Previous Reports July 2004 - September 2004
This weeks report: (27- September- 2004 )

Sydney Harbour
Trevally have been firing up all over Sydney in the slightly warmer weather this week, and inside the harbour has been no exception. Quite large fish around the 3-4 kg mark have been taken from just inside North Head, around the yellow quarantine marker. Sow and Pigs reef and Neilsen Park are also producing bagfuls and great fights on light line. Peeled prawns are sure tempters when floated with as little weight as possible into a well established berley trail.

Jewfish were once the sole territory of the bait soaker, when the taking of these majestic monsters on lures of any sort was almost unheard of. Times change and now many a soft plastic fisho’ sets out specifically to target them, with great success. All around the Harbour from the deep holes under Gladesville and Figtree Bridges out to Balls Head and Blues pt are producing fish on plastics right now. Four inch minnow imitations in watermelon, purple or mullet colours, set on darter jig heads, are a good way to begin. Let the plastic sink slowly to the bottom, and retrieve slowly with large lifts of the rod tip.

Pittwater
Changing weather conditions has lead to some stop start fishing in Pittwater of late, with Squid in particular turning right off the bite late last week, and then coming back on in droves. Small squid jigs, size two or less, are proving exceptionally damaging, and have accounted for some absolutely massive squid. Four were taken on a recent outing with up to 34cm long hoods. Most wharves in Pittwater are worth a shot, especially those with sea-grass beds in the vicinity.

This weeks report: (17- September- 2004 )
Offshore
Strong cold currents have affected the offshore fishing at the moment, many of the warmer water species have slowed their approach into Sydney waters. Yellowfin tuna are still about although finding consistent patches of them can be a bit of a challenge. Areas around Browns Mountain seem to be the most reliable for the yellowfin. The snapper fishing over the last week has slowed down. Good fish are still there for the taking but more hours fishing are needed for the same results. Best baits for the snapper are squid and pilchards on paternosta rigs. Good numbers of trevally are around, which is a good indication for the coming season, most of the trevally have been taken as bycatch whilst fishing for snapper and morwong. Mako sharks are a good species to be targeting at the moment with quite large specimens being taken at The Peak, the 12 mile and Browns mountain. Large tarwine on heavy hooks and thick wire traces account for these hard hitting sharks.

Botany Bay
Flathead are still biting as the water warms in the Bay. There are plenty of spots worth a go that the land based angler has easy access to. Spots like Deeban spit and the mouth of Gunnamatta bay in Port Hacking. Or try the beach along Brighton le Sands or Silver beach at Kurnell. Soft plastics have been working well, especially those with silver and black patterns. Fresh fish baits such as anchovies, as well as live poddy mullet, have proved top baits this week.

Trevally are about in decent numbers at the moment in Botany bay, and most spots around Structure are fishing well. Berley is needed to bring the fish on the bite, and to bring them round the boat. The best method is then to fish with as light a set up as possible, down into the berley trail created. Peeled Prawns or live Nippers the best baits.

Salmon have been schooling around Yellow Rock. The biodiversity of life surrounding these schools is huge. Salmon feed on the surface on small ‘eyes’, juvenile opaque fish with large eyes. Below the salmon schools of trevally feed on the debris left over from the feeding salmon. Mixed in with the trevally are yakkas and slimy mackerel. Below all of these smaller fish are the leviathans, hoodlum kingfish, tuna and various sharks. These bigger fish feed on any of the smaller species that are sick or injured that stray from the main school.

Hawkesbury
The water temperature is rising at a fast rate throughout the Hawkesbury – Nepean river system and this is stimulating the fish to feeding and searching out their summer territories. Good catches of bass and perch are being reported all the way up the river system. They are still being caught in numbers on soft plastics around the ferries. Hardbody lures are also beginning to come into their own with the increased insect activity. The most consistent method though at the moment is to bring out the fly gear. Dahlbergs fished after short leaders on extra fast sinking lines are taking more quality fish than other methods. Fish up to 48 cm have been taken on the fly between Sackville and Windsor.

Wisemans Ferry has been a boon to fishermen over the last week with good numbers of flathead taken on Hawkesbury prawns and plastics, silver fox , black and gold, and gary glitter colours being the most consistent takers. Schooling tailor often put an end to the plastic fishing however, as the tailor chop the plastic to bits making it an expensive session. When they appear change to hardbody lures in pink colours to keep catching the flathead.

Jewfish to 14 kg are being taken around Laughtondale on tailor fillets, fresh squid and large soft plasics. A strong running tide in either direction around creeks and dropoffs is the key to catching good numbers of these mulloway.

Sydney Harbour
The salmon schools are still with us and with them a huge variety of fish that travel with the schools. The salmon are feeding on small ‘eyes’, that is juvenile fish if several species that are floating in the upper regions of the water column, most of which are under 3 cm in length with a clear body and large eyes. The schools around the harbour are not quite as large as they have been in previous weeks but still immense enough to stretch from Quarantine Head to North head. Most fish in these schools are between 2 to 4 kg and are feeding on the eyes, so best lures are small white metal lures under 10 grams and 4 to 6 inch stick baits cast unweighted and just twitched through the school. Fly fishing for these mighty sport fish is another sure way hook a salmon.

For those of us that prefer to tangle with a larger class of fish than the school salmon, should be using on of them as l live bait for one of the several species of ‘bigger critters’ that follow the salmon schools. Some of the likely contenders hanging around are huge Kingfish, many of which are in excess of 20kg. Heavy gear is required for these hoodlum kings and being spooled is a regular occurrence . Other species you are likely to come across are tuna , cobia, mulloway and of course sharks.

Other species that have been encountered below the salmon are trevally, yakkas , slimey mackerel and bonito. Allowing lures to sink below the breeching salmon will usually end up in hooking any of these species.

Last weeks Report (07-08-04)

Hawkesbury
Bass are being caught in good numbers all the way up the river. Penrith is reporting good catches above the weir, soft plastics and spinnerbaits with plastic tails bounced slowly over patches of weed account for the majority of the fish. Good bass and estury perch to 38 cm have been caught at the bridge in Windsor on baits of live earthworms and on local prawns.

Further downriver still large numbers of E.P.s and bass are around the ferries, they appear to be feeding on theprawns stirred up by the heavy cables of the ferries.

Catches around Lower Portland are consisting of school jewfish, bream , tailor and flathead. All of these species are feeding on prawns and smelt so soft plastics are the lures of choice. Downstream at Dads Corner , school mulloway are in good numbers with fish reported to 12 kg. Hawkesbury squid and prawns are best baits.

Wisemans Ferry is reporting large numbers of bream, hardbody lures and live prawns are catching fish up to 40 cm. Tailor are the bane of the soft plastic angler at Wisemans this week, destroying large quantities of these versatile lures.

Jewfish are schooling around the mouth of Webbs creek, soft plastics jigged slowly in the current are a surefire way to temp the fish, as are live prawns floated unweighted down the creek on a run out tide. Flathead and bream are welcome bycatch when fishing in this way. Larger jewies have been caught at Laughtondale the best this week topping 20kg.

Offshore
Offshore reefs this week have been producing reasonable hauls of the common reef fish such as flathead, morwong , trevally and snapper. To ensure good catches have a variety of methods at your disposal. Fresh squid, laid on the hooks so as to appear as natural as possible, fished on the bottom is a sure fire way to produce good hauls of snapper with fish up to 50cm being reported this week. As there has been very little current movement offshore of late the pelagic fish seem to be a little on the scarce side, so ifyou are heading offshore prepare your gear for large Chinaman leatherjackets, that is reasonably small baits with large gauge hooks. Leather jackets have a tendency to sheer straight through anything less.

This weeks Report (01-10-04)
Sydney Harbour
Tailor are the predominant winter sports fish of the Harbour, and decent size schools are still roaming, especially around Dobroyd Pt, Middle Head, and into Clifton Gardens. Most of the fish are only just over the legal limit, but provide a good fight on light line, and can be tasty as long as they are bled and cleaned upon capture. Trolling silver and blue bibbed minnows about 9cm long around Middle Head is a good way to start. Once a school has been found you can either continue to troll the area, or stop and cast large metal slices into and around the school.

Offshore
This week the offshore bottom fishing is shaping up for a great spring season. Offshore reefs such as the 12 mile and the peak are producing good catches of morwong, flathead and snapper. Berley trails of squid and pilchard bring the fish around and baits of tenderized squid sweetened with a small piece of pilchard are a sure way to get a good catch of snapper. Plastic jigs spiced with squid, drifted over reef areas is a sure way to pick up morwong and flathead. Deep jigging over Browns Mountain has been producing large barracouta, although it is a long way to bring up a heavy fish.

Hawkesbury
Bass and Estuary Perch are moving up the river in large schools and at the moment they are as far up as Sackville. The fish are scouring the bottom in search of prawns that still appear to be anchored in the mud. Soft, prawn like, plastics moved slowly across the bottom are accounting for catches of up to fifty fish in a session. Further down river around Wisemans ferry the schools of perch are intermingled with bream, tailor, flathead and the odd jewfish. All of these species can be targeted with soft plastics or live baits of prawn or crab. For best results, float baits with as little weight as possible.

Botany Bay.
The trevally are on the bite with large hauls of 20 fish or more are being caught around the entrance of the bay. Best bait are live nippers and fresh Hawkesbury prawns. A good berley trail will produce the best results. Brim are a welcome bycatch while targeting the trevally with many of them topping the 1 kg mark. Tailor are in the bay in good numbers and can be taken on the troll using minnow style lures, Producers and rapalas CD7’s being the pick of the bunch in blue and silver. Flathead are around the sand flats though not in big numbers, soft plastics in the bloodworm and gary glitter colours are accounting for the majority of fish. Leather jacket are still plentiful in the bay although the will probably move out with the fresh water influx from recent rains.
Luderick are thick in the Georges River, green weedfished beneath a float along current lines is a good method to reach a bag limit.

This report 23 08 2004
Broken Bay
This week it appears the mulloway have returned in good numbers with many fish over 6kg being taken on fresh squid, live tailor and pike. Fish in strong currents with a variety if baits on display, it does not hurt to put a large soft plastic lure down and fish as if it were a bait the results are often astounding. Brim and trevally are in good numbers a berley trail with unweighted pilchards and prawns being the best baits. Salmon and tailor are prolific in the bay with huge schools forming out wide . Trolling minnow style lures when there is no surface activity produces good results. When surface activity is present stick baits floated through the schools make for exiting action.

Offshore
Reef fishing is producing good hauls of flathead morwong and snapper around 40 cm. Fresh squid and pilchards are the baits of choice and trails of pilchardcubes greatly increase the hookup rate. Squid plastic rigs sweetened with small baits are also accounting for good numbers on the drift. Albacore tuna are a frequent catch out at Browns Mountain with the Yellowfin being fairly scarce this week. The big Kingfish are still a bit elusive but should be coming on any day now, deep jigging on the reefs will be the secret.

Sydney Harbour

With the storms over, water warming and the barometer on its way back up, the fishing forecast for spring looks promising. The huge schools of Australian Salmon that had been hanging around off the heads were sent down by the recent bad weather, but have surfaced again in small numbers off North Head. These school fish can be caught when they surface, using clear/ silver soft plastics, and occasionally on 15-20gm metal slices. Some of the smaller schools of fish were driven into the Harbour by the storms and can be picked up on fresh baits around Quarrantine Pt. Pilchards or anchovy are the best.

Warmer currents have started flowing down the coast again, bringing a large lick of 20 degree water past Sydney. This warm water is bringing with it some small bait schools, with the customary pelagic predators joining them on the journey. Added to that, the resident fish populations are becoming more active meaning good fishing is not far off. The last few dayshave seen the first consistent Sydney Kingfish of the summer. At present the majority of the fish are still outside the Heads, cruising underneath the Salmon schools, but it should not be long till there are good fish populations inside the Harbour. Most of the Kings have been taken on soft plastic stick baits either jigged deep under the Salmon, or fast retrieved through the same areas.

This weeks report: (15 August - 2004 )

Broken Bay

Hard rain on wet ground is what Jewfish fisho’s dream of, especially after such a prolonged dry. Large quantities of fresh water wash plenty of organic matter into the estuaries, starting algal and other growth which in provide bountiful food for creatures at the bottom of the food chain. Once this has happened the larger predators start to move in and feed, and this of course includes the Jewies. The next weeks bode well.

Sydney Harbour

There have been no shortage of very nice sized tailor, some up to 60cm, right up the back end of Middle Harbour. Trolling gold and green lures (plastic or hard body) around deep holes and muddy water, is the best way to find yourself a few of these energetic sports fish. The salmon that were schooling around the heads recently have left the surface, and are proving near impossible to troll up, but should be back with gusto after this foul weather clears.

Flathead have been a pretty common catch in Sydney of late, and the rain doesn’t look to have put them off at all. If anything the extra food being washed down river with all this flow has piqued the interest of the flatties, and they are readily wolfing down soft plastics, as well as fresh baits, when drifted downstream with the current. Sandy areas with good water movement and a steep drop off are the places to start.

The Parramatta River is pretty much the best place in Sydney for Bream at the moment. Those able to get through the wind to the water have been picking up some very nice fish, especially on very lightly weighted soft plastics. Pumpkinseed drop shot minnows and red fleck rattle grubs, both in 2 inch varieties, are equally effective. Bait fishers have been successful using thinly sliced pilchard pieces.

Large Calamari are still about in the Harbour and if you are willing to put in some time after dark it is possible to take home a feast. Look for areas of sea grass growing over a sandy bottom, especially near good protective structure or close to a rocky shore. One or two Calamari squid will move into a small area and control it as their territory so it is often a good indicator that plenty of them are around when the same area produces over consecutive days, as is happening at the moment in quite a few spots in the harbour.

Hawkesbury

Estuary Perch and the odd Bass have still been hitting soft plastics despite the freezing waters around Portland and the mouth of the Colo River. Try around ferry wharves as the ferries arrive and depart, as they stir up little shrimp and other sea life, encouraging the fish to feed. Darker coloured plastics have been the most productive. Some good Flathead have also been feeding in the area.

Offshore

Yellowfin are still about in small numbers, from around Browns Mountain as well as east of Browns about 10nm, but it seems more a case of they’ll find you than the other way round. Cubing has not been greatly successful with the majority of fish taken in the last few days being taken on the troll, usually after covering a fair bit of ground. Skirts in a lumo pink or lumo green patterns are the best producers at present. The fish are in the 25 – 50kg range. The occasional striped Marlin is still about just inside Browns.

Drifting around the inshore reef areas and gravel beds just off the Heads has produced some good hauls of Flathead this week, with the average fish about 55cm. Pilchards, Slimy Mackerel strips and Squid are the best baits. Morwong will also feed on these baits, especially the Slimy Mackerel, and are being taken from the same areas as the Flatties. There are still some Leatherjacket out on the twelve mile, and though they’re not quite as large as the 80cm varieties available earlier in the season, they also won’t bite through your hook as easily and make a great size for the dinner plate.

Hawkesbury

Good catches of Bass and Estuary Perch are still being taken from the upper Hawkesbury. EP’s are in the river from the Richmond area down, around broken driftwood and other structure. They are hammering soft plastics at the moment, especially un-weighted minnows in purple or watermelon colours. Bass can be found around Sackville and Lower Portland. Flies such as Dharlbergs are having great success, or for the spin fisher any of a variety of surface lures such as poppers will do the trick.

Sydney Harbour

Tailor are schooling in the more open areas of the Harbour, and are often being taken whilst fishing for other species. Look to work areas around open rocky structure, especially when chasing them with lures. A variety of trolled lures from bibbed minnows to silver slices will do the trick. Most fresh or live fish baits will also produce the goods when chasing these sharp toothed, aggressive fish. Strong trace is essential.

report: ( 8 - August- 2004 )

Sydney Harbour

Trevally are a great light sports fish in Sydney during the winter and at the moment bagfuls are being taken from around the mouth of the Harbour, especially just inside North Head and around Bluefish Pt. Peeled prawns are the pick of the baits, but most baits including Slimy Mackerel cubes and small squid pieces will entice a bite if fresh. Lightly weighted baits drifted into a heavy berley trail will give you the best chance of taking home some fish.

Salmon have been schooling around and outside the heads for the last few weeks and though finicky have still been taking all sorts of lures and flies. It can be hard to ‘match the hatch’ at times but in general flies such as epoxy minnows, and metal slices of around 10gms especially in reflective white. Be sure not to troll through the schools, as this will just send the Salmon down and off the bite for you and everyone else. The odd small Kingfish has turned up underneath the Salmon.

Good hauls of Bream and Flathead are being taken both day and night around the Spit Bridge, especially around the moorings, and into the upper reaches of Middle Harbour. Fresh fish baits on very lightly weighted line, fished in around the moorings and wharf structure, has been the go for the Bream. Small live baits for the Flatties have been the most productive, especially when drifted over the sandy drop offs.

Squid, fished live or in strips, is a top bait for all sorts of predatory fish, not to mention being pretty nice on the dinner plate, and there are still plenty to be caught in the clear cold water of the harbour at present. Generally the last two hours of light and the first two hours of dark fish the best for Squid, but they can be taken all day as long as there is good water cover, and all night especially around well lit areas. The structure around The Spit Bridge is a good place to start.

Dirty water seems to be the key to the Tailor in Sydney Harbour, so much so that they can be seen following the muck around with the tides, and avoiding like the plague any of the clear almost sterile water found in most of the Harbour. Troll bibbed minnows about 7cm long, or slightly smaller metal slices, through the patches of dirty water until you find the fish. Then anchor and bait fish with Pilchards or other fresh fish, or simply spin the fish up with a metal slice.

Broken Bay

Jewfish have not shut down entirely in the colder water of Broken Bay, though the bite is far less frequent than it is in the warmer months, and the average fish size only around 3kg. Patience can be severely tested when strong winds blow straight from the Snowy Mountains to your boat. For the hardy types some fresh Slimy Mackerel fillets or Squid strips send back with the current toward the Brooklyn Rail Bridge will give you the best chance of picking up a few ‘soapies’ out of any passing schools.

report: ( 30 - JULY - 2004 )

Broken Bay
Broken Bay has been fishing slowly in recent days. Colder water has meant less baitfish which in turn affects fish numbers as a whole. There are some Jewfish still about in small numbers around the Bar Point reef and the Brooklyn Rail Bridge. They are not feeding as heavily at this time of year as during the summer and it requires patience and top bait presentation to entice a bite. Squid strips or live squid are the best baits, with Slimy Mackerel fillets also proving effective.

Hairtail are still about in the upper reaches of Coal and Candle creek and in Jerusalem Bay, however they can be pretty hard to find and are a bit on and off. Take your chances with the freezing nights, and sometimes the frustration of a lack of a solid bite even when you have found the fish. Fresh pilchards, set on ganged hooks, with a thin black wire trace is the ideal bait presentation. Live Yellowtail is also having success. Remember to fish your baits at several different depths until you work out where the Hairtail are feeding.

Pittwater is still holding some good size Squid this far into winter, especially over the weed and kelp beds around the inside of West Head, and generally on the western shore of Pittwater. The greatest success at the moment is being had by those using pink jigs, retrieved close to the bottom. Some Yellowtail can still be found at West Head, with the odd Slimy Mackerel or Garfish a bonus from the same spot.

Offshore
Offshore fishing has been difficult of late with the run of big swell and stiff winds making longer journeys unsafe. Those who did find a day to make it out were rewarded with some nice catches. Mako Sharks in the 100-120kg range have been taken in the last few days, between ‘The Peak’ and the ‘Twelve Mile’. Most have been taken on fresh fish baits such as Striped Tuna. Trolling has also been successful with a Striped Marlin around 85kg tagged and released just off the continental shelf. Yellowfin are a bit harder to find at the moment but Albacore to around 25kg are still being taken out toward Browns Mountain.

Harbour
Tailor may well be the fish of this winter for Sydney Harbour, with plenty of 2, 3 and even 4 kg specimens haunting the headlands and structure around the Harbour mouth. Middle Head is a great place to start trying to troll up a few, using size 7 diving minnows in silvers and blues. Metal slices cast toward the rocks in the same areas will also provide good results. Bait fishos should start around ‘Sow and Pigs’ reef or at the yellow marker buoy just inside North Head, with fresh fish strips or whole pilchards. Australian Salmon may also be found in the same areas but are sketchy at best and hard to target.

The smaller baitfish that have been in Middle Harbour since the summer seem to have moved on, but there are still plenty of larger baitfish, especially Slimy Mackerel and some incredibly large Yellowtail, to be found around the edges of the mouth of North Harbour. Berleying is essential to bring them near the boat. Some good size Squid are also about around Shack Bay near Dobroyd Pt as well as in the kelp beds on the edges of Shark Island.

report: ( 23 - JULY - 2004 )

Broken Bay
Reports of Hairtail have been sporadic so far this winter, however those willing to brave a night on the icy waters of Cowan Creek have been rewarded lately, with fish taken quite regularly. The best areas have been Jerusalem Bay and Coal and Candle Creek, with fish at all depths including at times on the surface. Fish fresh pilchards or cubes of fish at differing depths until you find the height of the school, and then fish all your lines at that depth for best results.

Jewfish seem to have appreciated the recent rains, with just enough fresh water to reduce the salinity within Broken Bay area. Fish are being caught further downstream than in recent weeks, particularly from between the Rail Bridge and ‘Flint and Steel’. Fresh Slimy Mackerel fillets have been proving a great bait lately, and white fresh Squid, whole or in strips, is also outstanding. Fish are mostly school size fish around 6kg, with the occasional 15-20kg fish being taken from amongst them. Some patience can be required Jewfish fishing at this time of the year as the schools of fish move up and down the river and there is little to be caught between them.

Northern Beaches
Good catches of Tailor are still being taken off most beaches in the north of Sydney. Bait fishing is proving the most effective, with pilchards and slimy mackerel fillets the pick of the temptations. Use a paternoster rig, with a star sinker, and some foam above the hooks to lift the bait off the sand. The occasional Australian Salmon is being taken in the same manner, though not as commonly to those using ganged hooks.

Sydney Harbour
Bream are about at present in the Harbour and up into the Parramatta River, especially some large and quite wily older fish, not too easy in the tempting. Fresh slices of fish, smaller whole fish baits such as Anchovy, and live nippers are accounting for the majority of fish taken, but only to those fishing the lightest of lines with no weight, as Bream will often take the baits on the drop. Most structure in the Harbour especially established man made structure will hold fish.

Botany Bay
Botany Bay is still fishing well for Trevally and Bream this far into the winter, with the Container wall proving one of the better spots at the moment. Light line and little weight is the key to good catches. Peeled prawns are especially effective on the Trevally, and live nippers are working well on the Bream.
Trolling with diving minnows around 7cm long in Yarra Bay is producing a few reasonable size Tailor and the odd Salmon at times, though fishing this way over the last week has fired in the early morning and then become very slow for the rest of the day.

Offshore
Yellowfin Tuna have been the target fish lately, with the abundance of bait around keeping some good size fish between the continental shelf and Browns Mountain. Several catches over 50kg and even some nice size Albacore have been taken in the last few days. Occasionally fish have been spotted busting up on the surface, however generally they are staying deep around the bait schools and are therefore being taken either cubing, deep jigging or on down-rigged live baits. Trolling has not been as successful, with no Yellowfin being caught and only the odd look from one of the resident Marlin just off the continental shelf.

report: ( 11 - JULY - 2004 )

Offshore
Offshore fishing has picked up a bit this week after some less than satisfactory weeks, with fishing around the shelf especially looking promising. Large schools of bait are the best indicator of what’s to come, with Sauries and Slimies abundant out near Browns Mountain. Some decent Yellowfin have been taken from around the bait, and with any luck the best are yet to arrive. Fish of around 60kg have been taken, both on large live baits as well as by deep jigging. Some resident Striped Marlin have also been spotted investigating lures around the same spots.

Plenty of good reef fishing is available off Sydney at the present. The closer reefs and gravel grounds have been fishing very well for the more common inshore species, such as Flathead, Morwong and some very good winter Snapper. Good baits are fresh fish strips and pilchards. Areas of deeper structure such as ‘The Peak’ are also holding small quantities of rat size Kingfish, which can be taken on fresh squid or small live baits.
Deeper reefs are producing some Blue Eyed Cod as well as Gemfish.

Harbour
Salmon are schooling around Sydney at the moment in pretty decent numbers, especially off North and South Heads and inside the Harbour mouth. They can be very hard to catch however as they are feeding on either Krill or small Glass Eels, both of which are hard to match with lures or bait. The occasional catch is being made on small metal slices around 10gms in weight, as well as on flies that match closely Glass Eels. Mornings are by far the best time, as the fish will be on the surface and feeding readily.

Tailor are probably the most abundant species in the harbour at the moment, with fish being taken on lures, trolled and cast, as well as most kinds of fresh or live bait. Middle Head has been a big producer lately, as has the Quarrantine marker buoy. Most of the Tailor are big winter fish of between two and four kilograms, so a strong monofilament trace or thin wire trace can be essential. Their sharp teeth will make a mess of light gear.

Plenty of Flathead are dispersed around the Harbour at the moment, especially around the upstream areas, however they can be far between so drifting baits is about the only way to successfully target them. They are not the largest Flatties ever so small cubes or strips of fresh fish drifted over likely areas, around drop offs at the edge of sand flats as well as over shallower sandy ground. Wire trace is not necessary with fish of this size.

Hawkesbury
Estuary Perch have been booming in the Upper Hawkesbury of late. Fish of around 40cm are being taken with regularity, and some sessions are offering up over 30 fish. Look for open areas of river with structure close by. EP’s tend to spend more time in the open than their cousins the Australian Bass. Soft plastics in fish shapes, especially when unweighted, and flies such as dharlbergs have been doing plenty of damage. Night fishing has been effective when using soft plastics.

report: ( 04 - JULY - 2004 )

Sydney Harbour
Salmon have been schooling in small numbers in Sydney lately, dispersed all around the Harbour. Good spots to try include off North Head and inside Quarrantine Pt, Dobroyd Pt reef, and on the south side in around Neilsen Park. Sounding out schools that are often down deep in these areas will provide the most hookable fish. Start by deep jigging 10gm metal slices or small plastic stick baits. Don’t spend your time worrying about trying to catch the surface schools that are feeding on microscopic krill, as they are totally uninterested in anything as large enough to fit a hook in.

John Dory are still about in the Harbour in pretty decent numbers. Deep areas of water with both structure and as much shade as possible are best. Still water is also pretty crucial. Clifton Gardens, Reef Beach, and many other areas that fit this bill are producing fish at the moment. Live small baitfish especially Yellowtail fished just off the bottom will yield best results.

There is still the odd Jewfish roaming around inside the harbour. Most deepwater structures and even some of the upper reaches are holding some fish. Night time seems to be best at the moment, but some fish are being taken into the morning, especially on outgoing tides. Try throwing fresh mullet strips or fresh squid into one of the deeper holes around Gladesville Bridge, or in Middle Harbour near The Spit.

Broken Bay
Jewfish are back on the bite in the Broken Bay area with most of the better catches taken up into the Hawkesbury River, from the road and rail bridges up to Spencer and even as far as Wisemans Ferry. The use of very fresh baits is crucial, with squid being the best. Berleying or pilchard cubing will do much to improve the bite. Fish taken this week have been from about 3 to 6 kg.

Luderick have been taken in the last few days quite a way up the Hawkesbury River around Wisemans Ferry. Look for a rocky bank or inter-tidal area with plenty of weed growth. They are taking both green and cabbage weeds, and in some situations can even be tempted into taking brown weed. Light trace line and exceptionally well presented baits are they keys to a good haul.

Northern Beaches
Plenty of Drummer are currently being taken from the rocky washes off most of Sydney’s northern beaches. Extra strong and very sharp hooks around size 1 or 1/0, and strong line and trace, are the elements required if you wish to stop this fish from busting you off on the rocks that may be as close as 40 or 50 cm away. Abalone gut set under a float or placed unweighted into the wash areas is the key.

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