REEL ‘EM IN Monthly Report for Septemer 2005

SYDNEY AND NSW ROUND UP.

Here is a group of happy anglers who caught a few mulloway while fishing with Greg Joyes from Calm Water Fishing Charters.

The month of September will find many anglers starting to go through their fishing tackle while at the same time thinking about where they could go for a fish. In my local area of the Sutherland Shire you will find many great spots that are worth having a look at. Botany Bay has been turning on very good catches of silver trevally and yellowfin bream.

I was out with Brian Rhodin from ATF last weekend and we managed to catch a bag limit of silver trevally in just over an hour and a quarter. Even though we did release many of the fish we caught, we did keep a number of them for a feed over the next couple of days.

What did amaze me was that there were about a dozen boats anchored up along the retaining wall in Yarra Bay doing the same thing as us, but there was one thing different. We had all three rods going at once, while they would get a fish every now and then.

All I can say is that we were berleying and they were not. I find that if I don’t have some kind of berley floating out of the back of my boat you will only get a fish every now and then.

Once we had enough of catching silver trevally we turned our attention to the dusky flathead, Australian salmon and tailor.

Other places that are worth a try are the oil wharf, the hot water outlet, Bare Island, the end of the third runway and the patches off Towra.

Further up stream you could try at any of the bases of the bridges, Bald face Point and at the end of River Road at Padstow.

September should see the rising in the numbers of sand whiting in the Port Hacking, yellowfin bream and dusky flathead.

The George River is a place that you can target dusky flathead with soft plastics.

Dean Hayes from Sydney Sports and Fly Sportsfishing Tours reports that fishing even though there has been a bit of a rise in the water temperature in Sydney Harbour there has been an big improvement in the fishing over the past month or so, with Australian salmon, bonito, tailor and yellowtail kingfish feeding on the baitfish near the entrance to Sydney Harbour.

Dean recommends that you can try using the smallest metal lures, Berkley Bass Minnows and live yellowtail and you will be in with a very good chance of getting a few fish.

Sand flathead are being caught between the 35 to 45 metre depth, and the best baits have been salted slimy mackerel, fresh squid and pilly tails.

Further offshore there has been a few kingfish and snapper caught by the guys who have been anchoring on the northern side of the Peak and using plenty of berley.

Any one interest in tangling with these fish you could give Dean a ring on 040 8334 892 or go to his web site at www.sydneysportsfishing.com

Matt Clarke-Bruce from Topspin Sportsfishing Charters reports that he has been putting his clients onto a few yellowfin bream in the Parramatta River. The guys have been using soft plastics and hard body lures along rock walls, drop-offs and over weed beds. You can contact Matt be emailing him on www.topspinsportsfishing.com.au

Pete Le Blang from Harbour and Estuary Fishing Charters reports that the warmer water and weather that anglers will experience throughout the Pittwater over the next month will cause the fishing to improve.

Pete recommends that you target yellowtail kingfish an hour either side of the change of the tide, but to be successful you will need to put in the hard yards and get yourself a few squid. Each time one of his customers has stuck it out and caught squid, they have captured kingfish. Those that are giving up after an hour or two and want to use live yellowtail or garfish have been left disappointed.

It is well worth the extra effort to catch squid, as nearly every kingfish that they have caught over the last month has had cuttlefish or squid in their stomachs.

Botany Bay and the Pittwater are both producing a number of legal sized kingfish.

If you are after a few silver trevally you will need to anchor up and berley at places like Stokes Point and Longnose Points, the western side of the Barrenjoey Headland and Coaters Retreat.

These fish are not huge but at 30cm plus they are great fun on light tackle. Prawns and squid strips are catching most of the fish. There have also been a number of tarwhine, dusky flathead and small snapper caught at these places as well. If you are after baitfish you could try West Head.

The Basin has schools of small tailor so it would be worth while trolling a few lures, soft plastics or squid down deep, as there may be a jewfish or kingfish hanging around underneath them.

Surface action is pretty scarce in most other parts of the Pittwater at the moment, but the afternoon has seen some salmon and tailor working around Scotland Island.

Lovett Bay is quite except for schools of trevally. Live nippers or prawns, floated down a burly trail on light tackle is the best way to catch the fish in this area. Fish in the deep hole, at the back of the bay and in front of the sand bank.

This area has fished well on the top of the tide. Tomahawk Wreck is holding a lot of baitfish and in turn is producing the odd kingfish if you have squid or cuttlefish.

Bream to 32cm have also come from the same area whilst using whitebait as bait. Trevally can also be caught here.

For more information on “How, where and When to fish the you could give Pete a call on (02) 9999 2574 or Mobile 0410 633 351 or have a look at his web site www.estuaryfishingcharters.com.au

Paul Martin from South West Rocks Marine Bait and Tackle reports that Fish Rock is the hot spot this week with excellent yellowtail kingfish coming in.

The biggest reported are 13 kilos and a few guys being cut off on bigger fish. Good Snapper are also around the rock up to 6 kilos but plenty of pan size fish amongst them to keep you interested.

Leatherjackets are still about from the Jail to Scott’s Head. Tailor have slowed down around Green Island and along the Jail in close, but should improve over the later part of the month.

Luderick can still being caught in the river, but the numbers have dwindled over the last week or so. Hat Head Creek is really firing on the full tide.

Luderick are still being caught by those anglers who have been fishing off the rocks.

Bream have also slowed down at the moment, but if you want these fish you will need to rug up and put in some hours during the cool nights or cold early mornings to be successful.

There have also been a number of dusky flathead being caught by the guys who have been using soft plastics.

Once again the beaches are slow with the fish very patchy apart from a few bream and tailor coming in off Smoky and Gap Beach. We have had no fish reported from Front and Back Beach but the sport fish Australian Salmon are not to far away.

Even the river was hard to fish at the moment, it will improve over the next part of the month. That is along as you can get out of the wind.

The wall should start to fish well this month for mulloway, bream and dusky flathead. Try using strips of mullet, squid and live yellowtail, slimy mackerel, white bait or mullet.

Yamba.

Some big bream coming from the walls at Yamba and not much further upstream. A few crabs also starting to show. Flathead a bit sporadic with the last of the winter run around Harwood. A few school jew from Oyster Channel. The luderick run should start to ease off a bit over the first part of the month, but will pick up later in the month.

Port Macquarie.

On the beaches the Australian Salmon should remain common in most angler’s creels, and if anything the quantity and quality has improved even further. Tailor numbers too have picked up after a barren winter, although in general they remain a little hit and miss. Bream numbers and quality remain quite reasonable while the odd school jew has been snared from around Lake Cathie and on North Beach. With the tides and moon at present close to optimum, this weekend is likely to produce fish for those keen enough to chase them. As always, locating a reasonable gutter with plenty of white water and presenting a bunch of live worms or fresh tailor are the key ingredients to your success. Off the rocks, drummer numbers remain reasonably consistent with the odd few fish on offer for those willing to put in the time. Most local ledges are producing and Point Perpendicular has been fishing particularly well. The key is to be mobile and berley heavily.

Blackfish numbers are on the improve with some bumper specimens being snared locally and around Point Perpendicular on cabbage and cunjevoi. Tailor numbers remain solid with the odd bumper specimen about, particularly from Big Hill and surrounds. A few groper around too for those prepared to toss a crab in and hang on, but most ledges will be difficult to safely negotiate with the current swell conditions.

In the estuary, flathead remain excellent, as they have pretty well all winter. Whitebait has been the pick of the baits while those throwing soft plastics continue to achieve considerable success. Bream numbers are reasonable and there are some top quality fish among them with night anglers expecting to do particularly well with good tides and no moon over the next few days. Both walls continue to fish well for blackfish around a kilo.

Narooma.

Wagonga Inlet has started to fire up again with some sizeable dusky flathead being caught. Fish to 5 kg are about with large soft plastics doing the damage. The best I heard of being caught was 4.70kg. The main channel from the highway bridge downstream is holding good bream and trevally at present. Berkley gulps working well with light jig heads required for consistent results. Fish the lures very slow; let the tide do most of the work. It’s important the lure is always in the bottom 2 feet of the water column. Good blackfish and mullet near the 8-knot sign past the main town wharf.

Offshore you will find some nice snapper around, but not the same as a month ago. Mowies and sand flathead are plentiful, with reports of good gummy sharks being taken from the snapper anglers. Both Potato Point and Fullers reef are holding fish, but, Montague Island is very slow. No kingies and cold 16-degree water.

Merimbula.

If you are after a few snapper to 2 kilos you could try the close inshore reefs and the has been a number of sand and tiger flathead from the grounds off Pambula river mouth. Fish 30 metres of water for best results. Merimbula Lake will fish well over the next month or so for tailor in top section of lake. Early mornings are best with fish in excess of a kilo common. Still some nice flatties from the weedy shallow sections with small soft plastics the gun method.

Scott from Alpine Angler at Cooma reports that Spring has "sprung" in the Snowy Mountains - what a cracker week we've just had! The browns are definitely back in the lakes with some great polaroiding to be had on Lake Jindabyne over the coming weeks. The trolling and baitfishing has also been pretty consistent ,with plenty of fish still coming in and fishing will keep improving as the weather warms and the lakes rise.

Scott says there have been some nice browns showing up down around the Buckenderra and Middling Bank and Frying pan area with fish to 2.5 kgs being taken. Scott recommends that the patterns worth having in your box include Woolly buggers, Fuzzy wuzzies, Craig's night times, Tiahape ticklers and lumo baby dolls. Remember to up your tippet after dark to at least 8lb as there's always a chance of a BIG one at this time of year.

The Jindabyne browns are defiantly about now - so keep an eye on the weather map for those BIG high pressure systems and get out on the lake for a look - it's been one of the best polaroiding seasons in years Most areas in the lake will produce fish , with a boat providing better access to the lesser fished shore lines. Best flies for polaroiding include: woolly bugger's, and fuzzy wuzzies, Bushy's Horror's, sand cases caddis, black and peacocks, midges etc.

The trolling really has been hot on Eucumbene over the last few weeks with some thumping rainbows & Browns coming in. Both lead line and flat lines have been producing fish with the cooler surface temperatures. The best fishing has been down the bottom of the lake well away from the main river in-flows. The rainbows are in peak condition and averaging around the 1kg mark, feeding heavily on daphnia in the open water. Consistent lures include Tasmanian Devils in Cols 55, 72, S12, Y82 & Y62. Our own Alpine Cobra's in the Alpine Attractor, Black hole and Alpine Special patterns, Rebel crickhoppers and crawfish, Storm Hot N Tots , ultra deep Merlins, Stump Jumpers, RMG Scorpions & Poltergeist. This Polaroiding capers not limited to the fly anglers either - I had a go at throwing a Berkeley 2" Hawg at them on an unweighted 90 degree jig hook the other week - and got a few lovely browns to eat straight away. Just get it in front of them as quietly as possible and give it a twitch as they come onto it - great fun.

Fisheries

There is a new closure at Tilligerry Creek, Port Stephens to protect public health a closure prohibiting the recreational harvest of all shellfish in the upper 6km of Tilligerry Creek, Port Stephens came into affect on 26 August 2005. The closure is due to high levels of human waste detected in the Creek. The contamination in the Creek is likely to have resulted from the failure of septic systems in the catchment area and the consumption of oysters, cockles, crabs, prawns, worms, limpets, sea urchins and lobsters poses potentially serious health risks.

From the courts

NSW DPI is reminding recreational fishers to follow the rules or pay the price. The message comes after several people appeared in the Nowra and Wollongong Courts charged with several fisheries offences:

· Three people from Sydney appeared in the Nowra local court after their vehicle was found with 4960 pipis at Seven Mile Beach, near Gerroa. The pipis were seized and returned to the beach. All three pleaded guilty to the possession of pipis taken contrary to a closure, exceeding their bag limits and failing to have fishing licences. They were ordered to pay a total of $3320 in fines and costs and for each to complete 100 hours of community service.

· A man from Barrack Heights pleaded guilty to the possession of undersize abalone and lobsters, exceeding the possession limits for abalone and taking abalone from closed waters. The man was caught after diving near Walkers Beach, Gerringong and ordered to pay $6,190 in fines and costs; dive gear was also forfeited by the magistrate.

Anyone with information on illegal fishing activity is encouraged to contact their local DPI Fisheries Office or call the Fisher’s Watch line on 1800 043 536.

Product Review.

Okay, who out there has trouble getting the line through the eye of a hook and a swivel when tying a “Uni Knot”. The Idea Knot Magic was born from the frustration of one angler who had trouble of tying his favourite knot in the dark and after loosing several hooks (and fish) in an evening, it was clear that the old knot just wasn't working. The decision to change was easy, as the line snapped again, thoughts turned to a mechanical knot tying device... There has to be a better way to tie knots at night!

Holding a bait covered torch between the teeth (threading a hook) added a desirable function. Biting excess line away from the hook prompted another. But with so many things to carry - size, weight and convenience were going to be important.

Research showed the "Uni Knot" was one of the strongest and most versatile knots available. Testing confirmed it. The new knot was 3 times stronger than the old one (a clinch knot) and performed most functions exceptionally well

After several attempts, a rustic mechanism emerged. Patent protection was secured and inspired industrial design took it to another level.

For more information on how this great little device works you should visit the web site www.KnotMagic.biz and have a look for your self how it works.

NSW WATERWAYS

Getting Tough on Boat Licence Testing

Licence testing procedures to drive a powerboat are under review by NSW Maritime. By the start of the new boating season in October this year, phase one of a new regime will be in place with a focus on more thorough testing of the recall of boating knowledge. The decision to review and overhaul the current system is supported by the results of a 2004 survey of recreational boat owners who indicated boat licence testing could be toughened up, with a stronger focus on boater education and a more rigorous licence test.

As the State boating regulator NSW Maritime has a duty of care to ensure high safety standards are maintained on State waters. A boat driving licence is required to operate a powerboat at a speed of 10 knots or more, and to operate a personal watercraft (PWC) at any speed. Almost 450,000 people hold NSW boat driving licences, with about 30,000 new licences obtained each year. To drive a PWC, a separate licence must be passed, once a general boating licence has been obtained. This involves an additional set of PWC-specific questions. Phase two of the new boat licence testing regime will be introduced in 2006 and will include changes in the licence education strategy.

Boating Seminars in NSW

Bookings are essential for Boating Seminars. You must bring proof of identity. For details on required documentation, fees payable and opening times please call Info Line on 13 12 56 or the local NSW Maritime office.

Hunter Inland Region, North Coast Region, Sydney Region, Hawkesbury River/ Broken Bay Region, South Coast Region an the Murray Inland Region.

Videos and DVDs

The following Educational Safety Videos and DVDs are available for order for a nominal fee. To place an order contact your local NSW Maritime Authority Office, or order online.

Boat Smart (Duration 14 minutes)

Boating Officer Jim Brown takes you through the basic rules for safe navigation such as keeping a Proper Lookout, Giving Way and much more!

Ride Smart (Duration 11 minutes)

How to enjoy your personal watercraft the safe way. Five times Australian PWC Champion James Carr takes you through the dos and don'ts of riding a PWC, including how to navigate safely.

Blue Water Safety (Duration 13 minutes)

Helpful hints on how to avoid trouble when you’re boating on the open sea. This video covers safety checks, lifejackets, crossing surf bars and much more!

Big Ships - Small Boats (Duration 13 minutes)

A guide for safe boating on some of our busiest commercial ports. The basic rules for recreational boat owners to help avoid conflict with larger vessels.

Compilation Safety Video/DVD

The Boat Smart Video/DVD is a compilation of the four titles above. It covers offshore boating and bar crossing, personal watercraft, the navigation rules and how recreational craft can stay safe in busy working ports.

What’s New

Class 1

Due to over whelming demand I will be running an Advanced Soft Plastic and Hard Body fishing class on Thursday night the 13th of October. It will start a 7.00pm and finish at about 11.00pm. The cost will be $ 25 dollars for the night.

Class 2

Would you like to learn more about how to catch snapper, morwong, leatherjackets, long finned sea perch, pig fish and flathead off the reefs, sand and gravel patch

areas off the coast of Sydney. Or, maybe you would also like to learn how to troll those Bluewater lures that you have had in your tackle box or boat and have caught nothing on them yet. Con from Drummoyne Bait and Tackle and I are running a couple classes on “How to get the best out of your offshore fishing trips”.

For a cost of $ 200.00 you will get one night of theory/practical, plus a day out on the water on Con’s boat putting it all into practice. The first theory/practical class will start on Thursday night the 20th of October and the day on the water will be Sunday the 23rd of October. or contact me on 0422 994207 or drop me an email at gbrown1@iprimus.com.au.

Class 3

I will be also running fishing classes on “How, Where and When to fish the waterways of Sydney “from both the shore and the boat. The areas that I cover in these classes are the Port Hacking, Georges, Woronora, Parramatta, Lane and Iron Cove and the Hawkesbury Rivers, Middle and Sydney Harbours, the northern and southern beaches, as well as the Pittwater. . The cost for three nights is $ 80 per person and you will need to get in quick as the classes fill up quickly.

To secure your spot you will need to book in and pay at the shop or for further information you could either email me on gbrown1@iprimus.com.au or ring me on 0422 994207