Coffs Coast

Snapper catches to the rescue this spring

COFFS COAST Rob Taylor

Coffs Coast fishos can’t seem to catch much of a break this year with either flooding rains or heavy seas, or both. There’s certainly been some sensational fishing days in the mix but there’s been some long waits between them. The saving grace has definitely been snapper.

We’ve experienced a fantastic snapper season with plenty of big reds hitting the decks and most anglers are at least scoring a decent feed with each outing. Depending on water clarity, the majority of reds have been between 20m and 60m with the usual bait and lure options finding fish. Trag and pearlies have also been on the chew out a bit wider and some solid samsonfish have crashed a few parties taking baits intended for smaller targets.

When water clarity allows, the creeks and rivers have been fishing well for both flathead and bream and most fishos have been staying close to the mouths during run in tides to chase the higher salinity. Those river entrances with rock walls have been producing luderick and school mulloway so there’s been plenty of fun in the still water. Us locals have also managed to retain some sanity thanks to the impressive tailor run off

Local kayaker, Luke Giovanetti, produced this impressive haul of reds from his kayak using Atomic plastics. Troy Boulton with a beautiful Coffs Coast red taken on a soft plastic.

the rocks and beaches, and a healthy start to the drummer season.

September heralds the first few days of spring and with the change comes the beginning of the seasonal transition for local fishos. Let’s take a look at what’s on offer this spring.

CREEKS, RIVERS

AND ESTUARIES

Spring is flathead time on our part of the coast and there will be some big lizards in all of the local creeks and rivers. Fishing the sand flats where the big girls lay up in an effort to find some warmer water always works well at this time of year. Given the shallow water, surface presentations like glide baits and bent minnows come into their own right about now but don’t rule out the usual crankbaits, soft plastics and drifted livies as they all get good results.

There will still be plenty of bream about and we should start to see some whiting turn up in the lower reaches and they’re always fun to chase on drifted live yabbies or sandworms. We will also continue to see good numbers of luderick and school mulloway around the rock walls and mouths so it’s really not a bad time to start hitting up the local rivers and estuaries, ROCKS AND BEACHES

As mentioned, it has been a great tailor run this year and you can expect that to continue throughout September with most of the local headlands a sure bet to find choppers. There’s a plethora of surface and sub-surface artificials on offer to chase tailor these days but I find you can’t go past Twistys and Tobies if you want a simple and relatively cheap lure to secure a feed of fish. Bleed and ice your tailor

and then smoke them and if you aren’t already in the know, you’ll find they’re delicious.

School and mid-range mulloway will also be about in good numbers this month with both the rocks and beaches great places to start. Local fishos have been doing well casting live yellowtail off the beaches to the north of Coffs during evening sessions with plenty of fish between 5-10kg being taken most evenings.

In addition, lure fishing has proven productive with both big crankbaits and soft plastics nailing their share of mulloway.

I’d expect some good fishing to continue off the beaches for September so get out there and have some fun. OFFSHORE

September is a great month (if not the best) to be out chasing snapper in our part of the world. Some really big reds will be cruising the inshore reefs at this time of year so if you want to bag a big fella, now is the time to be out there. Float lining sessions generally always produce the goods but if you want that 7kg+ red, it’s hard to go past soft plastics.

If you’re out in the deeper water, it’s a good idea to have ocky jigs or Kachi Kachi type lures over the side as these will quite often tempt big snapper and mulloway while you focus on either bait or plastic fishing. Stick on in the rod holder and let it do its thing.

Out around the islands there will be plenty of kingfish and tailor about and it’s quite a fun time to flicking small metals around the washes. You’ll no doubt get steamrolled by the occasional freight train of a king but that’s part of the fun. If the islands are quiet, head out to the 60m reefs for kings, sambos, trag and pearlies. Out wider we should see some yellowfin and striped marlin start to show so pulling a spread of pushers with a big bibbed minnow down below them should get a strike.

We’re about to shake off the last of winter so what better way to celebrate the end of the cold than with a bent rod? Get out there, get into them and have some fun.

This bag of big reds taken by Troy Boulton is typical of what’s on offer in September. Some big sambos will start turning up on snapper grounds at this time of year.

FISHING NEWS

Repeat offender caught again at Tuncurry

NSW DPI has reminded the public that illegal crabbing and obstructing Fisheries Officers won’t be tolerated.

Back in August last year, Fisheries Officers observed a fisher using seven crab traps in Wallis Lake, five more crab traps than a person is allowed to use in NSW. The man was inspected on the water, where a number of prohibited size blue swimmer crabs were found. During the inspection the man also obstructed Fisheries Officers.

On 28 February, 2022, Fisheries Officers checked the man again, but this time at Tuncurry boat ramp. On this occasion, he was again found in possession of prohibited size blue swimmer crabs, and when Fisheries Officers went to search the vessel they were again obstructed

by the man.

The man was subsequently issued a number of court attendance

notices for the offences that occurred on both dates.

On 28 July, 2022, both matters were heard at Forster Local Court, with the magistrate highlighting the seriousness of the obstruction charges and the unfair advantage that the offender gained by using seven crab traps. The man was found guilty and ordered to pay over $10,000 in fines and professional costs as well as being issued with a 12-month community correction order (CCO) as an alternative to gaol time.

Members of the public can report suspected illegal fishing activies on 1800 043 536 or online at www. dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/ compliance. – NSW DPI

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