Broken Bay
with Greg Joyes of CALMWATER FISHING CHARTERS

Report August 2007

G'Day,

Well the big news at the moment on Calmwater Fishing Charters Pty Ltd is the arrival of large numbers of hairtail in the Cowan Creek area. I love catching these critters and it's great to see them back in force after an absence of several years. I can't help but think that the large quantity of fresh water that has poured into our river systems over the past couple of months has played a part in their return. While we haven't come across any monsters amongst them as yet, the average size is still probably about 1m in length. Double figure catches are the norm and if you have never caught them before, now is the time to change that.

On the jewie front, we have been scoring a few fish most times we've tried, mainly around the bridges. Sizes have ranged from just legal up to about 4kg, with the odd bigger fish thrown in. Traditionally we get a run of bigger 20+kg fish each year in August, though they only seem to hang about for a week or two.

Calmwater Fishing Charters Pty Ltd have been catching heaps of snapper over the past few months and this should continue for the rest of the year. Bag limits have been reached on numerous occassions and it appears that the leather jacket swarms off our coastline have finally moved on. Hooray for that!!! I can't help but think that our recent rains have played a part in this as well. A drought seems to screw a lot of things up in the ocean and these recent floods have been just what the doctor ordered to get things back on track. I'm forecasting a bumper year ahead for all species of fish throughout the Hawkesbury River, Broken Bay and offshore reefs.

If you are keen to come out on a charter give me a call on 1300 BIGFISH or 041 923 9882 and we can arrange a time. An option at this time of year is to head out at 2pm and spend the arvo chasing jewies, reds, salmon, tailor and bream, then as darkness falls get stuck into a few hairtail for a couple of hours. What a day!!

Anyhow hope you're happy and well and I'm looking forward to seeing you in the future.

All the best
Greg Joyes

July 2006

G'Day,
Hope your well and happy.
Thought I'd send you a pic of a nice fish we caught on Calmwater Fishing Charters last Thursday [29/6]
He's a blue marlin and although I never weighed him , I reckon he would be over 200Kg.
I tell you what, the new boat seems to attract the marlin as we had the lures out for only 20 minutes before he struck. Last time we went marlin fishing, which was earlier this year, we had to fish for just under an hour before we caught one! I sure hope this average continues!
The big fella took 2 hours to pull in and went absolutely ballistic when he felt the hook. The lucky angler now has enough marlin to feed his whole neighbourhood!
While the marlin was fun we were actually out chasing yellowfin tuna,as there has been a few about of late. There is a lot of big kingfish out wide at the moment, and if you want to head out and chase them I'm only too happy to oblige.Same for the marlin and yellowfin.
Closer in the leatherjackets finally seem to have moved on and I'm catching some great snapper a few miles out.
Inshore the salmon have arrived in big numbers and seem quite happy to nail lures.Some big bream are also hanging around as well as a few flathead.
The jewfish are still about with a 10kg fish coming in the outing before last.I haven't come across any monsters recently,but fish up to 6kg have been relatively consistent,
especially up the river a bit.
Anyhow I hope your catching a few and it would be great to head out fishing together again.

All the best,
Greg Joyes

June 2006

G'Day,
I hope you are well and enjoying your fishing.
Even though the air temperature has dropped of late, the water temp is still fairly warm which is good for the fishing. Mahi mahi or dolphin fish are still prolific around the Calmwater Fishing Fad, with some quite solid fish amongst them. They are a heap of fun to catch and great on the plate. Closer in there has been swarms of leatherjackets and good snapper, though the ' jackets make it almost impossible to catch anything else somedays. Within a couple of miles of the coast is the best for the trevally and reds at the moment. This time of year can produce some lovely glass smooth days which can make fishing outside a real pleasure.

Inside fishing can get a bit patchy as we approach the cooler months, but I usually pull out a few thumping big jewies during June as well as smaller versions of the same. (see attached picture for a recent capture). In some areas of the Hawkesbury and Brisbane Waters this can be prime time for the mighty mulloway.
There's a heap of big bream about with trevally and good sized flatties mixed in as well. On lighter gear they make for exciting fishing. Salmon are starting to show up as well as big tailor and both seem quite happy to belt trolled lures. The odd kingie is still coming in and we've even been catching a few spotted mackerel over the last couple of weeks.

The new CWFC vessel is going great and has more than proved itself as a comfortable, safe and stable fishing platform. If your keen to come out for a fish our rate at this time of year is $900 for up to 6 people and as I have previously had the pleasure of fishing with you in the past, I'm happy to knock a couple of hundred off that price if you want to come out on a weekday.

Wishing you all the best,
Greg Joyes

PS I'm giving a talk on catching big fish at the tackle store "Fish out of Water" (Brookvale) this Thursday evening 1st June at 6pm. If thats of any interest to you you'd be most welcome.

May 2006

Well after a short break, i return to find Big Jew fever has hit, with many
a lucky angler having the pleasure of tangling with these Estuary Rulers.
Most fish have been between 20kg and 35kg, with some very close to 40kg. All
the usual haunts have produced with fresh and live bait doing the damage.
These fish will now be moving to the inshore reefs and beaches chasing the
Mullet schools that are now so prevalent on the coast.

Back to the river, some Monster Bream have been taken close to all
structures such as boat moorings and bridge pylons. No one bait is better
than the other, these fish have not been fussy. Flathead have moved in and
are around in decent numbers. Live baits have been very popular such as tiny
yakkas from West Head, drifting them in the channels on the run out will
definitely get you a good feed of these under-rated table fish. Try places
like the main channel from Parsley Bay to Juno Point.

Whiting are still around all over the place and have fallen to long squid
strips and bloodworms. Tailor are absolutely everywhere, while not huge,
some legal sized ones are mixed in amongst the schools. The last of the
summer pelagics are still roaming around but will soon head north and follow
the warmer water. Kings are still around and are welcome by all anglers
fishing for them, alot of the fish are a bit bigger than the start of the
season and are providing excellent fishing for all.

The last of the Dolly's are still around and are eating anything you throw
at them. Drift past fads and fish traps with floating baits. The Sea Surface
Temperature is about 22-23deg at the time of writing, so the fish will be
around until the water drops below 21deg, you still have time to score
yourself a great feed of these tasty table treats.

The odd Blue and Stripe is hanging around outwide and with the cooling of
the sea, we will see the run of Yellowfin soon. It may be out very wide to
start off with, too far for the conventional trailer boat, but we may see
them come in closer to places like Browns and the Baitstation. All the best
and happy fishing to you all.
Kamil................................Lumosprocket@hotmail.com

March 16

Well the full moon produced as predicted bringing lots of fish for the
Riverstone Bowling Club Fishing Classic, with some exceptional catches. The
winning fish comes in of a jewfish of 16kg , followed closely with a fish of
11kg. A few fish in the 2kg-6kg, range, were also caught. The biggest Bream
was a Bream of about 800grams, and the biggest Flathead was 4.5kg. So some
extremely nice fish caught there, well done to the winners and to all that
participated and tothe Bowling Club for organising another top Fishing Comp.
Back to the fishing, the Bream are really starting to move into the system,
with reasonable catches everywhere, Prawns have been accounting for most of
the Bream taken but sof tplastic fisho's are doing quite well too. Flathead
have been coming in in good numbers also, while not all of them huge, two or
three smaller ones for a feed is sensational. They have caught drifting on
the run out tide at Bobbin Head and Akuna Bay.
The occasional Salmon is still lurking in the Cowan system as well as the
endless amount of Tailor, huge schools surface and bust up from high tide
and can be caught on 10gram Sure Catch Lures or simlar. But under these
Tailor, Kings are roaming picking of the messy waste the Tailor leave
behind, occasionally taking a Squid or live bait.Bonito are still around the
headlands with some sporadic appearances from the Frigate Brigade.
Outwide, Dollys are still prevalent, with some brutes being caught and the
Marlin are there in small numbers. But it is the Dollys that have been
giving anglers some light gear fun at Fads and traps as these fish now will
nearly eat anything thats put in front of them. They will hang around til
the water drops below 21deg, but for now that should not be for a while yet,
let's hope, as they are my favorite fish to eat.
Happy Fishing
Kamil.

March 9 Kamil

Well after some very needed rain, part of the river got its flush and some
ripper catches have followed. The river is full of big Bream which will soon
start the spawning season. These fish have ben caught under all moored boats
and rocky points from Milson Island to Dangar Island. Some monsters in the
1.5kg range have been taken on live Nippers and bite size fillets of fresh
fish like Mullet and Yellowtail. Big Flathead are still common in the lower
part of the rivers, namely places like Little Shark Rock Point and Umina on
the run out tide.

Tailor are still abundant in the system from Elanour Bluff to Lion Island,
occasionally making a surface appearance throughout the day. Kingfish,
Salmon and Bonito have been milling under them trying to get an easy feed. A
few nice catches of Cobia have been welcomed in the past week, with most
fish around 70cm but with some bigger models falling to live Slimey's at
places like Flint and Steel and West Head. Be sure to tackle these brutes
with 15kg+ gear or they will just reef you.

The Jewfish front has been very quiet, but will improve with the up-coming
full moon, alot of these fish that have been caught again are undersize, but
some fish up to 4kg have been taken in Jersualem Bay and The Road Bridge.
I'm sure this full moon will bring these glittery Silver Estaury Kings back
in full force. The usual haunts will produce in the week to come and we will
definintely hear of some great captures by this time next week.

On the inshore reef scene however, there have been some great captures of
Frigates, Bonito and Kingfish. As well as the occasional Snapper still
coming in from Avalon Reef and East Reef. Some big hoodlum Kings have been
caught at East Reef with most above 10kg and some fish topping the 17kg
mark. Live squid and live Frigates have been the devestators in these cases.
I would up my gear to 24kg if trying for these Gold Tailed Kings, cause they
will reef you in seconds.

Offshore the constant supply of Dolly's is still there, while the fish are
growing in size, there are still alot of smaller models swimming around. If
you can bring yourself to do it, send one of these baby models down with a
10/0 through it for a shot at a big Female or resident Bull hanging around
the Fads and traps. Some bigger models have been caught but closer to the
shelf around floating logs and debris. The marlin run has not been the
greatest, but catches are still soming in of Baby Blacks not too far out and
Stripes further out towards the shelf. These Southerly's of late have not
been a good thing for the offshore sea surface temperatures but hopefully
some Nor'Easters should settle things down a bit.
Happy Fishing
Kamil.

Fishing Report For Feb/Mar 2006



I hope everyone's happy and well and enjoying these warmer months.
The fishing during the Nov/Dec/Jan period hadn't been quite as productive as this period has been in years gone by. It now has picked up considerably however, so maybe this is just a late start to the season, hopefully that means we'll be catching the big jewfish right through winter this year. We've been catching good jewfish of late with the best fish so far this year, a lovely 28kg specimen.
There has been a lot of smaller fish around of late from just legal upto 5 or 6kg and these seem to be everywhere throughout the Hawkesbury River system as well as the Brisbane Waters area.
Kingfish are around in good numbers at the moment and I swear they're tougher fighters every year. Pound for pound, I don't think there is another fish around that fights as hard as an angry kingfish. We've been coming across 30 and even more on some outings and often in quite shallow water.
The tailor are back on as well, after an absence of about 6months. We're picking up good specimums up to a couple of kilos on lures at the moment and there are a few salmon mixed in with them as well. There are stacks of bream about as well as a good number of big flathead. There also seems to be a lot of sharks around at the moment and these seem to be chasing the salmon and tailor schools. At 24kg game outfit is always on hand to tackle the larger specimens if the crew are keen to give it a try.
The new Calmwater Fishing Fishing vessel is proving to be an absolute dream to fish from. I am so happy with it. It is soft riding, stable and having the security of twin motors, makes it a pleasure to fish from. It's also great having shelter on those really hot days. I've attached a few pictures of some notable catches taken over the last couple of weeks on Calmwater Fishing Charters.

Hope to see you on the water soon.

All the best
Greg Joyes

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28 Feb Kamil

Its funny how things fire one week and the following nothing! A fortnight
ago we were hearing of great captures, but with the week gone, no news as
such. The Port Stephens Interclub started on the weekend and will finish
this coming wekend. With many an angler gone north, there seems to be plenty
of room on the water to target your favorite species. We have one more
weekend to ourselves before the competition ends, with over 200 boats up
there, you'd think we would get stuck into some good fish down here.

The Bridges have been a tad quiet this week for the amount of anglers
fishing the area. Regardless of this, some nice fish have been caught,
landbased anglers under the Road Bridge have been rewarded with Jewfish to
8kg with the majority of fish up to 5kg. Big Flathead have also been caught
drifting under these bridges. In the shallows out from Parsley Bay to behind
Dangar Island, there seems to be an influx of whiting at the moment, i don't
mind as they are a top feed and even better live! The river is still full of
sharks indicating that the water is very hot. They really are becoming a
nuisance and i hope they exit the system soon as they very readily eat your
prime baits intended for Jewfish, this can be expensive and frustrating
having to change your bait every few minutes.

Cowan has seem some strange fish in the past and this year is no exception,
Sp fisho's have caught Long Tom's mixed in amongst Bream and Tailor. The
very occasional Salmon is still milling under them. Bream and Flathead have
been the saviour of the day for people fishing around Jerusalem Bay, with
some bust off's due to Kings taking the Bream bait and gear. Bream have also
been caught in between the moored boats at Cottage Point. Just like last
week the schools of Tailor are still abundant in the lower parts of the
river, all the way from Juno Point to Lion Island. Some massive fish in the
50cm - 80cm size have been caught in front of Palm Beach all the way to Box
Head. Frigates have entered the Brisbane Waters system and are super fun on
light gear for people chucking tiny lures into the feeding schools. Be
patient and wait for them to surface again rather than chase them when they
submerge as they will usually loop around and come back.

Still anglers are shaking their heads as to why the Marlin bite offshore is
so slow, the currents and conditions are ideal yet the fish are just not
there, or in very small numbers. Some nice fish have been taken off the
Waveriders, with Stripes in the 70kg range the norm, Dolly's are still
plentiful but shy off the bite very quickly, guess the water has cooled a
little since last week. Near the Fad's, reports have come in of fish in the
4kg range and no shortage of them, with most of the Dolly's still in the
1kg-3kg range. Yellowfin Tuna have been caught very wide in the 30kg bracket
but still too far for your average boaty in their 5-6m boat.
Happy Fishing
Kamil

21 Febuary

Well with the Full Moon gone, full rewards were common place within the last
week. The Bridges have produced again with School Jew to 5kg taken at both
Bridges around the turn of the tides on Prawns, Mullet Strips and Squid. Big
Flathead have been caught drifting on a run out tide on the drop off of most
River Beaches such as Hungry and Fishermans in Cowan.

Bream have been caught near most rocky headlands within the river system on
Fillet baits of fish, and Prawns, try places such as Croppy Point or Looking
Glass Bay in Cowan. The occasional Salmon and Kingy is still being caught up
in the Cowan System near Jerusalem Bay with huge schools of little Tailor
busting up all the way through from West Head to Elanour Bluff, lures work
well and so do soft plastics. Some big Kings are under these same schools,
so be prepared to tangle with these brutes of the river.

I can gladly say that some nice Mulloway have been caught this week, on
Wednesday night a lucky angler snagged two fish in the one night, weighing
in at 17kg and a whopping 29kg, taken on some unusual baits that most would
not dream of putting out. Another angler has scored three fish also between
7kg and 18kg in the one day. So the big ones are starting to show again, or
rather get caught!.

The headlands are full of Tailor and Frigates with Bonito and Kings still
there. Some nice Kings have been caught of late and most fish are in the
70cm - 90cm bracket, and giving good accounts of themselves for those that
are using Soft Plastics outfits. The River is still infested with Sharks
although they are slowly making an exit. Flounder have been caught drifting
between Box Head and Umina Beach, as well as Flathead.

The offshore scene is quite the same as last week with loads of Dolphin Fish
at the Fads And Traps, the fish are increasing in their size with most fish
in the 2-4kg bracket now. Some big fish are still being caught with most big
fish around 10kg - 15kg, with one boat boating a 22kg model. The Marlin have
quietened down a little considering the water is perfect and still warm.
Some Yellowfin have been caught also out wide but not in the numbers to
target them.Lets hope the Marlin come on the bite this week
Happy Fishing to you all
Kamil

12 Febuary 2006
With weather so good and water temperatures the way they are, and a current
Full Moon everybody's expectations are high as summer is in the full swing
of things. Fishing around Bar Island lucky anglers have picked up some nice
Bream mixed in with Flathead and the occasional small Jew to 4kg. Further
downstream inside The Passage at Milson Island Steps, persistant anglers
have been rewarded with Bream to 1.5kg on the run in tide on Soft Plastics
and Hawkesbury River Prawns. The Road Bridge of late has been a Jewfish
playground with many fish being taken on fresh Squid and Prawns and during
the last of the run out tide, with fish predominantly in the 1-4kg range. A
few nuisance catfish have been caught which i have not heard of or seen in
while now, just never dismiss the fact that they are there somewhere.

The area between the Bridges has been producing Flathead while drifting with
baits such as Prawns, livies or strips baits. Bream have been caught up near
the Oyster leases in Mooney Mooney Creek and Mullet Creek nearing the top of
the tide on Hard Bodied lures and unweighted baits cast over the leases.
Some nice Bream have also been taken behind Dangar Island near Tumbleweed
during the slack period of the tide due to the strong tidal flow through the
area.

For those that love crabs, i am happy to say the river is poducing Blue
Swimmers on the edge of the channels from Parsley Bay to Lion Island.
Drifting in these same channels will score you a great feed of Flathead
thrown in with the occasional Flounder and Whiting. Not many reports of that
ellusive 'Big Mulloway' of late, but some lucky anglers have got stuck into
these underwater submarines to 8kg in places such as Flint and Steel,
Elanour Bluff and the entrances to both, Coal and Candle Creek and Smiths
Creek, most fish have fallen to Fresh Hawkesbury River Squid and Live Baits.

Tailor have been abundant yet again from Box to Barrenjoey, with some
Flounder, undersize Snapper, Bream and Flathead on the drift. The occasional
Salmon is still hanging around the Heads with Kings still under them and
Bonito mixed in just for some variety. Very few Frigates have been caught,
even though they are there, and the Rock Spinners have landed a few Mack
Tuna's and Kings to 5kg.

Plenty of Bait on the inshore Reefs, Striped Tuna to 4kg have been abundant
wider with plenty of Dolly's in the 1-3kg range at all fish traps and Fads,
with some brutes to 15kg taken in the same area while trolling.Those
targetting them, have been rewarded of late hooking some Baby Blacks in the
50kg range within sight of the Heads, bigger Blue Marlin to 300kg are out
wider betwen the Fad and past the Shelf, with one boat tagging a 80kg Stripe
on Saturday in 80Fthms.

The fishing will continue to produce in weeks to come, and I'm sure we will
be hearing of these Big Jews come March to May and many more Marlin captures
also. Happy Fishing to you all.
Kamil.
1 Febuary

With Water now constantly above 23deg in the entire system, fishing has hit
the peak of the season and will remain like this right up until well into
May. Fish have arrived in numbers and all sorts of species, including
Bonito, Frigates, Mack Tuna, Kings and Tailor. Fishing Barrenjoey of late
has produced some nice Tailor of up to 2kg's which is welcomed by the fang
brigade chasers. The odd Salmon is mixed in with them as well as Bonito.
Kings are starting to make a comeback to the system mainly Pittwater and
West Head after their decimation not long ago. Flathead have been caught out
at Patonga on the run out using live yakkas caught in the area as well as
Bream and the odd Tailor. Sharks have infested the system with many places
seeing lost rigs and baits intended for Jew, lots of Reef Sharks and a stack
of baby Hammers and Port Jacksons. One unlucky angler hooked a Banjo Shark
of around 30kg while fishing for Jew, boy was he extatic when he did not see
a Jew at the end of his line!Not. Not so many reports of any big Jews of
late, but i'm happy to add that the river is full of baby Jews around the
35cm mark. Take note the legal length is 45cm. Even fish that small need a
bit of growing up. The road bridge is one of these spots that has been
producing these fish on the slack period of the tide and the run out, most
fish have been caught on Prawns, this seems to be a great bait as prawns
have been running in the river. Fishing should be great over the next few
months and we'll be hearing of some great catches sooner rather than later.
Kamil

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Report by Greg Joyes, Calmwater Fishing Charters

CALMWATER FISHING CHARTERS September

Yes I know this fishing report is long overdue. But before I get into that let me just tell you about our new boat.

We’ve had it now for a couple of months and it has exceeded all expectations. It's big, roomy, extremely soft riding, dry and most of all stable and has a toilet on board. It has absolutely the state of the art electronics and is rigged to the absolute hilt. I'm so glad I went with Spacecraft, they really are the best aluminium boat builders in Australia. The twin 140hp Suzuki 4 strokes have proven to be quite the smooth and relatively vibration free. She really is an incredible package. The beauty with this vessel is that not only will it not only provide greater shelter and more comfort for you, but it will allow us to fish the outside waters if you desire. The primary for big jewies is definitely are in the rivers and in the Broken Bay system but if people want to run offshore and chase snapper or any other reef fish, as well as sharks, yellowfin tuna and marlin, this boat is ready for it. If you wish we can do both, say hit the jewies first in the morning and then head offshore and chase a few snapper or marlin. If you wish to stay in the calm water we can do it at a greater level of comfort than what you may have experienced in the past. In the last month we have replaced all our fishing tackle as well with state of the art Shimano gear. From tiny Stradics to 50W Tiagaras on Ian Miller rods and everything in-between, we've got the lost. State of the art bait and tackle is definitely the case here.

With summer just around the corner, the jewfish are just starting to turn up now, from this point on it only gets better and from going through last years diaries it shows late October is when the fishing really started to pick up with jewfish, kingies, big flathead as well as a variety of surface fish and bream being our primary catches. We have also been catching some nice snapper when we have ventured offshore of late, as well as some good kingies and monster trevally. If you're game there are quite a few makos about outside and inside we have had some descent size sharks of late especially around Lion Is. If you are keen for an outing give us a call (02)43856879 Mob:0419239882 web: www.calmwaterfishingcharters.com.au our off season rate for our existing customers will run right up until the end of October not as stated on our website.

Here is a picture of our new vessel, as you see we have had a colour change and no sign writing on the vessel. The idea of this is to draw less attention while out on the water which I think will be a good thing. Hope you are well and if you are heading out on your own vessels in the near future feel free to give me a call and I'll update you on what's happening in the Broken Bay area at that time.

Kind Regards

Greg and Shannon Joyes

August Report

They say good things come to those who wait and yes I know this should be a fishing report but I'm just so excited because I've now finally taken delivery of my new charter vessel and what a weapon it is. With twin 4 strokes pushing the best plate alloy hull available in Australia, she really is "State of the Art". She's got heaps of features not usually seen on a vessel this size and I even get a captains chair! It's taken almost 13months to build and cost me far more than what I originally planned but at the moment I don't really care. Taken possession of a new boat must certainly be a high-light of a fisherman's life.
If you are a keen to come fishing with myself on Calmwater Fishing Charters, we've got some great winter rates from $110 per person, I wonder who the first person will be to drag a 30+kg jewie on board my new vessel?
On the Central Coast August can be like the preceding and following month, a bit of a hit and miss. Going through past dairies without fail each year I get a good run of jewie of all sizes for 3-5day period during this month. They seem to come in from open ocean at this time mingle around the mouth for a bit and then make their way to the upper reaches of the Hawkesbury and estuary systems. If you're on the water when they come through, some great catches can be had, with this one outing the year before last producing 6 fish between 14kg and 26kg in a space of an hour. For reasons that I'm not aware of August seems to fish better than September, going through old diaries when I used to do a bit of rock fishing for these fish, August always used to produce some really big fish.
In our estuary, lakes and river systems blackfish, those some what temperamental, are usually around in good numbers and if the green weed doesn't seem to be working, squirt worms are a great standby. The squirties will sort out any big whiting and even bream in the area. The odd flathead can be found in the shallows in the middle of the day when they seem to be most active. Off our beaches and rocks, Port Jackson sharks or "boneheads" can be areal pain as they seem to fancy any bait that lays in their path. They can make bait fishing difficult as they only seem to be only increasing in numbers each year. I'm sure August will see some giant(5kg+) tailor coming in from inparticular North Entrance Beach for those who are willing to soak bigger baits on those cold winter nights. Most people don't realise how many XOS tailor can be caught at this time of the year off our beaches. The trick with these fish is to use big baits, forget pilchards because a far more suitable bait is either a whole largish yellowtail or a similar sized mullet. These bigger fish will think nothing of eating a whole smaller tailor as well. Salmon can also be caught in fair numbers at this time of year off the beaches. Off our rock ledges groper, drummer and some blackfish are available, once again the fishing can be bit of a hit and miss with some days being great and others quiet. Offshore can produce good bags of trevally and some reds on the closer inner reefs, while the wide marks produce mowong, snapper and some good sized kingies. If you fancy a rush of blood hang a sizable bait over the back of the boat with a wire trace even though it's still a bit early, but there's nothing like a big Mako shark to brighten up a dull day. These creatures seem to have no concept of fear and that's why I like them so much and if you are lucky they might even try to eat your boat. On the surface August usually sees vast schools of salmon hugging our coastlines and river mouths. Although they can be frustrating to catch on some days they are worth putting in the time, they are well worth perusing as they are a hell of a lot of fun to catch. It's a shame they don't grow to 50kg.
Yeh, so it's cold outside and the days are short, if you are like me and need to go fishing on a regular basis regardless of the time of year, I suggest you get the most enjoyment out of an outing is to through I heaps of warm clothing, hot choc, plan it around the warmer part of the day as an early start doesn't seem to pay off this time of year and keep the outing down to just a few hours rather than marathons. Who knows you might hook something that turns August into Christmas.
All the best

NEWSLETTER July

Yeah, I know there's such a big gap between newsletters but here at Calmwater Fishing Charters we have had such a hectic summer that again it's really hard to find the time to put pen to paper (I guess these days fingertips to keypads).

As the air temperature drops at this time of year it's good to keep in mind that water temperature is a good couple of months behind temperature we experience here on land.

At the moment below the water surface, temperatures are between 18-20 degrees Celsius when in the scheme of things that is still quite warm. This is reinforced by the fact that we still catch good jewfish and other species right through June and even into July.

The best fish for last May was 22.5kg, June 19.5kg and July a beauty of 27kg on Calmwater Fishing Charters. There seems to be the odd big flathead around this time of year that devour the odd jewfish bait and they can be anything up to 6kg.

The upper parts of the Hawkesbury and other river and estuary systems seem to be more productive at this time of the year, with the Hawkesbury road and rail bridges being a favourite.

In Broken Bay this time of year sees the arrival of heaps of surface fish which consist of good sized tailor and salmon. As I'm sure you know these fish can easily be caught on trolled lures around the visible surface schools or when trolled along the shore line. They are a heap of fun with multiple hook-ups common.

With this time last year when the kingfish were quieter than usually, though we still managed to extract a fair few good sized specimens. We will soon find out how this season is going to shape up.

Flicking through last years dairy shows a heaps of bream, trevally and smaller flathead caught on smaller cut baits fished down burley trails over the next few months. These fish can be heaps of fun on 3kg line and the beauty of this time of the year is that the smaller pickers all seem to disappear and all bites are from good sized legal specimens.

The biggest jewfish caught on Calmwater Fishing Charters last year was 38kg which is truly a magnificent fish. Wonder if we can top that this year?

In our last newsletter we mentioned a new vessel under construction and the way things are going it should be on the water in the very near future. It has taken 3 times longer to build than what we anticipated as it has that many special and unique features built in that it's taken the builder fair longer to complete than what he could have possibly anticipated.

I tell you one thing though this boat is truly a weapon, with the absolute best of everything, it will be a lot more comfortable to fish from than the red boat that you all know so well, with a sheltered cabin and heaps of comfortable seating as well as an inbuilt toilet. Can't wait to get my hands on it.

I'm hoping the hairtail show up this year as the last few seasons have been quite poor for them. Should know over the next few weeks as this is the time of the year were they start moving into the Cowan and Hawkesbury River systems. I really hope they show as they are real fun fish to catch.

Hope you're well and that life's been good to you.
Hopefully we can catch up on the water in the near future.

Greg and Shannon Joyes

P.S. Check out our website for our winter charter specials!!

March Report

The little lure, plopped down right next to the heavily encrusted pylon. Clicking the reel into gear, I watched as the slack line slowly drifted towards it, then I hesitated for a moment, then move out urgency. The little rod and reel appeared to want to join the lure in the water as it did it's best to wriggle free from my grip. The rod tip surging down hard with the reel singing in protest and then it was over, from lure splash down to wipe out was but a few seconds. I was both swearing and smiling as I retrieved the slack line and examined the tattered trace. I noticed my finger shacking as I tied on a squidgies and smiled and swore some more as I plotted round two.

It's funny how a film, to. show or DVD can get the blood going. Just the other day while flicking through the Fox programme I came across a series of shows on bream spinning comps held along the East Coast. The show had barely finished and I was already making plans for the following day which consisted of light spinning outfits, little squidgy lures, a couple of local wharfs and some big fat bream. The out come was 2 wipe-outs and 3 bream and I had a ball. I love simply fishing and bream spinning can be as complicated or as easy as you'd like it to be. Sure oyster racks and rocky bars hold heaps of bream but some of my favourite areas are but a short stroll from your car. Public wharfs, rocky banks or any forms of structure are all potential habits for bream.

I do not profess at this type of fishing but if there are a few points I found when targeting bream on lures. Firstly, fish the structure. If on a wharf drop the lure down straight from the rod tip and jiggle it around the pylons or even flick it out of sight under your feet. If the sun is shining brightly, you'll often see the bream hanging in under shade. Random cast towards mid stream seem to be a complete waste. You'll be surprised how many bream can be found in well under a metre of water. Slow retrieves are a must, one complete turn of the reel handle every 3 secs is heaps. It pays to work the water column, so if there is say vertical structure like a pylon try the top metre first and then allow the lure to sink deeper as the bream can be hanging at any point from the surface to the bottom.

It's quite overwhelming the lures available to the bream angler today. I remember 20yrs ago, my fishing mates and I used hard body Rebel Crawdad lures while the soft plastics overall appear to more productive. My favourite is the Squidgy wriggler in blood worm colour in the smallest size available. Matched with a fairly light jig head and hook and tied onto 6kg nylon trace with 8pound braid main line seems to work well. The beauty of this style of fishing is that it is something that can be done before work as it requires no bait as such. Treble time is minimal as some of the best areas are right in the middle of suburbia, give it a go it's heaps of fun.

On the Central Coast we have had some overly warm temperatures of late, as this seems to stimulate some species it also seems to shut down others. However, April should see a slight drop in water temperature and I believe that will be a good thing for the fishing. The jewfish should be back on the bite right along our coastline again, as well as the kingies, both of which have quietened down since the water temperature has reached it's mid 20's.

Snapper should snowball from here on with the next couple of months being the best for this species. It's been a great season for bream and like the reds it should only get better over the next couple of months on both the lures and also baits. There have been quite big whiting around with blood worms being the best bait. More should turn up in the estuaries in April and May. Marlin and dolphin fish have been regulars along the Coast and they should still be around during April. Tailor are usually around in numbers at this time of year and the average size for these blokes have been biggest in the last 12months than what they have been into he past 10yrs.

Once again another great month for fishing here on the Central Coast, you'd mad to miss it.

CALMWATER FISHING CHARTERS REPORT JANUARY 2005

I hope you all had a happy and safe Christmas and New Year and the best pressies you received were wrapped in scales, as we had a few clients during that period had thought that all their Christmas's had come at once with heaps of big jewfish action. If the fishing in January is anything like it's been in November and December, then we are in for a hell of a season. We have had the most productive December for many, many years, while averaging an excess of 5 jewfish per outing with the heaviest weighing in at 37kg! There has been heaps of fish in excess of 20kg coming aboard and the average size is weigh up on past years. The giant flathead have been a bit slow but have picked up since Christmas with a couple of fish that would have gone over 5kg a piece, caught just yesterday. The kingfish have been fairly spariodic and have not come on completely but I am expecting them to come on any day now and by going by the size of the fish that we have been catching it seems that their average size is up on previous years too. Bream, whiting and smaller flathead have been in abundance too, though with all those bigger jewies about it's been hard dragging ourselves away from the big fish action to chase the bream, however, they are there.
Hopefully by the end of this month we should receive the new Calmwater Fishing Charters vessel which has been under construction for some time now. It really is state of the art and will offer a far greater level of comfort then our existing vessel, by the way our red boat is up for sale at the moment so if you are interested in a full on fishing machine please give me a call. I anticipate in January that jewfish action will improve, as it should do with all species. It really is a special time of the year for fishing. Hopefully one of your New Years resolutions will be to do more fishing. Time spent fishing is good for the soul and a day on the water is truly therapeutic. Whether it's coming on a charter, getting down to the nearest beach on the weekend or even throwing a few lures off the local jetty after work, it is time out needed to recharge the batteries, in this busy ,demanding life that we all seem to be living.
We both wish you well for the up coming year and may it be filled with screaming reels and big smiles.
Check out our website www.calmwaterfishingcharters.com.au for recent captures and the 37kg jewfish (should be updated in the next couple of days)

All the best
Greg and Shannon Joyes

**Available dates for January: Wed 5th, Thurs 6th, Sun 9th, Fri 14th, Tues 18th please call or email to Feb/Mar availability.
PH: (02)43856879
EMAIL: info@calmwaterfishingcharters.com.au

November Report

It's is surprising how the air temperature can differ from the water temperature.
On land of late you could call the weather quite summery, while below the water surface it's residence are experiencing a cold snap more severe more than any this year, summer above, winter below. When not on a charter I will often go for a morning dip down at Terrigal, I tell you what the temp in the water is freezing. This unfortunately has a negative effect on the fishing here on the coast. They either go off searching for warmer pastures or the hibernate until it passes.Often he upper reaches of our rivers and estuary systems can become havens to fish seeking to avoid these ocean currents. Unfortunately the cold water has already reached the upper reaches of these streams so these areas are no more productive at the moment than elsewhere. A succession of afternoon seabreezers are just the ticket to push the warmer currents both down the coast and in shore. If you are the type that just has to have a fish irrespective of conditions I would suggest that quality baits and the use of burley would be more important now than at any other time. The fish are more than likely quite indifferent about feeding, so top quality bait is definitely the way to go. All the usual species are around but at the moment it can just take more effect to catch a feed. There has been quite a few big flathead around along the beaches and in our estuary systems and on Calmwater Fishing Charters we have caught a number upto 4.5kg in the last few weeks. Bream are far prolific but those that are about are beauties, with one fish I saw weighing 2.1kg. Offshore flathead are also to be found on the drift along the 50m line as well as a few mowies and reds. Out wider the water quality is a lot better and I hear there is a few mako sharks and reds to be caught pending current strength. The rocks and beaches have been coping a pounding with the big swells we have had of late. However this cold water is still a handicap. Some drummer and the odd tailor and salmon are being caught.

All the best
Greg Joyes

Hawkesbury River: Some big flathead to 4.5kg around the river mouths as well as a few thumper bream. Heaps of Port Jackson sharks around Broken Bay, sure sign of cold water.

Rock and beach: A few tailor, salmon, drummer as well as the odd flathead about. Cols water and port Jackson sharks, the most common catch.

Lakes and estuaries: Few nice flathead to 4.5kg coming in as well as some bream. No great deal of activity at the moment. Odd smaller jewy coming in big very few and far between.

Offshore: Flathead along the 50m line as well as a few reds and mowing. Leather jackets still about in the same area. Few salmon and tailor in close.

Yeah I know. It’s been quite a while between newsletters, but hey, life has been just so busy and fast of late, it’s just been too hard to stop for a while and to let all of you know just what I’m catching and what’s been happening with Calmwater Fishing Charters.

They’re back…

Some real good news is that I’m starting to catch some nice jewies (4 in the last 2 outings) which is a great sign for the up coming months.

While fish have been up to 12kg, my diary shows that in September last year a number of fish up to 27.5kg were caught, with a couple of wipe outs by fish well in excess of this!

It always seems the beginning and the end of the season produce the real monsters and this year we’re ready for them.

We’re set up with all new tackle – 80 pound braid on Shimano Tiagra 16’s with matching Live Fibre rods is the tackle of choice on Calmwater Fishing Charters at the moment for the real big fellows.

Sometimes even this isn’t enough, however, but the next step up we’d be looking at 60kg bent-butt outfits which might be just a little hard to handle without a game chair! Cairns marlin fishing gear being used in calmwater, now that would be a sight!

The Kingies are on the way

The big kingfish are around at the moment and they should be with us in good numbers till early November. For those who fished with us for those brutes last year, you’ll know what I mean when I say it doesn’t get any better when you hook a 10kg+ kingfish in 8m of water many miles from the open ocean.

Last year the run of fish at this time were from 5kg up to brutes as big as me. This season I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve to keep them away from near by rocks and other structure that they seem to have a liking for.

Good-sized tailor have been consistent right throughout this year and should continue right through till summer. The best salmon months throughout the year are September and October and on 3kg spinning outfits they really are a ball.

There are heaps of good bream and trevally around at the moment with the odd big flathead thrown in as well. I really think the balance of the year is really going to be special the way things are shaping up at the moment.

Bookings are already filling

If you are keen to book a charter we’d advise you to do it rather soon, as the business is growing each year to the point that last summer (as many of you know) we were booked up some 2 months in advanced. Shannon and I always like to give you, our existing customers first bite, so if you’re keen, please give us a call on our office number (02) 43856879 or email info@calmwaterfishingcharters.com.au and go to the enquiry form to arrange a date.

Likewise if you are heading out fishing on your own boat or a friends, feel free to give us a call to see what’s biting and where as we are only to happy to pass on any info that might improve your catches.

A new weapon

I must be getting old as the early morning starts at this time of year have been chilling me to my bones but not for much longer. At the moment we are having a new vessel built by Spacecraft at Toronto. Talk about a weapon. It will be 6.4m long with twin 140hp Suzuki’s on the back as well as a cuddy cabin and extended hard top. That means heaps of shelter, padded seating for all and maybe even room for a captains chair for me.

All this without encroaching on the huge fishing area this boat will provide. No expense is being spared to ensure this boat is the ultimate fishing vessel, it’s even got a toilet and bunks on board.

I reckon it’s about the best boat money can buy – custom made and with all the features as well as the layout that far exceeds anything you can find on production vessels.

While we’ve had outstanding results from our famous little rig it’s finally time to upgrade to a much larger boat. By the way if you’re in the market for a vessel with more notches than Billy the Kid (see picture above), give me a call and we'll have a chat – I’d much rather see it go to a good home.

The new boat should be completed by November, if not earlier and I tell you what, I can’t wait to get my hands on it and it would be great to see you on it.

DVD Jewfish Secrets Out

After years of prompting, we’ve just made a video/DVD called “JEWFISH SECRETS” and released it at the boat show a few weeks ago. The initial response has been huge and it’s proving to be highly beneficial to anyone who wants to pursue those jewies. I’ve already had a couple guys ring me and let me know they’ve beaten me to the first of the big fish this season.

The DVD covers everything you need to know from how and where to catch all manner of bait types as well as rigs and tackle – right through to the actual spots.

Needless to say there is heaps of jewfish action as well. It truly is invaluable if you are going to seriously target jewfish around your area as well as being very entertaining to watch on those cold winters nights.

If you would like a copy to help you become one of 10% that catch 90% of the fish give us a call to arrange a copy.

Phone: 02 4385 6879
Fax: 02 4385 6590

New ways of booking for smaller groups

Below you’ll find the charter rates for the next 12 months. We are currently in the process to developing a system where people no longer have to create their own groups.

If you are keen to go for a fish and the friends aren’t or can’t make it - we can now slot you in with other groups of keen fisherman for a far cheaper price than the current one person rates. Same applies to 2 or 3 of you that want to split the charter with others – and best of all – you can be assured they’ll all be top guys who are just as keen as you.

Shannon and I have always been frustrated that not everyone can generate a group to help ease the individual costs, or cannot afford to book the boat by themselves or with a mate. While the new system means a little more work for us, I’m really pleased to know we can now make an outing with Calmwater Fishing Charters more affordable for as many of you as possible. Please call us on the office number or email for further details.

We both hope you are all well and happy, thanks for your support in the past and hopefully we can catch up out on the water again.

All the best
Greg and Shannon Joyes

calmwaterfishingcharters.com.au

October

Killer whales.
Having watched many documentries on these amazing ocean creatures it appears they primarily hunt seals and other whales often in wild Arctic seas. Oh and Terrigal beach too! Last Wednesday morning myself and my 4 boys headed out early from Terrigal Haven in our little 4.3m tinny to hopefully troll up some tailor and salmon before school. At one point we were trolling 50m off the Skillion when between us and the shore 2 full grown killer whales suddenly surfaced! I often say that fishing and the ocean in general is full of surprises but this was far more of a shock than a surprise. The Orcas continued Northwards patrolling the edge of the washes till they reached Terrigal Point and then continued Northwards to Forresters Beach often only 200m from shore. For most of this time their 1.5m dorsal fins were often clear of the water as they cruised at 4-5 knotts along our coastline. Just what they were doing there I'm not quite sure but they appeared to be looking for salmon or maybe to find a stray seal. Didn't get a chance to ask them. To say that my boys and myself were buzing was an under statement, they appeard to take very little notice in us and were often were only 30-40m from our vessel. We finally left them at the Southern end of Forresters Beach as the boys had to be back in time for school. On Calmwater Fishing Charetrs we seem to be seeing more and more whales around the headlands of Broken Bay and Lion Is. but I have never seen Killer Whales along the coast of the Central Coast. A site that myself and my boys will never forget of these huge scythe like dorsal fins piercing the water follwed by the upper part of their backs coming clear with each breath that they took and behind this Terrigal surfclub. i tell you what if there is a better place to live I ain't been there.
OK on with the fishing report. Chuck from Baits'R'Us (43343219) at the Entrance reports heaps of good sized bream in the channels as well as under the northern side of the Entrance bridge. All baits and lures seem to be working well on them. On the south side some of the wharfs adjacent to the bridge are also catching their share. As Chuck prodicted that dredging in the area has increased the water flow and this seems to have turne3d ion the bream also luderick as well as flathead. Both of these have been caught from the wall as well as the deeper channels. Some nice whiting are also coming in from the Tuggerah Lakes. Some jewies from 40 ponds are also being caught from both the Entrance Beach and Hargraves over the last frotnight as well asd flathead and whiting as well as salmon. The Entrance had it's first prawn run with the next due on the October long weekend. Quite a few drummer or rock blackfish are coming in along the rocks on the Central Coast and a few snapper turning up towards Norah Head.
Paul Minto of Central Coast Charters Terrigal(0427665544) reports that he has been catching some nice mowies and trevally in close and last Sunday when the current finally turned around headed in a southerly direction he and his crew caught 30 snapper as well as mowies, trevally and leather jackets in 60m of water off Terrigal. Also in their catch were Barracuta which is a sure indercation of cold water down deep but didn't seem to worry the snapper to much, he also report heaps of salmon schools off our coastline as well as heaps of mako sharks from the 30m line out.
On Calmwater Fishing Charters we ghave been getting stuck into salmon in the Broken Bay area as well as a few bream. The jewies are typically a hit and miss but the few fish that we have caught coming were from the Milson Is. and Bar Point area. I've heard a couple of jewies beiong caught around the Rip Bridge this week and all though not monsters still some nice fish. Brisbane Waters has not been overly productive in the last fortnight,hopefully this will change soon.


Deep Sea -- good snapper,morwong,trevally and leatherjackets along 60m line as well as flathead over sand and gravel patches.Heaps of mako sharks and salmon schools.
Rock and Beach-- some nice jewfish to 18kg from Nth Entrance and Hargraves.Rock blackfish as well as a few snapper from the Norah Hd area.
Hawkesbury River -- salmon and tailor schools in Broken Bay,a few bream and school jewfish in the Milson Is,Bar Pt area
Estuaries and Lakes --- Tuggerah Lakes and the Entrance channel fishing well for big bream around deeper channels and bridge.Luderick off wall on weed or shrimps.Brisbane Water fairly quiet

Toads. In Queensland there is the cane toad in New South Wales it's the green toad. One lives on the land the other in the water and they both appear to be equally useless.
Deepsea fisherman hate the green toads with a passion. With their chissel like - teeth they are capable not only biting off hooks but biting right through them! When in numbers, they will attack anything including sinkers, swivels and even the line itself. Their nastiest habits of them all is biting threw line just below the surface, which means not only a loss of hooks and sinkers but maybe 80-100m of line as well. If you are lucky enough to pull an eatable type fish from under their schools, chances are it will come to the boat with pieces missing, curtisy of the toads. Hell, I'm sure if you fell in the water bleeding amongst a school of them they will turn you into a skeloton in minutes.
Unfortunately these toads make fishing of our coast difficult at the moment and while they are not everywhere, they seem to be easily attracted by struggling fish or the smell of bait. Their numbers certainly don't seem to be dwinderling either and I've noticed a definate increase in their numbers in our rivers mouths and estuary systems. The green toads commonly exceed 3kg in weight and like their smaller counter parts, are extremely toxic.
The fishing along our coastline has been quiet over the last week or so with minimal catches coming in from the oceans to the upper reaches of the estuaries. the fishing to is quite sparatic with fish biting one day and completely shut down the next. On Calmwater Fishing Charters we caught jewfish to 8kg, bream, tailor, flathead and salmon, though the fishing has been very cold. There are a fair few tailor along our coastline and also in the estuary systems, ranging from tiny little fellows up to bigger green backs. Salmon are also about along the rocky headlands with the Avoca area being the pick of the spots. They are still not that thick at the moment but usually a couple can be found.

All the best
Greg Joyes

Deepsea: Big leather jackets showing up in the 60-100m mark. Some reds, trevally and mowies mainly off terrigal. green toads a problem. Chance of a couple of yellow fin outside.

Beaches and rocks: Tailor and salmon along the beaches and rocks. Jewfish have been quiet over the last week but still worth a go. Rock blackfish still worth a try.

Hawkesbury River: Fair few tailor down deep. Bream about in fairly good numbers with a showing of trevally around the Broken Bay. Few salmon about even on the troll. Few jewies around the bridges.

Rivers and estuaries: bream and tailor in most systems. Good time for school jewies up to 5kg as well as the odd big flathead. Good time to try for leather jackets around the Rip with peeled prawns.

Caption: It takes more than a cold morning to stop George Haber from wetting a line while fishing on Calmwater Fishing Charters

May is a beautiful time of year here on the Central Coast. Come to think of it every month is a good time of year here on the Coast. But there is something special about May. The mornings, or though brisk, are easily delt with by a single jumper while the middle of the day, is usually t.shirt weather. The afternoon seabreezers are gone, to be replaced with still, calm evenings. A beautiful time of the year.
The fish seem to agree as well. There always seems to be an overlap of the last of the warm water species and the start of the cool water species, which can create a huge range of species available to pursue.
On the rocks it's all systems go for rock blackfish. These blokes are definately my favourite rock fish, I just love the aggressive bite. Which in reality is just a tug of war. You loose a few metre of line, and usually you've lost the fish. Use to heavier line and you don't get the bites. They really are a great fish to pursue. One thing I have found when chasing them, it pays to take a variety of baits as they can be rather fickle in their feeding habits. Get the bait right, and you will be getting constant hookups. Have the wrong baits and you'll swear there isn't a blackfish in the ocean. You can head out with ab gut, cunjevoi, bread, peeled prawns and sea rock cabbage I'm sure you'll find one of those will be good on the day. May is a good time for late season game fish in the form of northern blue fin and mackerel tuna, as well as lots of bonito and good sized kingies. Once the weather seems to cool most game fisherman both ocean and land based seem to hang up their gear till the weather starts to warm again later this year. This is a common mistake I believe a lot of fisherman do. The ocean temperature cools slower than the air temperature, so even though the days might be cool, you'll find the water is still quite warm and holding numerous game fish. This is also the month for those over sized tailor that seem to be following hot on the heels of the mullet heading north.
The jewfish seem to be better this time of year along our rocks and beaches and up the upper reaches of our river and estuary systems rather than our river mouths. The fish seem to vacate these areas and either head north for the winter or head upstream. In years gone by I used to catch some monstrous snapper around this time of year. Both of the rocks and the inshore reefs. While snapper numbers are definately not what they used to be in years gone by around the Central Coast anyway, it's still worth giving them a shot. They do seem to have a preference to a rising to a high tide as well as live yellowtail baits. I've caught more reds over 8kg on live yellowtail than on any other bait. But once again, offer them a bit of a menu, big strips of tuna, mullet and squid as well as ocy legs are all proven big snapper catchers. With those baits you stand a chance with any prowling jewies as well.
Traditionally, May has always been a good time for snapper of any sizes with most of the inshore reefs holding good numbers of fish. Salmon usually turn up on the surface along the coastline and river mouths as well this time of year and seem fairly keen to slam a lure or bait.
In the estuaries the big whiting show up in big numbers and who know we might see a few hairtail showing up, up Cowan Creek.
May really is a great month to be on the Central Coast with a combination of crisp to mild weather, clear calm days and lots of fish to choose from. Don't let it go to waste.
Hopefully by late May the new video, myself and Dave Butfield have put togther, will be available. We haven't even decided on a title for as yet, but I 've just seen the film prier to final editing, and I tell you what, it's a bloody ripper. It's about catching jewfish and we have a great day on the water catching heaps of good fish in broad daylight. Along the way we catch some monster flathead and have a crazy time with some kingies. For all you mad jewy fishos, this is a must to see!!!

Happy Fishing
Greg Joyes

In the past it never cease to amaze me how the fish seem to change their
movements of habits without any warning.
I say in the past because nowadays I have just come custom to it. Just
because the fish have been at spot X for the past years eating a certain
bait on a certain tide certainly doesn't mean it's going to be the same next
year. So many factors seem to come into play with water temperatures,
salinity levels, bait fish movements and other factors I'm sure we have no
concept of.
Take this season for instance. Completely different to last season come to
think of it last season was completely different to the year before season.
And so on it goes, I've given up scratching my head trying to work it all
out. I just work around what's presented to me, keep my eyes and ears out
for any signs or information and continually try new fishing methods and
areas. In a way I'm greatful when fishing patterns change because I'm forced
to break away from the normal routine and encourages me to experiment to get
results. Not that the fishing has been quiet by any means with heaps of
jewfish, kingfish, bream and a variety of surface fish being a daily
occurrence. However I have noticed that their isn't quite as many larger
jewies(18kg+) around this summer. There is a few but not as many as years
gone by.
While chatting to a good friend of mine who is a true gun fisherman in his
own right was saying how a couple of scuba-divers he was talking to had told
him about stacks of big jewies laying up a couple of reefs on the Central
Coast where they have been diving. they said there was hundreds of fish in
these schools with most of them up to 18-20kg mark. Armed with this info he
headed out in the evening with prime baits and the scene that greeted him on
his depth sounder screen was enough to make the hair stand up on the back of
his head as the particular reef was loaded with bait with heaps of big
jewfish dots sitting under the bait schools. To cut a long story short he
fished for 2 evenings and he scored zero on the jewfish. Now this guy has
been around a lot longer than me and he has spent a lot of time with guys
who were catching big jewies back in the days when they had air-raid drills
in Sydney schools. He is addiment that we need a big dump of rain and with
this all these bigger fish will be scurrying into our estuaries and lakes to
do what they do at this time of year. Interesting stuff.
Owning a salt water aquarium has shown me that some fish can go for many
months without feeding. I put bream in my tank and after 3 months of not
feeding I've released them back into the wild. Sure most fish are happy
feeding in the tanks however the odd one seems to shy to any type of food
and it's amazing just how long they can go on their fat reserves. Hopefully
we will get a good load of rain over the next couple of months as it can
only do good things for the fishing.
There seems to be a few more big toads frequenting our coastline at the
moment and hopefully this trend does not continue. I remember speaking to
this old timer who told me one year you couldn't fish anywhere in Broken Bay
as a number of these big green toads made fishing impossible. These are the
only creatures that I pull out of the ocean that I always put the knife into
before throwing them back in the water. I tell you what I love those
kingfish! They fight hard they travel in schools and they respond well to
both lures and baits, they are even great tucker too. This season has been
great for them and it's so encouraging to see the average size is up a fair
bit from last year. Thank God they band those kingfish traps. I've heard
little whispers that they are to be reintroduced on a "experimental" basis.
I truely hope this never happens, but to be honourest nothing would surprise
me as I believe that the people that run our NSW fisheries are far more
interested in the votes and dollars than the true well being than the fish
stocks along our coast.
I know this column is meant to be a fishing report rather than a rave so
lets get down to it.
As the season started late it appears it could well finish late as the
sparodic warm currents appear to be hanging around a bit longer than usual.
Although the snapper fishing has been quieter than usual over the past
couple of months, it's still worth a go as the next couple of months are
good for reds right along our coastline. The kingfish should still be along
the coastline and the end of the month should see them exit the inshore and
estuary areas and move out wider and further north. Although the bream
season started slow it kicked off with a bang in January with quality fish
coming in from both the the coastline and the estuaries and lakes. If you
haven't tried catching bream on squidgys I strongly encourage you to give it
a go. It can be the most productive way of catching big bream, especially
during the bright sunlight hours. The Blood worm colour is my favourite in
the smallest wriggler size. Marlin and dolphin fish are still to be found
out wade as well as some striped tuna. April and May are the months when
over sized blue marlin are encounted. 37kg game gear is a absolute minimum
for these beasts. I hooked a huge blue in over a kilometre of water wide of
Broken Bay a while back and as he was grey hounding across the surface 400m
away we powered towards him at 16knots. By the time we reached the location
of his last jump I was almost spooled straight down of 1000m of 24kg line. I
eventually locked up the drag with but handful of turns of line left on the
reel. I really hope he survived the encounter as there is nothing in the
ocean that goes off the way a psycho big blue does.
I hope you are all putting aside some time to get out fishing to enjoy what
we have sitting right at our doorsteps. To be to busy to enjoy it, I
believe, is a great disservice to one self. Life is not always about work,
family, chores and respocibilities, remember all work and no play can make
one bitter, dissatisfied and frustrated. I've learnt that if I don't make
time for me to play no-one else will. So before the air starts to developed,
that cool chill of late Autumn,do yourself a favour and go and have a fish,
I can guarantee you that you'll be glad you did.

All the best
Greg Joyes

Previous Report

I can't help but get really excited around this time of year, as I know the fishing is only going to get better and better. Not that it's been poor lately by any stretch of the imagination with regular catches of jewfish and kingfish as well as salmon, tailor, bream, trevally and some monster flathead. It's funny how fish like flathead and jewfish turn up all of a sudden. Every year it seems to happen the same and while the jewfish should be turning on full ball the big flathead switch has already been thrown. Over the last couple of weeks I have scored many fish up to 5kg with the best day lately being 4 fish between 4 and 5kg. This is being without specifically targeting for them as they have been eating jewfish baits. These blokes should hang around for a while but after late November instead of congregating around the river mouths they seem to disperse right throughout the river systems. Another great way we have been catching them is on some squidgy lures and boy they put up a fight on this light stuff compared than on heavier jewfish gear. If you always wanted to catch one of these monster flathead now is the time to book a charter and fulfill your dreams. Same with the jewies really, records show that they show up in mass numbers in early November and run right through to the end of April. I'm aiming at catching over 500 jewfish out of the Calmwater Fishing vessel for this year and the way that things are going that should be a fairly easy mark to crack. As I write this(31st Oct) the boat tally is around the 365 mark and if the next couple months is anything like the past previous years that 500 should be broken before Christmas. It's been great to see the number and size of kingfish around of late. I have been catching some beauties over the past couple of months with fish coming in upto 10kg. I probably come across them every second time i chase them and if no bites are forthcoming after about 20mins, I go chase some other species. Kingfish being kingfish they can be there one minute then gone the next or they can there but choose not to feed. Sometimes you can come back in an hour and they can be chewing on the outboard motor, they're that hungry. Best place I find for them is up Cowan Creek amoungst clusters of moored boats and Pittwater around the Basin and Scotland Is. area. fresh squid or live yakkas seem to be the go for them and gee, I'm sure they have all spent the cooler months working out at a kingfish gym somewhere because thay sure know how to fight. Out of the last 50 kingfish I have caught recently there hasn't been one that's been under the 60cm bag limit. This is good to see as the kingies are responding well to the closure of the commercial fish traps and angler education in regards to releasing fish. In a month or so they should move right out into the Broken Bay area and then I'll start catching them around Lion Is., Box Head and Barrenjoey Headlands. Even though this is the worst year that I can ever remember for bream and trevally there are still a few to be caught and it seems the bream catches are increasing as the water warms up. One thing I found though the sizes are quite big in the fish that I'm catching. The areas that I find that are most productive have been just in close to the shore line between Little Box and Big Box Head as well as the shore line between Patonga and Middle Head. Anchoring in close and Burleying (make sure the burley gets down to where your baits are) seems the way to go with fresh flesh appearing to be most attractive to the bream. On the surface there is heaps of tailor and salmon stretched right across the bay. These salmon seem to be gewtting more fickle every year and some days they are impossible to catch and other days thay are keen to slam just about anything. My best results have been from motoring near a scool and throwing very small lures into their mists. There's quite a lot of trevally underneath them too, and if you let your lure sink for a count of 10-15sec there is every chance you will pull out a trevally or a big cownyoung. I usually find that if a school just won't bite I'll move one and find another school as sometimes schools are only a few 100m apart can be feeding on different tucker and one of those schools might take lures while others ignore them. so if you are keen to come out for a charter now is the time to be booking as I ever often get booked 2 months in advanced. You might have noticed the charter prices have been updated as well. For those who want to really fine tune their fishing skills Dave Butfield ( Host Radio 2 "Hooked on fishing") and myself are running fishing classes specifically at this point on MONSTER JEWFISH AND KINGFISH. we have alreading ran a number of these classes and they have proven to be a huge success with people attending saying they have learnt more in that evening than what they could have possibly have learnt themselves fishing over the next 20yrs. The classes really are unique and they are 3 1/2/hrs full ball information packed sessions. We cover every possible facet of catching these 2 fish species ranging from gear and rigs to bait, how to catch your own bait, actual locations and how to find your own locations, lure techniques, tides, moon etc. We are organising classes outside the Sydney area with the Central Coast and Wollongong area being our first targets and then we plan to do classes up and down the whole N.S.W. coast. If these classes are not for you maybe they will make a great gift for someone at Christmas(gift vouches availble)

For any inquiries call myself or Dave Butfield(Ph:96239743)
Hope to see you there
All the best
Shannon and Greg Joyes

:: CALMWATER FISHING CHARTERS ::

EMAIL
info@calmwaterfishingcharters.com.au

WEB
www.calmwaterfishingcharters.com.au

Previous report

It's great to see a few jewfish are back in numbers again. Yesterday we had a great day catching 6 fish between 12/22kg in a furious 1 1/2 hr session. All but 1 were released and now that brings the boat tally to 302 jewfish captures this year with the biggest being 31kg. It's great to see them on the bite like this as the past few months have been very slow for the jewfish. Sure September isn't the best time of year to be catching them anyhow but it's a good omen for the on coming season. It's typical in a way for this time of year the fish seem to be less active and there for they burn up less energy and require less food. When they decide to feed it's usually with avengence and they are often schooled up around this time, so there might be a bit of waiting when the bites do come they come fast and furious as they did yesterday. Multiple hook ups on jewfish?!

On Calmwater Fishing Charters we have also been getting some nice bream and trevally but definitely not in the numbers that I was catching this time last year. It's been a very quiet winter considering but things should get better from this time on. At the moment there is heaps of chopper tailor around Broken Bay. Occasionally they are visible splashing on the surface with birds on top but most of the time they are roaming down deeper. The best plan of attack for these fellows this time of year seems to be trolling lures around the headlands and shorelines inside Broken Bay. If a good concentration is found then you can always drop the anchor and start burleying and feeding out pilchards baits and you can you basically catch as many as you care to catch. The salmon are hanging around the bay at the moment though they are doing their usually tricks where they are there one day and gone the next, however they seem to be responding well to lures both trolled and cast and they don't seem to fickle about sizes and colours etc. These guys will only get better as the year goes on and they seem to peak around about October. They are a great fish to catch even though they might not be on the top of the eating list, they sure know how to fight and brighten up what might otherwise be a quiet day. Some good news is there are some nice kingies getting around and they appear to like the clearer water, either up Cowan or in the Pittwater area. Of the last 18 I've caught over the last 4 outings not one has been under 60cm and most well above that. The biggest so far is about 6kg but when I took my young boys fishing the other day they got busted off by a couple of fish which appeared to be well over that. It's such a laugh watching them getting dragged around the boat locked up on 15kg tackle and then finally getting busted up by these bigger fish. They were even dirty at me for not rigging them up with the 24kg gear . I think I'll be down a couple of sons if I had done that because the fish would have pulled them clean out of the boat! There are a few flathead around but not a great deal of size to them and I'm picking them up here and there usually when I'm fishing for other species. It's been a while since I've caught a big monster, once again that's typical for this time of year. I feel the kingies will be hanging around for the rest of the year and into the next and the way the average size has been increasing all the time I'm sure hoping it gets back to how it used to be in the old days, where kingfish were relatively easy to find and catch.

If you are thinking of booking a charter you are probably better to act sooner rather than later there are not a great deal of weekend spots left between now to Christmas. I plan to up date this fishing report on a regular basis from this point on, so hopefully I will have some more good fishing news in the near future.

All the best
Greg Joyes

:: CALMWATER FISHING CHARTERS ::

EMAIL
info@calmwaterfishingcharters.com.au

WEB
www.calmwaterfishingcharters.com.au

JEWFISH AND KINGFISH ADVANCED FISHING CLASSES

I'm really excited about these and I have been talking at length with Dave Butfield of Hooked On Fishing on Radio 2 who just so happens to be a real expert when it comes to the kingies and between us we are going to run a series of classes on how to catch these 2 favourite species. They will be held in the evenings and will run for 3 1/2hrs. These will not be your average fishing classes but rather intense information packed sessions that will tell you EVERYTHING that you will need to know to crack the local Jewfish and kingfish scene. even if you're not so local, it wouldn't matter because the techniques that we'll be referring to will work anywhere on the N.S.W coast. Topics covered on the night will be everything from appropriate tackle, bait catching techniques and locations, bait rigging techniques, where to fish, how to fish and various locations, tides, moons, everything will be covered, there will be no missing pieces from this puzzle. After attending a class you should have all the information you'll need to head out and successfully catch your own fish. We are even going to give away our own favourite locations and the best ways to fish them. As we can't quite fit everything into 1 evening we have decided to split them up into 3 separate nights and these will cover jewfish and kingfish from boats, land based and on lures. You have the option to attending 1 of these nights or all of these nights. On each evening all the previously mentioned topics will be covered but will be applicable to say boats on the boat night and the land based techniques on the land based night. On the first 2 nights we will touch on lures for jewfish and kingfish, however if you are a lures fishing nut and your primary interest lays with catching the big fellows on artificials the third evening is for you. For information on dates, costs and bookings ring Dave Butfield on 96239743 during business hours.

:: CALMWATER FISHING CHARTERS ::

EMAIL
info@calmwaterfishingcharters.com.au

WEB
www.calmwaterfishingcharters.com.au

Previous Report

I think it's called withdrawal.
Symptoms are restlessness, agitation and a dramatic increase in the reading and viewing of fishing literature and TV shows. My wife has just pointed out a couple of other symptoms that she has noticed intolerance and irritability as well as in her own words,"I'm sick of you hanging around the house all day". It's been 12days since I've been fishing and I'm really feeling it, as I'm used to spending everyday on the water 12days feels like 12months.However there is hope I've been told the repairs to my motor should be ready by this afternoon and nothing short of a cyclone will stop me from being on the water tomorrow. You could imagine my surprise 12days ago when m 8month old new high-tech outboard ceased up while I was on the water. Now I've been using the same brand of outboard for a long, long time now and I have never and I mean never had a break down of any description in the last 7 years. That's 7yrs of commercial hours of use. For example my current moto has 500hrs in just 8mths. When the motor was stripped down there was fund to be a excesses amount of carbon in the cylinders and block which necessitated the replacement of all pistons, rings and bearings as well as a lot of block machining. So how did this all happen, I always look after my outboads, I never thrash them and I always let them idle for a couple of minutes to warm up prier to putting them into gear. The problem was eventually traced the brand of outboard oil I was using, it's the same outboard oil I have used for many, many years and it has never caused me any problems in the passed, however, it seems the new fuel injected high performance 2 strokes that are available today are a lot less tolerant of lesser quality of fuel and oil. Now I've got nothing but good things to say about this new style of outboard because on my vessel because I've noticed up to 40% decrease in my fuel bills compared to a conventional 2 stroke motor. Not to mention the fact that they are smoother running and less fumes at trolling speed. What however that came at a real surprise was the fact that outboard engine manufactures will not recognize warranty claims where the problem has been traced back to oil that has been used other than the manufactures own brand. Their words were " We build a fine engine and if it suffers a breakdown because of poor quality oil that's not our problem, you take it up with the oil company". Hmmmm......Some how I don't think I'm going to get very far with the oil companies especially when there is hundreds of other boats running around using the same brand of oil without any problems. The lesson here for me and for other boat owners is if you make a warranty claim on your outboard and the problem is related to excessive wear or a build up of carbon in the engine block and you are not using the manufactures own brand oil(even though there is no mention of this in any of the literature that I received with my outboard) your warranty will be invalid. Learn from my mistake don't find out for yourself. Anyhow back to the fishing side of things on the Central Coast. September is the prime time for salmon around our area and large schools can be found inshore right along our coastline. On a good day they will take anything thrown at them ranging from pilchards, mino lures, chrome spinners and fly's. On a bad day they can be incredibly fickle and conventional techniques don't seem to work. A trick that I have found successful is motoring up to a school shutting down the motor and getting a good solid pilchard cube trail going immediately. I'll then do the usual trick of floating half a pilly down the burley trail on relatively light line. It can be surprising what can be under the salmon schools too, in the deeper layers there can often be big trevally, odd kingy and even snapper. There is not usually many kingies around this time of year in close but what ones I've come across I've usually found either underneath or in close proximity to the salmon schools, so it is well worth penning a smaller salmon(or tailor if there is schools of tailor about) through the top jaw and slowly idle him around the salmon school, giving him the opportunity to swim down deep. This time of year is also a good time for pigs and drummer off our rocky shore lines as well as some bream in amongst the washes.As well as tailor and salmon on the beaches, there is still the odd jewie to be caught as well as over sized tailor. The fishing can be a bit patchy in September where some days where the fishing can be shut down. My only advise on days like these is