Frisky Feeding Despite Cold

Newcastle Herald

Friday July 13, 2007

Fishing, Bruce Quirey

BASS and estuary perch have been putting up a fight in Cockle and Doyle creeks near Lake Macquarie, says Michael Fair, from Tacklepower West End.

Michael said a lot of the freshwater fish were pushed over weirs in the floods and were stuck downstream.

"Most guys who are getting them are quite experienced fishermen and are targetting them on lures, generally soft plastics," Michael said.

The fish were favouring the brackish water where they were feeding friskily as the breeding season approached.

Michael said water temperatures upstream from the river mouths were cold, but the fish didn't seem to mind.

In Newcastle Harbour, the fishing was fairly quiet but bream, tailor and a few flathead were getting caught towards the harbour mouth on the run-in tide, he said.

A lot of dirty water was still coming down the Hunter River.

Not an ill wind

A HOWLING westerly has put Michael, Simon Rowe and Daniel Hutchinson onto a large catch of tailor near the Eraring hot water outlet.

Michael said they hooked 40 fish, averaging 50cm, in three hours.

"We couldn't go anywhere else in the lake because the wind was too wild," he said.

In the know, it's a snap

SNAPPER are still on the bite outside, Michael says, after his successful outing to Broughton Island.

"We were stitched up by a lot of big fish," he said.

Daniel Hutchinson caught the best snapper of the day, at 6.5kg.

Also on board, David Palmer pulled in a 6kg snapper that gobbled a 35cm live pike bait under a float.

Further up the coast, Michael Birt got among plenty of snapper at Edith Breakers, near Seal Rocks.

But the best snapper must surely go to Michael's boss, Gordon Balcombe, who landed a 10.5kg monster at Coffs Harbour last weekend.

Don't be surprised one day to find it mounted at Gordon's Tacklepower Charlestown store.

Pick a warm patch

BASS and yellowbellies have been biting in the warmer patches of lakes St Clair and Glenbawn.

Michael said the key was to find 13- to 14-degree water temperatures.

Rising lake levels have put the boat ramps under water again after a long dry spell.

Reon Shearman, of Aberdeen Tackle, said they were getting a lot of fish around the banks.

"Bass and yellow belly [are getting caught] in the shallow water on overcast and dull days on plastics and spinners."

A want of weed

DRUMMER anglers should beat a trail to Catherine Hill Bay.

If it's luderick you're after, the washes around Newcastle are holding plenty. But finding weed for bait can be a challenge after the storms, so plan ahead.

Mixed bag at the port

BRAD James, from Nelson Bay Tackle, says some jewfish are being caught among snapper around the islands off Port Stephens.

"Also, with the weather improving, they're getting some real nice snapper inside the port, 3-4kg, down off Nelson Bay marina," Brad said.

Brad said anglers targeting snapper on live bait were outclassing the bream fishos.

"There's tonnes of luderick down on the marina, as well," Brad said.

"All the old guys are down there chasing them around, having mixed success."

Brad said the water outside Port Stephens was reasonably dirty, meaning not much else was going on.

Get your rocks off

A ROCK fishing competition will launch round one of Newcastle District Anglers Association's 2007-08 tournament this weekend.

Registration will take place at Burwood Bowling Club between 11am and noon tomorrow. Fishing starts at 1pm and weigh-in will occur at noon on Sunday.

The five target species will be bream, luderick, drummer, tailor and snapper as well as a category for heaviest other species. For inquiries, phone Dave Hitchcock on 4957 3424.

Love it or hate it

PETER Sanderson, from Tackle World at Marks Point, is shouting about salmon before he takes a four-week trip to Bali.

"Each winter these fishermen's saviours appear in numbers along our coastline and to some are just a pest," Peter said. "But to other fortune hunters they provide good sport, bait, dog food and reassurance that you can still catch a fish. Bring on the rissoles."

Peter said Catherine Hill Bay had plenty of salmon and the odd tailor. Kingfish were feeding on salmon north of Catho and at Mawson breakwall.

Fishing was improving in Lake Macquarie as the murk cleared, but the water temperature was cool, at 14-15 degrees. Offshore, it's 17 degrees. The lake was holding tailor schools at the hot water outlets, some bream, tarwhine and trevally in Salts Bay, and small squire at Green Point.

A dark moon and a 1.9-metre tide tomorrow night might be a chance to chase jewfish on the beach.

swalker@theherald.com.au