigger guys about, I upped the tackle to my 15lb outfit and threw out a 6" Mojo SP. Another surface smash knocks the lure flying and I can hardly control myself to fire off the next cast. I let it sink for a few seconds, then get two winds away when I'm on solid. Ooh, this feels like a good 'un. The line zings through the guides and I'm being towed back to the beach. Lot's of surging runs and I keep sideways pressure on him to tire him out. When I eventually see him through the slightly murky water I think, "Yowser, this could be close to a meter!". I make sure he's totally knackered before I tail grab him and haul him into the yak. Woo Hoo! He's a new PB for sure but on closer inspection, I don't think he'll go a meter. In fact, he came in at 89 cms and 5.82 kgs, so I wasn't too far off my estimate.
As I'm re-rigging, a school of kings busts up in front of me, so I throw on an olive green Sluggo this time, seeing if the colour change will make a difference. Another instant hook up, so no, it doesn't make a difference! This one goes about 55 cms and the next one I land is probably about 70 cms. I've already kept the big one which is enough for me, so anything I catch now goes back to grow bigger and wiser.
I change lures again, this time to a Squidgie Slick Rig and it's nailed as well. I continue changing lures and it doesn't matter what I use, they are getting hit. Another angler in a hornet (Brad) had turned up and had landed a few on poppers but they'd stopped hitting them and all he had were 3" plastics which he wasn't having any luck on. I gave him a couple of the Mojo's and he was back into them straight away.
At about 7:45 am they switched off which was my cue to go home. What a session! I'd say I landed about 12 kings between 50-65 cms and 5 between 65-89 cms. Plus I was reefed three times as well by some bigger guys, so I may have to take out some heavier tackle next time. Next time?
FISHING CLASSES.I would like to thank all of the anglers out there who have attended my fishing courses. It has been great giving you some of my years of experience of fishing on the water and hopefully improving your fishing.
My next fishing class will start on the 22/01/09 at Watto’s Tackle shop. This will be the first of the 3 conconsective Thursday 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.For further information and to book in and pay you can contact Sean at
Email:
wattosfishing@bigpond.com Phone: 0416 203 507
Address: shop 1 & 2 LOT 9 KURRAJOMG AVE ST MARYS NORTH
And while you are at it you could go to their web site and see what special they have on at the moment
http://www.wattosfishing.com.au/If you can’t make that one my next fishing class will start on
Thursday the 12th of February 2009. It starts 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 and John
Now if you can’t make either of them you may like to contact either Mike or April from
Absolutely Hooked
174 Merrylands Road
Merrylands
Ph (02) 9897 3474
MORE REPORTS
I would like to welcome onboard Scott Thorington from Haven Sports Fishing Charters
http://kingfishjigging.com/ who fishes out of his Custom built in 1995, the Freedom was designed with one thing in mind - chasing marlin!
Scott Haven Sport Fishing Charters was established in 1987 and is owned and skippered by Scotty, who has fished throughout the Pacific including locations such as Hawaii, New Guinea, Fiji, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.
In Australia, he has logged thousands of sea hours as skipper or crewman on commercial and sport fishing boats from Eden in the south to Lizard Island in the north. During one of Scotty's charters you may encounter one of his regular ride along guests. These may include tackle industry reps, TV hosts, tackle shop proprietors & designers, game fishing crew & captains from Australia and around the world, all who are only to willing to share their tips techniques & experiences with Scotty.
The boat has a fast cruise speed and is dry and stable on the troll and at anchor. She has a clean, bubble-free wake that makes her perfect for lure or 'bait and switch' fishing for bill fish. A bow thruster adds to her nimble manoeuvrability.
The Electronics onboard include GPS, Depth Sounder (fishfinder) 27meg & VHF radios. A Next G mobile phone is also carried ensuring phone communications at the continental shelf.
For up to date reports on what is happening offshore on the central coast go to Scotty’s blog at
http://havencharters.blogspot.com/
Scotty Lyons from Southern Sydney Fishing Tours (
http://www.fishingsydney.com.au/.) reports that Well what a weekend, Saturday started well and we found a few Trevally just off the Third Runway but at 9.20am the change hit and within 5minutes we had one metre waves crashing all around the boat, little fun getting the anchor up.
Headed towards Brighton for shelter and the plan was to work plastics for Flathead and target Bream and Whiting on bait but the change put a stop to that, a total shut down in all active.
Sunday was called off due to the weather.
WHAT COMING UP
*Fish afternoons 4pm to 7pm out of Cronulla weekdays.
*Fish afternoons 1pm to 7pm all weekend.
*Christmas gift vouchers now available.
*Two spots now open for Weipa in April. 
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 fishing the Kingies are back in Pittwater, with some days seeing us catch over 10 Kingfish up to 76cm. Squid have been so easy to
catch with the best day 12 squid and 10 yakka’s caught at West Head in 45min. The squid have only been small, but the Kingies seem to love them. Best spot for the Kings has been Longnose Point and the wrecks near Clairville. They got busted off by a monster just yesterday and got lots of small ones. Ron didn’t get to see the big one but by the amount of line he took he reckons it would have been near the meter mark.
The best day on the water was 2 weeks ago with 10 Kingfish caught but only 6 keepers with the biggest 76cm, cappuccino from Captain Cappuccino in the middle of Pittwater and fish and chips for lunch from Patonga. Then down to chase Jewies, no Jewfish but we caught a 1.4m hairtail at Wobby during the day.
They have also been getting a few Jewies on soft plastics down the Hawkesbury while flicking for Flatties. Flathead have been to 50cm and the Jewies to 60cm with a couple of bigger ones caught on fresh squid while at anchor at Wobby. The biggest Jew was 82cm (4.5kg). Real big tides at the moment and it took me 3 goes to get the anchor to stick at Wobby because we had the wind blowing with the tide. In the end I went in a bit shallower than I usually fish just to hold anchor.
A couple of weekends ago the river was very busy on the water with the Hawkesbury Classic on (over 600 competitors). There was over 20 boats at Flint and Steel at 6.15am and 20 at Juno the rest of the day but there was still plenty of fish around for everyone. Talking to a fisheries officer down there he said big Jewies came in from Gunya and Juno and smaller ones from Wobby and the bridges. Ron wanted to fish Juno, but with 20 boats already there we went to Wobby instead.
Schools of Salmon have all but disappeared with only Box Head having schools but not everyday. There is Tailor mixed in with them too.
Bream and Trevally are still around Lion Island and West Head but the best spot has been Little Box. A bit of burly and peeled prawns floated down the trail is the best bet. We have caught Bream to 36cm and Trevally to 38cm at all these places. We even got a few at West Head on the live bait lines.
Flatties are everywhere at the moment with Little Pittwater and Juno shallows the best in the Hawkesbury and Gosford end of Paddys Channel in Brisbane Waters. Flathead to 45cm are the norm but every now and then you get a bigger one or even a few Jewies.
So if your keen to come out with Ron the days lately have consisted of catching Yakkas and Squid then chasing Kingies for a few hours then flicking plastics for Flatties and Jew or fishing a burley trail for Bream and Trevally or even a bait fish for Jewies down the Hawkesbury.
If you are after more fishing reports Ron has joined a fishing forum called
http://www.smellsfishy.com.au/ and he will post the odd report on there along with all the other members on the site. So if you’re a fisho or just like to read about fishing you can join up and put up a post if you go fishing.
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.auJason and Virginia Isaac from Ned Kelly’s Bait and Tackle jasned@ozemail.com.au reports that
4/11/08
Flathead numbers remain excellent throughout the Hastings and will further improve as the waters warm. Best results have been achieved around Limeburners and the Dennis Bridge; however the break walls have also begun to produce a few solid fish. On the flattie front, no doubt the annual breeder removal program will start up in earnest shortly, with pillies, bobby corks and outdated egos daily fixtures along on the wall. With all the evidence supporting the critical importance of conserving these large, female and poor eating models, why NSW Fisheries have not implemented a flathead lot size is difficult to comprehend.
Elsewhere in the estuaries, whiting are improving daily, with most locations downstream from the Dennis Bridge now holding fish. Blackfish anglers have also enjoyed somewhat of resurgence, with the south wall and Limeburners fishing quite well for this time of year. Bream are reasonable, with the better results continuing to come from areas upstream, most notably around Rawdon Island.
On the crustacean front, Lake Cathie has continued to produce exceptional quantities of prawns, despite it now being very late in the moon. With next dark likely to produce similar results, let’s hope common sense and bit of courtesy prevails, as the participation level is bound to be far higher than normal. It will also pay to be mindful of bag limits and all prawning regulations, as no doubt NSW Fisheries will be monitoring compliance issues closely given the high levels of activity anticipated.
On the beaches, results remain below average as they have been all year. However on the positive side, whiting numbers have increased considerably, with North Beach in particular beginning to yield some nice fish. Whilst no doubt the warmer waters have prompted the whiting to become more active, it comes as no surprise that their arrival coincides with the departure of the bulk of the salmon schools. I can’t imagine why this would be the case!
Off the rocks, a few tailor are on offer although by and large catches are spasmodic. Bream numbers have been reasonable after dark, whilst floating a bit of cabbage will still produce a few blackfish and the odd pig encounter. Most rock hoppers though are beginning to turn to their attention to the upcoming summer, and LBG season.
On the offshore scene, quality snapper remain active in close, with Kane Howard scoring a terrific 9.45 kilo model close in off Nobby’s on, you guessed it, a soft plastic. Wider out, the current has been screaming down from the north, however a feature of many catches has been good numbers of Sampson Fish to around 4 kilos. Shouldn’t be too long before the currents bring some warmer water close in and the summer pelagic season really takes of in earnest.
11/1108On the beaches, things are beginning to look up after what has been somewhat of a disappointing period. Both North beach and Lighthouse have both been producing some nice whiting and a few better than average late season bream. Live worms have been achieving the better results. Tailor numbers however remain disappointing, as do mulloway, although this current full moon phase could possibly see an improvement in this respect. Salmon numbers however have exploded once again after going a little quiet over recent weeks. No doubt the large bait schools hugging the coast at present sees them in no hurry to head back south. As such, you might as well enjoy the sport fishing factor whilst it lasts.
In the estuary, flathead are again the best bet with both numbers and quality improving each week as the waters slowly warm. Along with the flatties, some nice bream have been snared around Blackman’s Point and up Limeburners, whilst increasing numbers of whiting have been taken from around the Back Channel, Blackman’s Point and Big Bay. Best baits for the whiting and either live worms or yabbies, although they are becoming more and more inclined to chase surface poppers as we creep closer to summer. Blackfish remain patchy although the odd good fish is on offer for those willing to put in the time.
Outside reports have been encouraging with good numbers of snapper back on the bite following the large swells of a week or so ago. Plenty of fish to around four kilos, and the odd larger specimen, have been captured with areas close in off Lake Cathie, Bonny Hills and Plommer proving best. Along with snapper, pearl perch and flathead numbers are still good, with some excellent outside flatties to around 2 kilos being taken in improving numbers. Surface action is still slow however hopefully we should have a new FAD deployed at some point over the next week, weather permitting. GPS co-ordinates should remain pretty well unchanged.
Off the rocks, things have been a little quiet; however those chasing blackfish on cabbage still report some nice bronzies and the odd pig still inhabiting the washes around Port. Bream numbers have been reasonable, primarily after dark, and should remain so after the current full moon begins to wane. No real reports of tailor as yet, however it shouldn’t be too long before we get an improvement, at least in quantity if not quality.
On the crustacean front, the Hastings is beginning to produce some top mud crabs, with all locations now worth prospecting. Meanwhile, with another prawning dark just about to begin, I expect Lake Cathie to a hive of activity for the next couple of weeks at least. If last months results are any indication, everybody should be able to manage good feed or two. Just be mindful however of bag limits, licensing and net registration requirements, as failure to do so could lead to a very unpleasant piece of paper being kindly supplied courtesy of NSW Fisheries
19/11/08
In the estuaries, flathead continue to be the best bet with the Hastings and tributaries producing a few bags of quality fish. Best catches have come from around the Dennis Bridge whilst Settlement Point and Blackman’s Point are both worth a throw. You will however, have to return plenty of smaller models each session. A few blackfish have been encountered however results have been patchy at best, whilst whiting continue to improve in both quantity and quality. If you’re seeking a feed of good whiting, both the Maria and Limeburners are worth considering for those with access to a boat, whilst shore based anglers could do a lot worse than to head for either the back channel or Blackman’s Point. As usual, live worms and yabbies will achieve the better results from a bait perspective; however the whiting are becoming more responsive to surface lures pretty well each day as the estuary waters slowly warm. On the prawning front, whilst still very early in the dark, some terrific numbers have been reported albeit a little hit and miss as yet. As expected, the participation rate has been as high as I can ever recall, and will get even higher should we get some warmer weather. As such, expect plenty of company irrespective of where you go.
On the beaches, results remain subdued however should improve considerably following the recent full moon. Lighthouse has been producing a few whiting however there are plenty of throwbacks among the better fish. A few reasonable bream remain on offer, particularly during early morning sessions. Best results have been from North beach and from around Crescent Head. Salmon continue to prove a pest or bonus on most beaches, depending upon your perspective. On the mulloway front results remain poor overall, however Mark Mooney found a use for salmon during a recent trip to Crowdy Beach, turning a fresh slab into a terrific 28.6 kilo fish.
Off the rocks, little to reports in the way of tailor as yet, however early morning and late afternoon high tides are well worth a throw for bream. A few nice blackfish have also been on offer around Shelley’s and Miners, however a bit of rough water is a must. The next few weeks may also be well worth a throw for a late season drummer, as recent seasons have seen good catches taken nearly up to Christmas. Many keen pig chasers don’t mind this time of year at all, as the fish are often still around in numbers, particularly if you can find the better water, yet the numbers of guys chasing them drops considerably.
Offshore action has been great when conditions allow, with some terrific snapper taken over the past week. Those enjoying the increasingly popular art of chasing reds on lures also reported terrific results on fish to around 6 kilos, as well as a few unstoppables. Plenty of other mixed reef species are also on offer, most notably Sampson fish to around 4 or 5 kilos. No real news on the pelagic scene, however we can confirm a new NSW Fisheries FAD has been deployed in its usual location of : 31 °24.567’ S, 153 °04.725’ E. Let’s hope the warm currents push down and fire up the Mahi Mahi for the summer season ahead.
25/11/08In the estuaries, flathead and whiting continue to be the best bet with the Hastings and tributaries producing some good bags of quality fish. Best catches of flatties have come from around the Dennis Bridge, whilst the Back Channel, Limeburners and Blackman’s Point are all worth a throw for whiting. Both species are becoming more and more responsive to lures as the estuary waters warm and their level of feeding activity increases. Bream however have been a little quiet; however the upper reaches have seen a reasonable degree of action for lure enthusiasts. Around the break walls, a few blackfish have been encountered however results have been patchy as is often the case at this time of year.
On the beaches, conditions have been challenging however there are a few fish around if you can get past the salmon. Lighthouse has been producing some nice whiting particularly from the northern end, although there are plenty of throwbacks among the better fish. Those fishing the shallow spits around high tide with either worms or pipis have also been scoring the odd reasonable bream. Mulloway remain poor as they have been all season, whilst tailor remain a distant memory for most.
Off the rocks, little to reports in the way of tailor as yet, however the recent early
morning and late afternoon high tides have yielded a few nice bream. A few solid blackfish have also been on offer around Shelley’s and Miners, however a bit of rough water is a must. The next few weeks may also be well worth a throw for a late season drummer, as divers report there are plenty of fish still inhabiting our shoreline.
On the prawning front, whilst results are down a little from the phenomenal hauls seen last moon, the current dark has once again proven most productive with pretty well all parts of Lake Cathie producing good catches on most occasions. This spread of action is the most pleasing part, as with the number of participants higher than I have ever seen, congestion was becoming an issue at a few of the more popular or well known locations. I expect good results should continue to be attained for the next week or so, although you may find the action better the wrong side of midnight as we progress through this lunar cycle.
Offshore action has been limited as you would expect with 25 knots of wind over the weekend. Whilst the seas were somewhat flat, the wind chop saw conditions best described as uncomfortable. Those who did venture out reported only moderate results on snapper from the closer reefs, and a few nice Sampson fish from a tad wider. Still no real signs of consistent warm water as yet, however the next couple of weeks should see a significant improvement on the temperature front, something the game fishing fraternity is no doubt eagerly awaiting.
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
Over the past 4 weeks
4/11/08
What a difference a week can make, Last week Bait were jumping into the boat, this week there on the sounders but not interested the bait jigs. The water is a magnificent blue with a fairly strong current running south, perfect conditions but fish are hard to find. Most of the action last week was around Fish Rock where Rat Kings are there in their hundreds the larger numbers are just under size but take some light gear down there and have some fun and throw some of those plastic baits you have hidden in the boat, they will jump all over them. There were a few Snapper caught off the reefs around Grassy and Scotts. We are starting to get reports from the fisho’s that small Yellow Fin are moving around with a few Mac Tuna and Bonito on the surface. The wide grounds have been hard to fish with some big seas but it should start getting productive with 23 degree plus great looking blue water.
Smoky Beach fished well for Whiting with some thumpers coming in out of the white water. Reasonable Bream are coming out of the deeper holes and gutters with best results towards Hat Head. Grassy Head Beach with its access at the caravan park is also fishing well for Whiting and Bream. Back beach has had a few nice Flathead and the odd Whiting.
There are still a few Flathead in the river surprisingly, after the Taree pro netters have been doing their thing in our river. Bream are coming in off the Break Wall on the change of the tide. There have been good Whiting starting to show up on the sand flats with live worms and nippers working well.
Finally, Stimulate SLAM soft plastics with the ultra bite pheromone are available in Australia and in stock now.
21/11/08
With the ocean conditions being less than fair the reports from outside were sketchy. A few boats headed south down to Fish Rock that still is being plagued by Rat King fish and a current that’s roaring south. There are a few Tuna on the surface. Water colour and temperature are perfect so expect some good fish over the next few weeks. The northern reefs are not producing much at the moment with Some Snapper, Trag and the odd Pearl Perch coming in. The Charter boats picked up some jelly bean Yellow Fin through the week arriving on Que. There were no reports coming from out wide.
We have weighed some thumper Whiting over the last week coming out of the river with the hot spot being from the boat ramps up to the Tavern, feeding on live worms and nippers. Local fisho James caught some nice Bream at the end of the Break Wall using Herring pieces. Flathead have been coming in around Jerseyville and Whiting have been in good numbers up toward Kinchela and Smithtown. Bass fishermen are doing well from Greenhill’s and up river, with some nice fish smashing surface lures and shallow divers.
Smoky Beach has some good Whiting but there are a lot of throw backs amongst them. There is still the odd Salmon coming through which will test you on your Whiting gear. The odd bream has been on the beach but it’s tough to get a keeper. Gap Beach is producing Whiting and a few sand Flathead. Whiting are on Back Beach on a run in tide with plenty of undersize Whiting around Trial Bay. Rock Hoppers have been amongst some Drummer, Bream and Trevally.
27/11/08
We can’t get a break with the weather at the moment so the reports from outside are patchy. Reports from around 60 meters off Scotts, they are still catching Trag and a few small Snapper with the odd Pearl Perch. The current eased off a little last week with a few fisho’s venturing out to around 100 meters in uncomfortable conditions for a few reasonable Bar Cod. Fish Rock has small Kings attacking baits with some bigger units out wider off the rock. I did have reports of a couple of Cobia caught in close as well as small Blacks free jumping off the Gaol earlier in the week. The bait schools are plentiful around the bait grounds.
River fisho’s scored well with some nice Flathead, with the sand flats through the Cut, fishing the shallows with plastic baits working a treat. Good Whiting have been about out of the same location. Finding a legal Bream in the river is tough with tons of small ones taking the bait. Up river around Smithtown and Kinchela seems to housing better Bream with some nice Whiting and the odd School Jew. Two weeks ago I said the Taree Pros were netting our river, this is not true, I do apologise it is in fact the Coffs Harbour pros netting the Flathead but after a call to Fisheries sadly it’s all legal and nothing can be done.
Smoky Beach is fishing well for Whiting but they are a smaller fish compared to some crackers in the river. There are a few Bream about but were tough to catch in a strong side ways sweep. Gap Beach was quiet with only the odd Whiting around. Once again Main Beach has been full of small Whiting taking live worms.
For daily reports call Paul on (02) 6566 6726.
Now it has just taken me 3 hours to piece together this report and I have enjoyed every second of it, so hopefully you too will get something out of it as well. Keep those photos and reports coming in.
Strikezone – Yellowtail Kingfish by Alistar McGlashan
Fishing for Whiting with Lee Rayner
Snapper Fishing Tactics with Lee Rayner.jpg)
that they used was red crabs, but you could also try using those green and brown crabs that you see crawling over the rocks, even though they are not as good as the red ones. The gear they used was 15kg torture line and 25kg platypus mono on an old 15kg Penn and Shimano rods. Both were mounted with Alvey’s.
A few weekends ago I fished the area of Bawley Point with a number of the members of the Windybanks Fishing Club in their rock and beach competition. The weather and the water condition were very kind to us over the whole of the weekend. Friday afternoon had us finishing at a seculded spot in the national park for luderick. Owen caught 9, Alan caught 7, I caught 3 and so did Aaron. We were using small bobby corks and cabbage for bait.
