Coffs Coast

COFFS COAST Rob Taylor

We’re finally starting to defrost and dry out here on the Coffs Coast as we move out of winter and intro spring proper.

For those chasing a feed, it’s been a bumper season for bottom fishing, with plenty of pearl perch, trag, mulloway and snapper coming over the side. Pearlies in particular have been schooling in solid numbers from in close out to the 100m line, and everywhere in between. With them have been goodsized trag, which has made for some very tasty outings.

Some big, bruising snapper are still falling to plastics in close, with some epic fish being taken in relatively shallow water. The usual presentations from Gulp, ZMan and Squidgies have been doing the damage. Keep jigheads light, cast your plastics forward and let them sink down to the bottom third of the water column. You should find some reds!

Bass season has opened with a bang! Many of the local rivers as well as the bigger systems produced some astonishing fishing for those willing to get off the beaten track and be in position for the opening bell. Some hot bites were recorded, and hopefully this all bodes well for a great 22-23 season!

While historically October can tend to fish a bit on the quiet side, let’s take a look at what should be on the chew.

CREEKS, RIVERS

AND ESTUARIES

As mentioned, it’s all systems go in the freshwater with the opening of Australian bass season. With the weather warming, there’ll be plenty of red-hot bass fishing on offer in all of the local creeks and rivers. Systems such as the Bellinger and Clarence will be well worth a prospect on foot or in kayaks and Fishing with his good mate Rick Mocket, local angler Carl Perry tempted this fine mulloway in 85m of water with a live slimy.

Laurie Banks with a solid king that fell to a plastic out around the islands. canoes. There’s a plethora of lures to chase bass with, so get down to your local tackle store and chat to the sales people for the best options.

By the end of this month we should start to see the first mangrove jacks turning up on the social media pages, so keep an eye on the water temperature if you’re looking to get among the red devils.

Small GTs will start working the bait throughout the systems, so always keep an eye out for surface activity and have a suitable lure at the ready. Flathead and early summer whiting will start to increase in numbers as the bream and luderick fall away. ROCKS AND BEACHES

The local rocks and beaches will still produce good catches of tailor in the white water for those keen on some fish for the smoker. I like to work the local headlands at this time of year and spin for choppers. If you don’t fancy eating them, they make a great troll bait for the upcoming Spanish mackerel run. Plenty of big Spanish fall to slow-trolled dead tailor.

Plenty of mulloway are also still on offer for those throwing baits or lures around. Now is the time to find them in good numbers before the warmer summer water makes them harder going. If we get some rain and big seas, then there’s a good chance of solid silver ghosts around the local rock walls chasing big lures and plastics. Sadly, drummer numbers have started to thin, although there will be more than enough fun in the suds with bream, tailor and salmon all there for the taking.

This month is always a fun time to be walking beach gutters at low tide flicking either soft plastics or lightly-weighted live yabbies in search of flathead, bream and whiting. This is a surefire way to bag a decent feed. We should start to see some dart also moving into the beach gutters as the water warms.

OFFSHORE

This month we will continue to see some solid snapper in close, so make the most of it while the big models are in town. A around places like South and North Solitary. Some very big greenbacks patrol the island washes at this time, so they are always worth a prospect with metal action right along the 100m line for those willing to put the time in pulling lures.

There may still be the odd yellowfin getting about, but these are always

Brad Bye with a brace of epic pearl perch for the table.

little deeper and there’ll be trag, pearl perch, snapper and mulloway all feeding on the reefs, and if weather permits, deeper still will produce bar cod and trevalla.

The islands will also be fishing well, and now is the peak time to chase yellowtail kings and tailor lures. The kings will be easy to find, just look for the pros doing laps and that will be bang on where the kings are holding up!

We should also see the start of our game fishing season this month. Striped marlin are usually the first to arrive and there should be some good billfish hit and miss and hard to predict. If you’re keen to lock horns with one, I’d head to at least the 200m line and start cubing.

While not the hottest month for fishing on the Coffs Coast, October can still produce some good catches, so get out there and get into it!

GOSFORD INSINC MARINE 20 Dell Road West Gosford P: (02) 4324 4300 E: troy@insincmarine.com.au W: www.insincmarine.com.au

GRAFTON DISCO MARINE 160 North Street Grafton P: (02) 6643 1199 E: sales@discomarine.com.au W: www.discomarine.com.au

PORT MACQUARIE HASTINGS MARINE 185 Hastings River Drive Port Macquarie P: (02) 6583 5511 E: sales@hastingsmarine.com.au W: www.hastingsmarine.com.au

HORNSBY SHANNON OUTBOARDS 3/41 Leighton Place Hornsby P: (02) 9482 2638 E: sales@shannonoutboards.com.au W: www.shannonoutboards.com.au

COFFS HARBOUR COFFS HARBOUR MARINE 311b Pacific Highway Coffs Harbour P: (02) 6652 4722 E: info@coffsharbourmarine.com.au W: www.coffsharbourmarine.com.au

McGRATHS HILL TR MARINE WORLD 4 Curtis Road McGraths Hill P: (02) 4577 3522 E: sales@trmarine.com.au W: www.trmarine.com.au MERIMBULA MERIMBULA OUTBOARDS 382 Sapphire Coast Drive Tura Merimbula P: (02) 6495 9634 E: info@merimbulaoutboard.com.au W: www.merimbulaoutboard.com.au

KINGS PARK WATERSPORTS MARINE 11 Binney Road Kings Park P: (02) 9676 1400 E: info@watersportmarine.com.au W: www.watersportsmarine.com.au

TAREE MANNING RIVER MARINE 13 Victoria Street Taree P: (02) 6552 2333 E: jim@manningrivermarine.com.au W: www.mercurydealertaree.com

MARKS POINT FISHERMAN’S WAREHOUSE TACKLE WORLD 804 Pacific Highway Marks Point P: (02) 4945 2152 E: enquiries@fishermanswarehouse.com.au W: www.fishermanswarehouse.com.au

MONA VALE JOHNSON BROS ENTERPRISE MARINE 8/77-79 Bassett Street Mona Vale P: (02) 9999 5558 E: info@jbem.net.au W: www.jbem.net.au