Pittwater

PITTWATER Peter Le Blang

plfishfingers@bigpond.com

Another month has passed and the rain is relentless. I hope this coming month gives a us a bit of break from these wet, bleak conditions.

As at the time of writing this article, Warragamba Dam is still seeing a lot of water flow from it. Of course, this equates to lots of fresh water running down the Hawkesbury River, affecting other rivers such as Pittwater. Not only do we have lots of debris to dodge, there’s 2ft of fresh water running over the top of salt which makes it very difficult to fish, to say the least.

On the upside we are still seeing some bonito busting up in small pods around Pittwater and Broken Bay, and they can be targeted with 10g metal lures. If you’re using light fishing gear, you’ll have a ball on these smaller fish. The only downside is the amount of active fish in these pods. There are generally no more than 20 in each of these schools, but as mentioned they are quite willing to smash a well-placed lure.

Bottom fishing for bream and flathead is very sporadic at the moment, and we seem to be catching more undersized jewfish than either of the other species. Flathead and bream seem to be more active on the run-out tide, and aren’t overly fussy on what they eat. On most occasions we have seen both of these species eating squid strips, pilchards, yellowtail fillets and prawns. My suggestion is to take a variety of baits and see what works best on the day. It has been better to cover ground by drifting rather than anchoring and trying to get these fish to come up the berley trial.

Tailor are also making an appearance in the dirty water, and once again using any of the above listed baits can see a few being caught. However, when they are busting up, lures seem to be getting the bettersized fish.

There have been a lot of juvenile jewfish being caught along Broken Bay and in Pittwater, with the larger models difficult to find and target. Although we have had some good markings from decent jewfish recently, they haven’t liked our offerings of fresh fish or squid.

These larger fish are better targeted near structure towards the change of tide before they move off to their feeding grounds. They are a lazy fish, so accurate anchoring can be required to be able to place the baits in the right areas to tempt one of these better fish.

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Anglers have been encountering heaps of smaller mulloway.

There are some decent bream to tangle with in the deeper holes.

For those anglers wishing to catch kingfish along Pittwater it has been a very hard task, with little results. The water is still warm enough to see some being caught, but the numbers of these hardfighting fish just don’t seem to be showing up in Pittwater.

Squid are also very difficult to catch at the moment with all the fresh water. The usual areas in the shallows around the weed beds just aren’t working. To catch calamari squid at the moment you really need to target the drop-offs and the slightly deeper water areas that have weed. Your other option is to try on the ocean side of Barrenjoey Head around any schools of baitfish that you can find on your sounder. Using a paternoster rig and drifting with your squid jigs close to the bottom will hopefully see you find a couple to take home for dinner.

Along our coast seems to be the best place to target kingfish but once again it changes from day to day, as the dirty water seems to be affecting the amount of fish that can be caught. Areas such as Newport Reef and Long Reef should see you tangle with a few, and on the right day and there will be a few larger fish to tangle with as well.

Along the coast the kingies can be targeted with yellowtail or slimy mackerel. They are also responding to store-bought frozen squid, but larger fish seem to like the live bait option.

Whilst you are fishing along our coast, there are some decent fish that can still be caught in the deeper water from 50-80m near reefs and over the sand. There are some snapper and pigfish around the reefs, and decent flathead and the odd snapper to be caught over the sand. Be aware there are some toadfish schools around the sandy areas so be prepared to move on to other areas and depths when you start losing your tackle.

So, as you can see, even though the rain has had an effect on our fishing along the rivers, there are still a few fish to be caught if you are willing to put in the effort. Hopefully this coming month will see an easing of these conditions so our waters can clear and we can enjoy catching some decent fish again. • Peter Le Blang operates Harbour and Estuary Fishing Charters, phone 02 9999 2574 or 0410 633 351, visit www. estuaryfishingcharters.com.au

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Al McGlashan Tags Another Sword!

Dedicated swordfish angler, Al McGlashan, and his family-based team have satellite tagged another swordfish off Mallacoota, Victoria. The swordfish was estimated to be around 40kg and was the second swordfish of the trip. The first was a fish of around 130kg that was unfortunately hooked in the dorsal fin. This resulted in the fish not being a good candidate for release, likely due to the direction of water flow whilst being fought to the boat, so this fish was kept for the table. The 40kg juvenile was tagged on 16 April and was caught on the last drop for the day. It was in excellent condition with the hook dropping out of the fish when it was boat side and powering away to the depths with the tag in place.

Tagging under the ‘Great Swordfish Race’ project provides valuable data on this fishery, including information on the timing and availability of swordfish, whether swordfish tend to return back to the same grounds seasonally and their suitability for catch and release. DPI is undertaking this project in collaboration with the Australian National Sportfishing Association (NSW) and NSW Game Fishing Association and have also partnered with

Another Successful Dollar For Dollar Release!

Photo courtesy of Col Gordon - Sofala CAS

The Sofala Branch of the Central Acclimatisation Society has released more than 12,000 golden perch as part of DPI’s highly popular Dollar for Dollar Native Fish Stocking Program.

The fish produced by Uarah Fisheries and were released into the Turon River by Sofala CAS volunteers. This Turon stocking is only one of a number of Dollar for Dollar native fish stockings that have taken place across the State this season.

For more information, including how you can get involved, head to the DPI website and search “Dollar For Dollar”.

Photo courtesy of Col Gordon - Sofala CAS the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) which has a similar swordfish program underway.

For more info head to the DPI website and search “Great Swordfish Race”. The Great Swordfish Race is run using funds from the NSW Recreational Fishing Trust.

The Annual Australian Bass and Estuary Perch Closed Season!

Anglers are reminded that the annual zero bag limit for Australian bass and estuary perch has commenced from the 1st of May 2022 and runs through to 31 August 2022.

This closure provides protection for these key sportfish species as they migrate towards salt water for spawning.

For more detailed information head to the DPI website and search “Bass and Estuary Perch Closure”.

Fishcare Fishing Mentors Needed!

If you’ve got a passion for fishing, a love of teaching and an awareness of the importance of protecting our aquatic habitat, then DPI Fisheries would love to hear from you! The long running and highly popular Fishcare Volunteer Program is seeking enthusiastic people aged 18 and above who are keen to help teach the next generation the joy of fishing and caring for the environment, some regions also utilize Fishcare boats to undertake on water advisory.

Fishcare volunteers play a vital role in promoting sustainable recreational fishing and informing anglers and the general public about the rules and values of responsible fishing. Applicants from across NSW are encouraged to apply. Training will be undertaken locally. All costs are covered. Just head to the DPI website and search “Fishcare Volunteers” to find out more.

The Fishcare Program is your recreational fishing licence fees at work!