NSW
Making the most of all that’s on offer in June ILLAWARRA
Greg Clarke
The winter solstice is this month and it is already cold and windy, which means we have to do the best with what we have – and it isn’t a great deal. There will be a few bream and snapper about which isn’t too bad for starters, but you will have to work for them. The bream are all along the coast hunting the beaches, rock shelves and sheltered coves. If you are on the rocks, working the white water washes with pilchard pieces or cubes of tuna will be rewarding, while a session off the beach in the evening on the rising tide should provide a few fish if there is a decent gutter. The boaties can work the washes around the offshore islands and bommies with pillies, or anchor and berley in the calmer bays and protected sheltered waters along the coast. Towards the end of the month the snapper should start to get into gear as a few early cuttlefish begin spawning over the close-in shallow reefs just off the coast. The best method of securing a feed is to pick and berley as the reds are not in great numbers or aggressively hunting. They will be next month, but for the time being they need to be attracted to you and presented with something they cannot resist. Late evening (which is
only 5 o’clock at this time of the year) seems to be the best time to look for them, so rug up and get out there. The same applies to the beaches, and with some good tides at the end of the month there is every chance of some big mulloway action. By all means fish for the bream in the early stages of the afternoon and evening, but as the darkness looms it is time to get out the stouter tackle and look for the big jew. Quite often the bream will be biting and then they
will disappear – a classic sign that something big has just moved into the area, so send out the big baits. If the bream return then you can target them again with the light gear. However, don’t get caught using the light gear when the bream go off. You don’t want to hook a monster jew and lose it due to inadequate tackle. There are still a few nice salmon and tailor on the beaches mixed with the bream in the evenings. They’ll give you a great tussle on bream gear. The rocks don’t fish
The kings are still around the bridge, and some really good kings are running around the lake. A good portion of them seem to be resident fish, and they should stick around through winter. In April the squid made a bit of a late, unseasonable resurgence and that continued into May. Overall though, it has been a sub-par year for squid, and we are hoping they’ll return to normal next year. At the time of writing this report, there are still a few crabs around. If you want to do some crabbing in Lake Macquarie this month, you’ll need to be deep, around the 7-9m mark. They crabs like to head deeper in winter. Luderick will start to improve in the coming weeks. We are starting to see them caught coastally, with really good catches off the rocks. There haven’t been as many in the estuary, but that won’t be too far away. The best time to
fish for luderick is August and September, when they gather in big numbers, but it’s still worth fishing for them in June. There are big tailor on the rocks too, so get down to your local headland. The best times are early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Most of the tailor are being caught on chrome lures and pillies (garfish are very scarce). The casting weight is between 60-85g normally, whether that be a slice or pilchard. Those heavier weights allow you to achieve a bit of distance for the cast, which is what you want. No doubt the guys catching tailor off the rocks will start to encounter a fair few salmon as well this month. In recent weeks there have been reports of salmon at locations like Blacksmiths Beach, so we may see some good catches in the coming weeks. That said, last year we didn’t see salmon in big numbers until July, so we’ll see what happens.
That’s it for this month. In the next issue I’ll hopefully be able to talk about yellowfin tuna off the shelf. We had a little run of fish around 20-30kg, but they were out at 1000 fathoms and you had to chase them to get the bite, so fingers crossed things will improve soon. Watch this space! • Fisherman’s Warehouse Tackle World has a large range of fresh and frozen bait as well as a huge range of rods, reels, lures and accessories. They also sell and service outboard motors, and have a competitivelypriced selection of new and second-hand boats. The friendly staff are all experienced local anglers, and they’re always happy to share their knowledge, whether you’re a novice or experienced angler. Drop in for a chat at 804 Pacific Highway, Marks Point, or give them a call on (02) 4945 2152. You can also find them on Facebook, or check out their website at www. fishermans warehouse.com.au.
A few bonito can still be found around the islands in June. too badly at this time of the year, particularly after a bit of a stir up from a storm. Just remember to be careful, because you won’t survive for very long in the water if you get washed in. If you have any reservations on the safety of the spot you’re fishing, give it a miss until another
of tuna oil for flavour, and fish unweighted pilchard pieces in the berley stream. Don’t be too surprised if you attract the attention of bream, drummer and even any snapper that may be nearby. Still on the deeper ledges there are some nice salmon patrolling the washes looking for whole pilchards. You may even score a few late bonito or even a stray king or longtail as the water has stayed warm right up to this month so there is always a chance if you have a live bait out. If it’s calm, a spot of groper fishing could be in order, particularly the ledges on the south side of Bass Point, Bombo or Kiama out in front of the blowhole. Whole red crabs for bait, and a powerful rod with a reliable reel loaded with 15kg minimum line should do the job. Groper over 10kg are surprisingly common but you still have to separate them from the water – easier said than done from the stones. The estuaries are a bit on the quiet side at the moment, with mainly blackfish and bream. The bream are mainly well up into the feeder streams of the lake at the moment and are very fussy in the still,
winds and bumpy seas, but as mentioned earlier the snapper should start to get into full swing towards the end of the month as the cuttlefish start to breed. So, there is light at the end of the tunnel. There could be some big yellowfin tuna out on the shelf in the coming weeks, or even closer if the currents are right. There were a few about during April and some in May, with fish up to 75kg being hooked. I’m sure social media will let you know when they show up, and there is always the chance of a late blue or striped marlin. If the water stays as warm as it has been, there is every chance there will still be a few mahimahi about if you can find a FAD. The dollies hung around until June last year. Closer in, there are the ever-reliable salmon around the islands and Bass Point, and trevally are starting to gather over most of the inshore reefs. You will pick them up when chasing snapper, and they can at times be a nuisance. A few bonito and the odd king can be found around the islands and Bass Point using live baits. For the bottom bouncers it is not too bad. The flathead are still about but
Salmon often gather in the beach gutters late in the afternoon. day. Fishing is supposed to be fun, not deadly. Drummer are about in good numbers in the washes. Prawns and cunje are the top baits, with Bass Point, Bellambi and under Wollongong lighthouse always worth a look this month. Trevally are starting to make an appearance around the deeper spots. It’s best to use a bit of berley like pollard, bread and pilchard mix with a bit
clear water, particularly if you are chasing them with lures. There are a few large fish hanging about in the shallow waters along the rocky shorelines and weed beds in the main body of the lake, and these can be a better option at this time of the year. The blackfish are in the main channel around the bridge and the jetty in front of the bowlo. Offshore it can be a tough month, with strong
in reduced numbers, mostly up north around Stanwell Park. The mowies are a bit scarce but enough to keep you interested, along with a few leatherjackets, and some small snapper and reefies, for some even pike and Sergeant Baker are looking good. June is a pretty tough month, and next month can be even tougher. However, after that it is all downhill, so hang in there over the winter and look forward to the warmer weather. JUNE 2023 65
