Sydney Report

••• Report supplied by Compleat Angler Sydney •••

November 18, 2021

The recent rain has fired up the Jewfish again this week, and this weekend is perfect with some favorable tides and hopefully good conditions The Rivers system has been fishing best particularly the Parramatta river. The shorebased anglers fishing around the bridges and ferry wharfs at Meadowbank and Rhodes area in particular have been doing very well. But we have also received reports from Abottsford wharf and chiswick wharf, so plenty of options for the shorebased anglers or if you have a boat try around the varies road and rail bridges in the system The rain has dirtyed up the river the perfect amount, flushing the bait into the middle of the river in the parramatta seems to be why thay are concentrated int hat area. But any river mouth would be also a good option to try and target a Jewfish. Change of tides seem to be the most productive time, and this weekend the tides are at a perfect time being not so late int he evening . Baitts have been an important choice, Live Baits such as tailor and Yellowtail have beee best choice, but many have been caught on large prawns.Bream and trevally have still been very active in all of the Sydney river systems. With some great reports coming from Hawkesbury this week. The cowan system has been one of places to try, and don’t forget to put the crab traps out also as crabbing has been great this year already In the Hacking the whiting have been very active. With the larger tides the flats at Greys point and Mainbar have seen plenty caught. Fishing the sand edges on a falling tide has been the tactic that has been working well, and like most of the estuarine species this year there in great condition. In the Bay it has been a bit quiet for Kingfish this week, but there have been lots of tailor towards the back of the bay also. Squid fishing has still been good around Kurnell, la paroisse and browns rock mainly caught on larger 3.5 size jigs.The Harbour kingfish are still going crazy. All this week anglers have been getting among the fish both from the many Harbour Ferry Wharfs or by boat around the main channel. The surface action has still been great despite the rain with large bait schools around Rushcutters, Rose bay and Watson bay. There have also been consistent reports in upper middle harbour also if it gets windy this weekend. Live Baits such as Squid and yellowtail have been best, but also lures such as the famous slugo go and medium sized stickbaits have been working well Offshore unfortunately we have not had a lot of feedback , due to the weather. But we have found after a messy weekend the reef fish seem to fire up particularly in the shallow reefs, would be a great time to target snapper this weekend.

November 5, 2021

This week’s report is brought to you by Stephen from flyboatsydney@gmail.com.

Well goodbye winter and hello spring, and with it the cool green water of November. All waters south of the Hawkesbury have fishers scratching their heads and hoping for a blue water sea change. What’s happened? Well, first the fish are on holiday! Sydney is in the middle of the transitional zone between the warm East Australia Current (the one that brought us Nemo) and the cool Tasman Sea. When the EAC pushes hard we get warm blue water and cooperative fish; when it’s not so strong we get the green water from the Tasman Sea – loaded with nutrients, but the fish can be a bit testy.

Green water at 20 degrees is chilling the Sydney coast, at latitude 33 degrees south.Mix in some wind from the NE and some break away eddies and the local fish are chasing the bait – which are scarce in Sydney Harbour right now. During the seasonal changes we see this more often than in the more stable periods of winter and summer.All the reports I’m getting from fellow anglers tell the same story of tough fishing during these times. We see them on the sounder, and breaking surface water but they’re not easy to hook. There are times when it may come alive for a brief moment or two but after consecutive days struggling to even catch yellow tail or leather jacket I question my sanity. What the hell is going on down there? But that’s me. Never happy unless I can deliver the goods. Then I remember last year!

On the fly.

For the first part of the week it was all about the salmon. Hard fighting and fun, but pretty much the only game in town. They haven’t come easy with small schools of spooky fish testing everyone’s patience and perseverance. You almost had to land the fly in the fish’s mouth to entice a take but even that didn’t guarantee a take. And I’ve had some very competent fisherman casting brilliantly for little result. Some days they were pushing through the surface doing there feeding circular path and others they were like trout sitting deep and rising only for a size 18 dry (metaphorically) only to return to depth at speed.Later in the week we finally managed some cracking 80cm plus kingies, and the salmon became jealous and then cooperative. Go figure.The key for salmon was a floating line and the smallest, sparsely dressed eye candy/micro bait pattern. And definitely no flash! After three hours chasing them on an intermediate line, as soon as I put out a floating line we had three fish in as many casts. Those fish were looking up! They’re pretty spread out but from around the bridge to Shark Island schools they were regularly popping up with early morning and early afternoon being the most productive times.Adding to the mix we had some memorable fly sessions on black fish which are still around in good numbers with some great fish to be had.

Baiting

As you know, I’ve developed a niche fishery for drummer and grouper over winter but this has now slowed a little. But they’re still on the bite behind the wash zone and I love fishing for them simply – with white bread. It’s just so productive. You can really tell the difference between spots that can be accessed from land, and those where you need some boating expertise.Getting squid this week has been near impossible but luckily the kings seem to be struggling to find them too and were happy to take a yellow tail – which when you find them are mostly the perfect size for the job. Only a couple of the usual spots are holding kings which are quiet decent but it’s all about timing if you want to get the bite.Luckily there’s plenty of trevally still around especially further up the main and north harbour. As usual a mega burly trail and unweighted fresh bait will maximise your chances. Again bread can be an awesome bait especially when they start taking it off the surface.Grouper have been really consistent with half red crabs or extra large prawns being really productive. Drifting the sandy areas of the harbour is starting to produce some good flathead with the classic paternoster rig #halfpilly producing some good fish. Especially on the run out tide.Now for an optimistic close. This weekend the tides will be some of the biggest of the year and with some fresh rainfall run-off mixing with the already nutrient rich water let’s hope for a bait fish boom. My pick for the weekend will be bream and black fish. Get out there early for the rising tide and good luck. Keep an eye out for the sharks moving around in the dirty water – that submerged log on your sounder, well, who knows!

October 29, 2021

Big Tailor some over 50cm have been caught in Sydney Harbour and Botany Bay and have been providing a lot of fun for anglers. They have been feeding very aggressively on the huge amount of bait that is in the estuaries this year. If you find the bait the Tailor won’t be too far away.Metal lures and small poppers have been the most fun way to catch these fish, but whole Pilchards suspended under a float have also been working well, using a light wire trace will help to stop them biting through your line.In these bait schools you will also find a good mix of Kingfish and Salmon, all feeding together so it is a bit of a lucky dip to see what you’ll hook up on, but that’s part of the fun! Kingfish have also been very active in all parts of the Sydney area. Lots of smaller fish have moved into the estuaries but still some 90cm plus fish are being caught. Again live baits such as Squid and Slimy Mackerel have been best baits to catch them on..Off the Sydney rocks and beaches the Tailor have also been very active, conditions have been very safe to fish this week with plenty of reports from Barrenjoey north of Sydney all the way down to Wollongong. Again lures or Pilchard baits have been the best options.In the rivers the water temperature has continued to rise, it’s now pushing 21 degrees, with everything starting to fire up. Bream have been very active, as well as Flathead and Whiting. See the photo of staff member Daniel with a 40cm fish caught in the river. Offshore the reefs have been producing nicely, Maroubra and Long Reef have been producing some school Snapper, Leather Jackets and Moweong. There have been a few Kings from the 12 mile and peak, but there has been so much bait out there they have been fussy, with live bait or jigs being the best options.One of our regular customers actually caught a Murray Cod with bread in the salt water on Wednesday in the Georges River at Chipping Norton! The weirdest fish ever caught in my memory locally.That’s fishing for you, you never know what you’re going to get.

October 12, 2021

This week’s report is brought to you by Stephen from Flyboat Fishing Charters Sydney

With Sydney finally opening the wait is over for some great Sydney Harbour fishing. If you’re one of the unfortunate millions who haven’t been fishing over the last few months. now’s the time to get onto the harbour.It’s been a pretty quiet winter on the harbour. The middle harbour kingy rat attack – the hallmark of the last two seasons – never quiet happened, and whilst the squid were big they weren’t there in numbers. But spring has brought an amazing run of huge fish.Whilst freedom day has come, the rain has kept a lot of people away from the water. But for the diehards who’ve waited 106 days to drop a line, nothing could stop them! Every protected corner and bay has been occupied with dripping wet anglers smiling ear to ear.The best of the harbour has been blackfish, drummer, grouper and bream that have all fished well. Although there were some really good kingfish about, getting the bite was challenging with fish seemingly eating only on alternate days – bizarre, but true, I swear. Consistency was impossible. But if you were there at the right time you’ve had a crack at some serious fish.

Bait Story

Bait has been crucial with live cuttlefish and fresh caught/live squid being the golden-key. A few fish were caught on cubed pilchards and chicken strips, but the guys catching the most aren’t always using shop bought bait.Last week saw the water warm up to 19 degrees C which is great to see. The arrival of a new season with the good weather of late has seen the water turn green which has unfortunately slowed down the fishing, and the squid have become very patchy east of the bridge. The big green eyes are moving to deeper water but there are smaller versions closer to the shore – but not the numbers I want to see yet. Even the humble yakka have been slow – but nothing a few weeks won’t change.Bream and blackfish are still around in big numbers. Just remember to fish close to structure or shore. Our biggest bream have come from rock holes within a meter of the shore in 30cm of water. This is true for drummer as well so keep it in mind next time your heading out. Chicken thigh strips or chunks for bream never disappoints especially on the top of the tide. And my new favourite is red crabs for grouper. Just remember the Sydney Harbour intertidal zone is protected from collecting crabs, so head to the ocean ledges in your search for crabs. Remember “Check your local regulations”.

On the fly

It’s been hot on fly, a traditional harbour winter. The occasional bream from middle harbour kept us going in early winter, but in the last four weeks we’ve been dredging for kings with anything chartreuse coloured, and in their face. Those moments of glory are very precious!Some monster fish have fallen to the dredging technique with amazing follows and surface bites to report. Sinking lines and heavy weighted fly are essential and really drive efficiency when targeting deepwater kings. Mix up the retrieve because their moods change fast and what worked an hour ago might not produce again. My go-to is a short snappy retrieve. Imagine vertical jigging with a fly rod.Salmon have been a little late arriving this year and the numbers disappointing so far this year. There’s small school working from Old Mans Hat to North Head and some fish west of the bridge – but again finding consistency has been almost impossible. Small blue and white clousers have been very good but most important is keeping the fly moving naturally. The small tweaks are fine for when they will eat anything but I’ve found a horizontal push/pull of the fly rod to slow down and speed up a steady retrieve works best – keeping the fly moving consistent and steady is the trick on the tough days.

February 20, 2020

Fish are on the move again, and although the water is still not clear there have been some good results for those fishing inside the harbour.
Fishing along the rocks between Davis marina and reef beach there has been a lot of activity with good numbers of Bream being taken while using small strip baits and raw chicken on light tackle.
Around Watson’s bay Tailor are in big numbers and there are some good-sized fish among them.
Casting small and medium sized metals are working well along with Pilchards on gang hooks in picking up a few fish
Catching bait at the moment especially squid seems to be a bit tougher with the quality of the water but this should change over the next week.
Along south head there are some very large Bonito being taken on the troll in close to the rocks.
Blue fish point and north head has attracted a lot of anglers when the conditions have been good because of the amount of Kingfish that are available and a very successful way to pick these up is to cast out garfish on ganged hooks with a small squid skirt on the front.
Many of these fish are small but still a lot of fun and you never know when the big one will come along and take the bait.
Long reef has been producing some very large Snapper in 50-60m of water while using tuna fillets as bait but the word from some anglers is that large soft plastics are working better and picking up more of the bigger fish.
Narrabeen Lake seems to have survived all the Shark reports and it is time to get back into the water and catch some fish
There have not been any reports this week of Mulloway being caught but that does not mean that there was not as some anglers will not report captures of these fish.
As there is still a good flow of water coming into the lake there is a lot of activity with Whiting and Bream being taken between the ocean bridge and the caravan park on worms.

February 6, 2020

There have been a lot of small blacks taken anywhere between Long reef and the bait station giving anglers in small boats the chance of catching there first Marlin with most fish being taken on live slimey Mackerel.
Just lately the water temperature has dropped a few degrees but out towards the shelf the conditions are still good and holding marlin and Mahi Mahi.
When the opportunity arises it is the best time to get out and try for some of these great game fish.
Long reef has seen an influx of very large bronze Whaler sharks that have been attacking any live bait that is in the water and not swimming well and further to the south it is Hammer head sharks that are giving anglers a bit of bother.
Along the beaches the reports coming in are that Dee Why beach is the place were there have been consistent catches of Tailor in the evening and a few Mulloway have been being taken up and down the peninsula for those fishing into the night.
Narrabeen lake is still fishing well for good sized Flathead being taken while using soft plastics and vibes fishing along the weed beds at the back of the lake with the best time being early morning and late evening.
Inside the harbour Flathead Bonito and Kingfish along with the occasional Mulloway are available in good numbers.
Small and medium metal spinners cast into the schools of Bonito and worked through the water at speed is usually the way to pick up some of these fish.
As well as live bait for the kings a lot of our junior anglers are using soft plastics and sugarpen lures to get into the Kingfish and are having a lot of luck picking up fish on light tackle.
Although this is a great way to pick up small kingfish when a larger fish comes along it usually ends up with the leader being snapped and a lure lost.

January 30, 2020

Very large Bonito on the prowl as can be seen with the specimen that is on our cover picture with Cal Paterson holding a monster that he had taken while out on a recent charter with Stuart Reid from Sydney harbour fishing tours.
As well as some good Bonito there are good numbers of Kingfish Salmon and Tailor all along our headlands.
Spinning large metals or casting stick baits has been a very successful method of picking up a few Kingfish along the whale beach headland for some anglers while others are live baiting of south curl curl along the rocks and having a lot of success early in the morning with Kingfish and a few sharks being taken.
Along the beaches there have been a few reports of Mulloway being taken after the rains washed out the lagoons with Dee why, Bungan and Narrabeen beaches being mentioned.
Narrabeen lake has is fishing well for some anglers trolling small diving lures around the weed beds and some good sized Flathead have been taken with this method.
For those that are fishing from the shore drifting worms on the incoming tide just in front of the caravan park is producing some good whiting and Bream with the early morning being more productive that the evening.
Long reef is still a favourite location to fish if you have a boat with massive schools of baitfish in the area it does not take long before you locate where the Kingfish are.

From most of the reefs at the moment there are reports of Barracouta moving around in big numbers and they are prepared to attack anything form small baits to trolled lures.
While using berley is a great way to attract fish it is also a dinner bell for these toothy critters so be prepared to loose a few rigs.
Further out to sea there have been some good catches of striped Marlin and large Mahi Mahi being taken from the shelf and beyond.
Inside the harbour all of the pelagics are in good numbers and can be easily found with the flocks of birds following and diving into the schools of baitfish.

January 16, 2020

From all reports there are several of the FADs holding good numbers of these amazing sports fish and for some of our game anglers black marlin have also been taken in good numbers while trolling skirts and live baits not that far offshore.
This is a great opportunity for some of our smaller boats to have a go at catching some of these excellent fighting fish.
Inside the harbour there are still big numbers of Kingfish holding around middle harbour and although there are lots of small undersized fish that are great sport on light tackle larger fish are usually swimming around and under them.
There have also been reports that the Bonito are in good numbers and casting small metals around the schools should see a few fish come to the boat.
For those anglers fishing from the land most of the rocky headlands are holding Salmon, and Kingfish that are being taken on live Yellowtail that are in good numbers at the moment or stick baits.
Beach fishing over the last week has improved a lot along the southern side of Collaroy with good number Salmon and Tailor working baitfish just beyond casting range but as the daylight starts to fade they make their way closer to shore.
Flat rock at south curl curl has also fished well for most anglers in the early morning with live bait being the key to picking up a few fish.
Whale beach headlands has also been very productive for Kingfish with anglers picking up fish on large metals and stick baits but again the ratio of keepers are about ten to one as the smaller fish are very eager to get to the baits.
Narrabeen Lake has been great for the kids that are of school at the moment with most taking their first fish.
A light rod and reel with a small sinker just above the hook and some worms, prawns or squid is all that is needed for to get a few fish.

January 10, 2020

Some great reports coming in this week from our game fishing anglers.
With three customers coming in this week saying that they had picked up small black Marlin ranging in depths from 70-140m of water of our coast.
As well as small black Marlin there are good reports of striped Marlin further out wide and for those anglers waiting on some good news regarding the Mahi Mahi apparently there have been some taken of the fads and some very large fish can be seen.
The only thing that is stopping some of the boats heading out is the wind that seems to blow up each weekend but with a very large amount of baitfish around our shores any chance to get out wide could be very rewarding.
Beach fishing has been up and down over the last few weeks and for some there are a lot of small Whiting along with Salmon but only this week there has been a report of a very nice Mulloway taken locally while one angler was fishing with some light gear and after a forty minute fight a bar of silver was landed.
With the high tides peaking in the evening this week it might be a good time to try for one of these magnificent fish.
Inside the harbour there are also good reports of Mulloway been taken by a few anglers that are fishing from the night into the early morning in some of the areas close to the spit bridge.
Salmon, Tailor and Bonito are still feeding well inside the harbour with a lot of fish being taken on Metal lures and stick baits and for those looking for a more casual approach strips of freshly caught squid strips set down with a very light ball sinker among a trail of berley has been working very well for some anglers in picking up a feed.
There is a lot of small Kingfish feeding on baitfish at the moment up and down the harbour and if you can find the baitfish you should be able to get the Kingfish with live slimeys or squid being the bait of choice.

January 2, 2020

Around middle harbour this week there has been some excellent fishing with schools of Salmon, Kingfish and Tailor working hard on the surface smashing baitfish in such a frenzy that the baitfish are being driven against the boats that are in the area.
Finding the fish this week was an easy task on some days by looking for schools of birds and on others there has been no surface action and a bit more effort was needed to locate the fish.
Slimey Mackerel are in the harbour and at the artificial reef in big numbers and the reports are that it does not take long to pick up a tank full of livies.
Drifting around Watson’s bay with some fresh bait has been good for some anglers picking up good-sized Flathead.
North head and Bluefish point have been some of the more popular areas for those looking for Kingfish but lately a lot of these have been taken by anglers fishing south of the heads and with one angler reporting that he is picking up kings trolling small Tuna skirts and Rapala diving lures.
There was a report earlier in the week that one angler while trolling for kingfish picked up a long tail Tuna.
Small Mahi Mahi have been taken of some of the private fads but as yet there are no solid reports of fish holding on the fisheries fads but with the hot current that is offshore at the moment it should not be long before we see some good numbers of these excellent sports fish.

Dee Why has come into the spotlight over the last week with crowds of up to one hundred anglers and families lighting up the lagoon hunting for some of the large school prawns that are on offer at the moment.
With good wave conditions on the beaches there are a lot of fresh gutters and the fish are on the move with Whiting Bream and Salmon being taken up and down the coast with Manly Narrabeen and Palm beaches still being some of the better ones to try.

December 19, 2019

There have been some good reports this week coming from Narrabeen lake with some very big Flathead taken as can been see from our cover picture of Nicholas Smyth with a magnificent specimen that he caught on a recent outing.

The lake was stocked with prawns recently and the lake has come alive with Whiting Bream and Flathead taking advantage of the amount of feeding that is available and they are putting on the weight
Catching a few prawns and casting them unweighted into some of the deeper areas of the lake or letting them drift along with the incoming tide can be a very successful method for picking up a fish or two.

There have been a few anglers this week concentrating on fishing at Manly dam for Bass with small sugarpen surface walkers and poppers and picking up a few nice fish in the evening as the sun is going down.

On the beaches this week for a few whiting and bream Narrabeen and Palm Beach is doing better than some of the other beaches although this changes from day to day and you must be prepared to move to get a feed.
Inside the harbour this week there have been some very quiet days with the only surface activity being around the naval wharfs and under the harbour bridge both areas that you are not allowed to fish.

ON the quiet days with no surface activity it gets a bit harder to locate the fish and by trolling a few diving lures you can cover a lot of ground and hopefully find a few fish.

Outside of the harbour on the weekend south head was the place to be with boats working up and down while trolling diving lures and live baits and getting into good numbers of kingfish.

Long reef still seems to be a stand out when it comes to fishing locations with Kingfish being taken along with Salmon and some good snapper fishing for those fishing out a bit wider.

Along the wrecks of Narrabeen the flathead are being dominated by large numbers of Kingfish that are happy to take a few Pilchards in a berley trail.

December 12, 2019

Fishing last week was tough for lot of anglers with the condition of the sea and the winds but for those that were able to get a break in the weather there were fish to be taken.
Most of our rock platforms and headlands have fish for any style of fishing.
Throwing metals on light gear is always good for picking up Salmon and Tailor and for the Kingfish stick baits and poppers work well.
For the more adventures casting Garfish on gang hook rigs with a small squid skirt of the front of the beak works well of north head and around near blue fish point.
For Drummer and Luderick, weed, bread and prawns are working well at and along Dee why.
Further north fishing from the rocks at whale and Palm Beach headlands there are fish for those making the trek in.
While fishing the rocks there have been a few anglers that have not been wearing their life jackets and apparently from the first of the month failing to wear a life jacket will result in a fine of one hundred dollars from the fisheries inspectors.
There was a report from one of the game anglers that Yellow fin Tuna were taken but without a lot of information I think they were caught well out of range for the small trailer boats.
On the beaches another week of mixed reports with Tailor and dusky Whaler sharks being taken at Manly and Dee why in the evening.
Palm beach and Narrabeen should be good for a few Whiting using worms on the in coming tide and with prawns starting to move in our lagoons you cannot get a better bait for Bream and Flathead than a bucket of live prawns and if you don’t use them you can still get yourself a feed.

December 5, 2019

Our cover picture this week is of Mark Harris holding a beautiful Pearl Perch caught on a jig while out on a recent charter with Vic Levett owner operator of OCEANHUNTER Sports Fishing.
Fishing last week was tough for lot of anglers with the condition of the sea and the winds but for those that were able to get a break in the weather there were fish to be taken.
Most of our rock platforms and headlands have fish for any style of fishing.
Throwing metals on light gear is always good for picking up Salmon and Tailor and for the Kingfish stick baits and poppers work well.
For the more adventures casting Garfish on gang hook rigs with a small squid skirt of the front of the beak works well of north head and around near blue fish point.
For Drummer and Luderick, weed, bread and prawns are working well at and along Dee why.
Further north fishing from the rocks at whale and Palm Beach headlands there are fish for those making the trek in.
While fishing the rocks there have been a few anglers that have not been wearing their life jackets and apparently from the first of the month failing to wear a life jacket will result in a fine of one hundred dollars from the fisheries inspectors.
There was a report from one of the game anglers that Yellow fin Tuna were taken but without a lot of information I think they were caught well out of range for the small trailer boats.
On the beaches another week of mixed reports with Tailor and dusky Whaler sharks being taken at Manly and Dee why in the evening.
Palm beach and Narrabeen should be good for a few Whiting using worms on the in coming tide and with prawns starting to move in our lagoons you cannot get a better bait for Bream and Flathead than a bucket of live prawns and if you don’t use them you can still get yourself a feed.

28/11/19

Some of our beaches are fishing better than others and travelling between beaches to find the fish is a must.
Manly beach has tailor and Flathead on the top of the tide in the evening taking Pilchards on the northern side, as there is a good gutter there.
South Curl Curl has large Salmon just of the pool taking strip baits and Pilchards in the early morning and further around the rocks casting metals and stick baits there is always the chance of picking up a Kingfish as there have been a few very big ones taken in the area.
Narrabeen lake has had a bit of fresh water from the recent storms and that should see the fish being a bit more active and well worth a fish for a few Whiting and or Flathead.
Long reef is still producing the goods while fishing the northern side of the reef from the rock platform using fresh bait and Pilchards with some anglers picking up a mixed bag of Trevally Samson fish and pan sized Snapper.
Further out from the reef there have been some good Snapper taken mostly on soft plastics on the drift while others have been picking up some of the large Kingfish trolling live baits in close.
With the recent bad weather there has not been a lot of boats going out wide to check the fads but with a hot current slowly making its way down the coast hopefully we will get some of our game species showing up as the temperature rises.
For a few boats that were able to get out to the twelve-mile reef they have been well rewarded with good numbers of Kingfish while fishing with metal jigs.
Inside the harbour close to the bridge there has been a lot of surface action with Salmon and Kingfish working hard on schools of bait fish and they have been very eager to take a range of salt water flies and lures fished on the surface.
There have also been a few nice Mulloway taken while fishing live baits in some of the bays into the night.

20/11/19

Great reports this week of some very large Kingfish being taken inside the harbour and while a lot of these fish have been taken while trolling live baits some anglers are having a lot of luck using Garfish with a small squid skirt on the front and dropping them down unweighted around the schools of Salmon.
Squid are on the move again and being the number one bait for Kingfish it is worth while spending a bit of time to pick up a few before setting out on a trip.
North head and blue fish point have been very productive over the last lot of weeks and with Salmon and Bonito it should stay that way for a while yet.
While fishing from the rocks north and south curl curl there has been a range of fish taken with some anglers fishing with weed and picking up a feed of Luderick while others are casting metal lures and stick baits for some of the Salmon Bonito and Kingfish that are in good numbers and should improve in the coming weeks.
Fishing the rocks around long reef with fresh bait early in the morning or just before the sun goes down has been very good for some anglers that have been picking up some very large Trevally and good numbers of Samson fish on the rising tide and while fishing in this area there is always the chance of picking up a Kingfish or two.
Drifting along the reefs this week has produced some very big Snapper in close while using soft plastics before the sun comes up and as the day goes on the fish will move out to deeper water and much heavier lead will have to be used to keep your baits in the strike zone.
There have also been lot of King fish of the point and casting metal lures has been very good for some anglers.
Fishing the beaches on a rising tide with some light gear is still the way to go for Bream and Whiting and on the run out tide using soft plastics for Flathead is very effective as these fish are ambush predators that lie and wait for bait to be drawn past them so the more ground you can cover the better the chances of picking up a fish.

14/11/19
The weather has not been kind this week with very strong winds and rough surf restricting anglers to fish in some of the more sheltered areas but for those that were able to find a short window the rewards have been good with a good mix of fish being taken.
Squid have been a little bit scarce lately but this week there have been some good numbers taken in some of the usual areas around the spit bridge boat moorings
Very large schools of Salmon with Bonito mixed in have been working from Fairy Bower to Queenscliff as can be seen from the beach with large schools of birds following.
Along Manly and Queenscliff beaches here are always some good gutters and with schools of fish being close to shore it is a great time to get out there in the evening casting a few pilchards into the surf.
With plenty of fish about the larger predators are never far away and sometimes it is better to use a heavier leader to be on the safe side.
Along the rest of our beaches the Whiting and Bream are increasing in numbers and a light outfit with a running ledger and some fresh or frozen worms is the way to pick up a fish or two.
During the day a lot of anglers have been targeting the Salmon schools with Bassday Sugapen surface lures and having a lot of success using light tackle.
There are still some very large Kingfish being taken along the heads and from Curl Curl some exceptional fish have been encountered but trying to get some very large Kingfish from the rocks takes a lot of skill and a bit of luck
There have been a few reports that some very big Snapper have been taken out wide at long reef while fishing in seventy metres of water using pilchards.
Further off shore there has not been any good reports as yet but with the fads in place it is always worth checking them out as the water temperature starts to rise.

Report 7/11/19

Our picture this week is of another nice Kingfish taken by Curtis Mitchell while out on a recent charter in the harbour.
A few Cicadas have started to make noise in the trees and summer is not far away.
Some of the older anglers would not start fishing until they hear the sound of the cicadas in the trees.
For the Bream and Bass anglers it is a great sound, as fish get very excited when there is a large insect buzzing around on top of the water.
Manly dam is a great place to target the Bass with some good fish being taken on surface lures when there has been a warm evening as the sun is going down.
Narrabeen Lake should have the Bream and Flathead very active as the lake has been stocked recently with a large number of Prawns by the fisheries department.
Most of our beaches have Whiting and Bream with a few Salmon and Tailor available at the moment and this will only get better as the water temperature rises.
Inside the harbour there have been some reports that a large concentration of Trevally have been working around the rocks at Fairlight and north harbour.
Fishing with a light spin outfit and some small strip baits or Pilchards should see a few fish in the bag.
Further into the harbour close to the harbour bridge there are Salmon and Kingfish in good numbers working on the surface and being followed with large flocks of birds.
Along the front of north head there are still good numbers of Kingfish being taken in close while down rigging with live baits and with a very large school of Bonito that have turned up and are working baitfish on the surface it would be the perfect time for some of our land based angers to get into the action casting metals and stick baits when the water conditions are favourable.
With all of this activity in the water it has attracted a lot of Dolphins and Seals into the area and the seals are not afraid to steal a fish or two of the hook.
Newport reef has had some good Snapper in close while fishing just before daylight with fresh squid.

Report 31/10/19

The weather and the water are starting to warm up and the fish are on the move.
Our picture this week is of a healthy birthday Kingfish for Haidee Batzloff taken while out on a recent trip with Emerson from Raptor Charters.
There have been lots of Kingfish taken north and south of the harbour entrance along the cliffs while trolling live baits although there are a lot of fish just under size there is also some very big fish being taken for those that put the time in either side of the tide change.
At the artificial reef there are lots of Yellowtail but the Slimes are hard to pick up and it can make a difference when trolling for Kingfish as I found out last week.
With two identical rigs set down one with live yellow tail and one with slimey Mackerel the only one to get a strike was the Slimey even to the point that a butter flied Slimey was taken instead of a live yellowtail.
A little more time taken to pick up slimey mackerel instead of yellowtail could make the difference and if you could get Squid it would be even better.
There have been some reports from the weekend that a few very large Kingfish have been taken from the rock platforms at Curl Curl while using live bait under a float.
Snapper fishing around long reef is difficult at the moment with flocks of Mutton birds sitting in the berley trails and taking any bait that is put in the water but for those anglers using soft plastics there have been some very good fish.
Lots of reports this week coming in that the Whiting are in full swing of curl curl beach and with a good supply of fresh worms available for those that are good with the worm pliers or their fingers.
Fishing offshore is looking good at the moment with a hot current making its way down towards Sydney and with the Fads having been put out it should not be long before we see some of our summer game fish arriving.

Report 24/10/19

Not such a good weekend for the red October Snapper comp with the wind and the swell making things difficult for some of the boats to get out.
For those that were able to get out fishing was hard going but fish up around the seventy centimetres were taken along with a lot of smaller fish.
Very large schools of Mutton birds have been following the large schools of Salmon that are feeding on the surface and while trying to get a bait into the water the birds are getting there first and taking anything that is in the berley trail making it hard to get a bait down.
One angler reported that a very large white Shark about 4 metres had come up close to the boat and was attacking the Mutton-birds as they were diving for baits.
Along with the great white there was a few Mako sharks making a name for them selves with acrobatic displays around the boat.
Along the headlands north and south there are schools of Salmon and below there are still some good Kingfish to be taken as can be seen from our cover picture of Benton Shultz holding a beautiful specimen while out on a recent charter.
Squid seem to have gone a bit quiet with a lot of anglers struggling to get a few in the morning but some of the younger lads have been picking them up around the spit bridge in the evening under the lights.
There have been good reports that the beach fishing is improving day by day.
Fishing Dee Why beach in the evening after the sun goes down up near the lagoon entrance is producing some nice Tailor and Salmon for some of the locals while fishing with Pilchards on gang hook rigs.
Bream Whiting and Flathead are being taken on Manly beach usually in the morning just before the sun comes up with fresh or frozen worms being the bait of choice.
If you are fishing the beaches and there is nothing happening move about fifty metres either up or down as it can sometimes make a big difference in locating some fish.

Report 17/10/19
Good sized Snapper being taken around the long reef area as one angler reported taking fish up to six kilos and there were a few of them.
Fish like this are not taken everyday around Sydney and it takes a bit of skill and sometimes a bit of luck to locate and catch fish like this.
Most of the fish reported were taken while drifting with soft plastics with enough lead to stay in contact with the bottom.
With the annual red October Snapper competition being held this weekend Sneakyfisho are Offering 20% of all soft plastics, jigs and jigs heads until Friday 18.10.2018.
Enough of Snapper there is still Yellow fin out wide around browns as can be seen with Josh Hall holding a nice fish taken on Sunday while trolling skirts around browns mountain.
As well as Yellow fin there is a lot of good table fish available for those anglers using the deep drop method.
Closer in there are still Kingfish around the twelve-mile reef with heavy metal jigs being the most successful method of jetting a few fish.
Along our beaches the fishing is improving each week with Bream and Whiting being a bit more active and for some fishing in the evening just after dark there have been some good Whiting taken on worms at the southern end of Manly beach.
Inside the harbour there are still a lot of good sized Kingfish being taken on a wide range of methods from fly-fishing to live baiting with most fish following the schools of Slimey Mackerel around as it is very easy for them to pick up a feed.
Fishing with plastics and hard bodied lures either side of manly wharf is an area that does not get fished very often but there have been some good Flathead taken recently along with some Bream around the swimming nets.
A quiet fish with small diving lures has been very effective for some local lads up at Manly with Bass being taken around the thirty-centimetre mark as the sun goes down near the reed beds.

Report 20/9/19

Before the heavy rains arrived this week the harbour has been on fire with very large schools of salmon working small baitfish up and beyond the harbour bridge and for a lot of anglers casting small metals and trolling bibbed lures around the schools has been the best way to pick up a few fish.

There have been a lot of reports this week that some very large king fish are on the move inside the harbour with fish above the one metre mark being taken while trolling live slimey mackerel on downriggers.

Just outside the harbour along north head the kings have been taken in good numbers as they lie below the schools of salmon that are easily marked by the amount of seagulls that are hovering above the schools.

With the amount of bait schools that is around at the moment there is no reason for these fish to move from this area in the near future giving some of our rock fishermen the opportunity of spinning up a fish or two from the ledges.

With the recent amount of rain that we have had our beach fishing should improve dramatically with baitfish being washed out of our lagoons and into the ocean attracting all manner of predators and maybe a mulloway or two.

Good reports from anglers fishing long reef with some good pan sized snapper being taken through the day and for some fishing the early morning and afternoons fish from sixty to seventy centimetres have been taken on plastics and strip baits.

With a lot of boats travelling from the harbour over to long reef it is sometimes a good idea to slow down and troll a few diving lures along the front of the heads and around by blue fish point before making the journey as these areas frequently hold some good king fish

Proudly brought to you by:

Paul O’Hagan

Sneaky Fisho
533 Pittwater Road
Brookvale NSW

P: (02) 9949 9488

http://www.sneakyfisho.com
Australia’s ONLY daily deals fishing website.