 |
|
|
|
||||
|
 |
Pittwater
Charters Fishing
Areas
Report 18/07/06
Hello
everyone Hasn’t it been cold on the water of late? The water temperature is sitting at 14.5 degrees in Pittwater on most days but for those that are willing to tough it out in cold; fish have been found and caught. First thing in the morning has seen schools of salmon in Broken Bay. These hard fighting fish are starting to eat most small lures whilst trolling or casting and retrieving. The schools are getting a little harder to spot but the working birds are giving their position away. This is the time of the year when we seek the BIG KINGIES whilst trolling live salmon. You don’t get a hook up every charter but when you do the 60lb braid outfit roars like a truck as the fish usually head for deep reefy water. For those of you that want to try for that big fish, CALL NOW we want you onboard. As I am writing we have strong Southerly winds and patches of pelting rain. The rain if it continues for a day or two more should bring on a jewie bite. Areas such as Coasters Retreat, Soldiers Point, Longnose Point or Mc Carrs Creek should see a decent model caught. The bait to use on Pittwater for jewfish is mullet, squid heads, pike or tailor. The stir up of Pittwater should also see some nice bream on the move and start to bite more freely. We have been catching trevally lately on the light tackle and of course a kingie usually shows up to tease us. The Walker Strike Vision Downrigger has been showing us that there is kingfish down deep but are lethargic in the cold water and awaiting patient people. The trevors have been a fair bit easier to catch for those that are impatient or just like catching fish no matter the species. Most of the trevally has come from structure along the river with the exception being The Basin area. At The Basin you can catch your bag limit if you use burly wisely. The bait to use is prawns or squid bits. Leatherjackets are around the weed beds and wrecks. There are a lot of these Aussie Piranhas down there so if you catch one take it home for the kids to eat. Tailor are showing up around West Head and Barrenjoey Head and are smashing anything that is shiny. The odd john dory is still about in Pittwater’s deeper bays and as always use a live yellowtail or mado for the best chance to catch one. Flathead are still biting their heads off in The Hawkesbury River as well as bream and the odd soapy and school jewie. Most of the fish have come from the bridges area on a rising tide. At the moment we are discounting charters so if you are thinking of a fishing trip before September give us a call. A charter for 3 people will only cost $110 each and everything is supplied for the charter. As well as watching the screen to see fish eating your baits we also supply you with a home cooked chicken, water, tea & coffee, soft drinks, fruit juice and munchies. All tackle and licences are supplied and although we supply frozen bait we always prefer to catch it live on the day. All you have to bring is a hat, sunnies and a rain jacket incase of unpredicted rains.
If you would like to learn new areas, new techniques and enjoy yourself then give us a call as an enjoyable day on the water is guaranteed. Now that we have the technology to capture images of fish striking, all you need is a handy-cam and you can take home and watch the tape as often as you want. I can be contacted on 0410 633 351 or 02) 9999 2574 or by the links at the top of this page.
All the best Peter Le Blang Harbour & Estuary Fishing Charters
Fishing Pittwater With Peter Le Blang Hello Everyone
Sorry for the delay between reports but I was lucky enough go to Cairns for a week with the family.
During the week stay I was lucky enough to find a local charter operator that loves fishing as much as I do.
Daryl and Justin from Fish Tales Charters in Cairns are two of the best operators that you could hope to find.
These guys were able to find mangrove jacks, fingermark bream, grunter, trevally, mad fish, barra and even a few hairtail to keep me amused with. On a flat day you’d say that that’s an average day for this area and with the skills these two guys have, but when you’re restricted to the estuaries because of 20-knot winds it was an outstanding day.
Both Justin and Daryl know these waterways like the back of their hand and are always up for a laugh and joke.
If you are going up to Cairns and want a day out chasing fish you read about in magazines then Fish Tales Charters are worth booking. I can’t recommend them highly enough. They can be contacted on www.fishtales.com.au
The fishing in Pittwater has slowed a little but for those that are patient john dory can be caught around the Basin area and Towlers Bay amongst the moorings.
Bream are about around Mackeral Beach and West Head but are a bit hard to tempt. Heaps of burly is needed to get these fish on the chew but once achieved the rewards are there.
Salmon have finally come into Broken Bay but you have to cast into their gulping mouths to catch one. The sambos are eating small spawn still but will become easier to catch in the coming weeks.
For those of you that have been waiting to have a chance at a huge kingfish, well that time is upon us. Sharks, kingies and at times huge jewfish will investigate these schools of feeding salmon.
We will be placing big salmon on the downrigger and trolling them below the feeding frenzy on the surface to see what we can come up with. The new Walker Strike Vision Downrigger will be a huge benefit for everyone that comes on board as we will be able to watch the baits get smashed and if you supply the Handy Cam you can take home the footage from the day.
Kingfish are in the river at the moment but with 14-degree water temperature they can take some time to get into the feeding mode. Most of the kingfish have come from trolling whilst using downriggers. The best bait is live cuttlefish with slimies coming in at a close second.
If you want to tough it out at anchor then I suggest you try places like Stokes Point, Longnose Point or Soldiers Point. The best bite seems to be at the change of the tides.
Jewfish reports are coming in for The Hawkesbury River and Cowan Creek. Most of the jewies are soapies but the odd bigger fish has been found. A variety of baits have worked but mullet strips or squid heads have been the most popular.
There are quite a few Port Jackson Sharks coming from the Flint & Steel area with the odd larger bream being occasionally caught.
In short, if you are going to target big kingfish or jewfish at this time of the year a fair amount of traveling and patience is needed. We must remember that these colder waters will slow the metabolism of most fish enabling them to eat less often.
The camera system will be back on our boat on the 4th July so if you are thinking about coming out to fish with an underwater camera, BOOK NOW!
This is the time of the year that we catch fish that we brag about over the coming season. All you need is a tolerance of colder weather and a bit of patience. The big one doesn’t get caught whilst sitting on your lounge so pick up the phone and call us to organise a charter that will suit you.
This time of the year can be great fishing as the changing seasons brings us new species of fish to catch.
The only things that you need to bring are sunnies, a hat and a waterproof jacket in case of unpredicted rain or winds.
I hope to see you on board soon.
No Bananas!
I hope to hear from you soon All the best Peter Le Blang
Report 24/05/06
Hello
everyone I have some great news for anyone coming out on charter with us. We have just been sponsored by Walker Downriggers. Peter McGrath and his business partner Daniel have been kind enough organise a Walker Strike Vision Downrigger for all to enjoy. These new downriggers can be used in conjunction with a video camera or watched through a monitor. Just imagine trolling around Pittwater and its wrecks watching your live squid getting smashed by a large kingie. The information that can be gathered whilst using one of these units is pretty exciting and will help to improve catch rates even further. This unit can be used to a depth of 30m in clearer water but below that there is not enough light for clear images. No more guessing whether your lures are working or if there are any fish about. It’s only a matter of dropping over the downrigger and watching the monitor. Thanks once again to Peter & Daniel for your support and the 2 downriggers. If you wish to buy one of these units then you can contact me so I can direct you to the right people. The guys sell electric and manual downriggers at prices that are cheap compared to some of the other brands. To give you an idea the electric base model is retailing at $879. Manual downriggers are a fair bit cheaper and can be bought in Australia for the same price they can be bought on the Internet. Walkers have been innovators in downriggers across America for many years and its great to see them in OZ.
A
Report There are a couple of HUGE kingfish running around Pittwater at the moment. These big bruisers are very impressive fish and are over the 20kg mark. These fish followed the small school of bull mullet into Pittwater and where you find the mullet the kingfish are close by. We have seen them on a few occasions but the monsters just weren’t interested in what we had on offer. Last seen swimming away from our live bait at Towlers Bay.
Pittwater is fishing quite well at the moment with bream, flathead and the occasional flounder. Most of the flathead have come from the mouth of the river and the bream have taken up residence at West Head and Barrenjoey Head. John Dory are starting to show up at The Basin and Careel Bay moorings and wharves. These fish are not a sure bet at the moment but with a live bait set a metre off the bottom anything is possible. The surface action has been a little on the quiet side but if you venture into Broken Bay schools of tailor can be found. Flint & Steel has schools of big tailor at the moment and I am sure that for those that are patient a bigger than average jewfish will come along. Just catch one of the bigger tailor and put in back into the water as a live bait. Bream are biting their heads off on the top and bottom of the tide on the edges of the reef in a burley trail. In the last week we have caught black and yellowfin bream whilst using prawns or fish strips. We are still catching some jewfish further up the Hawkesbury River but most are smaller fish. The larger jewfish and flathead are eating squid heads with the soapies pouncing on bream baits. This time of the year can be great fishing if you are prepared to try a variety of baits and travel to find the fish. To give you an idea of what I mean. Last Friday on charter we caught 9 kingfish and 10 jewfish along with a heap of bream and flathead. The kingies were just inside West Head and pounced on squid strips. When we moved up to the Hawkesbury River our first spot produced flathead to 55cm, bream to 32cm and jewfish to 67cm. On the day we traveled about 30 nautical miles but the effort was well worth it.
If you would like to learn new areas, new techniques and enjoy yourself then give us a call as an enjoyable day on the water is guaranteed. Now that we have the technology to capture images of fish striking, all you need is a handy-cam and you can take home and watch the tape as often as you want.
All the best Peter Le Blang Harbour & Estuary Fishing Charters
Report 18/04/06
Attention all fishermen! We have just worked out a deal with the boys from this web site that can save you MONEY. We are offering a discount on our charters for anyone that has posted an entry on the FORUMS page of this web site. For every post that you have put up on the FORUM page is worth 50 cents. The maximum posts to be used by a single person for a charter is 100. This equates to a saving of $50 per person that uses their posts. An example of the savings is best seen on a 3 people charter. 3 people are normally charged $480 or $160 each but when 3 people use 100 posts each, you will only pay $330 or $110 each. Not only does this deal save you money it is a great excuse to book in and meet other website users. This deal is valid from April 3rd 2006 through to Sept 30 2006. Book now and start posting on the Forums page. Contact us on 9999 2574 or 0410 633 351 or through our website link on this page.
Now for a report.
The water temperature in Pittwater has dropped to 20 degrees. In Broken Bay the temperature is still 22-23 degrees.
The fishing in Pittwater has been a little tough if you’re wanting to catch kingfish. These tough brawlers are still being sighted around West Head and Barrenjoey Head.
The kingfish are very wary and are cruising. The best action has been on live squid and slimy mackerel. The bite is not hot and a fair amount of effort is required to track them down. Once they have been found the bite can be prolonged by achieving a double hook up. This is best achieved when trolling.
Tip
of the week When trolling and you get that first hook up, keep the boat moving in a forward direction until you have the second fish hooked up. Also keep a bait in the water just out of sight if possible whilst fighting. The hooked fish will quite often have a few mates following and if you have bait in the water then you’re in with a chance to hook them up as well.
Catching squid at the moment can be a bit of a task. We have found single squid in spots where there would normally be schools of 10. The best spot to catch a few has been West Head and The Basin area. Most of the squid have taken a liking to 2.5 pink or white squid jigs but the smaller sizes are still working.
Slimy mackerel can be caught at West Head at the bait grounds. You will need a heap of burley to attract them. Remember to place the first hooked bait back into the water incase a larger predator is around.
Bream are becoming hard to catch again. The numbers of fish are there but there are a lot of smaller fish being caught before a larger one shows up. The best bait has been prawn with live nippers also catching many fish. Remember to target areas that have structure and to use the lightest tackle you feel comfortable with. Float the baits down the burley trail and you will take home some quality fish.
Areas to try are West Head, Soldiers Point, Sand Point and Stokes Point.
You can also target the fish traps that are in the river at the moment. Just look out for the white buoys with the LFB numbers on it and anchor up current to start you’re own trail or down current to use theirs. These traps are left for hours and the trail that is made by these traps is great for the Rec fisho as well.
We have been fishing The Hawkesbury River for the last couple of weeks and have caught a couple of lovely fish.
Peter Looby, his lovely wife and his father in-law came aboard last week and were lucky enough to catch a nice jewie of 4kg. This 70cm fish swallowed a live squid on the first of the run out tide. The same trip also produced a lot of smaller jewies to 45cm but all were released whist still in the water. Some nice bream were also caught along with a flathead. Well-done guys and thanks for coming aboard.
Two days before the Looby clan came out we had some luck from the same areas and produced 2- 6kg jewies. Again these fish fell for live squid and the smaller fish pounced on prawns.
All the action seems to be happening west of the bridges on the top and bottom of the tide.
If you are thinking about catching some quality fish and want to learn some new areas or tricks of the trade, then call us. We supply everything that you will need for an enjoyable day on the water.
All the best Peter Le Blang Harbour & Estuary Fishing Charters
Report 03/04/06
Attention all fishermen! We have just worked out a deal with the boys from this web site that can save you MONEY. We are offering a discount on our charters for anyone that has posted an entry on the FORUMS page of this web site. For every post that you have put up on the FORUM page is worth 50 cents. The maximum posts to be used by a single person for a charter is 100. This equates to a saving of $50 per person that uses their posts. An example of the savings is best seen on a 3 people charter. 3 people are normally charged $480 or $160 each but when 3 people use 100 posts each, you will only pay $330 or $110 each. Not only does this deal save you money it is a great excuse to book in and meet other website users. This deal is valid from April 3rd 2006 through to Sept 30 2006. Book now and start posting on the Forums page. Contact us on 9999 2574 or 0410 633 351 or through our website link on this page.
Now for a report.
The last 2 weeks has seen the water temperature drop to 22 degrees and the action has slowed accordingly.
Last week saw a late run of Amberjack and these fat hard fighting fish were a real treat to tangle with. Most fish were around 63cm with the odd 75cm model busting us off amongst the moorings.
Sam Smith and a few of his mates joined us for a charter last week and had a great day.
The night before the charter I spoke to Sam and he informed me that he had just caught a Squid and asked, did we want it tomorrow morning? My reply was an excited YES and that I would see him in the morning. The next morning Sam and the Boys show up minus a Squid. The next 3 hours were spent chasing finicky squid and Sam was coping it from all sides.
After finally catching enough Squid we headed to Spot X to tangle with an Amberjack. It only took 5 minutes before we were onto our first Amberjack of 61cm.
5 minutes later the second fish is hauled along the side if the boat and we noticed a couple of larger fish under the tired Amberjack. Long story short 75cm Amberjack lost by yours truly because I allowed the second fish to regain its energy and charge off. (Sorry Boys)
It was all smiles though when we ended the day with 2 nice Amberjack, Bream and Squid to take home, not to mention the story about the one that got away. This type of fishing lasted a week but they haven’t been encountered over the last few days.
The best way to find them is with live Squid on the downrigger. Structure is best and if there is any baitfish balled up in the area then stay with them.
Squid were very difficult to get today which is a complete turn around from the last 5 days. Up until today you could find squid around most wharves on the river. Today we finally found them at Barrenjoey Head and there were only a few of them.
Small Squid jigs in the darker colours worked well over the last few outings but today it was pink and big jigs. If you are going to catch Squid at the moment be sure that you have a variety of jigs.
The bottom fishing has slowed after the hot bite 2 weeks ago. We are still picking up some nice Flatties but we have had to work a little harder than normal to get them.
Frigates are still spread throughout the river chasing micro-tucker in the shallows and amongst the moorings. These fish are extremely frustrating to target because of their quick direction change and the need to match the baitfish perfectly. 3g Halco metals or Feltys Eyes in white will give you the best chance.
Bream are all over the river but unfortunately the TRAPPERS are catching heaps.
They have dropped about 15 traps in known Bream areas along the river, which I plan to make into a bonus for us all.
I suggest that if you are after Bream then look for the marked traps (a white buoy with LF numbers on it) and the unmarked traps along and amongst the moorings. Unmarked traps can be easily seen on any sounder and looks like a rectangular box.
Taylors Point had 3 traps in the vicinity today and with the amount of Bream he pulled out of the traps, he will be back tomorrow.
Anchor up current of these traps making sure that your burley drops onto the area that has the trap. Effectively you are burlying the fish away from his trap and to your baits. Not only will you catch bream but also you’re in with a shot for Jewies and Flatties.
Patience is the key at the moment and I am sure that those that persist will reap the rewards.
All the best Peter Le Blang Harbour
& Estuary Fishing Charters Report 14/03/06
Hi
all The last week has seen some sporadic fishing in Pittwater. There is a school of kingfish that is cruising the river. Most of the fish are just keepers but there are a couple of bigger fish amongst them.
It seems to be an afternoon bite at the moment and Chris Perry proved that very point last weekend.
We had just finished our charter and Chris was just starting to fish for kingies. We had pulled ZERO kingies for the day and we were all pretty disappointed of the lack of predators about. (Thanks Neville, Peter and John for being patient and will see you in 3 weeks)
Chris and his mate decided to travel the river and enjoy an afternoon on the water. At 3pm I got a SMS that read, “Just got smoked by a kingie”. With no further details I was waiting for the next SMS. 4pm and another message came through that he had captured dinner and caught another 2 keepers that he released. To say I was a little envious is an understatement.
Well done Pez, as I know how often you’re on the water and targeting kingies.
The baits to use for kingies at the moment are squid, small cuttlefish, yellowtail or slimies if you can find them. All of these baits have enticed kingfish over the last week when found. Soft plastics are also working with white 6-inch stick-baits working a treat. If fishing over structure it has been best to use a jig head to work the depths.
The areas that you can encounter of these kingfish are West Head, Mackeral Beach, Soldiers Point and even Palm Beach Moorings. These areas have also produced COBIA in the last week. These fish are around the schools of slimies as are some kingies. (Book now, as they may not be here much longer)
Reports of kingfish at Cottage Point are starting to filter through again. Each year these bigger fish cruise around Cowan Creek smashing yellowtail, mullet and slimy mackerel. These fish are not for the faint of heart or those that are impatient. These fish didn’t get to be as big as they are by eating everything that is dragged in front of them. You just have to be in the area when they are hungry. Sounds easy doesn’t it? These big kingies will normally come into Pittwater in the coming weeks. If you’re like me and cant wait then go out and get them. They wont be there for long.
Squid are getting tricky again and those that are there are big. The usual bays are not producing many at all and this has made us explore new squiding areas.
There are a few things to look out for when finding new areas to catch squid. The first is that the area must have weed beds that they can hide amongst. The weed beds can be kelp, sea grass or ribbon weed and don’t have to be all that large. The second is that there should be structure nearby or even bare patches of sand amongst the weed beds. It is also helpful if the spot is out of the wind. If fishing at night then the lit public wharves are the ones to target. The lights attract baitfish and this in turn attracts the squid.
Scents on your squid jigs can also make a difference. If you have squid that are following and it doesn’t seem to matter what colour or size you throw at them, then a scent may be your answer.
Bream are making a bit of a come back into Pittwater but there seems to be a lot of smaller fish amongst them. Whitebait, pilchards or nippers have been the best baits to use. Bream are best targeted around the moorings in Bayview and Careel Bay near the public wharf. Please remember that you are not allowed to anchor in Careel Bay The best method in Careel Bay is to use a bread burley and float your bread bait amongst it. Light tackle with no weight should see you get amongst a couple of larger bream. Flathead and flounder are still being caught at the mouth of the river but masses of small flatties are taking most of the bait.
The better drift has been from Lion Island to Box Head. Bigger baits of yellowtail or pilchards are snaring the larger ones.
I hope this report gets you onto some big fish.
If you want to fish Pittwater and find out where areas such as The Supermarket, The Kingfish Highway, The Take away, The Wrecks or Jacks then we are only a call away.
I hope to see you locked up on a big kingie on our boat in the near future.
No
Bananas! Peter Le Blang Harbour & Estuary Fishing Charters
Report 01/03/06
Hello everyone
Well summer is over and the last season was a bit of a shocker compared to the last 3 years. Thanks to the haul of kingies that the pros took out back in November 05 of 3.7 tonnes.
The good news is that we were still able to catch legal kingfish on 90% of our charters.
With autumn upon us and the warm water temps of 24-25 degrees I think we still have more fish on their way.
At the moment we have Watsons Leaping Bonito and Frigate Mackerel smashing baitfish in a different area each day. If you are lucky enough to come across one of these schools then pull out the light tackle and cast small metal lures in front of them. A fast retrieve has been essential and try and keep your lure just skimming along the surface. Small flies used with a plastic bubble are also taking quite a few fish. The plastic water filled bubble gives you the weight required to cast small flies on your everyday casting outfits.
These fish were last seen at Soldiers Point but as stated they are popping up anywhere.
The Kingfish over the last week has seen a couple of nice fish lost with their smaller brothers of 68-72cm come on board.
Jeevan Williams organised a group to come out with us last weekend and except for the kids getting sick in Broken Bay, all was good. We managed to hunt down 3 keeper kingies with a few others lost to the rough ground. The thing that Jeevan and Mark could not believe was how hard these fish pull. When in amongst the structure and on to a decent Kingfish you really have everything stacked against you. As the guys found out that even using 30lb and a locked up drag they can still find their way to freedom. Well done guys and I was glad too see the boys were feeling better and eating again before they got off the boat.
The kingfish have been a little tricky to track down but if you know the areas you should be able to catch one or two decent fish. Most of the time the Kingies have been feeding deeper in the water and downrigging has been the way to go. Bream are starting to show up amongst the moorings at the marinas at Bayview. Live nippers or whitebait are the bait to use and a burly trail is needed. There are a heap of red bream in the vicinity and when they show up its time to move unless you have heaps of bait.
Soft plastics are working well in the same areas with most of the larger fish seen cruising the shallows on the rising tide. Squid are becoming a little tricky at the moment with a lot of spots tried before 3 or 4 have been caught. The sizes from 1.7 to 2.5 are all working at the moment with the brighter colours tempting more than darker colours.
Work the weed beds and rocky shoreline for these prime baits and also use small cuttlefish. These little ink squirters will be the next hot bait in Pittwater over the coming months when targeting Kingies.
Decent flounder can be caught at the mouth of Pittwater and larger flathead have been coming from Lion Island to Box Head. For these areas you can use larger Yellowtail or Mullet for bait. The run out tide has seen the best bite but this is when Broken Bay can be at its most dangerous. Please be careful in this area as conditions can change quickly.
We have bookings available for kingfish charters and it’s a bit of a shame as the schools of pelagic fish are just starting to show up.
If you want to fish Pittwater and find out where areas such as The Supermarket, The Kingfish Highway, The Take away, The Wrecks or Jacks then we are only a call away.
I hope to see you locked up on a big kingie on our boat in the near future.
No
Bananas Peter Le Blang Harbour & Estuary Fishing Charters Report 21/02/06
Well good news at last.
It looks as though we may not need the Protest On Pittwater.
Fisheries at Port Stephens have just informed me, that in the next 2 weeks they are starting to re-map the Caulerpa Weed in Pittwater.
I have been told that they will start at areas that are already closed off and will work there way up the river after that. They will be using divers with cameras and GPS map equipment to search and map the outbreaks. They will be diving areas up to 9m deep in search of this noxious weed.
From this information the various attack methods can be executed and apparently the best method for Pittwater is the spreading of salt. The salt actually kills the Caulerpa weed within a couple of hours and disperses back into the environment within 4 hours. The weed breaks down and becomes like tissue paper before floating off. This tissue paper cannot start a new plant. On the downside though there are going to be areas that will not be able to use this technique. The salt will also affect some of our native sea grasses. Paddle weed is just one of the weeds that will also die if the salt is spread over it and can take long periods of time for the affected areas to recover.
Waterways are also now over the next 2 years replacing the moorings with special ones that don’t rip up the ocean floor.
If you have pulled any Caulerpa Weed on your anchor or fishing tackle, please report the area to pests@fisheries.nsw.gov.au or call (02) 4916 3877 and follow the prompts.
With the mapping of the river the fisheries dept will restrict the practices of the local fishing pros even further if required. The local pros are not the real worry though as they too want to stop the further spread of this weed that is attacking their fishing areas.
This is the first of the objectives accomplished and with continual assurances from Sydney Fisheries that there will be no traveling commercial pros from Sydney Harbour I think that the second objective has also be achieved. The commercial pros at Sydney Harbour will not be allowed to come to the Hawkesbury River or Pittwater. This is great news if what has been discussed happens. This now means that if you see any pro boats working Pittwater give the Fisheries a call with their LFB number and how many occupants aboard. If they are legally fishing their correct areas then no harm has been done. If they are illegally operating then you may have busted a Viking and deserve a shout at the local bar.
The action and support that everyone has taken regarding Pittwater is the reason why action is being done now. A big thank you to everyone that has written a letter or harassed the local government to do something about the situation. Because of your letters things are going to happen swiftly, thank you all.
I will be monitoring the situation and will keep you updated with any news. The fishing over the last week or so has picked up a little.
Finally a report:
There are still a couple of kingie schools cruising Pittwater and if you are lucky enough to come across them they are eating just about anything. Trolling live squid on one downrigger and a yellowtail on the other has worked on most occasions. It’s a gamble as to which one will go off first though as a lot of fish this year have been eaten yakkas. The last 3 years has seen squid the number one bait but at the moment it’s a 50/50 bet. White 6 and 12 inch stick baits are working pretty well on the following fish. 12-inch Yum sp’s in white are also seeing a fair amount of action. Most fish are on the western points at some stage of the day and are appearing anywhere as was evident two days ago when they swam under Bayview Public Wharf.
Other areas that are worth trying are West Head and Barrenjoey Head. Lion Island is another area that is seeing the odd capture.
Fisheries officers have been on Pittwater and have been actively checking catch sizes, limits and licences. Last weekend I watched 2 boats keeping smaller fish than we were throwing back and god must have been watching because I looked up and there were Fisheries. Both boats had their details taken and I think they should be expecting a fine over the next couple of weeks. We were checked as well and I am extremely glad of this, as every boat should be checked.
Drift fishing in Pittwater is not something that should be done in the river at the moment due to that weed. Once mapping has been completed we will be able to target certain areas once again. For flatties it is recommended to drift between Lion Island and Box Head with yakkas or pillies for bait.
Flounder are being caught in close to West Head and have taken a real liking to whitebait.
Bream are starting to congregate around the moorings at Bayview and The Basin with a few measuring in at 38cm. Prawns and fish strips are being pilfered by the small snapper, but with a little patience and a fair amount of burly the results will come.
First light striped tuna, watsons bonito and frigate mackeral are feeding on the surface. There are a fair few casts between fish but the efforts worth it. Casting to these speedsters can be a real challenge and start with 7g metal lures dragged splashing at speed across the surface.
We have bookings available for kingfish charters and it’s a bit of a shame as the schools of pelagic fish are just starting to show up. If you want to fish Pittwater and find out where areas such as The Supermarket, The Kingfish Highway, The Take away, The Wrecks or Jacks then we are only a call away.
I hope to see you locked up on a big kingie on our boat in the near future.
No
Bananas Peter Le Blang Harbour & Estuary Fishing Charters Report 28/01/06
Hi All
Come and join in a PEACEFUL FLOATING POTEST ON PITTWATER. The date is Sunday 12th of March and we are organizing sausages to help feed the masses.
We will have a large barge between Scotland Island and Longnose Point. We need hundreds of fisherman and women to show up for a mass photo for the papers etc.
The reason for this action is to pressure Fisheries to
1 Stop the traveling pros from raping Pittwater 2 Stop the spread of the Caulpera Weed
The second issue affects more than Pittwater. If this weed is allowed to keep spreading, it will invade Broken Bay, The Hawkesbury River, Cowan Creek and The Brisbane Waters.
What the organizers hope to achieve is to make fisheries attack the problem head on, as doing something and failing is better than not trying anything. We will be very easy to see as we are hoping for a large banner to be made up stating both our points.
We want everyone that is going participate to be there by 11am for photos. To give us an idea of the numbers, can everyone please click on the forum link and let us know you are coming. We feel it is important to give the media a number of expected boats so they can see that we are all serious about our waterway.
We will have pamphlets that will have some information regarding the spread of the dreaded weed and ways in which you can help protect from spreading this weed.
There will be no talks or shouting just a raising of fishing rods by the masses for the media.
Please once again tell everyone and click on the top of the opening page to visit the forum and show your support. We already have approximately 60 boats willing to join in. Can you spare an hour or two to make a big difference please?
A quick run down
Broken Bay is the place to target kingfish at the moment. The warm water is belting in to Barrenjoey Head and the masses of bait are where you will find the kingies. Live squid or yellowtail are working a treat and are not lasting long when the school has been found.
In the same area big bream and squid can be caught. The bream prefer to eat squid strips or pillies. Burlying at anchor has been required to tempt the bigger bream. Don’t be surprised if a shark appears in the trail though as hammerheads have been cruising the surface.
The drift between Lion Island and Box Head has seen a few lovely flathead caught over the last week whilst using pilchards or whitebait. Around the island tailor are haunting the washes, as are some bonito. Both are taking trolled Rapala Cd9’s in red and white.
Inside Pittwater things are starting to pick up. There is the odd boil up of striped tuna outside Mackeral Beach to Soldiers Point. Schools of tailor are sporadically showing themselves as well and are a decent 40cm.
Salmon of 70cm have shown up over the last week but are very boat shy and feeding deep. These big salmon are great to catch on the light tackle. 14g metal lures are working as well as anything and are cheap if you happen to loose any.
Bream are starting to show up around the marinas again and as always light leaders and a stealth approach is required. Prawns or whitebait are working well but bread is also a winner. We are still waiting for blue water to enter Pittwater but the fishing is picking up anyway.
If you are think of joining us on a charter then book now as Feb is nearly full and March is filling fast.
When you come out you can expect to catch kingfish and when the warm water flows in we may finally be visited with some of the cobia that has visited Patonga over the last week
I hope to see you locked up on a big kingie on our boat in the near future.
No
Bananas
Report 02/01/06
Happy New Year to everyone, except for those pro boats that keep working Pittwater. I hope those guys get a hole in their boats for Christmas and may every net they grab fall apart in their hands. As you can tell I am pretty pissed off with the situation in Pittwater. A quick recap, Back in November 2005 Pittwater was raped by pros to an extent that we are still waiting for some fish to come back to the river. Strategically placed fish traps and both legal and illegal netting saw the local populations of kingfish decimated. The DPI can take credit that they caught 6 illegal operators working the river. The catching of these illegal operators is to be commended but that just allowed more fish for the trappers and beach haulers. Locals reported to me that over a 3-day period they watched helplessly as the pros loaded over a thousand large fish into the fish boxes ready for the markets. These locals live within eyeshot of the ramp and are still outraged. As Ted said to me, “Typical isn’t it, the fish numbers just begin to recover and then in a night or two its destroyed.” This is just the tip of the iceberg, as I believe there is even a greater danger of Pittwater falling victim to the dreaded Culp era weed. The outbreak was thought to have been contained to Careel Bay but has spread quickly to Palm Beach weed beds along the Barrenjoey Headland. The spread of this weed has devastated the Mediterranean fishing industry, as no fish are able to live amongst it. This weed can be spread by the smallest piece of the plant which can quickly re-establish itself miles away with the help of dragging nets, fish traps or current. It can of course be spread by poor fishing techniques by us rec fishos as well. The purpose of this article is get everyone who reads it to write a letter asking the DPI to answer some of the questions that I put before you all. Why
does the DPI allow beach haul netting in Pittwater at all when they don’t
know the extent of the outbreaks along the river? They say they do but
these are areas that have been reported to them. Many more areas or pockets
will be along this once pristine waterway that have yet to be found. Please do not sit back and let the other guy write a letter. Write one now to let the DPI that we are fed up with their short sightedness and we want action on Pittwater before its too late. We all deserve and have a right to be able to catch fish for a feed and now is the time to exercise that right. Watch this space to see any up dates and the usual threats that come from the minority of agro pros. Truth is that 90% of the local pros that live on the river all wanted out a long while ago. Give em the money I say and let the rec fishos have the river back.
All the best and will report when the fish come back Peter Le Blang
Report 21/08/05 Report 08/12/05
Pittwater is still a little on the quiet side.
Warm water of 23.6 degrees was recorded at Scotland Island with 25.9 at our pick up spot at Bayview today.
Most of the kingfish that have been caught this week have required a lot of patience. Baitfish are everywhere in small schools but the predators are a lot harder to find.
Yesterday saw John and Vic Stojanovic come out for a day of chasing kingies. The squid were easy and by 6am John had a lovely 80cm kingfish flapping on the floor. This was his first decent kingie and was pretty happy with the capture. After photos the remaining squid were placed out and we trolled once more. We trolled for the next 6 hours with only one stop of 20 minutes to catch more squid. On the last spot we tried Vic finally hooked up on a 78cm kingfish and we were extremely lucky the fish hit the 30lb braid. The kingfish nearly won its freedom on the third run but Vic was up to the task and within 5 minutes the second fish was on the floor.
Well done guys, you both were very patient and best of all it paid off for you. It was a pleasure to have you both on board and hope the next time you come out there are a few more fish to catch.
Most of the kingfish action has been in the upper part of the river. Scotland Island, Longnose Point and Towlers Bay have all produced fish in the last week. Trolled squid strips are still working on the smaller fish but most of the larger kingfish have eaten fresh or live squid.
Squid are fairly easy to find at the moment but catching them has been another thing. Most of the squid are only 10cm and are pretty timid. Darker coloured jigs have been working the best with the 1.7 size a real winner. Use a scent on the jig as this has also helped.
Bream are starting to cruise back into the river but unfortunately most of the fish are tiny tackers of 20cm at best. As always burly to excite the fish and be patient as the larger fish have been spotted amongst the school.
Flathead are starting to follow the warm water to the upper reaches of the river. Rowland Reserve has seen quite a few 50cm models caught just before dark. The deep hole near the green marker pole is where most have come from. The Mackeral Beach drift is starting to show signs of life but there are a lot of pickers ready to pounce on your bait.
Salmon have finally come into the river and are eating glassies. Most of the time these fish are feeding deep and the odd one has stolen our trolled squid (Not happy Jan).
Tailor are all over the river with The Basin area the most productive. These fish are only just legal but with a little luck, a larger one can be caught under the school feeding on the surface. The lure that’s been catching all the fish has been 14g metal lures. These fish are smashing anything that moves so be careful with your soft plastics.
The Big News
The Downriggers Club is now starting up and we are looking for people that want to obtain discounts from selected tackle shops around Sydney. These discounts will apply to Downriggers and associated downrigging products. Discounts will be given to members that show a card when purchasing downrigging products. Some products that will be discounted are; downriggers, weights, release clips, stainless snap swivels and even selected rods and reels. This card will also get you 1 hour extra fishing charter for free when you book with us. (Mid Week charters only)
The second part of the club is still in the making but looks as though a fishing club may be formed. I am after a person that has a passion for fishing that is a people person. This person will be our first club captain and hopefully when things are up and running competitions can be organized. Members of the club will of course be open with their information and talk nights maybe able to be organised for beginners through to intermediate skilled anglers.
To join the club all that has to be done is use our web site link at the top of the page to bring up our web site of www.estuaryfishingcharters.com.au Use the Contact Us button on the bottom of the column on the left hand side and send your name, contact phone number and postal address so we can send you off the discount card. I will not be sending any advertising material or flyers or passing on any information that is gathered. If you are interested in joining our downriggers fishing club then please mention this.
This card comes to you at no cost at all and can be used at Windsor Bait & Tackle, Fish-outa-water, St Mary’s Bait & Tackle and Narrabeen Bait& Tackle.
These tackle shops are willing to help you with your purchase to ensure you get the product at the right price. Support these stores as they are all willing and wanting to help and support you wherever possible.
These tackle shops will all have the same price for the downriggers so if you live in the west you will still buy for the same price as those to the north.
I hope this card helps save you all some money in these times where every dollar counts.
We can be contacted through our website (link at the top of the page) or www.estuaryfishingcharters.com.au or 0410-633-351 or 02) 9999 2574. Hope to see you on board for a great day’s fishing.
Have a great week. All the best Peter
Report 28/11/05
The last week hasn’t seen things improve in Pittwater unfortunately. The water temp is now a constant 19 degrees and with the recent heavy rains it may take a day or two to settle down.
On an encouraging note, we have had a mass of whitebait come into the river and the school is huge.
There are some kingfish around the school scoffing themselves stupid as well as tailor and a few salmon.
Normally we would have hundreds of predators taking advantage of this school but with all of the haul netting that has been going on there is only a small school of about 50 of each working the area. This is why it is hard to catch any kingies at the moment. With all that baitfish in the one area the kingies are happily eating whenever they want.
We have been lucky enough to catch a few fish from the school on most charters but it has been very hard and frustrating work. The kingies are popping up all over the place and are refusing to take most things that have been on offer. Squid strips trolled on the downrigger or small live squid have been the undoing of our captured fish. Surface trolled strips have also accounted for a couple of fish in the past week.
Tip for the week
Troll your baits at least 10m behind the boat and lower your downrigger to a depth of only 2m. The hungry fish have been feeding and cruising at about this depth. These fish have been boat shy so with long drop backs you can go around the outside of the school, straighten up the boat and still drag your baits through the action. DO NOT drive your boat through the school as not only will it drive the fish away but also, I am sure abuse will follow from those nearby.
Flathead are starting to show up at Towlers Bay and Sand Point area. Both areas have produced fish up to 3kg for a local flathead Guru. Pilchards and poddy mullet have been the best baits to use.
The squid are starting to show up at most of the weed beds along the river with the best areas being The Basin and Mackeral Beach. Of a night the ferry jetty at Palm Beach has seen a population of small squid present that are suckers for Yo-Zuri 1.7 green or pink squid jigs. These jigs have out fished the cheapies at 2 to 1 so the extra money is worth it. The more expensive jigs have a better action through the water and also on the drop. The spikes are long and sharp and seem to catch the more timid squid.
These small squid are prime baits for most of the fish in Pittwater and normally you can expect to catch bream, flathead, kingfish and even jewfish with them. Just remember though that the smaller squid are also defenseless against pickers and baits need to be checked quite often. For those that want to catch a mixed bag to take home I suggest you head towards Soldiers Point and Mackeral Beach for a drift. Once an area has been found that is holding fish, throw out the anchor. Burly the area and enjoy the flathead, flounder and odd bream that you catch.
For those that are land based try Careel Bay Wharf at night or Church Point Ferry Wharf. Fish on the old wooden wharf and please wash down the wharf after you are finished. The local council is watching both these wharves closely and is waiting for an excuse to enforce the no fishing policy that they have seemed to take.
Whinge of the Week
Why do normal estuary and near shore fisherman always seem to get the blunt end of the stick?
After all there is over a million of you in N.S.W. alone that pay to fish. You pay with tax on fuel, boat ramp fees, taxes on all our tackle and to top it off we pay for a licence for the privilege to use it.
The last announcement of 200 million dollars to buy out a lot of the off shore licenses to protect declining species is cheered by all. But lets face it, this should have been done years ago and you only have to look at the falling stocks of tuna to realise that it is a necessary step that needs to be taken.
My Whinge is that they want to fix a problem of for a fishery that only the few can afford. Please don’t get me wrong as I am a game fisherman but I too like to be able to fish estuaries and harbours. The average Joe wont get a chance to catch a marlin from the river he or she graces so this announcement is not that good for the average man.
Personally its great news for me as the next Port Stephens International may produce numbers that were only left in my memory. Better news would be the reduction of pro fishers in key metropolitan areas of Sydney though as more would benefit from it.
A small portion of the money should be used to buy out the operators that are struggling to make a living. The areas in question are Sydney Harbour and Pittwater. Many local pros are just going out every day and only making fuel money while they are waiting for the opportunity to be bought out. Not all the local pros need to be bought out but those that are struggling should at least be given the chance. The locals left in the areas should be the only ones that can fish the zones and a quota system should then be introduced to make sure the fishery is at sustainable levels for the future.
The Big News
The Downriggers Club is now starting up and we are looking for people that want to obtain discounts from selected tackle shops around Sydney. These discounts will apply to Downriggers and associated downrigging products. Discounts will be given to members that show a card when purchasing downrigging products. Some products that will be discounted are; downriggers, weights, release clips, stainless snap swivels and even selected rods and reels. This card will also get you 1 hour extra fishing charter for free when you book with us. (Mid Week charters only)
The second part of the club is still in the making but looks as though a fishing club may be formed. I am after a person that has a passion for fishing that is a people person. This person will be our first club captain and hopefully when things are up and running competitions can be organized. Members of the club will of course be open with their information and talk nights maybe able to be organised for beginners through to intermediate skilled anglers.
To join the club all that has to be done is use our web site link at the top of the page to bring up our web site of www.estuaryfishingcharters.com.au Use the Contact Us button on the bottom of the column on the left hand side and send your name, contact phone number and postal address so we can send you off the discount card. I will not be sending any advertising material or flyers or passing on any information that is gathered. If you are interested in joining our downriggers fishing club then please mention this.
This card comes to you at no cost at all and can be used at Windsor Bait & Tackle, Fish-outa-water, St Mary’s Bait & Tackle and Narrabeen Bait& Tackle.
These tackle shops are willing to help you with your purchase to ensure you get the product at the right price. Support these stores as they are all willing and wanting to help and support you wherever possible.
These tackle shops will all have the same price for the downriggers so if you live in the west you will still buy for the same price as those to the north.
I hope this card helps save you all some money in these times where every dollar counts.
We can be contacted through our website (link at the top of the page) or www.estuaryfishingcharters.com.au or 0410-633-351 or 02) 9999 2574. Hope to see you on board for a great day’s fishing.
Have a great week. All the best Peter Report 23/11/05
Over last couple of weeks since my last report the fishing in Pittwater has been very patchy.
The different water temperatures along the river and the lack of baitfish left at key areas of the river are factors for the slower fishing. The water temperature at the mouth of the river has dropped as low as 17 degrees while around Scotland Island the temperature is 20 degrees. The fluctuating temperatures have seen most of the fish active in the warmer water. Tailor and the odd salmon have been haunting the upper reaches chasing bait amongst the moorings.
On the kingfish front, a couple schools of summertime rats have shown up to tease all anglers including fly fisherman. The kingies are smashing baitfish of around 20mm but are hard to get interested. These fish are very boat shy and most of the fly guys are swapping over to 6-inch soft plastics as these are at least enticing the odd fish. Beware there are many follows before a fish is usually hooked and with endless chasing of the moving school it can be frustrating.
We have had some successful days using small live squid on the downrigger. Greg Collyer, Sean Crosbie and Steve Hoskins came aboard last Saturday and caught some lovely fish. The first troll of the morning produced a rat kingfish on a Yo-Zuri Squid but the last troll of a slow day was producer. We only had one squid left in the livie tank and it had a hood length of 25cm. A decision was made to troll it live instead of strips and never a better decision has been made.
Within 5 minutes of the squid being lowered on the downrigger an 86cm kingfish was hooked and was fighting hard. Steve got a real work out with this fish as it peeled the 30lb braid from the 6500 Shimano Baitrunner at an astonishing rate. The drag was set at you’re kidding tension but no one had told the fish that. It must have ripped 40m on the first run and as close to the moorings as we were it was a 50/50 chance of being landed. But with a lot of skill and a bit of support from his mates Steve subdued the fish and was all smiles when it was finally flapping on the deck.
Well done guys, you showed that with patience and a never give up attitude the kingies can be tracked down and caught.
The following days have been a lot slower but again with patience the kingies have been found. The fish are very well fed and are difficult to tempt. Try targeting the fish on the change of the tide and hang around the balled up baitfish when found.
Squid are over most weed beds along the river but they are quite small and on most occasions very timid. The most successful colour for squid jigs is pink and as small a jig as possible. We have been tempting most of our squid from water depths of less than 1m so slow sinking jigs are needed.
Flathead and flounder are on the move again but the numbers of fish on the drifting grounds are disappointing. Whitebait or prawns have been the undoing of most of the flounder with poddy mullet or small yellowtail tempting most of the flathead.
Bream are still a scarce commodity thanks to the efforts of the pros that invaded over the last two weeks. I have not seen a bream for over a week now and this is even at the marinas. Don’t give up though as there will be a pocket or two around the river that were not netted. Burley around structure and use live baits such as nippers or bloodworms.
The Big News
The Downriggers Club is now starting up and we are looking for people that want to obtain discounts from selected tackle shops around Sydney. These discounts will apply to Downriggers and associated downrigging products. Discounts will be given to members that show a card when purchasing downrigging products. Some products tha |
