Coffs Harbour Report

December 3, 2021

The fishing has been very quiet lately, due to the weather.

There are a few marlin out wide but catches haven’t been great; some of the boys went out recently and tagged only 2 from around 13-14 raised

In close there are still snapper and pearlies being caught on jigs, and the spearos are still getting kingies.

Off the rocks there are bream, blackfish, drummer etc.

The rivers are about to shut down because of all the rain. Still, there are some bigger flathead starting to push down the front, and a few guys are starting to get onto some good jewies at the mouths of the systems.

November 23, 2021

We’ve had a fair bit of rain so the rivers will be running fairly dirty for the next week or so. This will cause the fishing to drop off a bit, espeically in the upper reaches. However, down around the mouths of the rivers there should be plenty of predators. Bream, flathead and jew are the main targets here.

Mangrove jacks should be turning on with the increasing temperatures.

Moving offshore, there should be snapper and kingfish on offer. When that stronger current comes through, hopefully we’ll get a better bite of sanpper, pearlies and kings.

Murray cod opening is just around the corner, but out west it’s looking pretty abysmal with all the floooding, so I’d be chasing them in the impoundments.

Bass are still on the move throughout the rivers, and they’re doing the opposite of the saltwater fish – the bass are pushing up as far upstream as they can. If you head that way you should find better numbers and sizes. In the coming weeks as more cicadas hatch, the surface fishing will really fire.

June 11, 2021

Out wide at the moment there are still a few tuna and mackerel. On the inshore reefs, pearl perch and snapper numbers are starting to increase, and there are some really good numbers of tuskies.

      Moving to the beaches and headlands, tailor and jew catches are pretty good at the moment. The tailor have been a bit smaller but they’ve been pretty thick, and there have been a few good jew caught in the beaches in the gutters.

      In around the walls there are some really good quality size sea bream, and in the shallows towards the mouth the big flathead are starting to move around now that it’s cooling down.

      A few blackfish are about, showing up in patches, but the water is still a bit warm and there’s not a lot of weed around, so numbers aren’t really strong yet. – Matt

May 28, 2021

Out wide along the shelf anglers have been picking up a few yellowfin tuna, although they are still a bit patchy, and the odd mackerel is being caught. There are a few kingfish and a few snapper being reported, but on average it’s pretty quiet in closer.

There are still a few tailor along the beaches and headlands and bream are running. The mullet are doing their anual spawn run so they are plentiful, and the tailor and jew are shadowing them. With the swell cranking up it’s made conditions difficult along the ocean rocks. There are plenty of blackfish in sheltered waters.

There are still a few whiting along the beaches and in the creek mouths, and at this time of year they respond better to bait than lures. The best baits are beachworms and nippers.

Now that the creeks are clearer there’s been a number of bigger flathead spotted moving up towards the front of the estuary systems on the sand flats. However, everything else is starting to slow down as the weather cools.

There are a few trout up around ebor etc responding to baits, lures and fly. However, most freshwater anglers seem to be going cod mad, heading across the hills to chase XOS green fish. The bigger girls are being caught in shallower water off the surface. The mouse plague has resulted in good surface fishing on topwater mouse/rat imitations – just watch your lunch because the mice will have their eye on it!

May 14, 2021

There are still a few mackerel and tuna being caught. Gathering bait is still an issue; there haven’t been too many slimies around, although there are decent size yakkas. Anglers have gotten onto a few yellowfin tuna but they were quite small.

There are lots of 3-5kg snapper being caught in around 30m of water, and reasonable numbers off the stones as well.

There have been reports of quite a few good size jewfish getting caught out on the reefs, with most falling to live yakkas.

The creeks still alittle dirty but the flathead have definitely started to move into the creeks in the last 2 or 3 weeks.

There aren’t too many whiting around but there are good size bream and a few smaller jewfish getting caught up in the creeks. There are plenty of tailor about — the boys been slaying them off the rocks.

No more reports of jack catches; they are sulking in the cold water.

It is bass closed season now, so please release any bass that you catch so they can spawn.

April 16, 2021

Offshore there have been a few mackerel getting caught, with much cleaner water pushing out wide. Bait has been the issue when it comes to catching mackerel and other pelagics; slimies have been very scarce, while the yakkas are either very small or very big. A lot of people just gone back to trolling lures and floating pillies with good success.

Plenty of good snapper are starting to turn up in close for the kayakers and land based anglers, with good numbers and sizes.

Quite a few snapper getting caught off the stones, and plenty of longtail tuna and bonito as well.

There have been quite a few good numbers of jewies caught off the beach and around the mouths of the bigger rivers.

Whiting have slowed down a little on the beaches, bream have picked up in the creeks, and there are a lot of school jew in the creeks too at the moment.

Most freshwater creeks had a fair bit of rain and they’re just starting to clear up the top of the systems. Most of the bass have been down the bottom of the systems lately.

April 1, 2021

Out to sea we’ve still got greenish water but the snapper and pearly bite has been really good, and there are a few mackerel about too.

On the beaches we’ve had pretty good numbers of jew and they’re around the mouths as well. The bream and whiting have been pretty good in around the river mouths and upriver.

The tailor run is beginning, and it’s great to see the good numbers of these fish being caught around the headlands.

The bass are starting to fire in that freshwater now that it’s slowed down a bit.

March 18, 2021

Before the rain set in, anglers were enjoying some good mackerel fishing. A lot of people caught Spanish and spotted mackerel. Since then, the weather has been too wet and wild to get out.

      Land-based anglers have been getting small tailor off the headlands, and there have also been catches of jew and whiting off the beaches.

      Bream are being caught around the mouths of the rivers on the top of the incoming tide. That stage of the tide is your only real chance to escape the dirty water.

      The tops of the systems are tough too because of the flow, so we’ll just have to wait until it settles. – Matthew

March 12, 2021

Out wide around the 80-100m there has been great fishing for marlin. Most of them are blues, with some stripes mixed in. While trolling for them you may pick up yellowfin tuna or wahoo.

Dolphinfish are also on the cards when trolling at those depths, but at this time of year most are caught around teh FAD and wave recorder. If they are finicky, livebaits are your best chance to get them to bite. Sometimes you can also elicit a reaction bite with a lure retrieved quickly and erratically. Kingfish like these same areas, so if the dollies aren’t biting you may catch kingies instead.

It has been quite hard to find bait lately (unless you head out to the 80-90m mark). That’s probably because mackerel are prowling all up and down the coast at the moment, both spotties and baries, harrassing the yakka and slimies.

As well as mackerel, now is a good time to chase tuna and wahoo.

In a bit closer, the kingfish pins haven’t been fishing as well as they were previously. However, they are still being caught, mixed in with samsons and amberjack. Remember that in the warm conditions, kingfish are often riddled with parisites, making their flesh mushy. To check, pinch the kingfish behind its shoulders. If you find your fingers sinking in, the fish is no good to eat.

Small black marlin have also been showing up, in various depths, following the bait. Keeping a close eye on your sounder is key.

Longtail tuna have been around in good numbers, which can be annoying for anglers targeting mackerel. Keep away from the surface boils if you want to catch mackerel and not tuna.

Conversely, if you do want to catch tuna, downsize your lures and watch for birds.

The beaches are fishing quite well for whiting, bream and flathead, which are taking a range of lures and bait.

Tailor have been quite scarce, but jewfish are a viable target, taking hardbodies, large plastics, strip baits and the like.

On the rocks there are bream, flathead, tailor and a few larger fish such as mackerel, tuna and kingfish. Most pelatics are being caught on livebaits hung under a bobby cork. It’s a dangerous time of year for rock fishing, so be extra careful.

In the rivers, the fishing has been up and down due to the large flushes of rain. The bottom of the tide has been dirty, so the best results have been coming on the top of the tide. WHiting, bream and flathead are being caught up on the flats. Small stickbaits, poppers and soft plastics are good lure choices, or you can use nippers, worms or whitebait. Jewfish will move in and out in some areas, but they can be tricky to tempt.

Trevally have been widespread through the system, but the dirty water should cause them to congregate at the mouth with other species.

Mangrove jack have been scarce but there have been some good captures on livebait.

In the higher reaches the water is flowing quite hard, but as the currents subside we should find the bass will be quite active. – Kane Fairchild

March 5, 2021

The wind has dropped out so a few boats were able to get out this past week. Spanish mackerel have been on the move and a heap of wahoo and marlin were caught last weekend too. Snapper are still biting pretty well in the coloured water.

      Off the beaches the jew and whiting have been poking around, and a few chopper tailor are getting caught off the headlands.

      The river mouth sections been good for flathead, and the bream are doing really well in the coloured water.

      When it comes to freshwater, there hasn’t been much happing because the rivers have been pumping too hard. If you go out west of the range you can get Murray cod but the eastern rivers are moving pretty quickly.

February 19, 2021

Out wide there have still been trickles of dolphinfish, with most being taken around the FAD and wave recorder. One lure that has been working on them is the Nomad Mad Scad, but there are others that will do the job fine. There has been the odd kingfish there; they’re only rats but they make up for the long journey out if you can’t find the dolphinfish.

      Anglers are still enjoying some quality marlin fishing. There are decent numbers of small blacks being taken on small skirts, such as the 6” Fat Boy in lumo. The blues and stripes are very few and far between at the moment, however.

      In a bit closer, we haven’t had many recent reports due to the weather. I did hear of one guy who toughed it out and got a few fish.

      As well as kingfish, there has been the odd amberjack and samsonfish. All three seriolas have been taking jigs such the  100g Samaki Wingman in golden oz.

      Pearl perch have gone a bit off the chew but there are still some quality fish getting caught around the 50-60m mark. Snapper and tuskies have been mixed in, and the snapper have been taking large soft plastics. One of the more popular is the 9” Berkley Gulp Jerk Shad in pilchard glow. It might seem oversized but it isn’t actually wider than the 7” model, it just has a longer tail.

      Mackerel have been just starting to come on the chew. We haven’t had an amazing run of them yet but are some decent numbers starting to show – at least when it comes to Spanish. I haven’t heard many reports of spotties. This may be due to the water clarity; the Spanish don’t mind that dirtier water, whereas the spotties prefer cleaner water. A popular lure for the macks at the moment is the Rapala 190 Magnum Xtreme.

      Tuna have been pretty widespread anywhere from 60m down to 5m, and there’s a mix of mac and longtail tuna.

      Snapper have been pretty consistent over the last few weeks, ranging from the 50-60m mark all the way back into the shallows in the early mornings. In those shallower grounds, a lucky few anglers have been finding the odd jew. Generally the jew have been quite large in the 15-20kg range, which is good to see.

      Off the beaches we’re still getting a half decent run of tailor, with reasonable size fish getting around in most of the washes. Mixed in are dart and different trevally species.

      Jewfish haven’t been so consistent lately, as the fuller tides and big swells have been making it hard for anglers to get out and pick their favourite gutter. If conditions allow, a good lure to try is the Jollip Cunje Buster.

      There have been some decent whiting in the wash. They’re a great species to catch for all the family and very nice on the plate. Worms, pipis and nippers are the most popular baits. When chasing whiting you’ll find a range of by-catch including bream, flathead and trevally.

      Bream have been quite consistent in most of the beach washes (suggested lure: 3” ZMan Minnow in sexy mullet), and you’ll find at this time of year sand flathead will show their faces in the surf, and they’re one of the nicer species of flathead to eat.

      Moving to the rivers, since we’ve had that decent flush out there’s been a lot of bait action in the river. We’ve been having some really good runs of flathead on the shallow flats first thing in the morning. Small crankbaits and soft plastics seem to be the go, and a few keen anglers have been throwing big glidebaits and swimbaits at them as well.

      There’s been some really good runs of bream. They have been quite consistent all through water column but this time of year is a great time to target them off the surface.

      There have been some really consistent runs of whiting, and there are some real quality fish amongst them. Most are taken on yabbies, worms or nippers, but an increasing number of people are using surface lures for them as well.

      There haven’t been many reports of jewfish in the river. However, there has been good quality water since the flush, with temps around 23-24°C, so the jewfish shouldn’t be too far away.

      Trevally are widespread through the system in really good numbers. A good lure to try is the 3” ZMan Minnow in sexy mullet, but you can have success on a variety of other soft plastics, crankbaits and surface lures, as well as bait.

      Finding bait concentrations is key for finding these species, as they tend to push bait up to the surface and you’ll see them having a feast. That’s the easiest time to catch these species.

      Mangrove jack have been on the chew over the last few weeks. Poddy mullet and herring have been the baits of choice. If you are trying to target jacks on lures, use 60-90mm lures with upgraded hooks and split rings because the jacks will make short work of inferior hardware. A good lure to try is the Squirrel 79 Hank Tune in bony.

      Estuary cod are definitely on the cards when chasing jacks. Remember that the cod must be released, and please handle them carefully and get them back into the water as quickly as possible.

      The freshwater reaches have been a bit up and down with the water we’ve had, but we have had a lot of bass pushing further up the system. It’s a good time for surface fishing with cicada imitations (e.g. Tiemco Softshell Cicada in matt black). Considering the fish kills we had last year and the drought, it’s great to see these systems starting to flourish again. – Kane Fairchild

January 22, 2021

The bass fishing has just started to pick up. It had been a little tough for a while, due to all the fresh from rain events, but we’re just starting to see the surface bite come back on.

In the rivers the bream have been really active in the dirtier water. Flathead can be caught in around the mouth sections, and there are lots of mud crabs there too.

Offshore the waters are pretty green bit quite warm. The snapper bite has been really strong, and there are good numbers of pearlies out deep. We are also seeing early signs of the Spanish and spotted mackerel showing up as well.

On the beaches we have been seeing pretty good catches of whiting and jew over the last 2-3 weeks. Anglers fishing off the stones have been picking up tailor and jew. Mangrove jack are also being caught in around the mouth walls and the rocks.

January 8, 2021

Before the wind and rain set in, offshore anglers were hooking quite a few little black marlin. The blacks even came in closer around the 40-50m mark, just a few kays offshore, apparently not minding the greener water.

      There have been some dolphinfish around as well out at the FADs, wave recorders and fish traps.

      In the closer, the current over the last few days has been running hard uphill, and the kings at the lighthouse have gone quiet, with the exception of the smaller rats.

      In recent weeks there have been quite a few good snapper caught in a range of depths – everything from off the headlands out to the 50-60m mark.

      The recent rains have caused the rivers to run high with dirty brown water, but they should clear up by the end of next week if we don’t get more rain. The flush has pushed a few whiting and bream out to the river mouths where they are being caught by beach anglers using beachworms and pipis. There are also a few jew taking live baits, mostly a bit north of Coffs.

      And of course there have been the standard catches of bread and butter fish in the creeks, rivers and off the beach over the past few weeks, providing fun for holidaymakers.

December 18, 2020

With all this rain hanging around most of the creeks going to be full of freshwater and running off. For that reason, your best chance of catching a fish is at the river mouths chasing jew, mangrove jack, tailor and salmon. All are hanging around the river mouths, chasing the bait around those areas. It will be a week or two until the river clears up and we’ll see mullet come back up.

Around the rock walls you can catch bream, blackfish and jew, with a few flathead mixed in.

The weather is looking good out wide, good chance of mackerel, tuna and the odd dolly in the wider reaches.

Bass can be found in their favourite haunts, sitting in back eddies in shady spots.

December 3, 2020

There haven’t been many breaks in the wind this past week, but those boats that have gotten out have reported marlin. Most have come from the 100-150 fathom line. Finding bait is key. Once bait is found, keep on them and try to work the bait as hard as possible to try to get the marlin to get active.

      Dollies been quite active from the few reports we have had; I’ve heard of around 5 decent fish this week. Try to find that nice, cobalt blue water.

      Most of the island washes have been fishing quite well for kingfish. There has been the odd snip-off lately; this could be very large tailor or possibly early run of mackerel/wahoo.

      With the kingfish you’ll sometimes encounter the odd amberjack or samsonfish. Generally you will find them around the deeper edges in 50-80m of water.

      There have been good catches of snapper, pearl perch, and tuskfish in 40-50m of water.

      Tuna have been in good numbers, although the longtails haven’t arrived yet – there’s only the odd one here and there. When most people mention ‘tuna’ at this time of year they’re usually talking about mac, striped and bonito.

      We are still finding jews in some of the shallower reefs. Mixed in has been the odd snapper as well, although as the day goes on the snapper look for deeper reaches.

      The beaches have been fishing quite well this week, and trying to stay away from the winds is key. Tailor and salmon numbers are still dwindling. There are a few jewfish around but starting to slowly come off the bite. Jewfish a few around but no great reports of decent jew on the beach this week. But that’s not to say they’re not there; most jew fishermen are tight lipped about their catches.

      Bream and whiting been quite consistent off the beach over the past week, small strip baits worms have been most peoples preference. Plastics and small hardbodies too.

      Dart and a mix of trevally are still in the washes around the beach. Always great fun on light gear, 15g metals what most people been using. Small stickbaits and poppers are also good in the right conditions.

      Fishing off the rocks has been pretty slow due to the wind, but for the one day I did get to sneak out I came across a couple of tailor and some small mac tuna. There are quite a lot of sharks around too.

      There have been some really good reports of bream off the rocks over the past week. The odd jew has been around too.

      We’ve been seeing some decent numbers of kingfish coming through, generally on the top of the tides. They’re only school fish from 60-90cm, but they’re still good fun, especially on PE3-PE4 gear.

      Drummer and groper aren’t usually caught off the rocks over summer, although they’ll still be picked up by boat-based anglers.

      In the rivers we’ve seen some pretty consistent runs of whiting and bream. They are tending to push up onto the shallow flats first thing in the morning, and top of the tide has been fishing the best. Flathead have been very consistent, sunning themselves first thing in the morning up on the flats. There have been some bigger ones on the deeper edges now that we’re starting to see the water warm up.

      The jewfish have been patchy, but they should be getting ready to spawn now, so we should see some really good numbers of small jew heading up into the rivers over the next two months.

      Trevally can be found all through the system, and they’re always good fun. Some larger models were taken this week on small hardbodies and surface poppers meant for bream, giving the angler a rude shock.

      Jacks should start to fire up now that we’ve had balmy mornings and afternoons. When it’s the most uncomfortable time for you to be on the water, it’s the most comfortable time for jacks to be active. If you happen to catch an estuary cod, the jacks shouldn’t be far away.

      Bass are still widespread through the system, and the inch or two of rain over the past few days has stirred them up a little. Hopefully there is more rain to come. – Kane Fairchild

November 27, 2020

Out wide between 100-150 fathoms there have been some blue and striped marlin around. They haven’t been in great numbers lately though.

Dolphinfish are being caught around the wave recorder and around the FAD. They have been in good numbers early in the mornings but as the sun comes up the catches taper off. Once the dollies have stopped feeding you’ll often find the odd king there.

In around the 70-80m mark there are still good numbers of kings, samsonfish and amberjacks. Jigging and live baiting have been the two key choices to catch some fish.

In 40-50m of water we’ve been finding the snapper, which are looking for that deeper, cooler water. There have been pearl perch and tuskfish mixed in.

Over the shallow grounds it has been hard, as the water is clear and the temps are rising. That’s not to say there isn’t an early morning snapper cruising around in the shallows though.

At this time of year the kingfish like to move in and out of the shallow bays looking for pockets of deeper water where the bait will be.

There are lots of mac tuna and bonito all through the water column at the moment. Where the birds are feeding, the tuna won’t be far away.

The beaches been firing with great whiting catches over the last week. This species is the main drawcard for most anglers fishing the gutters at the moment. There has been the odd bream getting around in there but whiting will be the mainstay for the next 3-4 weeks as the temperatures rise.

Jewfish have been pretty scarce, with only the odd one being taken lately.

Dart have been in good numbers, and will continue to be pretty consistent over the next couple of months. The odd trevally has been mixed in as well.

Tailor and salmon numbers have started to slowly dwindle, and this trend will continue as the weather warms up.

The rivers have been fishing quite well now that we’ve had a bit of rain. We’ve been finding great numbers of bream throughout the whole system. Whiting been pretty consistent up on the flats, and they’ll get better and better as summer sets in. Flathead have been in great numbers, sunning themselves in the shallows early in the morning and moving to deeper water as the sun comes up. Soon you’ll be able to target most of those species as the water starts to warm.

Jewfish have been in small numbers through the system, with anglers having limited success over the past week. However, we probably will find coming into Jan and Feb they’ll have another spawn and we’ll start to see more.

There have been really good numbers of trevally throughout the system and in good sizes too. Last week there were reports of fish up to 5kg! I got a GT Sunday night that went 3.5kg. I was driving home, saw a bust-up as I was going over the bridge, and quickly parked the car and put a cast in. Second cast I got the GT, which took a 21 Pontoon swimbait.

Jacks will start to fire up in the coming months as the water starts to warm. If you happen to catch an estuary cod, which are often found around in the same haunts, please put it back as quickly as possible because they’re a no-take species.

Most of the bass have pushed up into the freshwater regions, although there’s still the odd straggler further down. Since the last lot of rain there’s been a good hatch of cicadas so topwater offerings are a great option at the moment. – Kane Fairchild

November 6, 2020

Out wide, the wave recorder and FAD have been fishing quite well, with some good dolphinfish being caught over the last few weeks – and when the dollies aren’t there generally the kingies are there.

      From the wave recorder back out into 120 fathoms there have been some marlin getting around. We’ve had good reports of blues and stripes out wide.

      Coming back into 70-80m of water, there are good kings to be caught, and samsonfish and amberjack are also still prevalent. A lot of anglers have been jigging but this hasn’t been working as well as it did earlier in the year. Live baits are the better choice at the moment. That could be because there’s so much bait around; we find that the slimy mackerel come out in force at this time of year and tend to be the main food source.

      Moving to the 50m mark, it’s been very productive for chasing snapper, pearl perch and tuskies. The snapper definitely prefer the deeper haunts now that the water is starting to warm up.

      Bonito and mac tuna are widespread; they can turn up in 5m of water anywhere to 100m of water. We haven’t seen longtail tuna in good numbers yet, but that big push should hopefully come in about a month’s time.

      The beaches have been fishing quite well for whiting and bream. The whiting in particular are starting to turn up in numbers, which means the jewfish aren’t far behind. These jewfish key onto the whiting in summer, and there are usually good numbers of jew on the beach searching for their prey.

      Dart have just started to show up, and over the next month or so we’ll see great numbers on the beaches. When you’re fishing for dart there’s always the chance of the odd trevally mixed in with them.

      Tailor and salmon have been pretty good this year, and this month alone has seen good numbers of salmon still getting caught. Tailor, on the other hand, have been in decline as the water has started to warm.

      Most of the rock headlands been pretty productive for bream. The drummer and whiting have been coming off the chew and heading for cooler, deeper water. Jewfish aren’t in great numbers but there’s the odd one getting caught off the rocks. There’s also the occasional kingfish still being caught off the stones, but there are a lot of casts between fish.

      The rivers have been really productive over the last month since we’ve had some rain. This week we’ve been noticing the fish are up near the mouths of the rivers, with bream and whiting pretty thick around most of the mouths. Early in the morning the flathead have been biting up on the shallow flats, before coming back into deeper water as the day goes on.

      The temperatures have risen to a point where we’re starting to see the odd mangrove jack. Trevally are still widespread through the system but with the water change most of them will be up near the mouths of the rivers.

      Bass fishing been quite productive of late. The rivers are still really low so it’s hard to find them further up, but they can still be found in the brackish zone. – Kane Fairchild

October 9, 2020

Out wide the swell has been up which has kept some boats from going out, but good snapper and kingfish have been reported out in 70-80m. They have been taking bait, soft plastics and jigs. There are a few pearlies mixed in with the snapper. Both species are dotted around in a range of depths, from 15-80m.

The current has been a bit uncooperative so the kings and amberjack have been a bit hit and miss around the lighthouse.

There are still a few tuskies hanging out in close, and oddly enough a few longtail tuna are hitting soft plastics here and there.

Along the beaches we’re starting to see a few little jew getting picked up and some nice whiting. There are also patches of bream and tailor.

Around the rocks some nice bream are being caught, as well as drummer and the odd groper.

With the way the weather has been, a lot of anglers have been chasing bass, with good results. A few guys have also been trout fishing but it seems to be fairly quiet up there on the trout front.

In the estuaries a few whiting are starting to pop up and respond to surface lures around the creek mouths. A few jacks have started to turn up as well.

September 17, 2020

Out wide in the last few days we’ve had a few black and striped marlin turn up. Nothing huge as yet; 90kg is the biggest I’ve heard so far.

We’re still seeing a decent run of longtail tuna and there’s been some small mac tuna and little stripies as well.

Dolphinfish have been in fairly good numbers over the past week. We’ve been noticing good sizes too, up to 1 metre. The largest I heard of this week went 9kg.

Most of the guys have been fishing with live baits because the dollies have been a bit tentative, but first thing in the morning they have been taking lures. There have been some kingfish mixed in with them; the kingies generally feed closer to the bottom, compared to the dollies feeding on the top.

Around the 50-60m mark there are really good numbers of samsons, amberjack and kingfish, although not in big sizes.

In around the island washes and the lighthouse there are some good kingfish getting around. They have been patchy but they’re still there if you put in the work.

There has been the odd tailor mixed in but they will start slowing up in the coming weeks as the mackerel move in, and the hunters become the hunted.

In the 40-50m depth range, the snapper are hanging out to escape the warmer water in the shallows. There have been some really good numbers of pearl perch caught too. Most guys are using small strip baits but good numbers are getting caught on light jigs. There’s the odd tusky mixed in with the pearlies and snapper.

In that 30m mark there’s been the odd jew getting around; we’ve seen a bit of an increate in catch rates of jew here over the last week, although they’re still not a common catch.

In the shallow water grounds between 10-20m there’s still the occasional snapper caught first thing in the morning but these fish are mostly going for deeper ground.

The beaches have been yielding plenty of bream, whiting and flathead over the last week. Lightly weighted baits and picking your gutters will increase your chances. There have been a few good-size salmon and tailor getting around. Jewfish have been a bit scarce off the beach; it’s been a quite hard season this year. Time and patience will be rewarded though.

Fishing off the rocks has been a little patchy. There’s still the odd drummer and groper around but when it comes to pelagic species they’ve been scarce this past week.

There have been great numbers of bream off most of the rock headlands, taking cunje, nipper and flesh baits. Mixed in has been the odd tailor and salmon but they’re quite patchy.

Jewfish been hard to find this week, with only the odd report. Time and patience are needed for these fish. There has been the odd rogue kingfish getting around the stones.

Rivers been fishing quite well for flathead up on the flats early in the morning, and coming back into the deeper sections of river during the heat of the day. Whiting have started to make their way into the creeks, and we’re finding good numbers up on the flats. They’re a bit picky at this time of year but will be more consistent catches in the coming weeks.

Bream wave been pretty widespread through the system, and recent rain has made the water less clear. Now with the bait moving to the mouth with the fresh, it makes it easier to find good groups of bait and therefore predators.

Trevally been a little bit patchy and as we come into the warmer months they’re harder to find. There are still good numbers getting around the rivers though.

Blackfish have started to slow up but there are still some getting around most of the ledges in the river. They will become harder to find in the coming weeks.

Jewfish been quite scarce as well, but we’re coming up to a good set of tides in the next few days so there’ll be better chance of finding one in the rivers.

Mangrove jacks will start to fire up in the coming weeks as the water temps rise, but not too many reports as yet.

In the upper reaches the bass have been struggling a bit due to the water levels being quite low despite the rain. – Kane Fairchild

September 11, 2020

Out wide there haven’t too many reports this week, aside from the odd yellowfin up to 7kg.

The island washes have been fishing really well for kingfish. Most aren’t very big, but there are some good numbers to be had. Mixed in are a few tailor, but their numbers will continue to dwindle as we get into the hotter months.

In around the 50m mark there are still some samsonfish, amberjack and kings getting caught on jigs and live baits.

Moving into the 30-40m mark, good numbers of pearl perch and some great snapper have been caught this week. Soft plastics and small metal jigs have been what most people have been using.

In the shallower regions, around 20m, there are still some snapper being caught first thing in the morning. As the water temps rise, we’ll find them in deeper water. 

The beaches have been fishing quite well, with anglers getting good numbers of tailor. There are still some salmon hanging around, and really good numbers of bream. Whiting catches are starting to increase, and this will continue over the next few weeks. The odd jew is getting caught, but overall it has been quite hard for jew fishers.

In around the rocks there’s still the odd drummer and groper getting caught, but they’ll become more scarce as water temps rise. Tailor and salmon are hanging around most of the headlands, although not in huge numbers. Bream have been quite thick off the rock ledges, and small flesh baits and live yabbies have been doing the damage.

There’s always the odd random king getting around. Don’t expect great sessions on them, but they do pop up from time to time.

The rivers have been fishing really well for flathead early in the morning on the shallow flats. In the middle of the day they move into the deeper water. Whiting catches are picking up in the river, and we’ll notice a big increase in the coming month. They’re taking beachworms and yabbies.

Bream have been widespread through the system, and we’ve seen some great numbers this week. We’ve been having a lot of fun fishing topwater, small crankbaits and small soft plastics. Trevally are still widespread too but they’ll thin out a little and take a back seat to other species as summer approaches.

Blackfish are starting to slow down but they’re still hanging around most of the ledges so you can probably catch a feed.

Due to the recent rain the bass should slowly push up into the higher reaches. – Kane Fairchild

September 5, 2020

The fishing out wide has been excellent, with plenty of kingfish caught in 70-80m of water, as well as the occasional amberjack and samsonfish. Jigs have been catching their share, but livebaits have definitely been the best this week.

There have been reports of tuna, but not many. There are a couple of little jellybean yellowfin getting around, which is good to hear, and there’s been the odd longtail mixed in with a few mac tuna.

In the same depth, anglers have been having great success dropping down strip baits and small micro jigs (such as Palms Slow Blatts) for pearlies and tuskies. You can pick up the odd snapper too, but most of the snapper seem to be in a bit closer.

The island washes have been fishing well, producing tailor, the odd salmon, and some really nice kingies.

Fishing in the 40-50 mark you get good catches of snapper using smaller plastics such as 5” Gulp Jerk Shads and 5” ZMan StreakZ.

Around the 20m mark there has been good action for anglers fishing out of small boats. Along with the snapper, there has been the odd kingfish showing up. There have also been reports of the occasional pearl perch, which are a rare catch this close in.

The beaches have been fishing quite well. We’ve been finding some really nice bream, and the whiting are just starting to show up. Where there are whiting, the jewfish aren’t far behind, as whiting are one of their favourite things to eat.

Jewfish this year haven’t been as successful as in previous years. Most jew reports have been coming from out at the reefs, although I haven’t heard of any being caught there this week.

There have been some flathead in amongst the bream and whiting. The flatties aren’t in huge numbers but they’ll improve in the wash as the weather warms.

There was a little run of salmon along most of the east coast this year, which is really good to see. Most were caught on small strip baits and the odd 40g metal slug.

The odd tailor is still getting caught but most are making their way north.

The rock ledges are fishing quite well. The odd drummer and groper are getting caught but the biggest drawcard is bream. The bream are in big numbers and really nice sizes.

There has been still the odd rogue king getting around on the rocks, keeping anglers son their toes. PE6-8 rods are necessary to put the brakes on them.

Some tailor are still being taken off the rocks but not many.

The rivers are gin clear due to the lack of rain, so they’re harder to fish. There are still good numbers of flathead on the flats early in the morning though, and they move back into the deeper areas once the sun is up.

Bream been widespread though the system in really good numbers. Small soft plastics up to 3” and small crankbaits have been getting the best results. As we come into the warmer months we’ll see more anglers fishing topwater, which is a lot of fun.

Whiting are starting to come up onto the flats, and over the next few weeks we’ll notice a big influx of them. Worms and pipis been the two main baits getting used. Generally when you’re doing this style of fishing you’ll get a by-catch of flathead and bream.

Trevally are widespread too. They have been really good this year, and we’re having good success on small stickbaits and little poppers. It’s always a lot of fun to see them hit surface lures. If you’re fishing bait, whitebait is the best. There are a lot of whitebait spread though the system at the moment.

For the guys chasing bass there have been some good numbers up top, and a nice bit of rain will definitely help.

As we start to get warmer weather we’ll notice an increase in jacks in the rivers. If you’re targeting these great sportfish, please only take what you need and put the rest back. – Kane Fairchild

August 28, 2020

Out wide there haven’t been many reports, as we have had a fair bit of chop and swell. One boat that managed to get out reported some kings, amberjack and samsons in around the 80-100m mark. The week before there were some bar cod getting caught deep dropping, and a few blue-eye for those who went the extra mile. It has been very patchy though.

Around the 50m mark we’ve been finding some really good snapper, pearlies and tuskfish quite regularly. The resident kings have still been in good numbers, although most are smaller fish around 6-7kg. There have been some small amberjack and samsonfish mixed in. There have been some reports of yellowfin, longtail and striped tuna getting caught. The tuna haven’t been great quantities but it’s still worth keeping your eyes open.

The island washes have been quite productive, yielding a lot of rat kings which are fun at the end of a slow day. There has been the odd tailor getting around the island washes as well, along with the odd snapper. in.

In a bit closer, in 20m or less of water, anglers have been quite successful in the early mornings fishing for snapper. Darker colours have been working better early in the morning, and lighter colours have been working better as the day progresses. 5-7” soft plastics are popular, and there’s also a 9” Gulp Jerkshad that’s been doing some damage over the past week.

Another thing working well has been slow jigs. They have definitely come a long way since they first came out, with a lot of different varieties now. These lures have been a real eye-opener for a lot of anglers.

The beaches are fishing quite well with good numbers of tailor, the odd jewfish and some salmon as well.

Salmon are an excellent sportfish. A good outfit is similar to tailor – a 6-8kg, 9-10’6” rod with a 4000-5000 style reel. That extra line capacity will help if you come across one of those 5kg models – they’re definitely around. Soft flesh baits work well on the salmon, or 4-5” soft plastics in natural colours such as silvers and blacks, rigged on a 10-14g jighead. Paddle-tails are good because it slows the fall rate so the lure stays in the fish’s face for longer. Quite quick retrieves are generally best. You can also use 30-60g metals.

There have been some really nice bream on most of the beaches. Whiting are just starting to trickle through, and as it warms further we’ll start to see more whiting.

The rock fishing has been quite slow due to swell but for the guys that have been getting out there, there are still good numbers of bream, drummer and groper. We’re seeing nice bags of tailor as well.

Blackfish are a big drawcard for most rock hoppers, and some great quality blackfish are being caught this year. Collecting cabbage and getting out on the stones is an enjoyable way to spend a few hours.

There has been the odd rogue king still getting around the rocks. Generally these fish are quite hard to land so you need high-pressure drags and be prepared to stand your ground. Get the fish out quickly before it rubs you off on the rocks.

The rivers have been fishing exceptionally well over the last week, with good size bream being caught. Whiting should start to trickle in during the coming weeks too, and we’re starting to see more customers gearing up in anticipation. When the water temps rise another 2°C or so, the whiting will become more active.

There has been the odd jewfish still getting a round the rivers, but they have been few and far between. Next week should be a bit better, with some really good tides coming into the full moon.

Something many of us have been waiting for is the bass season opening on September 1st. It’s possible there will still be a few bass downstream that are spawning late, so if you catch one in the brackish zone, please release it so it can pair up and breed. Most of the bass, however, should have shot upstream after the rain we had, and if we get another nice downpour they should nearly all be back into the fresh.

Trevally been very widespread though the system, from the mouth up into the brackish zones. Once found you should be able to find them actively feeding. They will take 2-3”soft plastics worked at a fairly fast retrieve, 80-90mm jerkbaits and poppers. If you see the trevors feeding on the surface, throw a popper in and they’ll usually have a crack. – Kane Fairchild

August 7, 2020

Out wide the temperatures have varied from around 18-20°C and there have been some yellowfin tuna knocking around over the past week. The haven’t been large, with the biggest going 26kg, but they’re still a welcome catch. There have been a couple of reports of longtail but they’re very few and far between.

      Around the 70-80m mark there have been some great kingfish taken on live baits over the reefs. Anglers have also been doing well on jigs such as the Samaki Asalt from 80-150g. Brighter colours seem to be doing the best. There are amberjacks and small samsonfish in the mix too, but not many.

      The 40m mark is fishing quite well for pearlies and tuskfish. Small metal jigs have been a big eye-opener for anglers over the last 6 months, with pearlies being quite common catches on 60-100g micro jigs such as the Samaki Wingman and Ribcage, and the Nomad Gypsy and Buffalo.

      Tuskfish have been predominantly caught on bait, although they will hit a jig from time to time.

      Snapper have been caught too, mostly first thing in the morning. At that time they’re in the shallower water, before they move to the deeper edges later in the day. We’ve been seeing good sizes this week, from 2.5kg right up to 8kg. Soft plastics are the key early in the morning, allowing you to cover more ground than you could with bait. ZMan Scented JerkshadZ and Gulp 7” Jerkshads are the most popular at the moment. I like using dark solid colours pre-dawn to create a good silhouette, and after the sun rises I switch to lighter colours.

      There has been the odd jewfish caught off the shallow reefs so be ready to encounter something heavy and large at times. Some quality fish to 15kg have been caught in 10-20m of water.

      The beaches have been fishing quite well for bream, tailor and flathead. Whiting have been slowly coming off the chew but you can still encounter the odd one. With the big swell we’ve had over the last few days it’s been hard to get out but that should ease coming into Sunday.

      Jewfish off the beaches have been hard in this moon phase, and there haven’t been many reports. Fresh worms and stripped bonito are the most popular baits if you want to try your luck.

      Rock fishing at this time of year can be quite exciting, with drummer, groper, nice big bream and some good tailor as well. Jewfish have been still getting around most of the headlands but the run hasn’t been as good this year as in pervious years, and you have to work a bit harder for your fish. Picking your windows during the tide is the key to catching jewfish, and always using the freshest bait possible.

      The rivers have been fishing exceptionally well for flathead. Fish the shallow flats early in the morning as the tide is running out and you can encounter good numbers in 2-4ft of water. As the day gets on and they get a bit of sun, they start to move to the deeper edges.

      Bream have been quite thick this past week, with some really good captures to 1kg. Freshly pumped nippers and fresh worms are good baits. Soft plastics and hardbodies are also catching fish.

      Trevally have been widespread through the system, from the mouth of the river all the way to the brackish zones. Lures fished with a fast retrieve have been the way to get them keen. Small stickbaits and surface poppers are working well, as well as soft plastics and hardbodies ranging from 60-90mm.

      Coming into a warmer season we’ll notice that the bass will start heading upstream. If you come across them at this time of year, please release them quickly; if the fish gets stressed it may not spawn that year.

      In the following weeks we should start to see our spring to summer species start to kick into gear such as jacks, estuary cod and giant herring, so there’s good fishing ahead. – Kane Fairchild

July 24, 2020

Out wide the fishing has been patchy due to the current. When the current hasn’t been too strong the guys have been getting a few odd bar cod and blue-eye in depths of 100m+.

      The odd kingfish, amberjack and samsonfish are being caught in 80m of water, with most taken on jigs or live bait.

      Most of the kings have been sitting around the washes of most of the islands a lot of rats ranging from 25cm up to a metre. The AJs and samsons have been small, with the biggest fish I’ve heard of this week going 5kg.

      There has still been the odd tuna kicking around. Typically the longtails start to show up next month before starting to head home.

      I haven’t heard of any mackerel caught this week; their numbers dwindle as water temperatures drop.

      Coming back into 50m of water, there have been some good pearlies around, with the odd tuskfish and snapper mixed in. The Palms Wide Slow Blatt jig has been doing most of the damage, with the Samaki and Nomad jigs also catching their share.

      Snapper in the next few weeks should be the main species that most people will be chasing. A wide range of depths can be utilised for chasing snapper – anything from 80m all the way to 5m of water. Soft plastics early in the morning are working really well for some of our staff, generally 5” and 7”. A key to success is using the lightest jighead possible for the conditions.

      Coming back to the rock platforms have been some numbers of drummer and groper starting to come in with the colder water. Cunje and prawns are the two most popular baits.

      There have been some really great numbers of bream off the rocks of late. It’s the middle of spawn at the moment so there are some really good-sized models getting around. Most are caught on half pilchards and strip baits. The odd trevally has been popping up as by-catch, so be prepared to get railed on your bream gear!

      There have been a few kingfish getting around the stones if you’re lucky enough. Live baits and small stickbaits are your best bet.

      The jewfish have been hard to catch off the rocks of late (although a lot of guys are getting them on the inshore reefs), but they should come on the chew more after the big swell that is forecast next week. Please do not fish from the rocks until the swell has subsided. Large strip baits, live baits and hardbody lures are the go for these fish.

      On the beaches whiting have been slowly coming off the bite as it starts to get colder, but there have been some great bream and flathead taken from most beaches. The tailor fishing has also been red hot, with good numbers turning up this year. There are even some reports of Australian salmon – a species that became a rare catch after the cannery opened in Eden some years ago. It’s good to see a return of these great sportfish.

      There has been the odd jew caught off most of the beaches, but you have to spend a lot of time on the water to catch them.

      In the rivers the estuary been fishing really well first thing in the morning for flathead, as they bask in the early morning sunshine on the shallow flats. Don’t be afraid to throw your lure into as little as 2ft of water. There are some large models getting around; our weekend manager Josh got a 94cm fish this week.

      Bream have been widespread through the whole system but the majority are at the mouth. There have been some really great numbers and great sizes taken over the past week.

      There has been the odd whiting getting around on the flats but it’s getting harder and harder to pull them out.

      Trevally have been widespread through the system, and are always a great target species to have a bit of fun with. Small hardbody lures and soft plastics are working really well fished along the deeper edges.

      Jewfish have been finicky in the river of late. There’s the odd one getting around, but for most anglers it’s been a really hard slog.

      Blackfish are widespread in the top end, and it’s been a really good season for them this year. – Kane Fairchild

June 27, 2020

Out wide, guys have been chasing bar cod with some good numbers in the 100-120m mark. Haven’t heard of any blue-eye but I’m sure if you head to deeper pastures you’ll find a few.

Coming back in a bit closer around the lighthouse and most of the island washes have been producing some good kingfish. Mixed in are some small AJs and samsons.

      Snapper has been the big drawcard over the last few weeks, with a lot of great reds getting caught in 10-50m of water. In the deeper regions the pearl perch and tuskies have been mixed in with the snapper.

      Bonito and mac tuna have been in plague proportions.

      The beaches have been fishing really well with great captures of tailor. There’s also the odd jewfish, and coming into the next 3 moon cycles we’ll find that the jewfish should start to fire up. There are still plenty of bream on the beaches and the odd whiting is still kicking around.

      The headlands have been fishing quite well, yielding some good bream the odd kingfish and some great tailor. There have been some good numbers of drummer and groper starting to appear. There’s still the odd rogue tuna getting around the rocks if you’re lucky (or unlucky).

      The rivers have been fishing really well for flathead first thing in the morning on the shallow flats. The flatties have been heading into some deeper water as the sun comes up. Bream have been widespread through the whole system. Coming into spawning season they should be really thick over the next month or two.

      Whiting have been quite patchy but there’s still the odd one getting caught. At this time of year we find bait generally works better than surface lures.

      Trevally have been in good numbers in the system. Finding the whitebait at the moment isn’t hard, and once found you should concentrate on those areas and you should come up with some good fish. The whitebait this year has been the thickest it has been for years, so finding those balls of bait is key to having a good session.

      Jewfish are being caught in the river, and high tide and low tide is key, and first thing in the morning and in the late afternoon is best. That’s not to say you can’t catch them at midday though.

      Be mindful if you’re fishing the upper reaches, if you catch a bass please get it back as quickly as possible. They are in the middle of their spawn and must be released. – Kane Fairchild

June 19, 2020

Out wide the mackerel are starting to slowly disappear, with just the odd Spanish being caught. The spotties have made their way back north. We are starting to see some solid runs of tuna, with longtail, mac tuna and bonito in quite good numbers,

Most of the island washes have been fishing really well, with good numbers of tailor, kingfish and snapper.

In the 30-40m depth range anglers have been picking up some nice size pearlies, tuskfish and snapper. A significant number have been caught on jigs, as well as plastics, live baits and the standard strip baits.

For the kayak/tinny anglers fishing in close, the snapper have been quite prevalent early in the morning. Most have been taken in around 10-15m of water. As the sun comes up they like to retreat to deeper water, around 30-40m.

The beaches have been fishing really well for tailor, bream and jewfish. The whiting have still been around in small numbers but it has been harder to find them as temperatures continue to drop.

Most of the rock platforms have been fishing quite well, with anglers catching good numbers of tailor along with the odd kingfish. There are plenty of good size bream, and the drummer and groper should start to fire up in the coming months.

In the estuaries there have been really great numbers of bream coming into their spawn. We’re seeing some nice size fish coming into the rivers.

Flathead been in good numbers up on the shallow flats trying to keep warm. It’s best to target them in the shallows in the early morning and then the deeper  holes when the sun is up.

You can still pick up the odd whiting off the flats but they’re slowly dwindling in numbers.

Jewfish have been a bit touch and go in the rivers but there’s still the odd one getting caught. Trevally are starting to slowly pick up as they do in winter, starting to come back into the system.

A lot of people are having fun catching blackfish off the rock ledges and in the rivers. Weed has been hard to collect due to the freshwater and the large seas, so you might need to use artificial weed flies. – Kane Fairchild

April 3, 2020

Out wide there have been a few wahoo starting to show up, with most taken on fast trolled Rapalas and Halcos.

There have been a few dolphinfish around at the FAD and wave recorder. The spearos have been doing better than anglers because the dollies are a bit shy.

We’ve been enjoying a good run of mackerel, including spotties and Spanish, and they are being taken on live yakkas and live slimies.

We’ve also had a really good run of tuna this year. There have been a lot of mac tuna around in really good sizes and numbers, with the odd longtail thrown in. This week most of the longtails caught have been 15kg+. The odd bonito has been caught amongst the tuna balls, and they have been big specimens around 3-4kg.

The snapper fishing has been pretty dismal. Anglers have been catching the odd one, but in the warmer water it’s been hard. Fishing the deeper areas is the go if you want a chance at catching a snapper.

There have been some really nice kingfish getting around most of the island washes, taking small stickbaits and plastics.

On the beaches the whiting fishing has been red hot this week, with really nice size whiting being caught. Some decent size bream have been mixed in amongst them.

Fishing the turn of the tide has been productive for the odd jewfish. There aren’t as many reports as last year but there are definitely a few around.

The rivers have been fishing really well since the rain. Anglers have been catching some really nice size flathead, and plenty of them too. Once you find one, stick to the same area because there are generally more to be had.

Some really great size whiting are coming off the flats of the lake, generally at high tide on worms or yabby baits. Stickbaits and poppers have been doing well too.

There has been the odd jew in the river but they’re very few and far between. Their numbers will start to increase as the water starts to cool down.

Trevally have been widespread through the system. There is some really good baitfish and prawn activity in the system at the moment, so matching the hatch is beneficial. We’re getting really good reports of everything from bream and whiting to flathead and trevally, so it’s a red hot time to be out there.

Jack fishing has been more difficult than usual; this is probably due to the flush-out causing the jacks to spread out a bit more, making it harder for anglers to find the key areas. Still, persistence pays off, and livebaits seem to be working better than lures. – Kane Fairchild

March 20, 2020

Offshore we’ve finally had some half-decent weather and the guys have been getting a few spotted and Spanish mackerel.

There are some good snapper on the inshore reefs, and it’s definitely worth a look around the FAD and wave recorder for a few dolphinfish.

The beaches are fishing really well. There’s still a really good run of big whiting and also some good bream and tailor around. Beachworm is by far the best bait for the whiting and bream, and metals for the tailor.

On the rocks, the land-based game fishers have been getting a few longtails, and it’s worth putting a bait out for a Spanish as well. You can also pick up some good tailor and bream from the rocks at the moment.

In the estuaries the water is still a bit dirty but there are plenty of bream in the lower reaches and some good whiting as well. Blackfish are being taken around the rock walls. In the upper reaches water is still up a bit but there are some pretty good bass starting to move around in the upper tidal reaches.

In the harbour some good trevally and jack are getting caught at night, with most of the jacks taken on flesh baits.

March 13, 2020

Out wide the reports have been grim due to the weather. The conditions haven’t been great due to the poor water clarity. That’s not to say there aren’t any fish in there though; we’ve had a few mackerel caught this week, mainly baries (spotties usually don’t like dirty water but the baries don’t care). Live baits are the best option at the moment because stickbaits haven’t been working as well in the dirty water.

We’ve had a trickle of small blacks come through in the last few days which is good to see. They’ve mainly been coming from the wider grounds out near the lighthouse. There haven’t been any reports of wahoo and dollies this week, but March is traditionally a good month for wahoo so they should be here shortly.

The water temps have been ranging from around 24-26 degrees, and finding that warmer patch of water out wide is key to chasing the wahoo.

Dollies have ben very patchy of late but at this time of year we generally have a good run of them. Hopefully next week there will be more catches to report.

Moving in a bit closer around most of the island washes there have been some good snapper caught, and some nice kings as well. Targeting them on small metals and soft plastics is the go.

There are still been reports coming through from guys jigging in 70-80m of water chasing kings, samsons and amberjack. There haven’t been huge numbers though.

In 20-40m of water the fishing has been quite consistent for snapper over the past week. You can also catch pearl perch and the odd tuskfish.

 On the beaches there are lots of good size whiting being caught. Worms are the most popular bait, but people using nippers are still finding a few fish. Bream have been quite consistent and there are some decent sizes too. The water temperatures are starting to drop slowly, but we should still have 1 or 2 decent pushes of hot water; there’s a southerly forecast for next week which should bring on some larger pelagics.

 There has been the odd report of jewfish in the wash of the beaches as well. Big slab baits have accounted for most of them, with the odd one taken on soft plastics.

Dart and trevally have been pretty consistent, taking small 10-20g metals. The odd tailor is showing up as well.

 In the rivers, the top of the tide has been really good, pushing in clean water. The mouths of the rivers are where most people have been aiming to fish, and they have been picking up mixed bags of whiting, bream, flathead, trevally and the odd jewfish.

 Fishing down in the lower reaches has been a bit inconsistent due to the lack of water clarity. If you’re fishing there, the higher the tide the better.

Most of the bream and whiting in the rivers should be taking surface lures, and it’s a really nice way to spend an afternoon.

At this time of year you’ll generally find the flathead in the deeper holes. Pick those tides when the cleaner water is pushing through, and stick with it until you succeed.

There is still the odd cod and jack getting caught. Finding a rocky outcrop with your sounder is the go for these guys, otherwise you can look for heavily timbered areas. Most fish have been caught on either live baits or 4-5” lures.

Bass reports have been inconsistent because there’s been so much flow in the river. As we start to see less rain we should hopefully have some better bass fishing conditions. – Kane Fairchild

March 6, 2020

Weather conditions haven’t been great, so there’s not a lot to report, however this will improve as the water clears and the temperatures drop.

There has been a few mackerel, mainly Spanish, but there is also the odd spotty been caught, and this is mainly due to the lack of clarity in the water. The water is still sitting at 25 or so degrees, so it’s still worth a trip out in search of mackerel.

Mac tuna and longies have shows up with the gar schools, and this is great fun if you can find a school.

Snapper, tuskies and pearlies have been scarce, but are still being caught in the 20-40m zone.

Kingies have been taken around most of the islands, with those jigging in the 80m zone reporting good captures.

Small black marlin have been reported inshore and out wide, however no blues or stripes have been seen, hooked or landed recently. This may change.

Wahoo are just showing up now, and while still fairly patchy, once the water clears it should fire right up.

Mahimahi have been pretty inconsistent, although there are some anglers managing to turn a reel on them around locations such as the lighthouse.

On the beaches whiting have been a big drawcard, with a few jew also turning up in the gutters, no doubt enjoying the dirty water.

Into the rivers, and bream, flatties and whiting have been really firing after the rain.

Plenty of mud crabs have followed in similar fashion, enjoying the recent downpour.

The bass have been inconsistent, however once the river clear up a bit there should be some sensational fishing on offer. – Kane Fairchild

February 21, 2020

Outside with the dirty water around it’s been quite difficult to get out. Large swell and really dirty conditions have been plaguing most of the east coast. However, the guys that have been getting out in the last week have been reporting that mackerel are starting to come through. The water is a balmy 24-26 degrees, which is much warmer than last week when it was around 20 degrees. That cold water was lifeless, so it’s great to see those rising temperatures bringing the mackerel on the chew.

            Bait has been a bit scarce for most, and a lot of guys are opting for stickbaits, trolled hardbody lures and dead baits. The Spanish have been quite thick but there’s been no mention of spotties.

.           No reports of marlin this week, but just before the rain there was a good patch of blacks and stripes that came through.

            Kingfish are around most of the islands, taking small slugs, small stickbaits and soft plastics. Mixed in with them are the odd amberjack and samsonfish.

            Snapper, pearl perch and tuskfish are nowhere to be seen, possibly because of the warm water.

            There have been reports of a few dolphinfish getting around the FAD but they’ve been patchy. I haven’t heard of any wahoo this week but before the rain there were some caught so there should be a few kicking around.

            The beaches are fishing really well for bream and whiting. Small flesh baits have been the key for bream, and for the whiting small worm and nippers are working quite well.

            Jew catches from the beaches have been patchy but there have been a few caught over the last week. We’ve had some really big swell which is slowly dropping off, so next week should be really hot for them.

            Dart have been inconsistent, but a few have been taking small metal slugs to 15g. Tailor have been hit and miss, with some guys enjoying great sessions and other fishos going home with nothing.

            The headlands have been really patchy due to swell and a lot of weed. Guys have been fishing livebaits for jew or chasing bream or whiting. One guy caught a couple of groper this week so there’s the chance of catching them, but it should be harder in the warmer water. Groper tend to sulk and head deeper when the water is too warm for them.

            I haven’t heard of drummer this week, but that’s not to say they’re not there. You may have success downsizing your hook to a 1 or 1/0.

            Only a few tailor are getting caught, usually on 60-85g metals.

            The rivers have been absolutely filthy. We’ve really needed this flush, and in the next week fishing in the rivers should be red hot. If you still want to fish the rivers and creeks in the meantime, fish the top of the tide and follow the clean water. Bream are a good target on the top of the tide; they’re not too fazed about the dirty water, and have been taking flesh baits, the smellier the better.

            There have still been whiting captures on the shallows but as the dirty water moves in, they move on.

            Flathead been very inconsistent due to the water but in next 5-7 days the flatties should fire up.

Jewfish been regular catches in the river due to the dirty water. Large vibes and big paddletail plastics are good – anything that lets out a lot of vibration.

            The long-suffering bass have been getting thicker and thicker as they start pushing up from the salt through to the fresh. These areas have been drenched with rain which has been great for the bass and baitfish. Fishing has been slow this week due to the fact that there’s still a lot of flow. The colour is getting a bit better but it will be about another week before the water is clear enough for the fishing to really pick up. – Kane Fairchild

February 14, 2020

Due to the massive amounts of dirty water in the system, most of the local fishing has been put on hold.

There have been some reported captures on the top of the tide, with bream, whiting, trevally and tailor chasing that cleaner water.

Jewfish are never too far behind when a big flooding event like this occurs, and some decent specimens have been caught. Nothing huge, but 4-5kg is a good fun-sized fish.

Offshore fishing hasn’t been spectacular lately, and while some kingies and snapper have been taken, the dirty water and debris makes things difficult, not to mention the dangerous swell that has accompanied these low pressure systems.

At the moment it seems we are waiting for everything to clear up a little after all the flooding. When it does, everything from the running sweetwater to the offshore reefs will fire big time. There’s an exciting period ahead of us, and the next few weeks are definitely something to look forward to.

January 31, 2020

Outside a few Spanish have been getting around. There’s nothing in close, and it seems all the action on the Spaniards is taking place out wide.

There’s been plenty of dollies and wahoo around the FADs and wave recorders, so it’s well worth venturing out when conditions allow.

Kingfish, ambos and samsons are in good numbers around the islands, with some bigger models getting caught late and early in the day.

Some great snapper have been reported in shallows, and a few yak anglers have been getting involved, reporting the odd pearly and tusky as well.

Longtail tuna haven’t showed up yet, but the odd bonnie and mac has provided those waiting with a bit of entertainment.

There have been a few jelly bean yellowfin out there, which are great fun on lighter gear, and great eating.

Coming into the beaches, there has been good whiting, flathead and bream taken consistently in the smaller gutters.

Some nice jew are coming out of each side of the tide, and it’s worth having a crack after dark for these silver beasts.

Into the headlands, the rocks have fished well for tailor and the odd kingie, and it seems most headlands are producing good fish.

Locals are still finding groper and drummer off the rocks, but berley is the key at this time of year.

Blackfish are also a drawcard for many anglers off rocks at this time of year, with a few locals already breaking out the float gear and centrepin reels.

Most rivers have been fishing well since the rain, with flatties in upper reaches all the way down to the mouths.

Bream and whiting have been taking surface lures consistently, and this is a great way to spend a few hours.

There is still the odd jack and cod getting around for those who put the time and effort in.

Bass have been fishing well since the rain, although rivers are still quite low and more rain is needed.

Trevally are spread through the system, and the last few months has been excellent on the trevally front, with the action set to continue.

Giant herring are around too, and although few and far between, lucky anglers will still be able to enjoy these little rockets on occasion.

Fishing deep holes has been productive for those chasing jew in the river, and while the action isn’t red-hot yet, it should get better in the coming months. – Kane Fairchild

January 23, 2020

Offshore there are a few nice dollies on the FAD and wave recorder, and a few small black marlin around as well.

Anglers fishing the close-in reefs have been getting good snapper in under 20m of water.

There are no mackerel to speak of yet, but hopefully they won’t be too far away.

Around the headlands there are a few tailor and some good bream getting caught.

On the beaches we’re seeing an excellent run of whiting, with both good sizes and good numbers. The best bait is beach worms, followed by yabbies (nippers). Beach anglers are picking up some good bream as well.

In the estuaries there has been a fair fresh coming down the Bellingen after the rain. You’ll get whiting and flathead on the run-in tide, which is when the water clears up.

Some nice jacks are around the lower reaches, along with plenty of crabs.

The upper Ballinger and Kelang are starting to clear up now after the flush, and hopefully we’ll get some more rain soon.

January 10, 2020

Out behind the FAD at the moment is fishing quite well, with some good dolphinfish and even the odd wahoo around. There have been some small kingies out there at times, but they only seem to be there when the dollies are elsewhere.

      Out on the wider grounds has been a few mackerel getting around, but very few and far between.

Black marlin have been a big drawcard this past week, haven’t been all great sizes but good catches of the last 4-5 days.

      Have been some good numbers of striped tuna and bonito and mac tuna pushing a lot of bait balls to the surface. Been plenty of slimy mackerel out there so finding the bait is key and sticking on them.

      Most of the washes around the islands fishing quite well for a mixed back of tailor and kingfish, and even the odd snapper.

      30-40m of water still been quite consistent for snapper, tuskies and pearlies.

      In 10-15m of water there have been a few snapper early in the morning getting around on the shallow reefs for kayakers to catch. As the sun comes up a lot of those fish head for the cooler, deeper water (around 18°C).

      Great southerly predicted for Saturday afternoon until Tuesday so guys looking for pelagic species should be excited because that’s what we need to bring the water warmer in, which brings the mackerel in both spotties and Spanish.

      The beaches have been fishing really well for whiting. Most anglers have been using small flesh baits such as worms and nippers, and the humble whitebait works well too.

      There have been some jewfish caught lately, and although they’re not big they are in good numbers. Mixed in have been some great bream and flathead. The beach fishing can be patchy at times, but if you stick to the tide changes you’ll maximise your chances of success.

      Tailor have been scarce on the beaches, which is to be expected as the mackerel get closer.

      On the rocks, drummer and groper have been slowing down, only the odd one getting caught. At this time of year they like to head to deeper water.

      There has still been the odd jew caught off the stones, with big hardbodies, soft plastics and livebait doing the damage. Dart have been quite consistent, with most caught on small 10-15g slugs. A few trevally have been hitting slugs as well, and there are still some nice bream to be caught off the beaches too. All in all, it’s a good time to get a mixed bag on the beaches.

      There has been the odd kingfish still scoping around most of the headlands on the tide changes, and generally the more water the better.

      In the rivers, you’ll find the flathead first thing in the morning sitting up in the shallow flats, before they move to deeper water as the shallows warm up. Whiting have been quite consistent on the surface, taking small stickbaits and poppers.

      Jewfish haven’t been great numbers in the river, but the occasional angler has caught one in the deeper holes.

      Trevally are widespread through the system due to salt levels. If you catch one, stick around as there will generally be more.

      There is still the odd mangrove jack and estuary cod on some of the break walls, rocky areas and little outcrops.

      Bass are struggling; many have been stuck in the lower reaches for quite some time, and they’re getting more and more red spot due to the lack of fresh water. It’s crucial to handle these stressed fish with care.

      Our freshwater regions are in really bad shape, with low oxygen levels combined with ash from the fires. It’s the worst I’ve seen it in my 15 years of living here, and we can probably expect a significant fish kill in the not-too-distant future. I found 10 dead bass recently and reported it to the DPI, who came out to test the water. If you see any dead bass, please report it to the DPI on 02 6652 3977 . – Kane Fairchild

December 19, 2019

Out wide in the deep the dollies have been quite active, with good size fish from around 60-1m around the FADs and wave recorder. Unfortunately, sometimes you’ll rock up only to find that the speros have moved in. If that happens you may have no choice but to leave.

      Off those deeper pinnacles in 60-70m of water there is great king fishing with jigs, and there are some samsonfish and amberjack mixed in. There’s a bit of current at this time of year, so you’ll probably need 150-200g jigs (e.g. Nomad Streaker and Samaki Sugar Baby and Hummer V2). As the season goes on we’ll find that 300g will be the go. There’s also a decent run of small to medium size kings on the FADs.

      Coming back into the 40-50m depth, there have been some great pearl perch, tuskfish and snapper.

      Some great small tuna are running around, mostly stripies and bonito, with the odd longtail starting to come through. Small 10-15g jigs or 10-15g metals have been the go for the tuna. Alternatively, you can use small flesh baits or lightly weighed soft plastics, and let them sink through the school.

      There have been reports of anglers getting spotted mackerel down at South West Rocks. When that happens, there’s the chance of getting some behind the lighthouse and Big Islands. Adding to the speculation is the fact that there have been a few snip-offs around the place, but who knows? In years past we’d have 3-4 floods under our belt by this time of year, and the mackerel would run from around December to April. The drought has changed all that. Hopefully we’ll get a good run in January.

      In close around the 20-15m mark there have been some pretty good kayaking sessions on snapper, with some good sizes amongst them as well. Earlier in the year it was quite hard for the guys fishing shallow but now we’re starting to see a pretty consistent bite first thing in the morning. A friend from work yesterday morning got an 82cm, 86cm and 90cm fish.

      Coming back onto the beaches the big drawcard over the past few weeks has been whiting. There are some great numbers of whiting, with most caught on fresh worms and nippers. Prawns and flesh baits will also work.

      Mixed in have been some great bream and the odd flathead. For the guys throwing metals there are still a few tailor getting around and the odd dart as well. You can catch the tailor on 40-85g metals or gang pillies, and the dart on 10-15g metals. There’s been the odd jewfish on the beaches in recent weeks too.

      The rock fishing has been pretty dismal. Although there have been some nice jews amongst the cracks, but getting them out can be difficult. Heavy rods, heavy lines and big reels are needed, and you should apply as much pressure as you can to get them out. Most are taking hardbodied lures and soft plastics, with the occasional one caught on bait.

      Tailor numbers have been slowly dwindling. You will still find them for the next month or so, but once the mackerel show up the tailor generally disappear.

      You can still get bream off the rocks, along with the odd whiting. The bream are taking small lures and soft plastics.

      The drummer and groper are further out than they are in winter, so when chasing them you need lots of berley. Just be aware that it can be quite hard to find them at this time of year.

      In the rivers, whiting have been the big drawcard. A lot of them are being taken on small surface stickbaits and poppers. Fresh worms and nippers have also been accounting for a few fish.

      Bream have been quite active, hitting most surface offerings and small crankbaits. There has also been quite a lot of flathead on most of the shallow flats, but as water temperatures rise they’ll seek refuge in deeper areas.

      Jewfish have been still active in small numbers, and your best bet is to fishing the change of the tides. 4-5” plastics and small hardbodies up to 120mm have been working.

      There are a few jacks and estuary cod getting around, and they’ll be pretty prolific over the next couple of months.

      Bass are still been stuck down in the salt, unless you’re fishing one of the larger systems. Most of the creeks are still very low with very little oxygen, so head the deeper rivers if you want to catch bass.

      Trevally are prevalent throughout the river, from the mouth to the brackish reaches. They are in great sizes and numbers this year – the best I’ve seen them for 5 years – and they are a lot of fun to catch. – Kane Fairchild

December 12, 2019

Getting away from the wind has been a hard slog of a late; we have been battered with big winds making hard to head offshore. The people that have been beating the odds have been rewarded but it has been tough.

Outside

30m mark has been producing good snapper with a mixed bag of pearl perch and tuskfish. Large soft plastic, slow jigs and mixed baits have been working well. Kingfish have been quite consistant from the washes to the deep. 50m+ have been great live bait and jigging spots with some good kings, samson and AJ. Small tuna species have still been pushing bait to the surface, with small plastics and slugs doing the damage. In close has had the odd red hunting these shallow areas. Plastics from 5″ to 7″ have been the main weapon of choice. Dolphin fish have been active at the FAD and wave recorder, not a lot of big fish this week but I’m sure they will turn up as we get the warmer blue water passing by in the next few weeks.

Rocks

Tailor are starting to thin out as the warmer water pushes in but there has been the odd kingfish still patrolling the ledges. Small stickbaits, plastics and live bait have been working well, with the larger models taking most live offerings. Drummer and groper are starting to also slow down but can still be found with a bit of hard work. Using large amounts of berley is the key to tempting these fish. Bream have been active, taking small strip baits.

Rivers

Still no rain so the salt has been spread through the whole system, making it tricky to find fish and bait. Once you find the bait, take your time in the area as you never know what may be lurking. There are great numbers of trevally in the systems at the moment with some great sized fish around, taking fast worked lures or live baits. Bream have been actively eating topwater offerings, and it’s always a great way to spend a afternoon. Whiting have been hit and miss for most anglers but they are starting to move around the system. They have been hard to find, but once you dofind them, small stickbaits, worms and nippers have been getting their fair share. Small Jewfish have been active around most deep ledges, holes and rock walls. – Kane Fairchild

Report 29/11/19

Out wide at the FADs and wave recorder buoys, dollies have been taken in good numbers – just be sure to get there early in the day.

Coming in closer to 50-60m, some nice kingies have been taken, and a few sambos and samsons are getting in on the act as well.

In around 40m, good snapper, tuskies and pearlies have been dominating catches and providing feeds for local reef bashers.

In the island washes, some smaller kingies around 5-6kg have been providing good sport for local lure casters.

In closer again to a out the 20-30m mark, great bonito and stripies are out and about for those after some fun or bait.

The odd longtail has been about as well, and if the rain stays away mackerel should show up a bit early, possibly around Christmas.

On the beaches, jew have been firing nicely and found along most beaches with good gutters.

There’s a small amount of tailor left, but they’re definitely patchy at best.

For the bread and butters fishers, bream and whiting are very consistent on most beaches. Dart and trevally can also be found along most good beaches.

On the rocks, kings are available on the headlands, but you need to out some time in.

The jew fishing from the rocks has been productive, especially for those throwing lures like hardbodies and soft plastics.

The tailor and bream have been patchy, but they are still there and worth having a go for.

In the rivers, whiting are the drawcard for most, with these guys taking baits and lures, and the topwater action has been hotting up for these little guys.

Flathead have been in shallow early before moving deeper later in the day.

There is still some smaller jew in the river, with the biggest coming in at about 80-90cm. Just find them on the sounder and you should be set.

Bream in the river are active, widespread, and responding to lures, including topwaters, so keep this in mind on those hot afternoons.

Jacks have been slow to start, but as it gets hotter and some storms start to build, the jack action should follow.

Bass fishing has been very slow, with a lot still in the salt unable to get back upstream because of the lack of flow. This area really needs some rain. Here’s hoping… – Kane Fairchild

Report 22/11/19

There have been some pretty good snapper on the inshore reefs, some good kingfish at the lighthouse at South Solitary, and dolphinfish on the wave recorder and the FAD.

On the beaches there’s a good run of bream and whiting. A few nice blackfish are being taken around the headlands.

With the way the northerly is blowing it’s going to be a weekend to fish the estuaries. There are whiting and flathead in the lower reaches, and some of the flathead have been quite big.

There are plenty of trevally around, particularly in the Bellingen and Kalang rivers.

There are also a few bass in the upper reaches.

Report 8/11/19

The strong winds have been keeping a lot of offshore anglers grounded, but when they have let up there have been plenty of dollies around the FADs to be caught.

Those braving it and travelling very wide have managed to pick up a few marlin and yellowfin tuna.

Moving in a bit closer, anglers have been picking up nice snapper in the 50-60m mark, with these guys responding to baits fairly regularly.

Back in around the islands kingies are responding to stickbaits at last, providing a lot of fun for local lure chuckers, but when they move deeper, jigs and livies are doing the trick. There are models out there stretching the tape to 120cm, so be prepared!

The close inshore stuff is becoming patchy, but there are still snapper being taken, although in nowhere near the numbers as in previous months.

Spinning for school jew off the headlands has been popular, just be sure to read the weather conditions and not put yourself in unnecessary danger.

In the creeks, with the flatty comp just round the corner there’s plenty of people fishing for them, and some nice catches have been made. Lots of quality flathead are being caught around the river mouths.

Whiting are responding to topwater lures, ad while the actions is not crazy just yet, it’s well worth your time heading down to a local flathead and having a flick.

Higher up, bass have been patchy due to the lack of rain, but are definitely hanging around in the brackish water and happy to chase down lures cast tight to structure.

There is trout fishing available up on the plateau, however you will need to find some of the deeper pools and more shaded creeks.

Report 1/11/19

This week anglers have had some really good success out on the wide grounds. Dolphinfish are just starting to come through, and although they’re not in great numbers there are some better sizes than last week.

      Back from most of the FADs in 70-80m we’ve been finding some solid kingfish around 8-10kg. Mixed in are amberjack and samsonfish around 3-4kg.

      Tuna are starting to make their presence felt, with a few longtails showing up. Mac tuna and bonito are abundant in most areas, and the key to finding them is finding the bait.

      In around 30-40m of water there’s been great fishing for tuskies, pearlies and snapper. Most of the island washes have been producing small snapper and small kingfish, and they’re a reliable way to turn a reel if you’ve had a bad day.

      Coming into the shallows, there have been reports of the odd snapper getting around but most have been in 30-40m.

      On the beaches, jewfish been quite prevalent, with some great captures over the past week. The whiting are thick, and providing great sessions for anglers soaking a bait on the beach. The odd bream and flathead is showing up too. There are small dart getting around in most of the washes. Tailor are slowly coming off the chew.

      The rivers have been fishing quite well, with great numbers of trevally mixed through most of the system. The sizes have ranged from 1kg up to 5kg. Flathead been on most shallow banks first thing in the morning, and have been moving to the deeper pools during the day. There has some really great whiting on the flats over the last week, and small stickbaits and small poppers have been working really well. Two of the most popular surface lures are the ZipBaits Skinny Pop and the Atomic K9, and most anglers take the rear treble off and change it to an assist hook.

      Bream are still quite common around the deeper edges, and you’ll come across a few when surface luring for whiting. Some smaller jewfish are in the rivers, and fishing the deeper edges with 5” soft plastics has been the go. 5” ZMan DieZel MinnowZ and Grass KickerZ are working well.

      Blackfish have started to slowly move into the upper reaches, with great numbers in the brackish areas. As we start to see the water temps rise, there will be great captures of mangrove jacks and estuary cod. You can catch them on hardbodies, surface walkers, soft plastics, or live herring or live mullet.

      Giant herring should start to move in this month, so keep an eye out for them.

Report 25/10/19

Out wide in the deep there have been dollies toward the FAD. They’re not in big numbers or of a very impressive size, but it looks good for the months ahead.

In closer there has been kings in 70-80m, and vertical jigging and live baits seems to be the best way to tangle with a few of these brutes.

Snapper have been touch and go, but if you can get into around that 40m mark there have been some snapper there for the taking. Mixed in with them has been the odd pearly and tusky.

We are starting to see some tuna, mainly longtails and stripies, with some quality bonito in amongst them.

On the beaches, a lot of people are talking about whiting, as this time of year is a great time to be chasing them. Each week there is more and more caught, and small nipper and beachworms are probably the two best baits at the moment. With the whiting is some decent bream.

Jewfish are on cards, generally in hour before or after the tide change. Fresh baits of bonito or mullet should put in with a good chance of a hook up.

There’s lots of dart around for those who are keen. Anglers are using small metals, to catch them, and mixed in is the odd trevally

Rock fishing this week has seen jewfish in good numbers. Early morning and late arvo are thetimes to be trying your luck. Hardbodies and soft plastics are working equally well, you just need to be prepared to put a bit of time in.

Tailor have been scarce and hard to find, but if you can find a few you should be able to catch them.

Bream and whiting have been a bit touch and go off stones, with more bream than whiting, but still worth the effort if nothing else is biting.

Kingies have been biting in short windows off the rocks – if you’re there when theyre feeding you’ll do well.

Groper and drummer are starting to become hard to find, and if chasing them, berley hard. Fresh prawns and cunje are the two best baits for these species.

The river have been clear and the fish a bit hard to entice. Whiting, bream and small jewfish have been available, generally on the bottom of the tide when the water is at its dirtiest.

Trevally have been crazy all through the river. Small GTs, brassies and big-eyes have all been caught in good numbers by those throwing a variety of lures. The biggest GTs have been around 6-7kg!

Bass are still in the mid sections, unable to ascend to the higher pools. There hasn’t been many in the top reaches, but a few can be caught in the remnant pools. This area really needs rain if the bass fishing is going to improve.

Kane Fairchild

Report 18/10/19

Out wide there have been some good marlin getting around; this is the first trickle of sizeable marlin that we’ve seen in the last few months. A big stripey was caught off the canyons 2 days ago, and there’s the odd little one around as well.

Good runs of longtail tuna starting to pop through now as well, and hopefully they’ll provide some good action over the next 4-5 months.

Out off the deeper reefs there are still guys chasing bar cod, with some good captures in the last few days. There were a couple around 15-20kg, which aren’t enormous but still nice fish.

Around most of the islands there are plenty of kingfish ranging from 70cm to 1.3m. Some samsonfish and amberjack are getting caught too.

Out at the 80m mark near the FAD and the wave recorder we’ve been having small runs of dolphinfish. Most are smaller fish, with only the odd big one mixed in. The smaller dollies are willing to bite, but the large ones are more cautious. As the water warms it should become easier to catch them.

Tailor have been very scare around most of the washes, and their numbers will continue to dwindle. Whenever the tuna and/or mackerel come through, the tailor clock out.

Vertical jigging for kings just outside of the shoals has been really popular in 70-80m of water. If you’re fishing, say, 80m of water, drop your jig to 60m, jig it up to around 20m and repeat. The most popular jig at the moment is the Nomad Streaker, and the standout colours are chartreuse white glow colour in low light conditions, and fusilier and mahimahi colours during the day. If you can get away with a lighter weight, such as 100g, that’s preferable because it makes for a more natural flutter. Obviously though if the current is strong you may need to go as high as 300g.

A lot of guys are reporting good catches of pearl perch around the 50m mark. There are fish up to 4kg which is pretty good for this time of year. They’re being taken on Palms Slow Blatt jigs, stripbaits and livies.

In the same areas, snapper are getting harder and harder to find, but the sizes are good; the average is 3-5kg with the odd 7-8kg one getting caught. Early morning soft plastic fishing and bait fishing is the rule of thumb, although an increasing number of anglers are doing well on slow pitch jigs.

On the beaches, jewfish are the star attraction. We’ve had some great sessions this week, with the best times being early mornings, late afternoons and into the night. Sizes have ranged from 4-20kg. Mixed in are lots of whiting, which have been taking fresh worms and pumped nippers.

We’re still seeing some good runs of fairly sizeable bream. It’s not quite as good as the bream fishing in winter, but there are still some good numbers around.

Dart are also biting in the surf, taking 10-25g slugs fished on fairly small, light threadline gear and 8-9ft rods.

Rock fishing been pretty slow this week, with only a couple of jewfish reported. I haven’t heard reports of drummer or groper, but no doubt there are determined anglers out there still catching a few.

There have been some good numbers of bream around, we’ve been having fun sessions down at Muttonbird and around The Quarry. Tailor have been pretty scarce the last few weeks, and their numbers will continue to drop.

The odd king is still getting around the rocks but they’re harder to find as the water gets warmer. As they start to move on, the tuna will start to fire up and take their place.

Anglers have been catching small bonito and small mac tuna, filling up freezers with bait for summer. They’re being caught on small slugs and small stickbaits.

In the rivers we’ve finally had a little bit of rain. It hasn’t been enough to give the system a proper flush, but it helped a bit. We had 20mm on Tuesday night, and I went out on Wednesday and picked up some nice fish, and found more bait moving around. Most of the mouths of the little feeder creeks were fishing well, with schools of trevally and bream. I also found a couple of little tailor and a lesser queenfish.

A lot of whiting are taking poppers and stickbaits by anglers fishing the shallow flats on a high tide. You should work your stickbaits or poppers a little slower than you would in summer, because the fish are still a little colder. Pumped nippers and bloodworms are also pulling up a fair few fish.

There’s a good run of small jew down most of the rivers, generally on the deeper sections such as pylons and deeper drop-offs. Basically, anywhere you can find a steep incline of 3-5m of water you should find a few fish.

We’re seeing some great captures of flathead on glidebaits and big swimbaits. Key to chasing these guys is to scout around looking for lies at low tide, and then return at high tide to fish. The big flatties are smart, so getting them to eat a lure is sometimes difficult, bit if you stick at it you’ll eventually have success. Bait fishers are using pillies, slow winding them in (like you would if you’re for kingies with a garfish bait), and they’ve been catching fish to 1m.

Trevally have been widespread in the system, from the salt to the brackish water.

Kane Fairchild

Report 4/10/19

So it has been a great week weather wise here on the north coast, a lot of good reports this week as we kick off the NSW school holidays. Days have been hot, still no rain and fires burning west of us smoke covers the city centre. It has been really dry, with some upper section of the rivers coming to barely a trickle. We are in need of rain but that doesn’t mean the fishing has come to a halt.

Outside
This week a lot of people heading wide found some great bar cod in 100m+. No reports of blue eye but I’m sure there were a few around. A lot of talk around the place about pearlies this week, some really good quality fish. Most people were finding good numbers in 40m+ with the odd tusky and snapper, which makes for a good day on the water. Kingfish still around most of the islands with the odd tailor as well. Small slugs and stickbaits were on the cards for most anglers, but the ones who took the time to jigbait found the larger models. A live slimy or yakka is hard to resist, and that’s when the larger fish will make mistakes more often. Small mac tuna and bonito have been schooling bait to the surface, and small slugs and stickbaits worked fast when the bait is boiling have been working well.

Rocks
Tailor have been really patchy. Bream are still around in good numbers keeping most people entertained. The odd king has been showing up from time to time to test people’s gear out. Drummer and groper are still around, just not in the same numbers they were in winter. As the water warms up they look for cooler water, heading to some of the deeper reefs.

Rivers
Bream have been widespread through the system and have been responding to surface lures as the water warms up. A great way to catch bream is fishing the flats with surface poppers and small stickbaits. Whiting are starting to fire up, and worms and nippers have been the pick of the baits. Flathead around the system have been widespread also due to lack of rain. Small plastics and hardbodies have been working well.

Kane Fairchild

Report 27/9/19

Out wide there have been really nice bar cod and some blue-eye coming in over the last week, generally around that 100-120m mark. The currents are starting to get quicker so bring a few different weights. Most guys are using 2-3kg at the moment.

In closer around that 80m mark the kings are still pretty active, with a few AJs and samsons mixed in. I haven’t heard of huge fish this week but there have been some solid 8-10kg models still getting caught. Knife jigs and live baits are both catching fish.

In around the 50m mark there has been some really good pearl perch fishing. More and more people are now using slow jigs when targeting pearlies. Popular jigs are the Palms Slow Blatt, Nomads Gypsy Jigs and Buffalo Jigs, Samaki Ribcage, in weights from 60-100g depending on current. Because the water is so clear, anglers are favouring more natural colours such as fusilier, mahimahi and pink sardine.

Mixed in with the pearl perch are tuskies. Although not as eager to eat a jig as pearlies are, you still get the odd one.

As we start seeing the warmer water come in the snapper are becoming more finicky. Your best bet is deeper water around 40-60m. If you don’t have any luck with 7” plastics, try downsizing to 5”, or use live baits, pillies or squid.

Most of the island washes are fishing really well for kings, although most of them are rats. Still, if you’ve caught no bottom fish that day, the little kings are a good way to get the reels turning before you head home. There’s still the odd tailor in the wash too, along with the occasional snapper.

Fishing in the shallows, around 10-15m, has been hit and miss. It can fish really well on some days but other days you can’t raise a scale, probably due to the warmer water. Early mornings are working better than in the afternoon, so if you’re targeting shallower grounds you should fish that period up to 9am and then move on.

Tuna been pretty widespread, with mac tuna, bonito and even the odd longtail tuna getting around. Frigate mackerel are popping up occasionally as well. The tuna are being taken in anything from 10-70m of water. We’ll see bigger runs of bluefin as the summer species start to kick into gear.

Whiting are starting to congregate around most of the beaches in good numbers. Live beachworms and nippers are the best baits, but if you can’t get those you can still have success on frozen worms or peeled prawns.

The bream spawning season is winding down so the big fish are heading out to sea, but you can still catch a decent feed of bream from the beaches.

Flathead are becoming more common on the beaches, moving right up into the shallows at times, and you can get them in as little as 2ft of water. I’ve been getting good catches lately on 7g and 10g TT Switchblades in natural colours, with a mix of sand and dusky flathead. 2-3” plastics work well too, or even a shallow hardbody on a nice calm day.

With the whiting being so common, the jewfish aren’t far behind. While gutting jewfish over the years I can’t tell you how many whiting I’ve found in their stomachs. Turn of the tide at night is best, and generally 4 days before and after a full or new moon.

There’s still the odd tailor off the beach but they’re slowing up, disappearing from the shallows and heading deeper. Dart are becoming more common, taking little 10-15g metals, or you can use 70-90mm stickbaits on calm days.

Off the rocks there are still drummer and groper getting caught, but warmer conditions should see them head off to the reefs. You need to use a lot of berley at this time of year to entice them into the warmer water.

Tailor are still being taken off the rocks but they’re becoming less frequent. Bream still around the rocks too but the sizes are getting smaller as the bigger ones head out.

If you’re targeting jewfish off the rocks, don’t be afraid to cast into shallow water. If a jew can find a crack where it can sit and hide, watching for baitfish, it will. Soft plastics and hardbodies are the most popular lure options. Baitfishing with whole squid or bonito strips is also popular.

Kingfish are still getting around the stones, but they come and go with the tide following bait. You can’t count on them being there but if you’re lucky you’ll come across them from time to time. Stickbaits, poppers or even hardbodies can work at times, but some days the kings won’t take anything but a live bait such as a herring or yakka.

The fishing in the rivers has been patchy; the fish are very spread out in the system because there’s so much salt. Flathead are the most common target because they can be found on most of the sand flats at this time of year. Try to can get there on a low tide to see the lies, and come back on a high tide and fish for them. You’ll often come up trumps with a flathead.

There have been some great captures of whiting in the rivers this week. Little stickbaits and poppers have been working well, but the whiting have sometimes been finicky in the warming water, preferring a lightly weighted bait.

Bream have been quite consistent through winter, and we’ll start to see them come to the surface a bit more now. Catching them on poppers and little stickbaits is always good fun, and as the water warms we’ll see more action.

Blackfish are slowly coming off the chew, although there are still a few anglers chasing them for their last hurrah for the year.

Jew are still on the cards but when the water is so clear it’s harder to find them in good numbers. Fishing at night has been best.

Trevally been widespread though the river in good numbers. You can be catching bream and flathead one minute, and then school of trevally will come through.

The bass have been very hard to find. The freshwater has little oxygen and bait, so there’s not much incentive for the bass to push upstream. If you’re keen to catch bass, watch your sounder for bait and fish those spots hard.

Kane Fairchild

Report 21/9/19

Out wide there have been really nice bar cod and some blue-eye coming in over the last week, generally around that 100-120m mark. The currents are starting to get quicker so bring a few different weights. Most guys are using 2-3kg at the moment.

In closer around that 80m mark the kings are still pretty active, with a few AJs and samsons mixed in. I haven’t heard of huge fish this week but there have been some solid 8-10kg models still getting caught. Knife jigs and live baits are both catching fish.

In around the 50m mark there has been some really good pearl perch fishing. More and more people are now using slow jigs when targeting pearlies. Popular jigs are the Palms Slow Blatt, Nomads Gypsy Jigs and Buffalo Jigs, Samaki Ribcage, in weights from 60-100g depending on current. Because the water is so clear, anglers are favouring more natural colours such as fusilier, mahimahi and pink sardine.

Mixed in with the pearl perch are tuskies. Although not as eager to eat a jig as pearlies are, you still get the odd one.

As we start seeing the warmer water come in the snapper are becoming more finicky. Your best bet is deeper water around 40-60m. If you don’t have any luck with 7” plastics, try downsizing to 5”, or use live baits, pillies or squid.

Most of the island washes are fishing really well for kings, although most of them are rats. Still, if you’ve caught no bottom fish that day, the little kings are a good way to get the reels turning before you head home. There’s still the odd tailor in the wash too, along with the occasional snapper.

Fishing in the shallows, around 10-15m, has been hit and miss. It can fish really well on some days but other days you can’t raise a scale, probably due to the warmer water. Early mornings are working better than in the afternoon, so if you’re targeting shallower grounds you should fish that period up to 9am and then move on.

Tuna been pretty widespread, with mac tuna, bonito and even the odd longtail tuna getting around. Frigate mackerel are popping up occasionally as well. The tuna are being taken in anything from 10-70m of water. We’ll see bigger runs of bluefin as the summer species start to kick into gear.

Whiting are starting to congregate around most of the beaches in good numbers. Live beachworms and nippers are the best baits, but if you can’t get those you can still have success on frozen worms or peeled prawns.

The bream spawning season is winding down so the big fish are heading out to sea, but you can still catch a decent feed of bream from the beaches.

Flathead are becoming more common on the beaches, moving right up into the shallows at times, and you can get them in as little as 2ft of water. I’ve been getting good catches lately on 7g and 10g TT Switchblades in natural colours, with a mix of sand and dusky flathead. 2-3” plastics work well too, or even a shallow hardbody on a nice calm day.

With the whiting being so common, the jewfish aren’t far behind. While gutting jewfish over the years I can’t tell you how many whiting I’ve found in their stomachs. Turn of the tide at night is best, and generally 4 days before and after a full or new moon.

There’s still the odd tailor off the beach but they’re slowing up, disappearing from the shallows and heading deeper. Dart are becoming more common, taking little 10-15g metals, or you can use 70-90mm stickbaits on calm days.

Off the rocks there are still drummer and groper getting caught, but warmer conditions should see them head off to the reefs. You need to use a lot of berley at this time of year to entice them into the warmer water.

Tailor are still being taken off the rocks but they’re becoming less frequent. Bream still around the rocks too but the sizes are getting smaller as the bigger ones head out.

If you’re targeting jewfish off the rocks, don’t be afraid to cast into shallow water. If a jew can find a crack where it can sit and hide, watching for baitfish, it will. Soft plastics and hardbodies are the most popular lure options. Baitfishing with whole squid or bonito strips is also popular.

Kingfish are still getting around the stones, but they come and go with the tide following bait. You can’t count on them being there but if you’re lucky you’ll come across them from time to time. Stickbaits, poppers or even hardbodies can work at times, but some days the kings won’t take anything but a live bait such as a herring or yakka.

The fishing in the rivers has been patchy; the fish are very spread out in the system because there’s so much salt. Flathead are the most common target because they can be found on most of the sand flats at this time of year. Try to can get there on a low tide to see the lies, and come back on a high tide and fish for them. You’ll often come up trumps with a flathead.

There have been some great captures of whiting in the rivers this week. Little stickbaits and poppers have been working well, but the whiting have sometimes been finicky in the warming water, preferring a lightly weighted bait.

Bream have been quite consistent through winter, and we’ll start to see them come to the surface a bit more now. Catching them on poppers and little stickbaits is always good fun, and as the water warms we’ll see more action.

Blackfish are slowly coming off the chew, although there are still a few anglers chasing them for their last hurrah for the year.

Jew are still on the cards but when the water is so clear it’s harder to find them in good numbers. Fishing at night has been best.

Trevally been widespread though the river in good numbers. You can be catching bream and flathead one minute, and then school of trevally will come through.

The bass have been very hard to find. The freshwater has little oxygen and bait, so there’s not much incentive for the bass to push upstream. If you’re keen to catch bass, watch your sounder for bait and fish those spots hard.

Kane Fairchild

Report 13/9/19

Out wide between 80-90m has been pretty consistent for bar cod and blueye trevalla. There’s a fair bit of current, and most guys are dropping down with 1kg weights. There’s the odd snapper, tuskfish and pearly out there as well, but not many.

Around the lighthouse and most of the islands there’s good kingy fishing. AJs and samsons have been in the deeper sections around 60-70m with kingfish around the Patch and out towards the canyons. Bonito and mac tuna are being caught in 20-60m of water. There’s only the odd longtail showing up, but next month there should be more of them.

The 40m depth is yielding consistent catches of snapper, with the odd pearly and tusky mixed in. In closer it’s been tough going for guys in kayaks and tinnies, with only the odd snapper caught. If you want to catch snapper, you don’t want to go any shallower than 20-30m.

Off the beaches the whiting are starting to really pick up, and small nippers and worms are the go-to baits. There have been some good bream and the odd flathead getting caught around potholes. If you want to catch a jewie, fish the turn of the tide to give yourself the best chance of success. Tailor are still around but they’re hit and miss. Some days there are plenty, and on other days you’re lucky to get a couple. Their numbers will continue to dwindle.

The rocks have been fishing really well for drummer and groper, but we’ll slowly start to see them come off the chew as the water gets warmer. Heavy berleying will draw them from the deeper reefs into into the shallows. I recommend bringing 5-8 loaves of bread.

The kingfish are quite consistent, they’re only 50-70cm but they’re in good numbers. Jewfish also been on the cards on the turn of the tides first thing in the morning and late in the afternoon.

The rivers been really consistent with flathead in the shallows. We will start to see them going into the deeper sections in the coming weeks, and they’ll be very widespread, from the mouth to the brackish reaches. Fingers crossed the rain comes soon because the rivers are struggling a bit.

Guys prefishing for ABT comps are reporting good catches of bream up in the shallows and under the racks.

Whiting are also on the cards now. With the warmer days and water temps rising with the northerlies coming through we’ll start to see more whiting on the chew. Little stickbaits and poppers work well at times, but when the whiting are finicky the odd worm or pumped yabby goes a treat.

Jewfish have been hit and miss, probably due to the gin clear water, which doesn’t give the fish any cover to hunt from. Even the bottom of the tide is pretty much crystal clear.

As warmer days start to kick in we’ll start to see small cod and mangrove jack starting to fire up.

Up in the brackish water there are bass are being caught; with the water so low they can’t go further upstream. Most brackish reaches are also fishing well for a range of trevally species.

Report 6/9/19

Out wide has been fishing well around the 90m for those chasing bar cod and blue eye. Mixed in with them has been snapper and pearlies.
Coming in closer to about the 40m mark is where most people are fishing because it’s nice and warm. Water temps didn’t drop below 19 degrees this year, which is weird, so most have been catching their snapper in the deeper water.
Tuskies and pearies make for some great by-catch when searching for snapper too.
Kingfish and amberjacks are going great guns behind the lighthouse, with areas like the shoals and canyons both both producing kingies around 90-100cm.
The islands and washes are giving up tailor and kingfish, with some of the kings smashing up lighter gear.
In a bit closer, it is very warm, with many people people struggling to catch a feed. First thing in morning is definitely the best way to go.
In this area, it’s possible to have some fun with bonnies and mac tuna, in around that close 20-30m mark. This is a good option if the snapper aren’t playing.

The beaches are fishing well, but with a big swell coming this may make it hard.Soaking baits should get you some tailor,and while the bream are slowly going off the bite, the whiting are really coming on.

The rivers are going well for flathead, and the shallow areas seem to be the key, with anglers using big swimbaits and plastics claiming some big fish.
With bass season back on, many people will be chasing our bronzed battlers, however many bass are in poor condition, because they can’t get upstream because of a lack of rain.
Bream have been plentiful, and the next few weeks should see them slow down, but there’s still some good numbers in the deeper sections.
Whiting are a big drawcard, with topwater lures, nipper and other fresh baits the best choices.
Jewfish in rivers are still a possibility, and at this time they get into brackish reaches, with most fish in the 50-80cm range.
Blackfish are starting to come off the chew, but those who persist with cabbage flies are still nailing the odd bag.

Kane Fairchild

Report 16/8/19

The warmer weather is here and we have been blessed with some amazing days this last week, with hardly no wind and beautiful clear skies. The Coffs coast is heating up and so is the fishing.

Outside
Out wide in 100m+ some nice blue eye have been getting extracted from the deeper reefs. With a bit of current around most have opted for 2kg+ weights.

In the 50-80m mark we have had a bunch of hoodlums patrolling these areas. Live baits and large knife jigs have been doing the damage, just remember that this type of fishing can be brutal! 80lb+ mainlines with PE8 rods are what most use when chasing these bullies of the ocean. Kings have the ability to travel through all depths of water at top speed, and there is not much in the ocean that pulls as hard as a kingfish.

The snapper have been in deeper water as we have not had the temps drop below 20°C. A lot of people chasing snaps in the shallows have been struggling but there have been a few reports this week of a few lurking around our coastline. Tuskfish and pearl perch have also been in the 50m+ zone, with some nice bags coming through most of the week. Small strip baits and slow jigs have been doing well.

Beaches
Tailor have been in good numbers this year, with some great sized fish amongst them. Small metal lures have been working well, and for people soaking a bait the gang hooked pillies been picking up a few fish. With the full moon phase Jewfish have been on the cards, with some good reports this week. It will be a great option to soak some baits along your local gutters. Big bream are in force, but as the jew move in we’ll find a lot of species that were once the hunter will become the hunted.

Rivers
Rivers have been tough. The water is very clear due to the lack of rain, and it’s been hard to find fish in good numbers. This is where a good sounder comes into play; finding large bait schools can be the key to turning a donut into a good day out.

The shallow flats have been key to chasing flathead of late, but as the water temps rise we should see a lot start heading for deeper water. Bream have been in good numbers and so have the trevally. Lightly weighted plastics or small strip baits are working well, just remember that light presentation is the key. With the water temps rising we should see some good numbers of whiting should start to show up. Small stickbaits and poppers can make for a really nice day out catching these little speedsters. If you prefer chasing them on bait, you can’t go past fresh beach worms or nippers. Getting fresh bait can make a big difference when getting a nice feed for the table. Only keep what you need as it can be easy to get carried away when the bite is hot. Fresh is always best.

Kane Fairchild

Report 9/8/19

Still no rain so conditions have been tough in most rivers. That’s not to say there’s no fish around, they have just been spread through the system.

Outside has been fishing well, with most making the effort to travel to the deeper reefs as it has been hard for most in the shallows.

Outside
The wide grounds have been fishing well this week, with some great kingfish, amberjack and sambos. Livebaits, slow jigs and large plastics have been taking their fair share of fish this week. Snapper and pearl perch have been in good numbers in the 40-60m mark. In close has been a struggle for many, with patchy reports most of the week with the odd angler getting a few fish.

The islands have been fishing well, with good numbers of kings and tailor making up most people’s bags. With the odd snapper thrown into the mix, it’s been a good time to be outside on the Coffs coast.

Beaches
There have been some XL bream patrolling the beaches of late, with really good numbers and some great sized fish.

Jewfish have also been fishing pretty well for the experienced angler. Chasing tides and selecting good fresh bait can mean all the difference when looking for jewfish.

Some great sandy and dusky flathead have also been on the cards, with light weighted baits and small plastics working well.

Tailor have been in great numbers, with most taken on ganged pillies and small slugs. Some great sized fish up to 4kg have been caught this week. As the weather gets warmer we should see dart and whiting start to fire up so the next few weeks will be promising.

Rocks
There have been some great tailor running this year. We had a early run of good greenbacks and even the odd salmon. Great sized bream have been also running the ledges when fishing for pelagics, and if it’s a tough bite the bream are always there to turn a reel.

Jewfish have been few and far between. There have been some great reports north of us but Coffs has been slow this week, with only a few people lucky enough to knuckle a couple. Live baits are still the most popular method, with the odd fish taken on plastics or hardbodies.

Kingfish have been patchy but a few anglers have been getting stuck into them this week. The best fish I heard of was 7kg.

Rivers
As I mentioned earlier, fish have been widespread through the system. Finding bait schools on the sounder and targeting fish with a variety of lures has been working well for me. Small blades, plastics and deep diving hardbodies have been effective, and changing up methods can be all the difference between coming home with fish or finishing empty-handed. Once you have found the bait, try different methods until you find one that works. Sometimes it takes me three lure changes before I find the right method to get fish keen on my offering.

Bream have been in great numbers this year, with some real brutes getting taken from the mouth of most rivers.

Jewfish have been hugging the deeper edges and drop-offs in the system, and once you find them on the sounder it just takes time to work out when they’re feeding and what to offer them.

Great numbers of trevs have been keeping anglers entertained, and small stickbaits and light weighted plastics have been working well.

Flathead have been a big thing here on the coast of late. A lot of people subscribe to the ‘big bait equals big fish’ theory, and I have been surprised at some of the quality fish taken in the shallows.

Kane Fairchild

Report 2/8/19

Most guys heading wide have been chasing bar cod and blue eye in around 100-140m of water. Generally around a 3kg weight because the current has been pretty fierce.

In closer around 80m we’re seeing some nice kingfish getting jigged up. As long as the current is there the kingies are generally there too. A few amberjack and samsons are mixed in. There are also some really good pearlies around the 50-80m mark, with the average being 2-3kg with the odd 4-4.5kg fish. Most are getting caubght on slow fall jigs such as Palms Slow Blatts, or flesh baits. There’s also the odd tusky and the odd snapper.

Most of the washes around the islands are fishing really well, with good reports of great tailor, kingfish and snapper. Small stickbaits, little hardbodies and small soft plastics are the most popular methods, but a very lightly weighted bait would also work.

At this time of year the washes also hold good drummer and groper. You can get them on cunje and small crabs. More blokes are taking on the challenge of using imitation crabs.

Tuna species slowed down a bit, still the odd one pop up, still plenty of bonito and mac tuna and this time of year but haven’t heard of a longtail for a couple for weeks now.

In a bit closer, at this time of year the 30m mark is where most blokes chase snapper. The go this year is really lightly weighted 5″ plastics. If you’re struggling with larger 7″ plastics, try downsizing to a 5″ plastic and a 3/0 hook. At first light you should go for darker colours, and then switch to natural colours like pilchard or pink glow, which work well in the clear water. Good options include Gulp Jerkshads, Bewaa Deus, scented ZMan PaddlerZ, Grass KickerZ, and scented JerkshadZ. You can also do well on the 110 Squidgy Pro Prawn with wriggler tail, rigged on a light jighead. Cast out into the current as far away from the boat as you can, and let it sink. You’ll most often get hit on the drop. If not, you can give slow and steady hops back to the boat. Or you can just rip it in, cast back out and try to get a fish on the drop.

In these shallower waters there’s the odd kingfish so be aware. You have to put a lot of hurt on them, because they’ll put a lot of hurt on you. There’s also the odd pearly caught from 25-30m of water, but that’s rare.

Most beaches are fishing pretty well for bread and butter species. There are plenty of good quality bream and flathead in the potholes. If you come along a gutter and can see a pothole a couple of feet in front of you, don’t be afraid to drop something in. You can catch flathead slow hopping vibes and lightly weighted soft plastics worked slowly off the bottom. A lightly weighted bait would work just as well.

The whiting are a bit more scarce, but as spring kicks in the whiting and dart should start to fire up.

There are lots of great tailor getting caught on ganged pilchards at dawn, dusk or nighttime. There haven’t been great sizes of jew this week, but coming into that new moon phase you’ll find that those bigger tides should bring in some big fish.

With the big seas there’s been the odd snapper getting caught. If you are fishing off a beach that has a very close reef, from time to time a snapper will venture out into shallow water.

The rocks are fantastic at this time of year. Kingfish and jewfish are the most popular species to chase. Get your live baits early in the morning, put them in a bucket with an aerator, and send them out under a float. The lure throwers using soft plastics and small stickbaits. Anglers targeting jew are throwing slab baits like bonito or tailor, or hardbodies and soft plastics.

There are plenty of bream off all rock ledges. They’re usually not too hard to find, but if you’re struggling just berley up and you should be able to pick up a few.

Tailor have also been common across most rock ledges, caught on ganged pillies and little metal slugs. Slugs are a great option because you can cover a lot of ground quickly.

Drummer and groper still on the cards, taking small cunje baits and little bits of crabs and large amounts of berley. Use very lightly weighted sinkers and very strong 1/0-3/0 hooks.

The rivers have been fishing really well for bream. They’re great sizes and range all through the water column, and most should be fully roed up ready to breed. Please be aware of the number of fish you’re keeping at this time of year, as we want a good breeding season to ensure future stocks.

Flathead are being caught on big lures in super shallow water, as they sun themselves. Maximum casting distance is good so you don’t spook them. You can use big swimbaits, big soft plastics or fairly large surface lures. Work them super slow and keep it in their face as much as possible. If you do get a short strike and they haven’t touched the lure or hook, make lots of casts back in there as they should have a crack.

Small jew have been getting around most of the estuaries, taking small vibes and plastics. Live herring and poddy mullet are good baits. Most jew are hard up against structure or in deep sections of the river. Find a drop off or some hard cover and some bait, and work it until they come through.

Trevally have been in plague proportions in most rivers. A lot are quite small but if you’re struggling to catch flatties and jew, drop to lighter gear and chase the trevors. They can make up for a bad day.

If you want to catch whiting, look for the shallows where the fish can sun themselves. Whiting are quite shy at this time of year, so you’re better off finding a group of them rather than a couple. When there’s a group the whiting will compete with each other to take your bait.

Kane Fairchild

Report 26/7/19

Out wide the current has been pretty good so a lot of guys have been getting their deep drop gear out. They have been getting blue eye and bar cod in 100-150m of water. Most of the guys are using 2-3kg weights to get to the bottom.

In a bit closer the lighthouse has been amazing, with some really good reports of nice samsons, kings and the odd amberjack. They are ranging from around 6kg up to the odd one around 10-15kg. Light weighted soft plastics up in the wash flicked back at speed have been working well. 120-220mm stickbaits are another great option, worked with a sweeping-pause action. On the pause is usually when you see the boil.

In 30-40m has been fishing well for pearl perch just outside the lighthouse, we’re seeing great bags with fish up to 4kg. Tuskies also been mixed in. Most pearlies and tuskies have been caught on slow jigs, pilchards or squid.

Snapper have been widespread, anywhere from 10-50m, so it’s had to pinpoint where they are. Keep an eye on your sounder, and where you find the bait you’ll find the arches.

In deeper water most guys are using 3/8 to 1/2oz jigheads with 5″ and 7″ plastics, both paddle tail and flick. In the shallower stuff, 10-30m, the snapper are getting chased on 1/4 and 3/8oz jigheads. 5″ plastics working better than 7″ in the shallows. ZMan StreakZ and humble Gulp. Biwaa Deus also doing well.

Most of the islands have been fishing really well for tailor in the washes.

The beaches have been fishing really well for bream. Most people using yabbies, worms or prawns have been getting good fish, including 1kg and 1.5kg specimens. Mixed in are tailor, which have been patrolling most of the beaches. Low light periods are always best for tailor, and if you’re throwing around metals, change up your retrieve rate to see what works on the day. If you’re using bait, the humble gang hook and pillies been working really well.

There have been some really nice jew getting around, especially with the moon phase we’ve got at the moment. There have been some really nice captures over the past week, with some jew around 8-9kg. One gentleman here got a couple at 12kg, which is nice to see.

There has been the odd flathead in the shallows in most of the potholes around the beach. Slow worked soft plastics and small vibes have been picking up most of the flatties.

On the rocks, there’s great fishing for drummer, and groper as well. Berley is key (I take out 5-8 loaves of bread). Fresh baits are always great, such as cunje or prawns. You can even get them on a pumped nipper but you’ll get a lot of pickers too. I collect handfuls of sand so the bread sinks, and add prawn heads or the hard bits of cunje to the berley mix. Weed is good too, if you can get it.

The groper will eat the same baits, but it’s better if you can get down the night before and get some crabs. Some anglers have been trying Chasebaits Fish Candy soft plastic crabs, soaked in the berley bucket before being cast out. It’s a tricky approach, as you have a very small window in which to strike. Groper like to chew on bait for a while, and until you feel he’s really got it down you don’t set the hook. If he doesn’t like the taste/feel of the imitation crab, he’ll spit it out; ditto if he feels tension on the line. It’s easier to use real crabs.

There are some nice tailor getting around off most of the rocky headlands. Metal slugs and small stickbaits been picking up a few fish. Jewfish are another big drawcard; the moon phase is really good for them at the moment. Big hardbody lures, bit soft plastics and livebaits have been working over the past week.

The odd king still getting around off the headlands, they’re only 2-4kg rats but still fun. Light soft plastics, small hardbodies and stickbaits have been working fairly consistently.

Bream have been getting pretty thick off the stone ledges. Sticking in close is key, keeping your baits close against the rocks. The bream are hiding from the tailor and kingfish, and are sticking close to the rocks. Just cast it at your feet and let the bait drift around with a light sinker. Youwant it to look as natural as possible. If you’ve got a heavy sinker and you’re casting way out into no man’s land, you won’t do well. Instead, use as light a sinker as you can, let it drift around until the bait gets too close to the rocks, then wind it in and cast out. Keep tension on the line, and watch out for those little telltale ticks on the line.

Snapper are another drawcard off the rocks as we’ve had some decent swell, there have been five or six decent fish taken off the stones over the past week. One was 3.5kg.

The river hasn’t had much rain so the water is gin clear. The fish are widespread but there are still some good captures if you can find them on the sounder. That’s key to success. Most of the guys chasing bream have been finding them up in the shallows on the top of the tide, hungrily trying to access the oysters etc. Bream are also being caught from the deeper holes on the bottom of the tide. Mixed in are some really nice flathead; I had a nice session on Monday night when I got 10 in 1.5 hours on soft plastics and vibes. I used the 10g TTs Switchblade in the Greenback colour, a 65mm Squidgy Pro Prawn Wriggler Tail (which got too many smaller fish), and a 3″ MinnowZ from ZMan in opening night. Generally at this time of year, if you catch one flattie you’ll catch more.

The GTs in the system have been widespread from the mouth right up to the brackish areas. They’re quite consistent 0.5-1.5kg trevs with the odd 2.5kg cracker if you can get through the pickers.

There are still jewfish getting caught in most of the deep edges around most of the rivers here. Not great sizes, just below legal around 60-70cm mark. There’s still the odd one around the metre mark if you’re lucky.

Kane Fairchild

Report 19/7/19

The rain has eased bringing some beautiful winter weather to spend some quality time on the water. We didn’t get the flush we would’ve hoped for but still something is better then nothing. School holidays are in full swing and its been busy on the water of a late due to the influx of tourists visiting the beautiful coffs coast.

Outside
Snapper have been own most peoples minds venturing outside, and you don’t have to travel far to find these hard fighting fish. In depths from 10-30m water you should find snapper on most of the close reefs hugging our coast. 7 inch and 5inch plastics have been getting some great fish of a late for the lure heads, and the humble squid and pillie combo been working well for the people wanting to soak a bait.
This time of year the local kingfish are around chasing most things on offer, quickening the retrieve for these fellas seems to be the go. When schooled these fellas can put up quite a tussle trying to head for the bottom at any chance they get. Tight drag and heavy lines are needed when chasing these speedsters. Slow jigs and small flesh baits have been working well on tuskies.

Rivers
With the little rain we had we hardle got any colour in the system but there still have been some great captures the last week. Bream have been fishing well, with some large 1.5kg models coming from the deeper pockets around the system. Hard working vibes and crankas have been doing well. The Jewfish have been showing up, testing the gear. They’re not the biggest of fish but some good numbers are around early morning and late afternoon into the dark. Chasing the tide hs been working well for most. Live baits are another option, with some larger models coming from this approach. Travelly have been out in force smashing most lures worked at speed, with some 3kg models around. They can be a lot fun on light gear.

Rocks
Rock fishing at this time of year can be magic, There are so many options, from soaking a bait to throwing some slugs, and theres always something around, including kings, jewfish, tailor, drummer, groper and snapper just to name a few. There are also plenty of bream lining the rocks at this time of year. It can be a good day out wetting a line off the rocks — just pick your tides and get out there. There are plenty of species to choose from and the ledges seem to be less crowded due to the freezing temps late arvo early morning; most people are choosing to stay home.

Report 12/7/19

The wind and swell have been up this week so it’s been hard to get out. Most of the guys have been sticking close but there are still a few kingfish, amberjack and samsonfish out towards the lighthouse. Before the swell got ridiculous there were a lot of reports of 8-10kg kingfish with the odd 15kg model.

Most of the islands have been fishing really well. A lot of guys are fishing just outside the wash zone, in around the 30m of water. There have been some great snapper, with some pearlies and tuskies mixed in. A lot of those fish are coming in off the shelf out wide and it’s hard to pinpoint where they’ll be. 15-30m of water is where most people are concentrating on, and the action has been fairly consistent. The water is around 20°C in close. Finding the bait is key to finding the fish, so keep a sharp eye on your sounder.

Around the headlands there’s good fishing for drummer and groper, and anglers have also been getting some good kingfish and tailor. Mixed in are bream, dart and whiting.

The beaches been pretty blown out, but those guys who have been finding a headland tucked away from the swell have been finding a few jewfish. There are also tailor around, and I’ve even heard of the odd salmon getting caught over the last week, which is rare here.

With those big swells the snapper are a drawcard in close. When the cunje and weed start breaking up off the rocks, the snapper come in close to take advantage of the bait.

Most of the headlands, beaches and river mouths are pretty consistent for bream at the moment.

The rivers have been fishing well. We’re having some really good runs of bream, ranging from shallow flats down into the deep, and you shouldn’t be afraid to fish the deeper pockets. Flathead been sunning themselves on shallow banks, so head up to the shallow reaches and look for those telltale flathead lies.

Jewfish are also in the river, and we can expect a good run of small 60-90cm jew quite consistently. Fishing larger drop-offs and sheltered areas where you can find a bit of area which has a back eddy or where the flow isn’t quite so consistent, that’s where the jew will be hanging out.

The upper reaches are fishing really well for trevally. There are great numbers this year, not all massive fish but always fun.

Report 5/7/19

So the rains are here and fingers crossed it sticks around enough to give the systems a good flush out. It’s been hard of a late to find the fish as they have been well spread out through the system.

Outside
Not a lot to report this week as the rain set in and so did the swell, but just before the swell jacked up there were some good pearl perch, tuskies and snapper coming from out wide. Soft flesh baits and jigs have been picking up a few good fish.

The local resident hoodlums were out and about testing our knot tying skills, with some fish on the larger side. 15kg+ models at this time of year are not as uncommon as you might think. Live baits been doing really well, and a few got taken on jigs early on in the week.

Inshore
The snapper have moved into most of our closer reefs. The majority of fish have been taken in 15-30m. Soft plastics, jigs and dead baits have been working well. The odd pearl perch in close has been landed for a couple of lucky anglers at the start of the week. Tuskfish are always on the cards at this time of year, and dropping baits for these fish is how most people tend to fish for them. Pillies and squid have been working well on these beautiful species. As good as they are for the table, please only take what you need.

Rivers
If this rain sticks around and we get a good flush, next week will be a good week to hit the water. As the fresh pushes to the mouth so does the bait, and the predatory fish will be lying in wait for a easy feed. Bream, jewfish, flathead and the odd whiting will be on the cards. There have been some good reports from the start of the week with some great numbers of bream around. Jewfish will be taking advantage of the rain, and now that we have some colour change in the rivers we should have a cracker week chasing these silver ghosts. Slow worked hardbody lures will work well, with lives being another nice option when chasing them in the dirty water.

Beaches
There’s not a lot to report as the swell has been too big for anglers to hit most beaches this week. As it backs off we should have the tailor on most beaches, with the jew not too far behind them. Bream and dart will be active, and small soft baits fished on a light sinker should come up with the goods.

Headlands
Once again, there’s not a lot to do when the swell is up, but finding a corner away from the swell can always be a option. Just be aware of the swell and your surroundings because things can go bad really quick out there, so stick to your comfort zones. Jewfish, kingfish, tailor, groper, bream and drummer will all be cruising around most headlands.

Kane Fairchild

Report 28/6/19

OUTSIDE
All the tuna –- macs, yellow, albacore, blues and bonito — have shown up keen for a feed. They’re in depths around 60-30m, and there are some good numbers and great reports this week. The pros have been landing some cracking albacore to 17kg and yellows to 80kg, bonito in the 1-3kg range. There’s also the odd blue still kicking around with a few reports of fish up to 24kg. The mac tuna are ranging from 3-8kg. Live baits have been the focus on landing big fish, and trolling lures is a second option for most. With the bait so thick you should take advantage of them. Find working birds or large bait balls and the tuna shouldn’t be too far off.

Anglers are jigging up kingfish, amberjack and samsonfish in 50-80m of water. Some fish have been in access of 15kg, and most have been landed using vertical jigs and slow jigs. If you find the fish and can’t get them interested in a jig, try dropping a livie to the bottom and you should come up trumps.

There are snapper in close around 10-30m, and we have had a few in 80+ with BIG pearl perch and some nice tuskies. There’s the odd pearlie in shallows, with 4.5kg the best I heard of this week) with a lot big fellas coming from 100m+. Some large snapper have been caught with Shaun Cameron from MOTackle landing a 97cm snapper on film for some upcoming footage for the website.

ISLANDS WASH
There are kings, the odd snapper and some big tailor all lurking in the wash at the moment. Small plastics, stickbaits and small profile hardbodies have been doing the damage on the kings and tailor. Lightly weighted baits and soft plastics for snapper been working a treat. Always be safe around the wash, as you never know when that rogue wave will come. Always have your motor going and someone close to the wheel just in case. Be safe out there.

ROCKS
There are lots of good tailor and the odd king to stretch your arms, with plenty of groper and drummer starting to take baits. Blackfish and bream are in good numbers if you’re chasing bread and butters.

Jew have been in good numbers, with some great fish coming off live baits fished at the change of the tide. Lures have also been accounting for a few nice fish up to 20kg, with a lot of fish between 80-95cm.

RIVERS
The rivers have been fishing well for bream, and this is the big draw card for most. Lightly weighted crab and prawn profiles have been working really well.

Blackfish are in great numbers and are really starting to fire up. Most are caught on cabbage and green weed, with the odd one caught on nippers. Trevally are always a fun option for winter fishing in the rivers, and these dirty fighting fish are always looking for cover. Tight drags with small hardbodies and stickbaits worked with some decent speed will have these fellas climbing all over your offering. These fish aren’t always big but they’re always fun.

It’s closed season for trout and bass so there’s not much to report in the fresh. If you do catch a bass at this time of year please put them back as soon as possible to give them a fighting chance to breed.

Kane Fairchild

Report 21/6/19

Out wide has been producing some good kings in around 50-60m of water, along with some samsonfish and amberjack. A lot are coming on vertical jigs such as Nomad Streakers and Samaki Ribcages. The water is clear so natural pilchard and slimy mackerel colours are best.

Coming in towards most of the islands you can do well on kingfish, and there are also tailor and snapper in most of the washes around the islands.

Around that 30-40m mark we’ve been hearing of some great patches of tuna. Most are mac tuna and bonito, with the odd longtail showing up.

Snapper have started to move from the 30-40m mark into around 15-20m of water, and a lot of anglers are concentrating on them now that the mackerel have gone. Around the 30m mark there are pearl perch and tuskies mixed in, along with the odd goatfish.

A bit closer towards the headlands and beaches, there’s great fishing for tailor, which are there in good numbers and sizes. Throwing metals is a great way to cover water and catch tailor, and it’s a good way to get kids involved too. If you’re using a strip bait, try to make it look as natural as possible, lining it up carefully along the gang hooks. To avoid tailor stripping the bait off the hook, you can use Bait Buddy elasticized thread to secure it to the hook.

Jewies are another welcome catch on the beaches. The mullet run is still going, which means there are a few good jewfish following them.

Another popular target off the beaches at this time of year is bream. The sea-run bream are here for their spawning run, and a great way to spend an afternoon is to throw out a few baits and catch some decent size bream. Good baits include bonito, slimies and pilchards. A lot of guys are pot-holing for them. At this time of year the bream get themselves into crazy locations, such as a 2ft drop-off at your feet backing into a gutter or spit, so don’t be afraid to fish in the shallows.

There’s still the odd flathead getting around but they’ll be harder to find as the water gets colder. That’s when the big trevally come in; we’re getting a solid run of 2-2.5kg fish at the moment.

The headlands have been fishing really well if you can keep away from the swell. There are still good kings and jew around — just be careful out there.

There are also good reports of groper, silver drummer and black drummer. Silver drummer aren’t great on the plate, but black drummer are good table fish.

There are good numbers of bonito and striped tuna off the headlands, including some really solid bonito around up to the 3kg mark. You can catch bonnies on little 10-15g metals, but be sure to change the hooks so you can drag the fish up the rocks without worrying about breaking the trebles. Something like a Gamakatsu 1/0 or 2/0 single is good. Change up the retrieve to find what works on the day.

Most of the river mouths have been fishing well for jew. Fishing at night with livebait or strip baits of bonito is the most common approach. There’s also a really good run of bream, with specimens up to 2kg.

The upper estuaries are fishing well. There are lots of trevally, some good size bream and the odd flathead on the shallow banks trying to get that sun. There’s no point focusing on deep holes for flathead at this time of year, as the lizards are seeking out warmth. If you’re in an area at low tide, check for lies and come back later.

On the Coffs Coast we’re lucky enough to have the last run of river trout, and this time of year is usually really good for chasing them. You can catch them on small minnows, little soft plastics or the humble scrub worm. When it comes to flies, most of the Clousers are working well, something with a little bit of weight fished on a sinking line.

Kane Fairchild

Report 15/6/19

Starting out wide, anglers have been seeing seeing tuna, both small yellowfin and longtail, and mixed in with them is the odd stripey and bonito.
Coming in closer to the 40-50m mark, working vertical jig has turned up kings, and with them has been some amberjacks.
In closer again to around the 30-20m mark, good snapper are showing up in better numbers as the water cools down. Anglers fishing this area can also expect a few tuskies and pearl perch as well.
The push of cold water will start to see the mackerel disappear, however there will be a few around snipping anglers off.

Along the beaches, the fishing has been productive for jew, and mixed in along the gutters are bream, flathead and whiting.
With the mullet run in full swing, rocks and beaches everywhere will be turning up good jew, and so too will the mouths of rivers when the swell is up.
Headlands should be producing some kings, drummer and groper, for those after a challenge.

The mouth of the river is fishing well for jew and big bream, of which the latter is still currently spawning.
Flathead are sill hanging out in the upper reaches. There are some in the lower reaches, but most are up high in the system trying to get warm.
The odd jew can be found up the top of the system with the water salinity going crazy without any rain around.
The odd GT can also be found up high, and giant herring are also available for those after a bit of sport.

Kane Fairchild

Report 7/6/19

There haven’t been any decent reports from out wide because of the swell. Hopefully things will improve over the long weekend.

A couple of the guys who managed to get out to the islands did pretty well on the kings. Due to the strong current and swell, most blokes have been vertical jigging rather than slow jigging. There are a few amberjacks and samsonfish mixed in.

In a bit closer around the 30-40m mark, there are still good catches of pearl perch and snapper, along with the odd tusky. As the temperatures start to drop we’ll notice a lot of the snapper move closer. Tuna have been in good numbers, with plenty of bonito, little mac tuna and the odd longtail.

Most of the headlands have been fishing pretty well for drummer and groper when conditions have allowed. Bream and dart are also featuring in catches, and there’s also a mass plague of small trevally annoying anglers spinning for tailor.

The tailor have been fierce over the last week and a half, probably stirred up by the swell. We’re seeing pretty consistent catches of good fish up to around 4kg, and now is a great time to chase them. With the way the swell has been, most have been caught on metals, but as the swell drops we’ll see more bait fishers taking advantage.

With the mullet run in full swing, jewfish are a popular target. Most jewies are between 90-120cm, averaging around 6-10kg. There are a few larger specimens getting about, with MO team member Sam Taylor getting a 21kg jew last week.

The beaches have been a no-go lately, but the rivers have been fishing well. With the big mullet in close there are big jew along the walls. I’ve heard of a couple a bit north of here in excess of 25kg. One caught last week further up the coast was 28.5kg!

We’re seeing bigger flathead up at the mouth chasing mullet, so big presentations are key. You can use big livebaits such as mullet or herring, or soft plastics over 5″.

In the river mouths there are some good size sea-run bream. Presentation is important if you want to fool a wily older fish. If you fish light (around 6-8lb leader) and send down a lightly weighted bait you should come up trumps. Fresh baits are best if you can get them, such as nippers, live worms or pipis. If you can’t get those baits, all is not lost, because the bream are congregated in big numbers and will rush to beat their friends to the bait. The humble pilly or squid should do fine in this competitive scenario.

Up in brackish reaches the trevally are in good numbers.

Kane Fairchild

Report 31/5/19

Starting out wide, bar cod have been taken in very deep water, and a few dollies are still kicking around.
In a bit closer, mackerel are still being caught, and plenty of snapper and pearlies are now showing up with the big southerly swell churning everything up.

On the rocks drummer and blackfish are in good numbers, with a few jew as well if you find good wash.
Along the beaches jew are worth targeting in deeper gutters, and lots of tailor, bream and whiting are keeping the bread and butter aglers happy.

In the rivers whiting and flathead have made up the majority of catches, with good numbers of tailor smashing bait around the river mouth.

Report 24/5/19

Out wide, dollies are still in good numbers around the FAD and wave recorder. Wahoo catches are dwindling.

You may have heard about the blokes yesterday who were injured by a black marlin, which jumped into their rubber dingy. One of the anglers got a broken arm and deep lacerations, and the other angler got speared through his shoulder. There aren’t many marlin around at the moment, so this was particularly unlucky.

Most of the islands are fishing really well for kingfish, with the biggest weighing in at 22kg. That’s the biggest kingy I’ve heard of in a very long time around here. There are a few snapper also being caught in the wash around the islands.

Around the 50m mark is where most guys been fishing for snapper lately, looking for that colder water down deep. We’ve also been getting a really good run of trag, with some tuskies and pearlies mixed in.

In closer around 20-40m is where the warmer water is at the moment, so that’s where guys are hunting for mackerel. Most of the water is around 22 degrees the moment, but if you find a patch of 23-24 degree water you have a good change of finding the mackerel.

Into around the 20m mark there’s the odd snapper, but mackerel are snipping off baits and plastics, frustrating a lot of anglers. There are still some longtails getting around, eating the running garfish, but catches are starting to slow up. A lot of mac tuna and bonito are getting caught.

The beaches have been fishing really well for bream, which are coming into their winter spawning season, and this should continue to pick up. There are still some good mulloway being caught along the beaches due to the mullet run, which has been a little late. There’s still the odd whiting which is unusual; it’s probably due to the warm water hanging around. There are also tailor and a few lizards.

Around the headlands we’re seeing really good numbers of kingies, and there are also tailor and jew, both school-size jew and the odd decent size specimen. Blackfish are being caught in good numbers, and there’s also the odd drummer and groper getting caught. And of course there are the bread and butter species like dart, bream and the odd whiting and flathead.

The river mouths are fishing really well for tailor. We’ve had a good run in the last 2-3 weeks, with some decent size fish amongst them. There are also some good kingies to be caught, particularly on the top of the tide. The odd school jew can be found chasing the mullet around, so it’s a case of find the bait, find the fish. There are also whiting and flathead, and good numbers of bream. If you’re looking for a feed of bream, now is a good time to target them around the river mouths and beaches. They’re sea run bream with nice white flesh.

In the brackish water there are good numbers of trevally. You can get good results on 60-90mm hardbodies, and I have found that a fast, erratic action is effective -– use sharp jerks of your rod tip and keep the pace up. Plastics do account for fish, but lately I’ve been doing best on Rapala X-Rap XR 6s and XR 8s in the ‘S’ colour (a mullet imitation) and ayu. There are also good bream there, and I’ve been getting them on hardbodies like Ecogear Long Cast 40s, and on prawn imitations such as the 65mm Squidgy Wriggler Prawn in cracked pepper. If you happen to catch a bass, please get it back in the water as quickly as possible so it can spawn.

Kane Fairchild

Report 17/5/19

We’ve been having some really nice clear water out wide but the marlin are still few and far between. It’s looking like they might not come through this year like they usually do.

There’s the odd wahoo mixed in, but the big drawcard has been dolphinfish. Plenty are being caught out near the FADs and wave recorder.

Most most of the island washes have been fishing well for snapper and kingfish. Generally at this time of year we find most of the snapper are in water a bit deeper.

Mackerel are still a popular target. If you can find water around 22-23 degrees, you have a good chance of catching Spanish and spotted mackerel. The depths have varied, with some blokes finding them in 40m and other blokes finding them in 10m; it all comes down to the temperature.

A lot of kingfish coming through now, a long with some samsons and amberjack, and 40-60m is where most are getting caught. The kingfish will start to get more and more thick as we move into the colder months. Vertically jigging starting to be come more popular, particularly knife jigs. One of the most popular is the Samaki Hummer V2 in pilly and bubblegum, but there are other knife jigs that will do the job just fine.

In closer in 40-50m of water we’re noticing great numbers of pearl perch and tuskfish. There’s also the odd snapper. As the water gets cooler more snapper will get closer in.

In 15-20m, there’s the odd snapper, and kingfish are roaming between the islands and the shore. There are also mackerel being caught in as little as 10m of water.

The beaches have been fishing really well for school jew, and big tailor are also getting around. There are also good numbers of dart, whiting, bream and flathead. The bream fishing in particular is really starting to pick up as they prepare to spawn.

Most of the headlands are fishing quite well for jew – a sign that the mullet run isn’t too far away. Groper and drummer are also becoming a more popular target for rock hoppers as we move into the colder months. Rock fishers are reporting tuna in plague proportions this year. Generally with longtails you don’t see them under 10-12kg but there have been loads this year in the 6-8kg range.

With mullet in the river mouths, most blokes chasing jew have a good shot in the following weeks. Coming into the new moon is the best option. The mullet run was a bit late this year, possibly due to the water conditions. There are also lots of bream being caught.

Jew anglers are getting large flathead as by-catch. Please handle these big breeders carefully and try to get them back in the water as quickly as possible.

In the upper reaches the brackish stones are fishing well for bream, and flathead. Occasionally you’ll catch an unusual species like a tarpon or giant herring.

Whatever you’re chasing, remember that we’re in the middle of a change of seasons, so the fishing can be hot and cold.

Kane Fairchild

Report 3/5/19

Out wide in around 60-50m of water, the fishing has been good for snapper, pearlies and tuskies, with these fish favouring the deeper, cooler water at the moment.
Some bigger pelagics have been taken in the form of wahoo, and plenty of big spotties.
Marlin haven’t really shown up properly this season, but there has been a few here and there.
Closer in, the 30-40m wash and island zones have given up good tailor and the odd kingie, with a few snapper thrown in as well.
Back to around 20-15m, kayakers have been doing well on macks, and the snapper fishing in this zone should start to improve as well.

Beach fishing is in full swing at the moment, with plenty of jew after the mullet run started recently.
Bread and butter obeach fishing has been worthwhile too, with bream, whiting, dart and flathead all contributing to solid bags.
Rock fishing has produced some good tuna, with tuna busting up within 10-15m of most ledges at different times.

In the estuaries, the sea run bream have been coming inside to provide some entertainment for those fishing in the lower reaches.
Some jew have trickled through in rivers, mostly smaller models, but there is the odd bigger specimen kicking around too.
In the mid and lower reaches, the bream and flathead have been the main targets, but the bass are also coming down as well.

Kane Fairchild

Report 18/4/19

Out wide at the moment there’s a nice run of wahoo, ranging from around 10kg-28kg. The marlin are hard to find, with only the odd one being reported.

The dollies have been pretty active this week, with some good runs at the lighthouse, wave recorder and the FAD.

The washes have been fishing fairly well for a mixed bag of tailor, snapper and kingfish around most of the islands.

In closer around the 40m mark is where most of the snapper have been getting caught. Finding colder water seems to be the key; if you can find water around 21-22 degrees you should find fish. There are some good pearlies being caught as well; this week alone there were some really cracking reports of guys bagging out before 9am on the pearlies. There’s also the odd tuskfish and goatfish.

Mackerel are everywhere, mainly spotties. Most of the Spanish caught have been trolled up on lures, as it’s hard to get the livies past the spotties. Productive lures are Rapala X-Raps, Halco Laser Pros and Samaki Pacemakers. Dead baits such as gar are also working well.

There are also tuna about – yellowfin, mac, bonito and longtails. If you’re not finding mackerel you will probably find a lot of tuna, and the only solution (if you want mackerel) is to move. Ditto if there are sharks. Sharks aren’t usually a problem here but there have been more of them around lately.

In closer around 10-15m the snapper have been fairly hard to catch, but the odd kayaker has been getting them here and there.

Around the rocks is fishing fairly well for tuna and kingies. One bloke got a 6kg kingy off the rocks this morning, which is a nice fish for off the stones. The biggest drawcard though is tailor. As water cools the tailor become thicker. You’ll maximize your chances if you avoid headlands that have deeper water, because the mackerel there can shut down the tailor. In shallow headlands with 5-6m of water, the mackerel tend to stay away.

Most of the rivers are fishing fairly well, with whiting still getting taken on flesh baits like prawns, and the odd popper. As the water conditions get colder we’ll find the surface luring won’t work as well.

There’s still the odd bream being caught over the flats, and if you’re lucky you might get a surface hit from a big flathead.

In the brackish reaches we’ve been getting good runs of jewfish. Around the Easter holidays is a good time to target them as they follow the mullet run.

There’s also the odd bass bycatch in the brackish reaches. If you happen to catch one, please handle it gently and get it back in the water as quickly as possible so it can spawn.

Kane Fairchild

Report 12/4/19

Out wide there’s the odd marlin starting to come through for those anglers putting in the time. It’s been a struggle this year for the marlin, so it’s good to hear reports of them coming in.

If the marlin aren’t playing the game, there are plenty of wahoo and dolphinfish to fall back on. Most have come from around the lighthouse, FAD and wave recorder.

A bit closer in the washes on most of the islands, the kingies are still there. They’re not great sizes but there are lots of them. There’s also the odd snapper showing up amongst them.

Coming away from the islands in 3-40m of water, anglers are picking up some good snapper, pearlies and trag at the moment.

Conditions have been great for the mackerel, with good numbers being caught. You’ll get about five spotties to one barrie.

In closer in around 10-15m of water, kayakers are still catching the odd snapper and kingy.

As days become cooler we’ll start to see snapper, jewfish, pearlies and tuskies coming on a bit thicker, so the next few weeks should see some good bottom bouncing.

On the beaches there are still bream, whiting and flathead being caught, but the big drawcard in the coming month is the jewfish. As the temps drop we’ll see a lot of these fish around; they seem to like water 21-22°C. After Easter is a prime time.

The jew are there for a reason, and that reason is the tailor. We’ll notice a lot of tailor pop up over the next month. Reports are already coming in of a few tailor here and there, and some good sizes.

Tailor catches traditionally increase as mackerel catches dwindle. While the mackerel are around, divers have noticed the tailor huddled under rocks and not moving as much. When the macks move on, the tailor come out. Another influencing factor is probably the cooler water temperatures, which the tailor seem to prefer.

Most of the headlands will be yielding good catches of drummer and groper in the coming month, as well as tailor.

Most of the rivers have been fishing well over the past week, thanks to the flush from the rain. There are a lot of baitfish around, and the bream, whiting and flathead are all going to be big drawcards coming into the next month. Whiting catches will dwindle, especially off the surface.

The flathead have been biting well. If you catch one, stay there and keep fishing hard, as the male flatties like to congregate around the females.
Jacks should be slowly starting to come off the chew, although they can still be caught.

Kane Fairchild

Report 5/4/19

Starting outwide, we’ve been seeing good wahoo, and mixed in has been the odd dollie. 60-80m seems to be the prime depth, and between FADs, the wave recorder and the lighthouse there seems to be good numbers available.
Coming in closer, most islands are fishing well for kings, and any wash zones in 15-20m with a sharp drops off are holding good kings.
Closer still, coming into the 30-40m mark, there’s still good mackerel fishing available, and it seems to be about 5 to 1 with spotties to Spaniards. Finding water between 24-25 degrees is the key.
In 30-20m, the snapper fishing has been fairly consistent, but with the warmer water they can be a bit patchy. Mixed in with them you’ll find some decent pearlies and tuskies.
Out offshore as well there are some quality jew, with some specimens coming in at over 20kg.

Along the beaches, most anglers are finding good fishing on the dart, bream and whiting.
For those after jew on the beaches, they are there, but results lately have been inconsistent. Next month will be the time to start doing this seriously.

On the rocks, kings have been very prevalent. There hasn’t been anything too big, with the biggest fish around 80-90cm, but plenty of good rats in great numbers. You’ll also find tailor mixed in with them.
As we go into the colder months, a lot of groper and drummer should start to show up. Reports are already coming in from those fishing for these species.
Bread and butter species are going strong off the stones, but the major draw card is still pelagics, with tuna and mackerel rewarding those who put in the time and effort.

In the river, there’s been some good flushes of rain, meaning a lot of the bait is congregating around the mouth, and with the is the jew, flathead, whiting, an the odd pelagic fish.
In the brackish areas, the water is a bit dirty to find consistent fishing.
If fishing the fresh, you’re probably best to get to the top stretches where the water is cleaner.

Report 22/3/19

Out wide there have been some good runs of wahoo coming through. There has also been the odd dolly between the wave recorder and the FAD. Marlin are still nowhere to be seen yet.

A bit closer the kingies are still showing up at most of the island washes. They’re mostly rats around 50-80cm. There’s the odd tailor mixed in, along with the occasional drummer and groper in the washes.

A bit closer back in that 40-50m mark we’re seeing good numbers of nice snapper. They seem to be pushing for that colder water down deep. Baits on the bottom are working well.

It’s mackerel fever at the moment! The mackerel are being caught anywhere from 10-60m of water. They’ve been very spread out but are in good numbers. Most boats are getting at least one or two. Size-wise, most of the spotties are 6-9kg and the Spanish are averaging 12-15kg. There are reports of some crazy sizes; the biggest confirmed here this week was 35.6kg, from Whitmore Shoals.

In a bit closer around 20-30m there’s been a few snapper for the kayakers but not many. At this time of year when there’s warmer water in close, the snapper tend to go wide.

The garfish are here in full swing, and the tuna seem to be everywhere. At around 8-15kg they’re not huge, but they’re plentiful. They’re being picked up anywhere from 15-60m of water, being caught by guys chasing mackerel.

The beaches have been fishing well for bread and butter species like bream, whiting and tarwhine. The odd flathead is getting caught too. The whiting have been a little more tough, although the experienced fishos are still catching a feed.

Tailor are very scarce, which generally happens at this time of year. This could be caused by a combination of warm water and mackerel.

Off the rocks there are good numbers of tuna getting caught, and good kingfish around most headlands around 60-90cm. If you’re lucky you might catch a mackerel on the top of the tide. Tailor, again, are very hard to find. The drawcards coming into the colder months are groper and drummer, and a few are starting to get caught.

The rivers have been fishing pretty much the same as last week. There’s still nice clarity at mouths of the rivers, and you can catch good flathead and whiting there as they eat the bait that’s pushed out from the fresh.

Jewfish are starting to slowly come on the chew. There are good numbers in mid reaches, and places like pylons, bridges, and deeper drop-offs are usually the key areas around the tide change.

In the fresh the bass are trying to put on as much weight as they can before they do their dash downstream, so now is a good time to get yourself a couple of decent bass before the season comes to an end.

Kane Fairchild

Report 8/3/19

Out behind the Patches the FAD and wave recorder have been yielding good dollies as long as the current is there. Anglers are getting good numbers and good size fish over 1m.

In between FAD and wave recorder been a few wahoo caught in the past few days, which is good considering they haven’t been here for most of the year.

Marlin are still a bit touch and go. I have heard of the odd one here and there, but generally at this time of year there should be more.

In closer around the islands, the washes have been fishing reasonably well, with the odd snapper and kingfish caught out of the wash. Just be safe out there at this time of year, especially with the swell we have. Getting in close to those washes can be dangerous.

We’re also still seeing good numbers of amberjack and samsonfish caught in 50-60m of water on knife jigs and livebaits.

In closer again in 30-40m of water there are good numbers of tuna, following the garfish that have just shown up. Generally when the gar show up the tuna aren’t far behind. Anglers have been catching longtails, stripes and even the odd jellybean yellowfin.

In that 20m mark there’s still the odd snapper being caught by kayak fishers, but the big drawcard is the mackerel. Yes, they have shown up! There are good numbers of spotties around, but not many baries. Most people are struggling a bit, but there’s the odd lucky boat that’s bagged out by 9am. And one customer recently caught a massive barie, the first one he’d ever caught. He was new to the area so we gave him a couple of GPS marks, and he went out slow trolling slimies and caught a 40.9kg fish. He was stoked.

The beaches have been fishing pretty well for bream, whiting, flathead and dart. The mulloway have been a bit touch and go; I’ve heard of a couple caught over the past week or so, but not many.

Moving onto the headlands, the water has been beautiful for most people fishing the ledges, so mackerel and tuna are definitely a drawcard this month. I recently got a 12kg longtail off the stones on a Cutting Edge Perpetrator.

The kingfish are slowly starting to move off the headlands, and the tailor are scarce, which is a sign that mackerel are about.

Most of the mouths of the rivers have been fishing well, yielding mackerel, tuna and kingfish. I’ve heard of a few good bags of bonito over the past week too, with people stocking up on bait. The mulloway have been pretty shut down.

In rivers, the flats pushing up on to the high tide have been producing really well for whiting. A lot are being taken on surface lures, but yabby and worm will work just as well.

There have been plenty of flathead around in good numbers and sizes, taken on soft plastics and hardbodies. Regular customer Elksy recently caught a 96cm fish on a soft plastic.

In the fresh we’ve been having good afternoon storms, and the prime time is 30-45 minutes before the storm. The bass go off!

Kane Fairchild

Report 1/3/19

The cyclone has meant that fewer anglers have been out fishing. Those people who have managed to get out wide past the shelf haven’t had much luck on marlin. There are pretty good numbers of striped tuna though and, when the current has slowed, anglers fishing down deep around 400m have been getting a few bar cod, tile fish, and so on.

In a bit closer, anglers who have gone to the FADs chasing dollies have said it’s pretty dead out there, even though the water is warm and clean.

There are still a few snapper and other reef fish in the deeper water, and some reasonable snapper in close as well.

Mackerel are starting to show up on the inshore reefs, with some good specimens to around 18kg being caught on trolled live baits. A couple have also been caught on stickbaits. A few cobia are also taking baits and lures meant for mackerel.

We’re seeing a few mac tuna starting to poke around, and there are also reports of small yellowfin up to around 8kg.

Off the rocks anglers have been getting into quite good numbers of tailor, with most taken on 20-60g metal lures. There haven’t been many reports of jewfish, but they should start firing up in the coming months as temperatures decrease.

A few blackfish are being caught on weed around the headlands.

In the river there are still some big flathead being caught on big 7-9″ soft plastics (e.g. Lunker City Slug-Gos in white and pink), and also on 150-200mm swimbaits (e.g. Westin Hypo Teez in whiting colour).

Anglers are continuing to get some good whiting on topwater lures. There’s also the chance of a jewfish while fishing the tide changes around structure at night, on either 3-6″ paddle tail plastics or 70-100mm soft vibes.

I haven’t heard of too many bream catches lately, but there’s still a heap of trevally around, mostly a bit higher in the estuary. They will take soft plastics thrown at snags as well as topwater in early mornings and late afternoons.

There are still a few bass getting around; a customer got 20 on topwater yesterday, which is good to hear.

Jason O’Brien

Report 22/2/19

Offshore the water conditions are starting to get a lot better than they were last week. The southerlies are starting to bring in some nice water for the marlin, and we were getting good reports of blacks and stripes before the wind set in. It looks like it won’t die down for a week or so.

The dollies have been firing really well at the FAD and wave recorders, with fish to 1.2m. Out in that same depth, around 80m, there are some kings still being caught on knife jigs, mixed in with a few amberjack and samsonfish.

The islands all have been fishing pretty well in the washes for snapper, tailor and kingfish. They’re not big but are still good fun.

Moving into that 40-50m depth range, some good snapper around 3-4kg are being caught. Mixed in are pearlies, tuskies and the odd king. There are also a few goatfish being caught, and I’m told they are great on the plate.

In closer in 10-15m of water, the snapper have been very few and far between, with only the odd kayaker getting one. The deeper water tends to fish better at this time of year.

The mackerel have finally turned up! We had been starting to see dribs and drabs, and now anglers are getting solid numbers of 4-5 fish a boat. I’ve even heard of blokes releasing fish. Most of the baries are around 10-15kg with the odd one up to 24kg (there’s also still the odd spotty). Still, it hasn’t been the greatest of years. If you’re expecting to come here and do as well as you have in the past, you’ll probably be disappointed.

The beaches have been fishing well for whiting, bream, dart and flathead. Most have been caught on flesh baits, and worms are picking up a few as well. There are plenty of worms on the beaches if you want get some yourself.

The mouth of the river is fishing pretty well with that little bit of rain pushing the bait down. Early mornings and late arvos are working fairly well if you have a good tide. There are plenty of whiting, flathead and bream around out the front. I haven’t heard of school jew catches but that could be because people are chasing other species. There should be a few school jew hanging around most pylons or timbered snags. Fishing hour before or after the change should pay dividends.

A few jacks are being taken but they’re spread out, and it’s hard to pinpoint where they are. Only the experienced anglers seem to be having any luck; everybody else is feeling pretty frustrated. Livebaiting is key for your best chances. Surface lures are catching their share in the mornings, and hardbodies and plastics have also been accounting for a few.

Back towards the bassy areas, we have a bit more water due to the rain, and a few more bass catches.

Kane Fairchild

Report 15/2/19

Out wide there have been some marlin getting caught, both blues and stripes. Nothing massive, but I heard of a 140lb stripe last week which is a good fish.

Dolphinfish are another big drawcard, with lots of people going to the FAD and wave recorder chasing them.

Mackerel aren’t in big numbers at the moment, but the water is getting better as the days go on, so a lot of people are getting the mackerel gear out. If you can find that warmer 26-degree water, you should find the mackerel. At the moment that warmer water is around the 30-40m mark. Both Spanish and spotted mackerel are being caught, and we can expect their numbers to grow.

Most of the kingfish caught lately have still been around the islands in the washy zones. Guys have been pulling fish close to a metre, so there are definitely still some good kingies there.

Around that 20-25m mark there have been some good snapper and pearlies caught, with few tuskies as well. Bear in mind that when a warm 25-26° current sticks around for a while, the snapper may not taste as good as usual. Warm water affects kingfish even more; their flesh can turn mushy and be pretty much inedible. To see whether warm water has affected a kingfish, press your thumb on its body just above the pectoral fin. If your thumb sinks any more than half an inch, throw the fish back.

On the beaches everyone is chasing a feed of sand whiting. We’ve had a really good run of them this year. There are lots of bream, dart and tarwhine all mixed up in there with them. There are reports of a few school jew as well, with most fish caught around an hour before and an hour after the turn of the tide.

In the rivers we’ve been doing pretty well on the flathead. We’re catching them in all sorts of areas – right up in the shallows in a couple of foot of water, right down to 10-15m drops. There are some big specimens amongst them.

The bream guys also doing pretty well. There are a lot of surface lures getting thrown around, and they’re always a fun way to spend time on the water. Two of the most productive are the Bassday Sugapen, and Zipbaits Skinny Pop.

Whiting are being caught on the flats, and fishing the incoming tide is the way to go, targeting the holes where the yabbies are.

The freshwater fishing has been a bit dismal, with water levels dropping a bit due to the lack of rain. Still, there are a few bass around for those anglers who put in the effort. The best times are early in the morning, late in the afternoon and into the night.

Kane Fairchild

Report 1/2/19

Out wide, we’ve been getting northerlies for around 6 weeks, and today is the first first southerly since then, so fingers crossed this trend continues.
In 60-80 fathoms, marlin have been taken in small sizes. Stripes and blacks in the 80kg range have made up the majority of the catch.
In closer around the FAD and Wave Recorder, good dollies have been taken by those willing to make their way out.
At the lump, good kings have been caught by those jigging for about 3 weeks now.
Closer again, into 40-50m, really good numbers of pearliers have been reported, and seem to be loving this colder water. With them have been some solid snapper.Goatfish and tuskies are also potential by-catch when fishing in this area.
Closer still, in the 10-15m zone, the odd snapper is still being taken due to the colder water, but this will get harder as the water warms up more.
Mackerel have unfortunately been few and far between, however the spearos have been doing okay, although most reports are coming from deeper areas behind the islands.

Along the beaches, plenty of good bream, whiting and the odd jew are being taken. Jew particularly have been loving the unsettled conditions and dirty water. Mixed in with them are flatties and dart.)
On the headlands, most headland areas are fishing well, with jew in the gutters, and typical bread and butter species showing up as well. This colder water has also been bringing the kingfish into casting rage from the rocks.

In the rivers, the mouth is firing for flathead, as this is their breeding time. In the same areas you can expect to find jew poking around.
Apart from that, this time of year is mostly about whiting, and surface lures, small hardbodies and soft plastics have been accounting for their fair share.
In the brackish zone, numbers of jacks have been reported. Jacks are always here, however now with more people fishing the area for them, we get more reports.
Another big big drawcard has been the giant herring in the brackish zones, with this area being one of the best in the north coast to tangle with one of these mysterious speedsters.

The freshwater scene has been dismal. The water is hot, there’s no flow, and everything is dangerously low. the dam on the system has been having an effect on the waterway, and if we don’t get a good bit of rain soon, fish will end up dying.

Report 25/1/19

Out wide we’re getting reports of blacks averaging around 60-80kg. There are plenty of them from South West Rocks all the way up the coast; they’re even getting them in Port.

Dolphinfish have shown up in good numbers and sizes; just the other day a mate of mine got a 1.2m fish. They’re being caught from most of the FADs, wave recorders and out at the Lump.

The wahoo haven’t come on yet, but we can expect that to change over the next month or so. There are a few reports of people hooking them while chasing marlin and getting bitten off.

In closer around the 50-60m mark is where the mackerel have been. We’re not getting many in close because of the cooler water; the mackerel are preferring the 24-degree water out wide. The spearos are doing well but line anglers are not. Most reports are coming from Grassy Head, South West Rocks and Scotts Head. It may seem strange that mackerel can be caught both north and south of Coffs but not actually here. There’s a reason for that – it’s our islands, which push the hot current out. We need those big southerlies that come with February, so the hot current can come in behind the islands.

Back in 40m of water there have been good reds, also pearl perch which is good for this time of year. The colder water in close is good for pearlies, tuskies and snapper.

In that same 40-50m mark we’re seeing some good kings. Anglers are getting them from the wash around the islands and jigging for them in that deeper water. It doesn’t matter whether you’re fishing stickbaits, plastics or metals, as everything is catching kingies. It’s been a really good season for these fish, even in close. I’ve been getting them off most of the walls for years, and this year has been particularly good, with both big numbers and big sizes.

Back towards the beach areas we’ve been getting plenty of good whiting and some nice bream. There are some school-size jew mixed in. I haven’t heard of any monsters lately.

Back into the rivers, we’ve been doing well on the flathead. Most have been congregating in one area up near the mouths of the river, 1-2km back from the mouth. I’ve heard of some big ones getting caught.

Mixed in are whiting and bream, they’ve been in good numbers as well. The whiting on the flats are ranging between 30-45cm. They’re not real crackers but still decent fish.

There are plenty of school jew in the river, with anglers getting good numbers around the pylons. Most of the rivers fishing are pretty well for them.

Some jacks are around as well, with most taken on live bait.

In the brackish areas there’s the odd giant herring around. The flyfishos are out there hassling those guys, hoping to be lucky enough to get one. These fish aren’t common but you do occasionally encounter them in the rivers. if you find one there will usually be a couple more. And if you don’t catch one, there are plenty of trevally around to save the day. Bigeyes, GTs and tealeaf trevally are all getting caught.

In the fresh there are good numbers of bass. Every year the bass fishing gets better and better, thanks to more people practicing catch and release.

Kane Fairchild

Report 18/1/19

The water temps are rising at the moment so there have been a few mackerel caught on all the local shoals and reefs.

Inshore there are a few snapper kicking around, and a few pearl perch, but with the warmer temps we can expect them to start moving deeper.

Off the rocks there’s not a great deal to report, although there are still a few tailor being caught. The better fishing is in the creeks and river system, where the whiting are starting to ramp up. There have been a few good ones caught recently off the surface. The flathead are starting to thicken up as well.

Report 11/1/19

In close at the moment we’re seeing some cold water around 19-20 degrees, but when you head out past 40m the temp rises to 22-23 degrees. That means mackerel! There have been some good mackerel caught out in that deeper stuff, but in close the smaller boats are struggling.

Some good dolphinfish have been coming from the FAD. We’re also seeing a fairly decent run of small blacks to around 80kg.

In that 30-40m mark anglers are catching trag, pearl perch, snapper and tuskfish. One customer bagged out yesterday on trag and snapper in three hours. It can be a bit hit-and-miss though.

In 10-15m of water you can still catch the odd snapper, but most fish are coming from that 30-40m depth range.

In the washes there have been some solid kings getting caught, to around 15kg plus. We’ve been hearing some good stories in recent weeks of them getting caught on stickbaits and livies.

Around the headlands over the last week there have been some good kingfish betting around. They’re not big ones off the stones, with most ranging from 50-90cm, but there are plenty of them. The LBG blokes doing pretty well.

Good bream and whiting are also getting caught off most of the ledges/beaches. The odd jew getting around as well, but they’re not a common catch.

In the rivers we’ve been enjoying hot sessions on flathead. They like to seek out deeper holes as the water warms. Recently we’ve been plagued by northeasters which bring in that dirty green water and drop the temperatures, so hopefully things will improve.

There are some quality whiting in the rivers, and we’re starting to see a lot of them taken off the top on stickbaits and poppers. You can also catch the odd bream off the surface.

There are plenty of cicadas so the bass are fired up.

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