Fishing Reports

Friday 15.6.18.

Ian loves flicking Zman plastics around this time of year but this week he tried the good old fashioned hard bodies and landed a 51cm lizard from the sand off Nelson Bay near the commercial Breakwall. Reports of Jewfish continue to come in from the main Breakwall with 2 being taken this week in excess of 20kg. Live yellow tail appears to be the way to go although with schools of blackfish in and around the Breakwall I would try a blackfish bait, fresh dead fillet or a head. This is also a great opportunity to either toss out a swimbait or large soft plastic. I have found that Jewfish appear most active around the changes of the tide, so if you’re specifically targeting them this is a good starting point.

https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/fish-species/species-list/luderick

The blackfish are here and biting both morning and afternoon and on all tides from the main break wall both inside and outside. The fish appear to be in good condition and good numbers. Both weed and cabbage baits are working. Scotty VEE and his Great Uncle fished the break wall this week and have been getting some quality blackfish on weed. With many more years of experience Great Uncle VEE was all over Scotty although let’s see what happens next week.

The fish were not biting as aggressively which present a greater challenge.

Under these conditions it can be frustrating and we tend to second-guess ourselves, our bait, rig’s, method etc. After experiencing the same myself over the years when the fish are being sensitive then I focus on the following 3 steps;

1. Bait – presentation and amount. Less is more. With weed, use a loop knot shorten the weed tail below the point of the hook. With cabbage, a single leaf, not folded on itself, up over the eye of the hook onto the line and half hitched. Don’t brunch/clump your baits, this will result in many down’s and few hook-ups.

2. If you have your float sitting low too the water line then let it go down and hold. I let mine go right down before striking. As opposed to those that have the float set higher on the water line they can strike as soon as it’s under the water line because the fish has had to take it down further. Basic rule, under then hold for 3 seconds.

3. If you have ticked off 1 and 2, I’d say go back to 1 and really look at your bait presentation again but last is going to a lighter leader, 4lb or 6lb fluro carbon, which will result in more downs although you will potentially lose more fish after hooking them.

At Duffs check out our Black Fish Table, get all your ‘Stuff ‘in one spot, handmade floats, handmade weed flies, hooks, F/C leaders, and heaps more. Easy to find easy to shop. Plus weed! so get all your blackfish needs at Duffs!

For those time poor and just wanting to enjoying the fun parts of black fishing I’ve done all the hard stuff, pre-made berley, 20lt of rich weed/sand mix, plus a bucket with lid and fancy scope. Just add water!!, seriously you do need at add a little water to wet the sand just enough so it sinks.

John has been taking bream to 38cm from the outside of the Breakwall on floating half pilchard baits. Nathan from Anna Bay reports bream to 35cm from the inside of the marina on unweighted yabbie and prawn baits. The fish are in good condition. When targeting bream from the Breakwall hold the fish in a certain place with chicken or prawn pellets. Upon cleaning the fish their gut cavity will revealed chicken pellets. The rig is really simple, 10-12lb mono. with 00 or 0 ball sinker to a 1/0 Mustard Penetrator hook.  In super calm water no sinker at all is suggested. Let the bream pick the bait up and move off before striking, perhaps using a bait runner featured reel or an open bail arm will increase the chances of the fish shallowing the bait.

Reports continue of some cracking bream & Leatherjacket to 40cm from the disabled wharf at the Southern end of Little Beach near the Boathouse Restaurant as well as the odd blackfish. Darren Jolly reports blackfish from the inside and outside near the pipe off the Anchorage Breakwall.

Mario doing well with some big Garfish off Shoal Bay Wharf. Reports flathead off the boat ramp at Shoal Bay on fish baits. Try the sand before Fly Point for flathead on slowly retrieved unweighted pilchard baits on 2/0 gang hooks. Also consider targeting flathead off the small wharf at Little Beach and Middle of Shoal Bay Beach on either bait or soft plastic. Most popular colour is ‘Nuclear Chicken’.

Check out Maddie in this week’s Examiner, explaining the difference between lookalike fish;

https://www.portstephensexaminer.com.au/story/5461017/catching-on-to-fishy-lookalike-cousins/?cs=763

Friday 15.6.18

The blue nose bream are here and they are taking pipi baits like small freight trains. Noel Stephenson from Sydney has reported some quality fish this week with fish to 40cm between the 2-4km marks. Noel recommends to fish before sun up as they seem to disappear after first light. Not to be out done The Legend, Old Schoey from Anna Bay fishing with his son Greg has also be reporting solid bream to 40cm with the odd winter whiting. Report of Salmon moving along the beach, solid fish that will test your gear. Fish baits work best.

Plenty of pipis still remain along the beach and the bream will soon switch to pipi. Just remember they can’t be removed past the high tide mark. U can of course use them to fish off the beach. Good to see they regenerate after commercial harvesting stops in December for another 6 months. Schoey also reports some quality beach worms around the 3km mark. See this week’s Port Stephens Examiner for John Clarkes story about the pipi stocks returning to Stockton Beach.

Junior Duff-Man Jimmy Tracey on Holidays from Forestville landed this huge lizard which tipped the scales just under 3kg off Fingal Bay Beach on a Duffs brined Pilchard. Reports is there are some solid bream being taken from Fingal Bay Beach, work from the Spit South along the beach , pipi, mullet and worms would be the best baits. Ross has also reported tailor from the middle gutter of Fingal. Around the middle of the green sand hills. For tailor look for holes, gutters, rips, any deeper water.

Box Beach producing bream and tailor at the Southern end near the rocks. Northern end of One-Mile Beach near middle rock some nice school on beach worms and the odd bream. Samurai Beach producing solid tailor and salmon at the Northern corner.

Friday 15.6.18

The long tail Tuna area still in the Bay chasing those big Garfish, over the week reports of at least 2 fish over 20kg mark was taken off the Tomaree Ledge on live baits. Plus some big kingfish to 15kg plus also working bait balls around the ledge. Black fish are on the chew around the rocks at Birubi all on green weed.

Simon reports tailor on metal lures off the rocks at the Northern end of Samurai Beach. The Ledge has been producing bonito, and the odd mac tuna.

Vassman reports some big green eyed squid around fisherman’s bay. When I asked his secret, he said, try everywhere calm bay and squid harder during the full moon phase. He says a calm sea during the full moon phase equals big squid. Timmy continues to reports pan sized reds off Cemetery Point taking baby bottle squid.

Timmy reports for quality snapper to 3kg, off the rocks at Boat Harbour , hanging a full pilchard under a bobby cork float and hang on. Patch reports “snapper off Fisherman’s Bay on half pilchard baits. reports of squid continued from Barry Park.

Friday 15.6.18

Alex Shipley drifting in front of Tomaree Ledge with a live bait nailed this solid Long Tail. Alex reports the water is alive with bait fish and the longtails were breaking the surface everywhere that morning. The Crab man reports solid reds to 6kg at Edith Breaker on soft plastics, white is the colour of choice. Reports of snapper to 3kg in the wash in front of Tomaree Head on floating salted pilchard baits.

Try for green eyed squid on the Eastern side of Big Island with the odd red thrown in. Some solid bream being reported from the Grit Hole , tailor working in schools off the out light. Flathead being taken at the 40m drop off East of the Outer light.

Hammerhead charters reporting Trag and reds off Gibber reef. Fish for snapper around the outer light, fish light , berley heavy and let the bait sink into the berley trail to the depth the fish are feeding then hang on. Work the V, 21 and Outer 21 reefs on the bottom for reds and flathead.

Reports of lobsters from Big Rocky and kingfish working the shallows. Little Rocky producing bream in the wash and the odd drummer.

Vass and his father in-law stayed on the island during the week, reports solid snapper off Cod Rock and flathead from Providence Beach at Broughton Island. Mac tuna to 7kg with some big bonito in the mix.