best flathead fishing spots sydney best flathead fishing spots sydney

Theres also plenty of parking nearby if youre arriving by car. Truth be told, probably nothing special. If you buy a one year or three-year license, you will receive a plastic copy of your receipt in the post. If you like mixing big city life with awesome angling, Sydney is the place for you. The Basin is famous for its giant dusky flathead and is home to a plethora of other popular estuary sportfish. Drop him a line at [emailprotected], 2023 Boss Hunting | All Rights Reserved, Clarkes Point Reserve, Parramatta & Lane Cove Rivers, Barrenjoey Head Aquatic Reserve, Barrenjoey, Sea-Doos Fish Pro Is The Worlds First Dedicated Fishing Jet Ski, Airline Visual Identity Is A $2,000 Bible On Aviation History, No Time To Die Behind-The-Scenes Exhibition Opens In Sydney, Stargate Style Portals Are Starting To Connect Cities Around Europe In Real-Time, The Lord Of The Rings Hobbiton Is Now Available On Airbnb For Just $10, The Rain Room Phenomenon Is Coming To Melbourne. Evidence of the Altamaha's trophy potential is obvious from a glance . Cronulla is the perfect fishing location for flathead. Gordons Bay is a hidden gem nestled into the cliffs of Sydneys ocean coast. Species Found:mulloway, flathead, yellowtail. In New South Wales, youre required to obtain a recreational fishing licence, regardless of whether youre fishing in freshwater or saltwater. All Rights Reserved. As soon as I catch a flathead I intend to keep I kill it quickly, then put it into a saltwater ice slurry to firm up the flesh and stop the sun from drying it out. To help you get more out dusky flathead I am going to list 10 of my favourite flathead hot spots in NSW and some techniques to try to catch them. Last Update: 2/22/2023 1:47:30 AM *** PLEASE NOTE *** Please check local, state/province, and federal laws before fishing for any species found on . Bring your old school pole spear or a mechanical spear gun and get hunting. There are many theories as to the best time to catch flathead. . Some say when there is a full moon that catching flathead 3 days prior and 3 days post the full moon is best. Type of fishing: Freshwater First and foremost, always use fresh bait. There are a few fishing spots in the area from which you can cast your line, including a jetty nearer the Lilli Pilli baths. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Victoria is full of some of the best beaches and bays to go . Were not going to lie, this ones as much about the view as the fishing but what a view it is! Yes, for recreational fishing you do need a license in order to fish. Kingfish have also been caught here with live bait or a popper lure. A female hunter, who had boasted about killing and skinning a husky, has plead no-contest to animal cruelty. This is a great flathead spinning spot and is accessible for boat fishers and waders. Although do note that Boat Harbour Aquatic Reserve was recently made private, so youll need to get permission before rocking up its $30 for a daily pass, or $160 for a six-month season pass. Nelson Bay breakwall - An excellent spot for bream, snapper and mulloway bream, luderick, kingfish and even jewfish. Once at the end of the breakwall, repeat the process. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Several species of flathead inhabit coastal lakes and rivers right around the country, with the largest of the bunch, the dusky flathead, being the most widely distributed, from Victoria's Gippsland Lakes, right along NSW and up towards Townsville in Queensland. Tides. They can leave nasty wounds and are sharp on even the smallest of flathead, while those on a large fish can inflict plenty of damage. There is no closed season. Target these fish with fresh nippers. The dusky flathead is a majestic creature which can hit a hard or soft lure with so much force that I have seen anglers almost lose their rod and reel over board, yet can also bite with so much subtlety that you can hardly feel it. This cookie, set by Cloudflare, is used to support Cloudflare Bot Management. google_ad_client: "ca-pub-9323040735217768", Both sides get busy at weekends, but you should find space during the week. The dam is stocked with lots of Australian Bass, and you can also find Carp, Silver Perch, and Redfin. Gunnamatta Park is a 15 minute walk or 5 minute drive from Rydges Cronulla Beachside. }); Many anglers regard flathead as a pain in the butt, especially when these fishos are targeting other species. We wont go into full details with regards to the rules and regulations you need to abide by when fishing in Sydney (there are way too many to list for a start), but let it be known that when fishing in freshwater you are restricted to a certain number of lines and lures, and the bait you use is also susceptible to its own set of rules. This epic jetty in The Shire easily ranks among the best fishing spots in Sydney. However, let it be known, because of its sheer beauty, and the fact there is a beach with public bbqs, on gloriously sunny days Clifton Gardens can get extremely busy. Type of fishing: Wharf Not so much for your chances of catching anything (as Im told those chances are slim on a good day), but again the iconic views alone. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); An aussie icon, different species of flathead can be found throughoutAustralian estuaries. 15 Best Fishing Spots Sydney, NSW You Need to Try Browns Rock - La Perouse NSW 2036 Gymea Baths - Gymea Bay NSW 2227 Grays Point NSW 2232 Brighton-Le-Sands NSW 2216 Parsley Bay - Vaucluse NSW 2030 Beulah Street Wharf - Kirribilli NSW 2061 McKell Park at Brooklyn NSW 2083 Manly Dam - Manly Vale NSW 2093 Clifton Gardens Reserve - Mosman NSW 2088 Shore-based anglers can wade out to the edge of the deeper water about an hour before the bottom of the tide and fish into the channel. If you're bait fishing, a simple running sinker rig is perfect. Identify the right location: Flathead are found in a variety of freshwater and saltwater environments, including estuaries, rivers, lakes, and bays. Were not sure who Tom was, or whether he really was that ugly. Expect to find: Mulloway, Flathead, Yellowtail, Bream Rules: Be willing to catch and release. It's a great general spot and one of the most reliable tailor trolls in the harbour. Once you do, youll be rewarded with some great catches. Get the latest fishing reports, 3700+ fishing spots, fishing forecast, and top bait & tackle stores, charters, and marinas for Port Hacking, NSW, AU . They produce big cats and plenty of them. He daydreams of travelling around the world, but for now, the world will have to come to him by way of lifestyle products, gear, gadgetry, and entertainment. Best Time to go: Night They are a protected species and must be released if hooked. Just grab your rod the fish are waiting for a fight! I have caught flathead in Port Hacking which have been very pale and others have been extremely dark. You might find him crate-digging at the nearest record store or sampling whisky at the nearest bar. Now based in Portland, Oregon, Jacob specialises in entertainment, technology and alcohol reporting. In a westerly or easterly you can drift parallel to the shore. It can get pretty crowded in the mornings, however, so you may want to set your alarm a little earlier to guarantee yourself a spot. Choose the right equipment: Flathead are medium-sized fish that can put up a good fight, so it's important to use appropriate fishing gear. Fishing: There are a number of piers in this area, but it seems that Piers 2 and 3 attracts many of the shore-based from throughout Sydney, as the water is fairly deep here which in turn attracts bream, dusky flathead, sand whiting, leatherjackets, yellowtail, silver trevally, paned size snapper, tailor, mulloway, Australian salmon and kingfish. Clearly Sydney has some of the best and most productive fishing spots in all of Australia. These fish have been taking whitebait slowly retrieved on the edge of the weed corridors. This popular destination has easy access to a number of quiet coastal campsites and less demanding shore-based fishing. The first major feature you find heading north of Grotto is Washaway beach. All that is left are a few bones and the skin. The bay is well-known for its calm waters and beautiful parks. Low season is January to March, June to August and November to December. Additionally, be aware of the environmental impact of fishing, and take the necessary precautions to minimize harm to the ecosystem. As the name implies this beach occasionally washes away in a big storm so shore based fishos cant always rely on it to be there. Anglers can catch bream, flounder, flathead, salmon, tailor as well as whiting when fishing in the bay. All rights reserved. Throw out some worms or corn in the dams northern wetlands, or break out the spinnerbaits nearer the wall. The gin-clear waters and racks of small fishing boats give the bay an almost Mediterranean vibe. Select the right bait: Flathead feed on a variety of prey, including fish, crabs, and prawns. 7 Best Secret Beaches in Sydney. Whether youre a freshwater or seawater fisherman, you can find some of the best fishing spots in Sydney, thanks to its fair share of waterways not to mention Sydney Harbour teeming with various species of fish just waiting to latch onto a bait. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. In fact this is Sydney Harbour's best shore-based access to quality kingfish. It is where Port Hacking meets the Pacific Ocean. Cast your line: Cast your line into the water, making sure to reach the desired depth. A 3-year NSW fishing licence currently costs $85. Rules: Youre prohibited from taking any worms, nippers, or shellfish from the area. Start your drift from the shallows and work soft plastics out into deeper water. Dusky flathead have a distinctive black spot on the caudal fin and dark bars are often visible across the rear of the body. Massy Greene Holiday Park is a great spot for a fishing adventure. The good thing about catching flathead is that you don't need a particularly expensive or complicated outfit. Our skipper can cast off from the Cronulla Wharf and be in the ideal fishing spots in minutes. With a potential to grow beyond a metre and up to 12 . This picturesque seaside town lies at the mouth of the Hastings River, a 128km long system that rises in the Great Dividing Range before meandering through scenic national parks and rural farmland towards the coast. Anglers fishing the shoreline along the Grand Parade between Kyeemagh and Dolls Point found flathead in the 45-55cm class. Get out there and let us know! As Blues Point is a fairly windy locale, its advisable to stick to the westerly side and seek some shelter. On the following list, youll find land-based fishing, shore fishing, pier fishing, and a handful of Sydneys secret fishing spots. Fishing is better on the sheltered western side, so no view of the opera house sadly, but its a lovely spot to take in the city. This spot provides a sublime blend of access to water and a stretch of grassland to laze out. Here are some of the best fishing spots in Sydney for full-day fishing fun. Rules: Size, bag, and gear limits. And of course, theres great fishing! Boat Harbour - Off the headlands. Bonus the BBQ facilities means you can practically dine out right there and then if you feel so inclined. Corroboree and Yellow Water Billabong are also promising. Roll up in the early evening, bring a 10-foot rod (or something similar), and cast out from the beach. East of Melbourne in the Dandenong creek valley lies Jells Park Lake, a family-friendly area with two fishing jetties hosting carp, redfin and eels. Youre keen to hit the water, so lets get cracking! Good fishing meets good foraging at Gordons Bay and Clovelly Beach. Long before Cook and his crew on HMS Endeavour arrived, untold generations of local Aboriginal people fished and hunted throughout the entire area. '$164 Billion Lost': Norway Sovereign Wealth Fund Posts Biggest Loss Since 2008, First Look at 707PS Aston Martin DBX707 F1 Medical Cars, Man of Many's Staff Favourites - 4 March 2023, Vacheron Constantin Unveils Sydney-Exclusive Tribute Model for One Special Reason, 22 Best Japanese Restaurants in Melbourne, Got Sh*t Ink? Coomera Houseboat Holidays Websit e. Instead, here's a sample of what you can expect to reel in or scoop up when hitting some of Sydney's best fishing spots: Flathead Trevally Salmon Snapper Bream Parrot Fish Red Rock Cod Australian Bass Silver Perch Carp Redfin Whiting Leatherjacket Yellowtail Squid Lobster Prawn Abalone Fishing Licences in NSW This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Even though the channel is fairly narrow it will hold very good concentration of flathead from the end of November to the end of April. However, it's recommended you release anything you catch because the pollution levels of the water in the Harbour makes much of the fish inedible. which include of fish include : Snapper , Kingfish , Squid , Marlin, Tuna , Bream , Mulloway , Jew , Reef fish , Mullet, Trevally Tailor , Bonito , Flathead land based About 20m out from the point at the end of the beach there is a hole that drops to about 18m. Youre going to want to brush up on your licence requirements before casting your rod. Downriver from the ramp, Bobbin Head is a relaxing spot to fish for flathead, bream, and snapper, particularly during the week when it's less crowded. With relatively little effort you can catch a feed of whiting, flathead or tailor from the . In relation to tides, it is best on the runout of a high tide as the fish are more active. Wherever you go, its best to release your catch due to the high dioxin levels in Sydney Harbour. Arrive early to beat the crowd and expect to catch at least a few bites, as theres a lot of fish in these parts. Type of fishing: Rock Know any good fishing spots in Sydney? Best Time to go: Sunset Let's call it a happy compromise while he saves up for the next big trip. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Bar Point, Hawkesbury River Most of the time during the tide runs very fast here, so you will need to fish about 45 minutes either side of the top or bottom of the tide. With this is mind, make sure you get there as early as you can so you can secure yourself a spot. Furthermore, it's advised that you throw back anything you catch. The most common flathead is the Dusky. Beulah Street is best at night, when the crowds and ferries have moved on. Probably not a bad place for beginners to learn the basics. I like my Pflueger Trion Artificial Bait Series 2.13m 2kg to 4kg rod with a Pflueger President 30 spinning reel spooled with 3kg braid. Many anglers think that flathead are more commonly caught during the Summer months. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. But enough talk. The preopercular spines on each side of the head are very sharp and should be avoided when handling the fish. There are a few things to bear in mind about Manly Dam. Soft plastics worked over the bottom are a good thing here. Google DoubleClick IDE cookies are used to store information about how the user uses the website to present them with relevant ads and according to the user profile. Keep one eye on the sea at all times, never fish on your own or in bad weather, and ask locals where its safe to fish if youre new. Type of fishing: Bank While Beulah Street Wharf is indeed considered one of Sydneys best fishing spots for squid, you might very well come up empty-handed, given those rapid currents. Cronulla is the perfect fishing location for flathead. St Georges Basin is a Recreational Fishing Haven and trophy fishery located near Jervis Bay, about 2.5 hours' drive south of Sydney. Most of the time during the tide runs very fast here, so you will need to fish about 45 minutes either side of the top or bottom of the tide. Baitcaster outfits of 6kg with rods around 1.6m to 2m are the go for trolling. After stretching his legs with companies such as The Motley Fool and a marketing agency, Garry joined Boss Hunting in 2019 as a fully-fledged Content Specialist before being promoted to News Editor in 2021. If your line is firm and you know what youre doing, you might end up reeling in a trophy catch. Shad-style plastics get the best results for me. They often produce a fresh feed of fish and are also great to catch bait fish. Installed by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Before you go and snag some snapper, youd going to need to know a few things about fishing in Sydney that could help you avoid issues, both on the day and with the law. The yellow-orange spots on the head are what makes this fish different from other flatheads. Once current picks up the bait, start walking down current, allowing the bait to stay just the correct distance from where the rocks meet the river bed. I also use a Shakespeare Synergy 2.1m soft plastic 2kg to 4kg rod with a Pflueger Medalist 30 reel spooled with 3kg braid. Type of fishing: Jetty These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. I simply cook my flathead on the barbecue or in a pan and once the flesh has turned white I take it off, sprinkle a bit of pepper and salt over the flesh and start eating.