NSW
Fish are more active PORT STEPHENS
Paul Lennon
Summer is here and it’s not just the weather heating up – the fishing is hot too. The rising water temperatures will see whiting become far more active this month. You will
Shoal Bay, Nelson Bay and Little Beach all great areas to try. Live worms are a must when targeting whiting in these parts, and light leaders around 6lb will also greatly improve your catch rates. The most exciting way to catch whiting, however, is to use surface lures like small poppers and floating
environments are what you want to look for, such as the areas around Taylors Beach, Tahlee and Pindimar up to Tea Gardens. Still on surface lures, and bream will also be on the chew, with the shallow rock bars around Soldiers Point to Myall River fishing well on the high tide. If you like fishing for
The FAD has been holding dollies to 5kg, and larger models have been taken as by-catch by anglers chasing marlin.
Soft vibes and plastics have been accounting for some good mulloway. find good numbers of them along the shallow beaches towards the bottom end of the bay, with Jimmys,
Shoal Bay, Corlette and Taylors Beach. Karuah has been turning it on for mulloway, with soft vibes and plastics accounting for good fish up to 1m long around the pylons of both bridges and rocky shoreline drop-offs. Live baiting around the deeper waters near Middle Island and Fame Cove as well as Corlette Wreck is another really good option if you’re chasing mulloway.
BEACHES Most of the beaches at this time of year will fish particularly well for bream, whiting, dart and the odd flathead. It’s important to not just fish anywhere along an ocean beach; you want to find an appealing looking gutter or trough of deeper water. Once you’ve done this, your chances of success will increase dramatically
pencil-style patterns, which are lethal when fished in the right areas. Shallow flats
There is the chance of a few kings this month.
Tommy Magnussen, 8yo, with an 80cm long tom he caught in North Creek, Ballina on a prawn.
flathead, December is right up there with the best times of year to catch them, especially a really big girl. 90-120mm paddle tail or grub type plastics, as well as hardbodied lures around the same size that dive to around 1m, are extremely effective. Most of the time, they will significantly out fish bait. The trick is to be constantly on the move, with a dozen casts fanning an area before moving along to fresh ground. Karuah and Tilligerry are great areas for this, but if you’re land based you will still find some around
Port Stephens Estuary Charters
when you combine the right baits such as live worms or pipis with a late afternoon/ early morning high tide. ROCKS Bonito should start to appear this month, and can be a load of fun with a 20g metal spinner casted and retrieved from a point or headland. If the bonito aren’t there you still have a good chance of coming across a few tailor, salmon or a rat king too. Calamari are yet another option from the rocks, with a 3.0 sized jig the best way to go. Squid prefer calm conditions, so protected bays and coves are often hotspots for them. OFFSHORE FAD has been holding plenty of smaller dolphinfish (mahimahi) to around 5kg, and there have been some impressive early season models to 20kg taken as marlin by-catch on the shelf lately. It’s already shaping up to be a good year outside, with reports of striped marlin on the shelf and some big blues pushing 200kg a little wider. Snapper are being caught inshore around Broughton to Seal Rocks, as well as some nice pearl perch.
ens estuary system the beautiful Port Steph signed g charter that can be de with a calm water fishin family bait fishing to to suit your needs from hing anglers. hardcore lure and fly fis
rters.com www.fishportstephensestuarycha 687 Contact Paul Lennon :0434370 mail.com g@g shin on.fi .lenn paul il: ema
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fishportstephensestuarycharte @fish_portstephens
DECEMBER 2022
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