NEW SOUTH WALES Pittwater

Swinging temperatures

PITTWATER Peter Le Blang

plfishfingers@bigpond.com

Once again this last month we experienced some very sporadic fishing. Some mornings the water would be 23°C, and that very afternoon, all of a sudden it could be as cold as 17°. This colder water has come from Warragamba Dam; they have been letting out large volumes of water as the dam has been full. flathead and flounder, and occasionally jewfish as well. All these species have been caught whilst drifting using a paternoster rig with a variety of baits.

I have found the last part of the run-out tide to be the most productive right up until an hour into the rising tide. We have been using fresh caught squid strips, prawns and pilchards, and recently we were lucky enough to find slimy mackerel. Slimy strips can produce some very nice fish.

Fishing along Pittwater has been great one day and tricky the next, but the bottom fishing hasn’t been too bad. Once again, drifting to cover ground has been required, and the better area to do this at the moment is towards the mouth of the river. The drop-off that runs from Mackerel Beach to Palm Beach Ferry Wharf is a great place to start. On the run outside you will drift from the deeper water up the large drop-off and into shallow water. You have to know what part of the tide you are fishing to make sure that the wind is not blowing in the wrong direction.

Most of the action in this area is again happening near the tide change.

Another area to drift in Pittwater is the hill located behind Scotland Island. This area can see keeper snapper, whiting as well as kingfish that pass through, and flathead. In this area it really doesn’t matter what part of the tide you fish as there is very little current, and a light breeze is required to cover ground.

For the whiting fanatics the shallows at Mackerel Beach can be a prime location to catch a few of these shallow water species. Using very small poppers can also be a great way to locate and catch a few, especially around the edges of the weed beds. The shallower grounds can also be fished by anchoring and drifting unweighted lines with the current. I have found over the years a breadcrumb berley trail can work well to bring these fish close to you, and it will also bring in bream and other species as well. The better baits to use are live ghost nippers or blood worms, and both can be purchased from Narrabeen Bait & Tackle most of the time.

For the kingfish fanatics like myself there are still a few to be caught. Most of the activity has been happening around the mouth of the river and towards Barrenjoey Headland. As usual, squid has been accounting for most captures, but outside on the ocean side of Barrenjoey Head, yellowtail will work quite well, and so do squid strips.

Some bigger fish have been showing up on the odd day and cruising the Kingfish Highway, so this is an area that needs to be targeted as well.

Catching squid at the moment is a lot easier than it has been in previous months, which is a blessing for us all. The better areas to target them have been Careel Bay, Mackerel Beach as well as the large ribbon weed beds near Palm Beach.

The better colour at the moment seems to be orange but make sure that you have a few other lures ready to go in case you find a few tentative squid. I have found over the years a lot of the time if you find wary squid to reduce the size of the lure. This can have a profound effect on those smaller timid ones.

Once you do have enough squid, the usual technique of downrigging will put you in with the best chance of catching some of the bigger kings.

So, as you can see, there is still is quite a bit of activity along Pittwater and Broken Bay to enjoy.

Fishing offshore the moment has seen some pretty good captures of blue-spot flathead as well as nannygai, snapper, kingfish and morwong, just to name a few.

This still seems to be a lot of current offshore so our areas have been differing from week to week. I would love to be able are say to go to reefs in 50m of water, but unfortunately strong currents can make it impossible to fish. I have been starting in 30m of water and working my way out to the deeper water until I find the stronger currents. Once the stronger currents have been found, I know to go back into shallow water and fish those reefs along the coast in that particular depth of water. It really can be difficult to fish strong currents, and 8oz sinkers have not been enough to keep our baits on the bottom to target anything.

For those of you who want to target snapper, try early morning starts and go to areas that have plenty of kelp beds and fish the edges of these areas whilst berleying and floating down lightly-weighted lines. You will find that as the morning progresses, bites will be harder to come by. Usually that is when we go out to the deeper water to target them.

If you can’t seem to catch any fish on Pittwater or Broken Bay, give me a call on 0410 633 351 so we can book in a charter for you to target your chosen species. You will gain a lot more knowledge in a very short period of time.

I hope this report sees you excited and grabbing your fishing gear to enjoy our wonderful part of the coastline. • Peter Le Blang operates Harbour and Estuary Fishing Charters, phone 02 9999 2574 or 0410 633 351, visit www. estuaryfishingcharters. com.au

Will with his first ever fish. He travelled from way out west to tangle with this flathead.

All the freshwater can be seen out in Broken Bay, where there has been a distinct current line and change of coloured water. The distinct current line is where we’ve been fishing, and with great reward. Along this line there have been tailor, decent

Other areas to catch jewfish at the moment around Broken Bay seem to vary from day to day, but Juno Point, Flint and Steel and the pressure wave at the entrance of the Hawkesbury River will put you in with a great chance at tackling one or two silver ghosts.

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These fish put up a great fight on lighter tackle at Barrenjoey Headland area.

Record Number of Murray Cod Stocked!

Photos courtesy of Col Gordon

The hatchery staff at DPI’s Narrandera Fisheries Centre have produced and stocked a record number of Murray Cod in the 2021-22 season.

More than 1.27 million juvenile Murray Cod have been released into impoundments and rivers across the State as part of DPI Fisheries’ Native Impoundment Stocking and Drought Recovery programs.

Now that all the Murray Cod have been stocked, hatchery staff will be dedicating their time to stocking Golden Perch, which should be underway by the time you read this.

The Fisheries Facebook page will be a good source for updates on these stockings.

Our native fish stocking program is another great example of your recreational fishing fee at work!

We Want Your Mackerel Frames!

The Millpond – A Great New Public Fishery!

Free public access for anglers has been secured for a new fishery, The Millpond, located at The Foundations precinct in Portland, across the Blue Mountains to the west of Sydney. The site has undergone installation of infrastructure to ensure public safety.

This project was funded from the Recreational Fishing Trust following a successful application by the Wallerawang Branch of the Central Acclimatisation Society.

www.dpi.nsw.gov.au

The project is now complete and open for fishing, with some great trout on offer! Google The Foundations website for more info and access rules. This is yet another great example of your recreational fishing fee at work. With warm northern waters heading down the NSW coast, it won’t be long before “mackerel madness” hits northern NSW!

Once again, the Research Angler Program is keen to collect your mackerel frames!

If you’re lucky enough to catch a legal Spanish or spotted mackerel, please drop the frame (the entire frame or just the head with total length of the fish indicated) to one of our participating drop-off locations.

The fish don’t need to be trophy specimens as we’re are looking for all size classes.

Data collected by this program will contribute towards ensuring continued quality recreational fishing opportunities for mackerel and other key species into the future.

Each frame donated earns an entry into the monthly lucky angler prize draws.

To find out more about the RAP, including your closest drop-off location, head to the DPI website and search “Research Angler Program”.

The RAP is another great example of your license fees at work!

Need A Fishy Holiday?

If you’re in need of a fishing fix with family and friends, why not take advantage of DPI’s Eco Fishing Huts? Thanks to the Recreational Fishing Trusts, a 33% discount is available across the full range of Eco Fishing Huts till 31 December 2022.

If you hold an NSW recreational fishing licence (or a valid exemption), you can jump online and book your fishing holiday today. Just go to the DPI website and search “Ecohuts”.

Two great new locations have been added to the Eco Hut list! Redbank Homestead on the Darling River and Creel Bay Cottages at Lake Jindabyne are now available to book. With the higher-than-average seasonal rainfall west of the divide, these locations are booking out fast so get in quick for some great fishing in amazing locations!

With these two new huts, there are now 21 amazing fresh and saltwater Eco Fishing Hut locations available to book!

When booking, make sure to use the code “ECOHUTS” and include your recreational licence number or your fishing fee exemption details in the comments section to receive your discount.

The Eco Fishing Hut initiative is a great example of your fishing fees at work!