Previous
Reports June - December 2005
Report Posted 30 December
Sydney
Harbour
Sydney
Harbour has put on a fine display over the Christmas break, with beautiful
conditions and fish to match. Kingfish have been the main drawcard, with
schools of ‘rat’ sized fish smashing surface lures from Middle
Head to Rose Bay. Small squid skirts have been dynamite in the more open
parts of the harbour, as well as around North Head, while bibbed minnows
have been enjoying success inside Middle Harbour. Downrigging live baits
has also proved worthy, especially around Sow and Pigs reef and North
Head, where Squid seems to be out fishing Slimy Mackerel and Yellowtail.
There is plenty of bait on most of the bait grounds including inside North
Harbour and around the Wedding Cakes.
Sydney
Harbour
Good sized Flathead are being taken around Sydney
Harbour at the moment, with some of the fish 80 to 90 cm long. The best
bait is almost always going to be a whole pilchard, set on ganged hooks,
with strong metal trace also a necessity if you wish to land one of the
big ones. The drift between Middle Head and the Spit Bridge is a productive
place to start. This week has seen some real monsters landed, including
one of 96cm. Please remember that all Dusky Flathead over 60cm are female,
and the larger ones most likely spawning. For this reason a strict bag
limit of one fish over 70cm per person is enforced by NSW Fisheries.
Amberjack, a cousin of the Kingfish and also a delicate eating fish, are
currently being taken in numbers not usually seen in the Harbour. The
moorings between Clontarf and Grotto Pt. are a great place to start hunting
for an Amberjack, which are quite often taken whilst trolling. A diving
lure such as a Rapala cd-7 will tease one of these fish into striking,
however often surface lures such as small squid skirts or poppers are
the most devastating, with Amberjack showing no hesitation in smashing
them, sometimes even breaking clear of the water.
Plenty
of squid are being caught in the Harbour, making possibly the finest live
bait on the menu, especially for Kingfish. The first or last two hours
of the day is always the best time to go squiding. Good spots include
the structure and moorings in North Harbour, around Shark Island, and
into Middle Harbour around Balmoral. A weedy bottom in conjunction with
this structure often provides the best indicator to where a school of
squid may hide.
Report
Posted 21 December
Pittwater
Pitty
missed out on some blue water current for the second time this season,
but there are a few species still to be interested in, including a couple
of good sized summer run Bream around West Head. Flathead and Flounder
have been reasonably active around the mouth of Broken Bay as well as
just inside Pittwater on the drift. For the sports fishers there are at
least a few Tailor around, off Longnose Pt, but no Salmon.
Sydney
It’s
good to see some real summer action this week off Sydney. Once again we
have a had a lick blue water on North Head, bringing loads of small Kingfish,
some thumper Salmon, and even a couple of much bigger Kings, into the
Harbour. Close offshore there are also big schools of ‘rat’
Kings, with birds working all over them, and even a few big flying fish
just off North Head! Inside the heads, Rose Bay and a few of other bays
around town have been producing Kingfish from 50 – 80cm, as has
Clifton Gardens. There are a few nice Tailor holding around these schools
as well, often above the Kings.
Offshore
With the warm currents reaching the Sydney
offshore waters the bait schools have been feeding on vast schools of
crustaceans. The crustaceans and other plankton are the start of the food
chain. These smaller animals are fed upon by the bait fish, such as slimey
mackerel, Which in turn are fed upon by the larger predators such as tuna
and marlin. The striped marlin have been active this week with several
specimens over the 100kg mark. They have been found off Broken Bay and
have been actively chasing the bait schools. Switch baiting with bridled
slimeys have been the most effective way to hook-up.
Hawkesbury
Big tides this week in the river have made this an ideal time to chase
the big jewfish that are in the river. Large jewies have been caught on
mullet, yakkas and squid, between Wisemans Ferry and Box head. Mullet
that is fresh or alive are preferrable to frozen baits. Poddy mullet are
easily obtained in the shallows with a bait trap or the larger ones can
be caught with dough under a float in a berley trail.There is also good
numbers of flathead being caught on the drift between Lion Island and
Box Head. For the bream fishermen soft plastics are very effective on
light jigheads around structure. Peeled prawns are also accounting for
good numbers of bream.
Pittwater
Pittwater is experiencing somewhat of a
lull at present, especially in comparison to where we stood three weeks
ago. The Kingfish now, when they can be found at all, are predominantly
rats just under 60cm, and they are nowhere near as abundant as they have
been. The blue water that touched North Head bringing both predators and
baitfish seems to have totally avoided the mouth of Broken Bay, leaving
Pittwater still a little bare. There are at least a few decent Flatties
and Flounder to be found. West Head is a good place to start. For the
Kingy starved there have been a few good schools of Chopper Tailor surface
feeding around Barrenjoey and Lion Island.
7th
December
Offshore
Offshore fishing has been difficult over the last week, with wind conditions
blowing up and quite a rock and roll on, and that hasn’t been helped
by the up and down water temps. The really warm water is still consistently
wide of the shelf, where it has reached about 23 degrees. There is some
Yellowfin action about 30 - 40 miles out, wide of Browns. Along with that,
there are a few Striped Marlin becoming interested in skirts, just outside
Browns again.
Dolphin
fish are just starting to turn up further south than Broken Bay Wide,
however they are not consistently holding on the FADs with warm water
threatening to flow south but never quite. Fish out there are in the region
of
15-20 kilos.
Sydney
Harbour
Kingfish are on in numbers in the harbour, and a little bit of time spent
looking for a school can pay off as a great days fishing. Most of the
fish are Rat sized or just legal, but still give the great fight they
are renowned for. The South Head troll has been productive for those using
surface lures. The Kingfish are also willing to take a well presented
fly. Large numbers of kings have been taken on fly from Long Reef, as
well as from inside the harbour from Sow and Pigs reef, and Rose Bay.
Soft
plastic fishos have been enjoying a fair bit of success in the warming
water, with Flatties and Bream starting to turn it on just West of the
Harbour Bridge. Soft plastic shads in silver have been the go for flatties
over the sand, while browns tend to be more effective further away from
the heads. The Bream are smashing soft plastic insect replicas, such as
berkley hawgs.
Kingfish
are becoming a harbour mainstay at the moment, giving many a first time
angler the thrill of a lifetime, usually on gear far too light for the
task at hand. Strong line and an outfit to match is a key to fishing for
these fish. Good baits are fresh squid or live yellowtail, with live squid
a delicacy. Try your luck around Quarrantine, inside North Harbour, or
head over to the wedding cake markers.
Botany
Bay
Kingfish have entered the Bay in good numbers during the last week. Schools
of rat kingfish and just legals have been giving Bay anglers a thrill
as they move up and down the bay with the tides. A good place to start
looking is around Bare Island. Remember fresh or live squid are the best
baits, with live Yellowtail or Slimy Mackerel the next best.
Sydney
Harbour
The Kingfish reports over the last week or so, both
inside the harbour and just off the heads, have been steadily increasing.
The majority of the fish are small, from around 55cm to about 65cm at
best, but are great sport regardless, especially on light gear. The yellow
marker buoy off Quarrantine Pt, as well as the Wedding Cake markers and
Sow and Pigs reef, are all producing. Live garfish are a particularly
effective bait at the moment, in spite of the fact there are quite a few
schooling about the harbour. A surface berley of finely crushed bread,
employed around most known bait grounds, should encourage them in.
This weeks Report 22th November 2005
Sydney
Harbour
Flathead and Flounder have been the mainstay of the harbour this week.
Flounder as large as a dinner plate have been taken while drifting grounds
just off middle head and grotto point, and the same areas as well as many
others have been producing Flatties around 45cms. Whitebait is the unquestioned
king of baits for both these fish, and can be fished on the bottom hook
of a paternoster rig, below other oily fish baits such as Pilchards or
Slimy Mackerel.
Sydney Harbour
Flathead
are being taken from the upper reaches of the harbour at present, mostly
from bays with some shallow ground and good tidal flow where these ambush
fish can sneak a feed. Whitebait is a great bait for the Flatties, and
that is especially so at the moment, with the average fish somewhere around
the 50cm mark. A single long shanked hook with a strong trace is the best
rig. Try a bait thread to keep the bait solidly on the hook.
Kingfish
can be found once more in and around the harbour structure, and are becoming
more and more common. Fleeting appearances lately have been around the
‘Sow and Pigs’ reef, the Wedding Cake markers, Dobroyd Pt
and around the Quarrantine marker buoy. Live Yellowtail have been out-fishing
squid in recent days, and can be slow trolled past markers or fished just
off the bottom. When the Kingies are found it takes lots and lots of berley
to keep them in the area. Be ready.
Pittwater
Pittwater
has been firing Kingfish for a month now at least, and things are just
going to get better. This week has already seen days of innumerable fish,
but it’s still a little slow on the odd day, especially when the
baitfish vanish from the wrecks. When the baitfish go, there is nothing
holding the predators in any given area, so though the Kingfish are still
there, it can be a mission to find them. Thankfully those days have been
rare of late, probably helped by the water temperatures. It is already
21 degrees in Pittwater first thing in the morning, sometimes hitting
22 by the end of the day.
Offshore
There has been some hot action offshore this week,
especially for game fishers. Warm water is pushing south and the fish
are moving with it. Out wide around Browns Mountain there have been a
few 50kg Yellowfin Tuna, mixed up with many more smaller Tuna from 8 to
30kg. North East of Browns in particular has been populous. Trolling skirts
has been the most productive method, as the fish are very spread out.
Try soft head pushers around 7” long in green, lumo green, or lumo
pink.
Report Posted 08 November
Northern
Beaches
The Beaches are a bit up and down at present, with
fish around, and often in good numbers, but conditions not always conducive.
A few sharks in particular continue to poke their heads around the more
open beach gutters, taking slabs of Slimy Mackerel and occasionally Pilchards.
Mostly they are Whalers of one variety or another, with an occasional
smattering of other species. Fishing would be a lot easier if there wasn’t
so much seaweed around.
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 quality fish. Fish up to 48 cm have been
taken on the fly between Sackville and Windsor.
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.
Report Posted 30 October
Sydney
Harbour
The harbour has been warm enough in the
last weeks to encourage a summer restart. The first good sign has been
schools of baitfish inside the harbour. The first of the Slimy Mackerel
and some small new season Yellowtail are inside the harbour, and more
will arrive with the warmer currents from the north. Once this arrives
they will use the harbour as their summer sanctuary, but until then larger
predators such as Kingfish will be in shorter supply and generally hard
work, as they currently are.
There
are a few decent Trevally still around in the harbour quite late in their
season, usually somewhere around the deeper holes off Middle Head, Neilsen
Park, or around the North Head bait grounds. Un-weighted baits floated
into a berley trail will do the trick. Smallish Bream are being taken
the same way from areas further upstream, both in Middle Harbour and west
of the Harbour Bridge.
Sydney
Harbour
There have been some nice eating size
Flathead found in the upper reaches of most Harbour tributaries this week.
Drifting small live baits like poddy mullet, or fresh fish strip baits,
slowly around areas such as just upstream of Roseville Bridge, will yield
good results. Soft plastics have also accounted for a large percentage
of the flathead haul lately, especially for those using heavily scented
insect replicas. Good colour patterns include black and gold, pumpkinseed
and green.
Glenbawn and St Claire
The Hunter valley dams have started to
turn it on with the rising water levels and warmer weather. Recent competions
on both Glenbawn and St Claire have turnedout some very nice fish, several
over the 50cm size mark. However a lot of the larger fish in Glenbawn
are in poor condition and have not put the weight on as have had some
of the smaller fish. Given the improving conditions it will only take
a few more weeks and they will be back up to the serious line busting
weights that we expect from this trophy water. St Claire bass are not
suffering poor condition however with fish around 49cm weighing in at
well over 2.5 kg. Best lures are the lippless crankbaits and large spinnerbaits.
Try fishing points and weedbeds for the best results
Upper
Hawkesbury
Bass are well and truly into their run up the river
and with the water temperature now nearing 22 degrees C are feeding voraciously
on nearly all that is put in front of their faces. Nearly all of the popular
lures, surface poppers, deep and shallow divers, soft plastics, bibless
minnows and spinner baits, are accounting for good catches of bass and
estuary perch. The surface lures are really producing in the early mornings
and the evenings. Spinnerbaits are the way to go around the weed beds
at any time of the day. Those with are soft plastic tail are particularly
appealing to bass and E.P's. If estuary perch are your target species
then slow rolling the bibless minnows is the approach to take.
Hawkesbury
Jewfish are plentiful in the Hawkesbury at the moment with specimens ranging
from smaller soapies to the 30 kg plus monsters. Best baits are the Hawkesbury
squid , Hawkesbury prawns (live or dead) and live presentations of mullet
and yellowtail. Around Wisemans Ferry catches of 15 or more jewfish averaging
between 2 an 7 kg are common with several anglers reporting being busted
off by freight trains that they have had absolutly no chance of stopping!
Juno point and Brooklyn are the places to target the monsters though with
several fish over the 30kg mark weighed in over the past week. All is
looking good for next weeks Hawkesbury classic with thae big jewies allready
putting on a show.
Hawkesbury
Flathead are in abundance and are taking soft plastic presentations in
preference to baits. From Lower Portland to West head bagging out on the
flatties has been no problem for anglers this week. For those not willing
to take up the soft plastic craze, peeled prawns and live poddy mullet
have been the baits of choice. Drifting with these baits accross sandbeds
have been very prodictive. Blue Swimmer Crabs are in abundace in the lower
reaches of the system. The easiest methods to snare the crabs are with
witches hat nets with a fillet of mullet or a fishf rame as the bait.
Remember to check your nets every half hour to an hour as the octopus
in the area have a taste for the trapped crabs.
13
October
Sydney
Harbour
The Harbour is fishing quite well, though
we are still early in the season and the water hasn’t fully warmed
up yet. Quite a few Flathead have moved in, and they are chomping into
dark brown and black patterned soft plastics all over the harbour. Fort
Denison has been a favourite. There are also a few small Trevally schooling
up, and some mid sized Squire, particularly in the deeper bays east of
town.
Salmon
schools have made an occasional reappearance around the outside of
North Head in the last few days, giving us hope that they may stay around
in numbers into summer. There are already patches of fish through out
the harbour - from Middle Harbour to Kirribilli, feeding on small baitfish,
and these can be taken trolling deep diving bibbed minnows or bait fishing
with pilchards. The fish around North Head are a little more picky, though
easier to find as they feed on the surface. Try throwing small metal slices
of around 10gms at any surface action you find, and remember to always
sneak up on these schooling fish.
Pittwater
A few good Bream are marauding Pittwater
at present, and the bigger ones have been taken on all sorts of baits
including Squid. A massive fish of 1.6kg was landed on the weekend after
it tore into a live Squid on the downrigger, just off the eastern side
of Scotland Island.
It
is nice to see good numbers of summer run Kingfish in Pittwater already
this year. Though most of these newly arrived migratory Kings are on the
smaller side, from 65cm to 75cm, there have been quite a few around. Live
Squid has been the best of the baits, though small Yellowtail (7-10cm),
are to a lesser extent also on the menu.
Thankfully
the reliance on live baits that we have had for Kingfish in Pittwater
all winter may be coming to an end, with the fish now also hitting fresh
squid strips, and occasionally even soft plastic stick baits. Down rigging
helps ensure the best results.
Offshore
Offshore conditions have been good, and
most of the close reefs are fishing fairly well. Unfortunately Chinamen
Leatherjacket have plagued in several areas, often interfering with Snapper
baits and biting through lines - though they are particularly nice pan
fried. The proliferation of these Leatheries can make it hard to fish
for anything else, but thankfully they are moving around quite a bit.
In the last few days the same patch of ground off Bondi has produced Leatherjacket
one day and Flathead the next, before laying on some nice Snapper over
the long weekend.
Pittwater
Pittwater in particular felt the arrival
of warmer water this week, possibly brought by the first of the summer
currents licking down the coast, with a grand 17.5 to 18 degrees throughout.
The nice part is that with it came the first of the new season Kingfish.
A few schools of rat sized Kingfish have been spotted poking their head
into Pittwater over the last few days, especially around West Head!
Schools
of Kingfish have started to arrive in Pittwater, and though the fish are
mostly rats about 65cm long, the numbers are promising! Most of the early
season migratory fish will stay on the move around the bays, preferring
to run along moorings and other structures rather than occupying the reef
areas that some of their resident cousins do. Schools of them can be found
on and off, balling up baitfish or investigating berley trails all over
the place.
30
September
Sydney
Harbour
The harbour is one place that will benefit
hugely from a bit of this current fresh flush. The more open areas have
been so clean and clear lately that most of the baitfish had been holding
upstream, where there is some food and shelter. Most of the predators
were therefore also upstream, though that is set to change now as murky
water brings better conditions to the whole harbour.
If
we’re lucky the recent rain will flush out the remains of that slimy
dead algal bloom off Dobroyd and Quarrantine Pts. It has made fishing
all but impossible around there this week. There have been fish about,
hiding in the more protected parts of the harbour, including a few Salmon
that have moved right in and started to school up inside Middle Harbour,
around Sugarloaf Bay. They may spread out a bit with the flush however,
as should a few of the Jewfish that have been hiding up around Roseville
Bridge!
Pittwater
Pittwater
is much further ahead on the season change than the rest of Sydney. Warming
waters are increasing Kingfish activity, with the fish now well and truly
on the move running the moorings and circuiting from reef to reef. Most
of the kings are around 80cm, with a few just size rats sprinkled in.
Tailor
are spread throughout the Bays in Pittwater, with schools patchy but ever
present. The size of the fish varies a fair bit though, with schools near
the Basin harbouring fish of just 25cm, whereas Scotland Island surroundings
are producing over 50cm varieties. There are also some nice size fish
balling up a few of the baitfish schools off Longnose Pt.
Some
big Bream are also in Pittwater, with fish over 40cm sniffing around West
Head and investigating structure round Scotland Island. Get a good bread
berley out to encourage some action.
20 September
Offshore
Offshore fishing has been hard with conditions
against of late. Some hardy souls still got out, though for little result.
There has been a reduction in snapper reports, with grounds in 36 fathoms
wide off Long Reef invaded by some massive Chinamen Leatherjacket that
won’t even let you near the bottom. They will bite off your hooks,
bite at your swivels, or just plain bite through your line. Several reefs
off Sydney, as well as a few further north, are now almost infested with
these fish. The 12 Mile reef is now often almost unfishable. Thankfully
there have been a couple of Snapper much closer in, taken in around 30
or 40 metres.
Sydney Harbour
The Salmon that have been schooling up
out the front of North Head for some weeks now have separated and dispersed.
This is mostly due to a break up of the spawn they were feeding on, from
clumps into smaller strands or individuals. Separated schools of fish
have entered the harbour and can now be found in bays throughout, chasing
the small baitfish that currently abound. Larger metal slices and even
soft plastic stick baits come into their own in these cases, as the prey
are now fish from 5-10cm long. Try a 20gm metal slice, or a 4inch plus
stick bait.
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 will also come into their own as the insect activity increases.
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.
Sydney
Harbour
The salmon schools are still with us, though a little up and down in recent
times. The schools around the harbour are not quite as large as those
off North Head proper, but inside North Head around Quarantine Pt there
are occasional large schools of surface feeding fish. Most fish in these
schools are between 2 to 4 kg. They are generally feeding on cuttlefish
and jellyfish spawn that is floating in the upper regions of the water
column, though a few are chasing baitfish and these are easier to entice.
The best lures are small white metal lures under 10 grams, and 2 inch
clear silver-fleck soft plastics cast on a 3.5gm to 7gm head. Just twitch
the plastics through the school. Fly fishing has been less successful
at times, with these extremely skittish fish.
This
Weeks report 12 September 2005
Sydney
Beaches
The
beaches have fished well this week, especially if you are a fan of catching
sharks, with a variety of Whalers and a few Port Jacksons. Shovelnoses
and Rays have made also made their presence felt. The occasional large
Jewfish has also been landed, including one fish almost 17kg, giving hope
for the all night anglers. For those one lighter line, there has been
a few Tailor and Salmon running the gutters, though intermittently and
mostly around dawn and dusk. Pilchards and Slimy Mackerel have done the
damage. A few Bream have also taken a liking to these baits.
Pittwater
The temperature in Pittwater is rising, with most days
now reaching 17 degrees, and the resident populations of warmth loving
Kingfish have started to move. No longer are the fish solely concentrated
on the wrecks. They have started to slowly meander along the moorings
and circuits they run in summer. Occasionally there are even schools that
can be seen attacking Tailor on the surface, though you really need to
be on the spot before they arrive to see it. Live Squid are still the
bait of choice.
Sydney Harbour
The recent rise in water temperature
has been much loved by Sydney Harbour anglers, with finally some decent
numbers of fish about. The barren winter looks to be over, as Trevally
and Tailor infiltrate Watsons Bay and Quarrantine Point. Both the species
have been investigating strong berley trails, and will pretty much attack
any good strip bait, particularly squid. The Tailor are also picking off
live baits including Yellowtail around Quarrantine.
Upper Hawkesbury.
The upper reaches of the river
are really staritng to fire. The larger bass and estuary perch have made
their way up as far as Yarramundi with some nice fish to 45cm being taken
on chartruse shad style soft plastics jigged along the edges of the alligator
weeds. Around Windsor there have been numerous smaller bass and EPs taken
on the troll with smaller diving lures in purple and the darker natural
coulours. Pink lures have been the big winners though this week with a
51cm to the fork taken under the Windor bridge by a female angler, just
keeping her husband company! Lower Portland has still been fishing well
with good numbers of bass and EPs taken day and night on both soft plastics
and surface lures. Surface lures have been most productive after dark
whilst the bass are chasing prawns on the surface.
Offshore
Offshore fishing has been a little
up and down of late, especially out wide, but a little closer in there
have still been quite a few decent size Snapper coming in. Gravel beds
off Long Reef have been the epicentre of a lot of action. The freshest
Squid, as lightly weighted as possible, floated down a well set berley
trail toward the gravel, will get you bites.
Pittwater
Pittwater
continues to sparkle for the inshore anglers, simply because of the Kingfish!
The last week has seen Kingies landed almost every day, including some
really decent fish up to the 90cm mark. Most of these bigger fish come
courtesy of a down-rigged live squid, trolled slowly around moorings and
over wrecks. Occasionally there have also been a few smaller Kingfish
spotted, including some around 40cm at the entrance to Pittwater, which
could herald the start of the Kingies for summer!
Upper Hawkesbury
With the water temperature on the upper reaches of the river a constant
16 degrees the schooling silver bass and estuary perch are coming further
up the river in search of food to regain the condition lost over the winter.
They are feeding voraciously on a rising barometer and are easily taken
on most types of diving lures during the day and into the early evening.
Choice lures are the smaller divers and spinnerbaits with plastic tails.
Soft plastics worked slowly are also accounting for a number of these
fish, with flathead as an occasional bycatch. Most of the bass and estuary
perch are not monsters, in the 20 to 30 cm range with the occasional fish
reaching 40 cm.
Bait fishermen are also catching bass and estuary perch on worms and grubs,
particularly near the feeder creeks after the rain on Sunday.
Last
weeks report 29 August
Pittwater
Broken
Bay and Pittwater are both yet to experience Salmon in the numbers that
abound off North Head, but then Pittwater is still producing rather nice
sized Kingfish, so there are no real complaints. The water temperature
is finally rising as well, from the 13.5 degrees of the last couple of
weeks to a much more palatable 15 degrees plus. There have been a few
Kingfish landed this week, with the majority of them over 85cm. There
are a couple of keys to this success however, those being the use of live
squid and a downrigger, and the Squid are quite sparse in Pittwater at
the moment.
Sydney
Heads
Finally the Salmon have arrived with gusto,
as massive schools of fish dominate the area around North head. Surface
feeding fish are congregating and can be caught reasonably consistently
at the moment by those spinning with small metal slices, around the 10gm
size. Drifting up on the school is the best way to approach the fish and
keep them up, which will not only keep other boats fishing the school
happy, but also allow plenty of opportunity for you to hook up. Occasionally
the schools are being harassed by small sharks, dolphins, and other large
predatory fish including Kingies, and during these times they can be easily
spooked, but in general these fish are no where near as skittish as the
smaller schools found a few weeks ago. Though these fish are poor eating
quality, they provide an awesome fight on light line, regularly stripping
100m and more, so catch and release is encouraged.
Sydney Harbour
The harbour is still clear clean and rather
quiet, holding around 14 degrees. At least there are a few sporadic though
small Salmon schools that have crept inside to shelter. They can be found
around Middle Head and at times as high up as Bantry Bay, though they’re
not prolific anywhere inside the harbour. Most of the Salmon are still
out the front, just off North Head, where there are larger schools of
skittish fish. The only way to tackle them is to start a well placed drift,
by wind or current, into the area where the fish and birds are congregated,
and hope that one of the frequent risings will take place while you are
within range! Occasionally a trolled large diving minnow, especially Blue
Bombers or Blue Mackerel Rapalas, has picked up fish right on the front
of North Head.
Offshore
The waves have blown up a little offshore
lately, but things are pretty good when you can get out there. Those who
managed to sneak out early in the week were pretty happy with things,
as a big school of travelling Albacore sidled up out east of Browns. Most
of the fish were just over jellybean size, ranging from 8-10kg, but fish
this size are great fun on relatively light (20lb) line. The only thing
that could have asked for extra might have been a few Yellowfin, but alas.
Offshore
There have been a few nice bottom dwellers brought in from wide off Sydney
this week, for those willing to winch 15kg fish up from 400+ metres. Browns
Mountain has been particularly good, yielding some nice Blue Eyed Cod
and Pearl Perch. Just get ready to feel your arms burn. The less hardy
can look toward The Peak and 12 mile, where there are a few more common
reef species in residence. Closer in, reefs and gravel beds are producing
Morwong and Snapper respectively. Fresh squid strips or heads are the
armament.
Last
weeks report 17 August
Hawkesbury
With only a couple of weeks to the start
of the bass season good sized bass are now being taken in the middle reaches
of the river. Around Lower Portland decent catches of bass and estuary
perch up to 45 cm are bing caught on soft plastics jigged slowly along
the bottom and hardbodied lures worked slow and deep. Spinnerbaits with
soft plastic tails seem to be the most reliable way to coax the bass from
the weed beds. It is still a little early for surface lures, however with
the spring like weather of the past few days it is only a matter of time
before the insect life will return and make for the exiting surface bass
fishing we all love.
Northern
Beaches
The Northern Beaches are fishing quite
well at present, with the Salmon that have been schooling up occasionally
offshore starting to investigate beach gutters of an evening. Open beaches
have been the best producers, including Dee Why, Curl Curl and Collaroy.
Fresh fish baits including whitebait, anchovy and pilchard set on a paternoster
should yield results. The odd Tailor is also about, terrorising similar
gutters and loving a piece of Pilchard.
Rock
Fishing
Rock hoppers are still experiencing Black Drummer, or ‘Pigs’,
a plenty. They range in size from under a kilo to over three, but regardless
of size these fish fight incredibly hard. Abalone Gut has been the pick
of the baits lately, and should be dangled on line of 20lb or more into
deeper cracks and rocky crevices where there is a good amount of wash.
Be aware as these fish fight hard in their small sharp environment. Luderick
have also been a favourite off the rocks of late, and if you can find
some nice fresh green weed you should be in with a shot at hooking a couple.
Sydney
Cold water has been the bane of Sydney fisherman
for a couple of months now, but we look to be at the nadir, with the next
few weeks bringing a slow but sure rise in temperatures. Sydney Harbour
is looking forward to this time with relish, but till then there are still
a few fish to get your teeth into. Trevally are a renowned winter fish,
and one of the better winter sportsfish on light line, so it is nice to
see quite a few roaming the harbour at present. A good heavy berely trail
around deepwater structure should bring the fish to you, where an un-weighted
piece of whitebait will prove too tempting to resist.
This weeks report 9 August 2005
Pittwater
One lucky angler enjoyed a winter special
in Pittwater this week. Berleying heavily around the mouth of Lovetts
Bay, and feeding tiny pieces of unweighted squid into the trail, proved
to be a magical method, and the fisho involved was duly rewarded with
a more than decent Silver Trevally of 72cm. Incredible that in Sydney
waters we can still find fish within reach of record size (93.8cm). There
were a few more underneath the boat as well, and having been attracted
into the trail, they were then excited by their fighting mate! It was
not enough however, and they moved on to fight another day.
Kingfish
have been taken every day this week in Pittwater, not really what is expected
for the middle of winter but who’s going to complain? Live Squid
are the key, and they can be either down-rigged and slow trolled, or fed
into a well set berley trail around structure. Water temperatures preclude
the Kings from exerting much effort however, and the fights are not what
is found in summer. Squid are not overly prolific at the moment, but a
few can be found on weed beds around West Head and other weed beds in
the bays of Pittwater. Yellowtail are very occasionally being taken by
Kings as well, though are just as hard to catch with all the Sweep and
other small baitfish in the bays.
Some
heavy brown algae on the bottom inside Pittwater is hindering drift fishing,
but around the mouth of Broken Bay some good drift fishing for Flounder
and Flatties can still be had.
Offshore
Sydney Game Fishing Club had their Mako Shark tournament during the last
weekend, and quite a few sharks were chummed up. 48 makos were tagged,
with just 8 weighed in during the event. The winning boat, ‘Ever
Willing’, weighing in a 207kg Mako shark. There were plenty of other
bust offs, from big Makos, and boats reported having up to 4 sharks milling
around in the chum trail under the boat. There was also a couple of Yellowfin
to 37.7kg. Browns Mountain was the centre of most of the action.
For
the offshore bottom bashers, a good week is being had on the close reefs,
with Snapper, Morwong and smallish Flathead all being landed. There are
even a few big Silver Drummer around the 5kg mark. These fish are often
found within reach of shore while dropping fresh squid strips down for
Snapper. Unfortunately the current was very up and down, and fished poorly
during times of no run.
Northern
Beaches
Sharks have been haunting Sydney’s
northern beaches over the last few weeks, especially at night. Though
they are not quite man-eaters, there are a few Bronze Whalers about, some
over a metre long. They are an incredibly strong animal and put up a massive
fight for their size. Any oily and heavily scented fish bait will put
you in with a great shot at hooking up a few. Try fishing big slimy mackerel
chunks or half bonito into deep middle gutters on the more exposed beaches.
Other sharks have also been taken this week, including Port Jacksons and
a few other less familiar species, and they are just as keen for your
fish bait as the harder fighting Whalers.
Sydney
Harbour
Salmon
have been moving in around and outside the heads for the last few weeks,
and though finicky have still been taking a few different 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 any surface schools,
as this will just send the Salmon down and off the bite for you and everyone
else. More Salmon should arrive in the next few weeks to really get things
going. The odd small Kingfish has also turned up underneath the Salmon.
Pittwater.
It must be the warmer weather, because it’s
sure not the warmer water that is turning fish back on this week. For
some strange reason frozen Kingfish have been taken during the last few
days, and not just the bigger offshore reef varieties, but inshore, where
fish ranging from ‘rats’ to 90cm have emerged inside Pittwater.
They have fallen to live squid, squid heads and even one to a yellowtail.
All the baits were down-rigged and slow trolled. Remember heavy gear is
required to take these fish from confined areas, especially in Pittwater
where moorings, wharves and other structures abound.
Last
weeks report 26 July 2005
Offshore
On the days when it is nice enough to
make it out there are a few nice Mako sharks to be had. Last week a specimen
of 120kg was landed by the crew of Allie Hunter. They laid a berley trail
of pilchards and a fleshy bait of striped tuna and after only a few hours
had landed the Mako. Yellowfin tuna are still about with catches coming
in between 15 and 60kg. Trolled lures are the go when targeting the tuna,
soft headed skirts such as McGoo’s and xmas trees being the most
successful.
Bottom
fishing on the outside reefs has been relative good with numerous snapper
up to 6kg being taken on flesh baits and squid. Several jewfish around
7kghave also been taken on the same baits. The gravel beds have been reliable
for flathead on the drifts. Jig em rigs have been the most successful
method for the flatties.
Sydney
Harbour
Flathead
have been a pretty common catch in Sydney of late, and the rain doesn¹t
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.
Parramatta
River
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.
Hawkesbury
The river is getting back to normal after the recent
rains. Many of the species of fish that vacated the river with the polluted
runoff have returned as the water quality improved. Estuary Perch are
now throughout the system from Richmond all the way down to Pittwater.
Winter techniques in the river for the EP’s are primarily slow presentations
along the bottom. Soft plastic bass minnow or prawn imitations fished
on relatively heavy stand up jig heads are the most reliable method when
schools have been located. Preferred plastics are the squidgy bloodworm
size 3, Berkley 2” and 3” bass minnows in the smelt, rainbow
silver and ginger beer patterns, Berkley gulp smelt and black shad and
Atomic 2” fat grubs in blue silver and jaw breaker. Best bait techniques
at this time of the year are grubs, primarily beetle larvae which can
be easily obtained by sifting through compost heaps or rotting timber.
A running sinker rig is the preferred rig and the prime locations are
near creek inlets.
Bass
are now accepting spinner baits and soft plastics. Around weed beds seem
to be the best places to target the bass. Also the mouth of the Colo river
is producing some decent fish. Although predicting when they will bite
is anyone’s guess. Catches of up to 10 fish in a session have been
reported, some of these fish up to 40cm, the same fishermen have had two
or three days between fish producing sessions.
Lower
Hawkesbury
Bream
have been available to the soft plastic fisherman in good numbers from
Wisemans Ferry down to Pittwater. 3”Bass minnows in smelt and pearl
watermelon . 2” power grubs in original pumpkinseed, and 1 and 2”
hawgs in green pumpkinseed and watermelon are the plastics accounting
for the vast majority of the fish taken. For those of you who like to
use the hawgs please be aware that production of them has ceased so the
remaining stocks in the stores are all that are left. Stocking up is advisable.
In
the lower reaches of the river the hunt is on for the elusive Hairtail.
Reports over the past week have been patchy to say the least. Some anglers
have taken 2 or 2 fish over a cold night, but many have been disappointed,
with the majority of baits been destroyed by squid. Those who have been
successful have used pilchards and yakkas fished at various depths, light
wire traces with two hook rigs and a red glowstick 1m above the bait.
Broken
Bay
Calamari
squid are prolific in the lower Hawkesbury. Look for shallow weed beds
in the day and cast a small pink or lumo squid jig across the weeds with
a regular jiging motion to catch the best baits and also a good feed.
Often squid are in groups so when one is hooked throw another jig in the
same area and the possibility of encounterinThe best rig is a paternosta
with two or three jigs attatched and a 75mm yellow glowstick 75cm above
the jigs. Send it to the bottom and jig up until a weight is felt then
continuously wind allowing no slack in the line. Always net the squid
as tentacles have a tendency to break under their own weight. Remember
that a squid is a prime kingfish bait and should be put out live .
Last
weeks report 18 July 2005
Upper
Hawkesbury
Winter bass fishing is worth while pursuit at the
moment with some larger bass inhabiting the upper reaches of the river.
On the weekend there were reports of bass up to the 40 cm mark taken between
Richmond and Windsor. Although the fish are sluggish at this time of the
year they can be tempted with lures such as soft plastics or spinnerbaits,
moving them as slowly as possible. The spinnerbaits that use a soft plastic
tail instead of a skirt are by far the most productive. The most hits
are at the present at the lower end of the tide in the channels between
the weedbeds. Remember- the slower the better.
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.
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
pilchard cubes greatly increase the hookup rate. Squid plastic rigs sweetened
with small baits are also accounting for good numbers on the drift. There
is not loads of action 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.
Last
weeks Report 11 July 2005
Pittwater
There are a couple of Tailor and Salmon
exploring abut Pittwater at the moment, particularly around Soldiers and
Longnose Pts. Mornings are the best for a bit of Salmon action, as this
is when they are on the surface and can be most easily located. Trolling
the area at other times with 7-9cm bibbed minnows will still occasionally
toss up a Salmon, though it¹s more likely that you¹ll hook up
on one of the rogue Tailor around the same area. A few small Bream are
also on the bite, and can be berleyed up from many of the usual haunts,
including West Head and Longnose Point. Trevally will also respond to
a well set berley trail around the entrance to Lovett Bay.
Pittwater
Pittwater
has enjoyed somewhat of a renaissance during the week, as the water temperature
lifted itself from 12 degrees to a much more palatable 16 degrees. 4 degrees
in a week, and the fish are happier for it. Baitfish are a little more
plentiful, especially the larger baitfish, including the 20cm Yakkas and
horse sized Slimy Mackerel that are in residence around West Head. A good
berley trail should bring a few around. There are quite a few nice Squid
around as well, spread out over the length of the Bay where good weed
and structure are available.
Offshore
The time of the big winter kings has arrived.
Many of our offshore reefs are now holding schools of kingfish, with many
of these fish topping the 10 kilogram mark. Knife jigs, serious high speed
spinning outfits fitted with 50lb plus braid and heavy leaders are the
tackle required to do battle with these larger hoodlums. Ensure that your
gear is in tip top condition before you leave as it will be tested to
its limits. Reports this week have shown the prime locations to had of
been off Terigal and Sydney Heads . When you have reached your location
send the jigs down to the bottom and then retrieve them as fast as you
can with a good jig every 10 or so turns. Then hold on as these fish are
the dirtiest fighters that are encountered in our waters. For those of
you with the stamina up to 50 fish will be caught in any one session.
Pittwater
Pittwater
is almost an exact fresh and frozen replica of the harbour at present,
with the exception that because it adjoins the largest moving body of
fresh water in Sydney (Hawkesbury River) it will therefore take a day
or two longer to recover to it’s usual levels of salinity. Fish
are often highly sensitive to changes in salinity and may be put off the
bite or forced to move out of the area for several days. For the desperate
there is still the odd Bream around Taylors Point that can be berleyed
up, or hit with soft plastics. The Trevally are also feeling the cold,
only spread sparsely through the bay. The water hasn’t put off the
Squid though and there are some large ones around Tennis wharf.
Offshore
Well there’s plenty of cold water
out there, especially after the recent fresh flush, causing the fishing
to slow down considerably. Offshore conditions however seem to be providing
a few days of respite during the calmer conditions, with a little remnant
warmish water and temperatures hovering around 18 degrees. There is some
fish activity offshore including the continued presence of a few Yellowfin
Tuna, and the odd smaller Albacore. Yellows as big as 60kg are being taken
from schools moving about south east of Browns Mountain, though the majority
of the fish are smaller. Most of the fish have been trolled up using skirted
lures. Green and yellow patterned pushers are guns at the moment. Small
live baits Stripey Tuna (around 3kg) have also been a worthy temptation
for some of the bigger fish.
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
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
Sydney
Harbour
Harbour
fishing is quite simply quiet at present. Bream fisho¹s might argue
the point as they stalk marinas around the mouth of the Parramatta River,
hunting out a few of the big kilo plus Bream that are seemingly stacked
in, but the rest of the harbour is somewhat devoid. There is no shortage
of bait, including some small slimy mackerel and some large Squid, but
the predators are either full or on holidays. Jewfish are about upstream
in small number, but the tailor are not exerting the influence they often
do in Winter.
Offshore
Offshore
fishing has been up and down this week with conditions not always the
most accessible, but some good catches were taken nonetheless. Snapper
fishing at long reef has been a success during recent weeks. There have
also been scattered Yellowfin out near Browns, mixed in with a couple
of Albacore. Small skirts around 6² were his key, in yellow and green.
Most of the fish are off the east edge of Browns, both north and south,
from 2 to 10nm out. Bigger fish have been seen feeding out further, though
they¹ve been harder to tempt this week. There are still a few good
snapper around in about 60m for those who can¹t make it out for the
big un¹s.
Report
Posted 24 June
Hawkesbury
The
past couple of weeks have seen a big influx of breeding fish into the
more brackish waters of the Hawkesbury. The bass are well and truly into
there breeding mode and are schooling up around the mouths of creeks and
rivers flowing into the Hawkesbury. They are feeding voraciously on prawns
in readiness to spawn. Please remember if you are targeting these fish
catch and release is a must at the moment so that the fish can do there
thing and have the next generation of fish of to a fighting start. Soft
plastics on jigheads heavy enough to reach the bottom seem to be the most
efficient way to target these bass during the day. Hard bodied lures in
the early morning and evening are also producing good results, the best
lures being 3m Taylor Made divers and baby Feral Catts in the more natural
colours. Fresh Hawkesbury prawns will also produce the goods fished un-weighted
or with a light sinker.
Wisemans
Ferry
Blackfish
are a good species to target around Wisemans Ferry at the moment. Good
weed growth around the rockwalls has bought them out in good numbers.
Establishing a good berley trail, using prime stringy weed and a run out
tide are essential in getting a good bag of fish. Many of the fish captured
in the last week have ranged from 35 to 50cm.
Estuary
perch are feeding up in readiness to spawn. These fish feed almost exclusively
on live prawns so the secret to hooking up to them is to imitate the prawn
as closely as possible. Natural coloured plastics such as pumpkinseed
3 or 4 inch bass minnows, the new Storm twitchin nippers or the Storm
sprat minnows are the gun plastics for the E.P’s fished on a standup
jighead between 1/8 and ¼ ounce dependent on the current. This
rig fished slowly along the bottom is accounting for up to 40 fish in
a session. With many of theses fish ranging in size from 30 cm up to 47
cm. Fly fishermen are also getting good results with Rio prawns and bass
vampires. A fast sinking line is essential as fish are feeding on the
bottom.
Lower
Hawkesbury
Large
bream are in the river at the moment and the best of them can be found
in a section of the river that is largely ignored by the fishing fraternity,
namely between Wisemans Ferry and Spencer . Huge specimens have been taken
in this section of the river over the past two weeks with some topping
the 2 kg mark. Look for depressions in the riverbed and fish the edges
of these holes to capture these stud bream. These holes do not have to
be in deep water , many of the fish holding areas are in less than 30
ft of water. Fresh prawns and flesh baits on light weighted lines are
producing the results as are the prawn type soft plastics such as Storm
Twitchin Nippers. A welcome by catch to this type of fishing in the river
have been the huge jewfish up to 22 kg, taken more on flesh baits and
the larger soft platics in the squidgy range. The jewies have been constant
in the river between Wisemans Ferry and Brooklyn over the last week with
fish of all sizes being taken, from soapies to monsters of 22 kg.
Hawkesbury
Flathead
are plentiful in the system, with many of the large females over 70 cm
caught from Brooklyn to Lower Portland. Just about any bait or lure bounced
along the bottom will eventually make contact with a flathead along the
whole length of the river. Squidgy plastics in bloodworm or silver fox
colours seem to account for more than there fair share of the flathead
population. Live prawns and flesh baits are out fishing other baits. At
any corner of the river establishing a good berley trail will bring good
numbers of flathead to you just give the berley time to work. Get it to
the bottom and remember small amounts often not large amounts occasionally
will bring great results.
Pittwater
For
a lot of the year fishing reports on Pittwater are full of fish. This
week is not so impressive. Colder sea currents, combined with some cool
fresh Hawkesbury River water, has meant some lethargic fish. The Kingfish
which held sway for so long this summer are no longer the dominant species,
and as they vacate, slowly but surely small schools of Salmon and Tailor
arrive. A few Salmon are already around out the front of Barrenjoey Headland,
and occasionally schools will pop up herding baitfish, but they are pretty
unpredictable, on the surface one day and not the next. Hopefully more
are
to come There have certainly been some massive schools a little higher
up the coast! Those that are in our vacinity are taking small flies including
candies and eyes as well as small metal slices, and even occasionally
a7-9cm bibbed lure trolled around the headland.
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