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Fishing Report 18th Nov 2008

Hi guys. The Kingies are back in Pittwater with some days seeing us catch over 10 Kingfish up to 76cm. Squid have been so easy to catch with the best day 12 squid and 10 yakkas caught at West Head in 45min. The squid have only been small but the Kingies seem to love them. Best spot for the Kings has been Longnose Point and the wrecks near Clairville. We got busted off by a monster just yesterday and got lots of small ones. We didn’t get to see the big one but by the amount of line he took I reckon he would have been near the meter mark.

The best day on the water was 2 weeks ago with 10 Kingfish caught but only 6 keepers with the biggest 76cm, cappuccino from Captain Cappuccino in the middle of Pittwater and fish and chips for lunch from Patonga. Then down to chase Jewies, no Jewfish but we caught a 1.4m hairtail at Wobby.

We have been getting a few Jewies on soft plastics down the Hawkesbury while flicking for Flatties. Flathead have been to 50cm and the Jewies to 60cm with a couple of bigger ones caught on fresh squid while at anchor at Wobby. The biggest Jew was 82cm (4.5kg). Real big tides at the moment and it took me 3 goes to get the anchor to stick at Wobby because we had the wind blowing with the tide. In the end I went in a bit shallower than I usually fish just to hold anchor.

Last weekend was busy on the water with the Hawkesbury Classic on (over 600 competitors). There was over 20 boats at Flint and Steel at 6.15am and 20 at Juno the rest of the day but there was still plenty of fish around for everyone. Talking to a fisheries officer down there he said big Jewies came in from Gunya and Juno and smaller ones from Wobby and the bridges. I wanted to fish Juno but with 20 boats already there we went to Wobby instead.

Schools of Salmon have all but disappeared with only Box Head having schools but not everyday. There is Tailor mixed in with them too.

Bream and Trevally are still around Lion Island and West Head but the best spot has been Little Box. A bit of burly and peeled prawns floated down the trail is the best bet. We have caught Bream to 36cm and Trevally to 38cm at all these places. We even got a few at West Head on the live bait lines.

Flatties are everywhere at the moment with Little Pittwater and Juno shallows the best in the Hawkesbury and Gosford end of Paddys Channel in Brisbane Waters. Flathead to 45cm are the norm but every now and then you get a bigger one or even a few Jewies.

So if your keen to come out with us the days lately have consisted of catching Yakkas and Squid then chasing Kingies for a few hours then flicking plastics for Flatties and Jew or fishing a burley trail for Bream and Trevally or even a bait fish for Jewies down the Hawkesbury.

If you are after more fishing reports I have joined a fishing forum called www.smellsfishy.com.au and I post the odd report on there along with all the other members on the site. So if you’re a fisho or just like to read about fishing you can join up and put up a post if you go fishing.

Ron Osman - Captain, Estuary Fishing Tours

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Fishing Report 25th Sept 2008

Hi all sorry for the late report. I have been a bit of a slacker on it but there hasn’t been much to report until the last few weeks. Before now it was very quiet. We even had a couple of those no fish days but not anymore. The fishing has picked up a lot.

Lion Island has been producing bream, trevally, tailor, leatherjackets, pike and salmon in a burly trail. The trevally are there one day and gone the next but the rest of the mixed bag are usually there everyday. The bream have been in the 30 – 35cm size, with the Trevally 28 – 38cm and very thick at times. We had schools of salmon at Box Head everyday for a week then a storm came through and they went missing for about a week but now they are back strong as ever and 1.5 to 2.5kg in size. We got into bigger ones at Middle Head and they were 3kg and much better fighters and acrobats.

Pittwater has been quiet on the kingy front but they shouldn’t be too far away with the water warming up at the speed it is. We have caught loads of tailor at the Basin trolling rapallas with some going 45cm – not a bad tailor. I haven’t chased kingfish down Pittwater for a few weeks now but I am down there next week after them so I hope they have come in and are ready to play.

We have been chasing luderick (blackfish) a lot lately as they are a winter fish and we have had mixed results where we only get a few one day and clean up the next. We caught 8 in a couple of hours one day and 7 were over 40cm with the biggest 44cm. The next day we only got 4 but one was 46cm and 1.7kg. That is the biggest blackfish I have had on my boat and I have only caught them that big myself when fishing off the rocks for them. We did drop a lot of fish and the ones we got put a great fight on the light blackfish gear and I hope they stay around for a while. The spot we got the big ones was Juno Point on the run out tide and also Croppy Head in the Hawkesbury.

Palm Beach Wharf in Pittwater has had heaps under it and we usually get a couple before leaving if that is where I pick my customers up. You just have to time it right in between the ferries and if you fish Saturday or Sunday morning the first ferry isn’t until 9am so you get a few hours of fishing in before they come and scare them off. The wharf next to it has them too but not as many. These fish are in the 35 – 40cm range and are right underneath the wharf so getting them out is great fun.

Brisbane Waters has blackfish too with the best spots Rileys Island and around Davistown and Woy Woy and these fish are in the 30 – 38cm range but there are the odd bigger ones. Flatties are on the come back and starting to take soft plastics at Lobster Beach, Hardies Bay and Ettalong. They are not big only about 30 – 50cm but still a welcome catch and should only get more active as the water warms up.

I have tried for Jewies a couple of times with no results until now. My last trip down to the road bridges we caught a small  keeper at 47cm but we only fished for them for a couple of hours at the end of the day. Talking to my trawler mate he said one of the mesh netters had a 30kg+ Jewie get out of his net at Gunya Point just last week so there is at least one Jewie out there. There was a 3.5kg one caught at the Rip Bridge last weekend. So it looks like they are starting to come back.

Coming out of Pittwater with customers on board a few weeks ago there was a humpback and it’s calf playing near Lion Island. So we pulled up the mandatory 300m away (which is still pretty close to an animal that big) and the mother breached 3 or 4 times and was rolling over and waving at us too with the calf not far behind. Then later in the day they were off Patonga just laying on the surface sunbaking. We got it all on video and photos and it was unreal and my customers were very happy and we hadn’t even started fishing yet.

They were defiantly humpbacks and it was only a week before the baby turned up in Pittwater and I hope he wasn’t the same one….poor little fella. I can’t believe the National Parks and Wildlife saying they were being humane, from what I’ve heard they should be jailed for the way they handled that situation. I had a mate down there when they killed it and he said it was kicking like crazy on the beach before they put a tent over it and killed it. They dragged it up on the beach still very much alive by the tail put a tent over it then injected it with whatever. My mate (who is friendly with Greenpeace) said it took about 30min and the whole time it was kicking and making heaps of noise, not very humane to me. Sorry to end this report on a sad note but I just had to get that off my chest.

Ron Osman, Captain - Estuary Fishing Tours

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Fishing Report 10th July 2008

Hi all, after a short holiday I am back fishing again and some days have been good and some bad. We caught Hairtail down Jerusalem Bay in Cowan Creek to 4 ½ foot but dropped a 6 footer right next to the boat on the first night down there. The first night we caught a total of 4 and the second night which was about three days later we caught 3 then the third and fourth nights which was only last week we got none but no one down there was getting any so I didn’t feel so bad. I have my own rig set up for Hairtail but people use all sorts of rigs from gang knots to single hooks but nearly everyone uses Pillies for bait and burly. I will put up a photo of the rig I use and you can give it a go if you’re down that way fishing for them.

I have joined a fishing chat room called smellsfishy.com.au and joined them on their Hairtail social. There wasn’t many Hairtail weighted in but it was a great time down there and everybody had fun. It was very nice to meet and chat to other fishos. Check out the website if you like it is very informative with not as many members as other sites so you know who you are talking to and if you post a really good fishing report you won’t have 100 people there the next day.

I have been catching a few Kingys down Pittwater mostly at one wreck but also around Scotland Island. They aren’t’ big fish with the biggest only 75cm and we are still catching rats of about 60cm which is surprising for this time of year because you usually only get the bigger ones in winter but not as many.

They are taking live Slimy Mackerel or live Squid but don’t seem to be interested in the Yakkas and I have been trialling my new Shark Downrigger Bomb from Flybridge.com.au which has been catching most of the fish. They look fantastic in the water and attract the fish a lot better than a piece of dull lead.

Squid are hard to find some days but some of the squid are huge. One of my customers Michael came out with his dad Neil and had never caught a squid before and he landed a monster (see photo). We could only get one small one for live bait and he was eaten by a 60cm Kingy at Scotland Island. Then we only had Yakkas left and they weren’t interested in them so we went fishing elsewhere.

We are still getting a few Jewfish at the Rip Bridge on soft plastics but they are only throw backs and up to 55cm but still a Jewie with the odd big Flattie thrown in. We go through a few plastics there because of all the Leather Jackets taking chunks out of them. Go with the Gulps if you are going to give it a go with a 3/8 jig head to get you down to the 30-50 ft they are at.

Blue swimmers are still around surprisingly we are getting about 8-10 a day but no real big ones. They are only just legal but with 8 of them you get a good feed. The spots I put my traps in down the Hawkesbury are in between the road and rail bridge, Mooney Creek mouth or between Juno Point and Croppy Head and no one place has been better than the other. Lion Island has been hot and cold as well with some days not even a bite and other days full of Bream, Trevally, Leather Jackets, Tailor and Pike. Burly is a must and the best bait has been big peeled Hawkesbury prawns. The pelagic fish have been very quiet and we have only seen small schools of Salmon and Tailor in Broken Bay and only a few times. There aren’t even many birds flying around except for around the trawlers.

We have been doing a bit of Black fishing lately and Brisbane Waters has been the best. We have caught them to 38cm at Lobster Beach, Rileys Island, The Rip and Paddys Channel but I have been catching more of the banks at Davistown on my days off. A lot of people haven’t fished for them before and are always keen to try different styles of fishing.

We have been catching a few Flatties on soft plastics in Patonga Creek and in Brisbane Waters but they are no where near as thick as in summer. But they are my favourite eating fish and always welcome in the esky.

If you are keen to come out I have knocked $100 off the price of a mid week charter for winter. So if you have 6 people it will only be $80 each and although it is cold there are still plenty of fish to be caught and there aren’t many boats out even on the weekends which is great.

Ron Osman, Captain - Estuary Fishing Tours

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Fishing Report 23rd May 2008

Hi guys. Firstly I would like to welcome my new sponsor ‘FlyBridge’ who have put some gear on my boat including  my new walker downriggers to replace my old Scotty ones, some soft plastics, one of their Fastnets and some Seadeck along with a few other bits and pieces that they import. You can check out all there products at www.flybridge.com.au and if you ring 02 43538723 and talk to Nathan he will help you out. These guys are the importers so you won’t get it cheaper anywhere else. I will let you all know how these products work in the next fishing report as I have only just got them.

The Flybridge Showroom is located at Tuggerah on the Central Coast but they will post anything to anywhere in Australia.

The winter fish are certainly here and the summer fish like Flathead and Kingfish are getting harder to find inside. The most reliable fishing is at Lion Island or around the headlands like Middle Head, West Head, Barrenjoey Head and from Big Box to Little Box. With heaps of Trevally to 38cm, Bream to 35cm, Tailor to 45cm, Leather Jackets to 40cm and the occasional Salmon. We fish with a good burly trail, a small running sinker and number 1 hook (a lot smaller if targeting Leather Jackets) and drift it down the burly trail stopping to check for bites every 10 feet or so. Some days the Trevally has been very thick and we have had to move spots to try and find the Bream. But the Trevally fight hard and everyone likes catching them. If they are bled straight away and filleted they are good to eat. For bait peeled prawns are the best but we also use small Squid strips and salted Mackerel cubes which are good for Bream, Tailor and Jackets but the Trevally prefer the prawns but they must be peeled.

My burly consists of chook pellets, wheat (soaked in water overnight), tuna oil, fish mince and plenty of water. Mix until it’s like wet concrete and freeze in ice cream containers. Drop them in your burly pot and it slowly defrosts and you have a constant trail going out the back of the boat. All the Bream we catch have the wheat in their stomach and the Trevally has the very fine bits of chook pellets in theirs. The northern side of Lion Island is the best for this type of fishing. Just motor out until you see the drop off (18ft-32ft) and anchor just on top of it, but beware this place eats anchors.

We have had a few good days on the Jewies but hey have been far and few between. I had one bloke hire the whole boat to himself and we spent the whole day flicking plastics around. First stop the Rip Bridge on the Orange Grove side just drifting around jigging plastics up and down off the bottom in about 35ft of water. I could even see the Jewies on the sounder. Between 6.15am and 9.30am we got 5 keepers (biggest 75cm), 5 or 6 throwbacks and got smoked by 2 big ones and there were a few big Tailor there too. The rest of the day we spent flicking for some Flatties at Hardies Bay, Pretty Beach and Ettalong. It was a great day and it had been a long time since I had caught a Jewie on a plastic and light gear. It was fun to say the least. Ryan my customer said he had never had a better days fishing.

The Blackfish are around but not in numbers in Brisbane Waters we have only fished for them a couple of times and the ones we are getting are close to 40cm so they are good fish. The best spots have been from Half Tide Rocks to Little Box Head and you can get good weed at Avoca Lagoon.

There have been a few schools of Tailor in Broken Bay and we always get some trolling bibbed lures. Hopefully the schools of Salmon wont be too far away now the water is dropping.

Just this week has seen the Blue Swimmers come back strong with 4 in 1 witches hat. The best spot is in between the road and rail bridges but they shouldn’t be around too long with the water cooling.

Don’t forget the Hairtail down Cowan Creek. They should start to come around at the end of the month or when the water gets down to 16º. Last year they were around for a while but for 2 weeks after a lot of rain the water temp was 12 º and there was heaps of them with over 50 boats (yes 50) chasing them in Jeruselum Bay nearly every night even during the week. Make sure you take your warm clothes as it is freezing down there.

So for the next few months it will be Bream, Trevally, Leather Jackets, Blackfish, Tailor, Salmon, Jewfish, Hairtail and the odd Kingfish on the menu.

Ron Osman, Captain - Estuary Fishing Tours

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Fishing Report 21st Mar 2008

Hi all,   since the last report we have had some of the best days fishing I have had for a long time.

The Kingfish are back in Pittwater around all the wrecks down there but the best spots have been West Head (if there isn’t too much boat traffic) and Barrenjoey Head. We have caught them to 5kg (90cm) and some days we have caught over 20 fish but most of them have been throw backs with just a few keepers. We have even been catching a few Amberjack to 68cm and Sampson Fish to 50cm and even seen a massive Tuna smashing Garfish at West Head. Most days they will take live Yellowtail but they do prefer live Squid and they have been easy to get latterly with 9 in 1 hour our best day. Best spots for Squid are just inside Pittwater on the western shore from West Head to Mackerel Beach and over at Palm Beach as well. If you are having trouble catching Squid buy a Yamashita 2grm Squid Jig they are by far the best jig I have come across. I don’t bother with all the other jigs in my tackle box anymore they cost $18 but are worth every cent and you don’t loose many if you are careful. We have also caught the odd Bonito and huge Tailor while down rigging live Squid and Yellowtail for Kingfish.

We also had a good week on the Jewfish at Flint and Steel in the Hawkesbury River but they were gone by the weekend so most people missed out. During the week there were only 2 or 3 boats there a day and everyone was catching them. Most were 50-70cm but there were a few just over 1 meter and they were taking fresh squid and live Yellowtail. The best day was the Tuesday with over 20 fish caught, there were that many we were throwing them back under 60cm and we also caught some massive Flathead there too with 92c, the biggest one. It was just after all the rain we had so I would say that was the reason they were there eating all the bait that got flushed out by the fresh water. We were catching Kingfish in the early morning then going to Flint and Steel and catching Jewfish and huge Flathead mid morning. Fishing doesn’t get much better than that.

We have been catching a few sharks lately too with a 6ft Hammerhead the biggest taken at Lion Island and there have been plenty of those pesky green toads around as well, biting of hooks, one day at Flint and Steel we went through about 15 hooks.

The Kingfish are still there everyday now but the Jewfish have gone quiet with only a few being caught now and mostly down the river at the Bridges and down Mooney Creek in a few of the deep holes there.

The Flathead have gone a bit quiet in Brisbane Waters but we still manage a few on soft plastics when ever we try. Most are just keepers up to 50cm.

Bream are everywhere at the moment, around Lion Island, Broken Bay and the headlands with a good burly trail and peeled prawns or up in the oyster racks in Brisbane Waters and Mooney Creek with Pink Nippers and Cockles. The bigger ones are around the headlands and we have caught them to 41cm but most are 30 – 38cm.

Frigate Mackerel haven’t had much of a show at Broken Bay this year with only small schools popping up here and there and you have to be lucky enough to be there when they surface to get some. Even the Slimy Mackerel are gone now after only being around for about 3 weeks.

Blue swimmers have gone quiet with only about 3 or 4 a day in our witches hats now and we even caught a few nice mud crabs after the rains we had (don’t they make a mess of a witches hat).

That’s about all I can think of at the moment but I will put up plenty of photos as pictures tell a thousand words.

See our photo page for new additions.

Ron Osman, Captain - Estuary Fishing Tours
 

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Fishing Report 4th Feb 2008           

Hi all, sorry for the late report but I have been flat out over the xmas holidays and are only just starting to get a few days off. Before the report I have the catch statistics of the professional fisherman from the Hawkesbury and Pittwater region off the Department of Primary Industries (Fisheries) through freedom of information. I have never said a bad word against the pros because I didn’t know how much they caught but now I know it shocks me to think this is still going on week in week out and surely it can’t go on for to many more years before the Hawkesbury is totally out of fish. Anyway to the numbers and this includes Mesh netters which account for most of the fish and also Trappers, Trawlers and Beach Haulers with the Beach Haulers catching the majority of the mullet.

This if for the 2006 – 07 financial year, 24,200kg of bream (and at an average of 1/2kg per bream that’s 50,000 Bream being taken out in one year and that’s not including the small ones they feed to the pelicans or the dead ones they throw back.

Whiting is 15,000kg, Mulloway (Jewfish) is 5,200kg, Flathead 1,400kg, Trevally 4,700kg and the big one Mullet which is 230,000kg (no I didn’t write too many zeros on the Mullet that’s the number), then there is Blue Swimmers 1400kg and Mud crabs 1,250kg to my surprise there were only 260kg of Kingfish and there was also 700kg of Flounder.

I have only listed the bread and butter fish that I mostly fish for but if you want the full list I will happily send them to you if you email me and I have the last 5 years results if you want them. I hope the trawlers will still talk to me because it’s not them that take the most fish, out of a full days trawling they are lucky if they catch 10 fish they only trawl for Squid and Prawns and if they didn’t I would have big trouble getting the fresh bait used for my charters.

The number of pros in the river has increased since they have been kicked out of Sydney Harbour by a lot, you can tell by the amount of traps around now and they come from the Hawkesbury, Pittwater and Brisbane Water and there are a lot more coming from Sydney and putting there boats in by trailer at Mooney in the Hawkesbury or Bayview in Pittwater and mostly work of a night time so they don’t get abused by fishos who are just trying to catch a feed.

Apparently Sydney Harbour hasn’t fished this good for 20 years since they got rid of them and I wish they would find dioxins in the Hawkesbury so they would ban them from there too. When the fishing license first got brought in the government bought out a few trawlers licenses from the Hawkesbury River and the next day the trawler owners went and bought a license from the old bloke down the road who hadn’t used his license for years and made a very nice profit, about $50,000 so I am led to believe, if the government did there homework first they would have bought out the licenses not being used first for a lot less money, anyway that’s my rant for this month now to the fishing report.

Finally some surface action in Broken Bay with schools of Tailor and smaller schools of Frigate Mackerel and Bonito smashing baitfish you just have to move around and find them and wait for them to pop up. Some days they are at the box and sometimes at Flint and Steel or right up in Pittwater near Scotland Island and other days been in front of Lion Island. 7 gram Gillies baitfish lures are the best I have come across, they are small but still weigh enough to get a good cast on them with 9lb line.

Flatties are a very reliable feed this time of year with the sand banks in front of Lobster Beach being the best place to get some and we have caught them up to 80cm there all on soft plastics but if it’s a terrible day weather wise so is the Flathead fishing usually drifting in front of Patonga with bait will catch a good feed of Flatties too if you are down the Hawkesbury. Use Whitebait for bait because there is plenty of baitfish around at the moment. Bream and Whiting have been great one week and quiet the next and I don’t know why we are using the same baits and fishing the same spots with Hardies Bay one of the most consistent but the Little Beach on the eastern side of Patonga has been producing some Whiting to 42cm on Pink Nippers and Tube Worms with a few Bream and Flatties chucked in.

Blue Swimmers are still around with most days getting 6 to 10 in our traps and if your lucky a muddy down the Hawkesbury but I haven’t targeted them in Brisbane Waters for a long time.

Jewies are still a bit quiet but we usually catch a few when we target them but they are only about 2-3kg and taking fresh Squid or Slimy Mackerel fillets and the best spot has been down Mooney Creek or the road bridge at Mooney. We had a good 2 weeks on the Jew at the Rip Bridge in Brisbane Waters where they were there every day at the top of the tide for about an hour. We got them every day we were there on fresh squid but they were only 40-60cm but everyone was still happy and once the word was out there were lots of boats there for the tide turn.

Kingies are still very disappointing down in Pittwater and Broken Bay. We have caught them but not in numbers and mostly throw backs, bait hasn’t been a problem with plenty of Squid and Slimy Mackerel around West Head but the Kings have been quiet even around all the wrecks down in Pittwater which I am finding more of every time I am down there but it still isn’t helping. Maybe next week they will turn up because they are outside on the 40m reefs and we have had our best ones come from West Head, Barrenjoey or the Box so it might just be a late season for them. The Frigate Mackerel are at Terrigal Haven too, but be prepared to fish shoulder to shoulder with everyone else and watch out for the Divers.

Ron Osman, Captain - Estuary Fishing Tours

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Fishing Report 26th Dec 2007

Hi all firstly Merry Christmas an a happy new year. Summer fishing is in full swing now and I hope everyone is putting there witches hats in down the Hawkesbury because most days we are getting over 20 and they are good size ones and mostly males. Brisbane Waters has plenty too but not being allowed to use traps we have only been getting 15 on a good day with the best spot in Brisbane Waters being Davistown Channel near Empire Bay and best spots to put your traps in down the Hawkesbury being at the mouth of Mooney Creek or in between Juno Pt and Croppy Head next to the weed bed.

We have found Kingies at West Head, Scotland Island Careal Bay and Avalon lately but still not in the numbers they were last year. We have had some great days with over 15 fish caught but only 3 or 4 kept due to the new size limit and some days we don’t catch any in a couple of hours so we give it a miss and chase something else.

Squid are still a pretty easy catch at West Head, West Head Beach and Barrenjoey, Palm Beach wharf and Currawong Beach with only an hour needed to catch enough bait for the days fishing and there are Slimy Mackerel around West Head among the Yakkas and larger ones at Flint and Steel and Lion Island which make great cut baits.

We have caught Jewies to 4kg (85cm) at Flint and Steel, Mooney Road Bridge and down Moony Creek but there’s a wait in between fish, a bloke next to us pulled in a 10kg+ model while we were at Flint and Steel during the run in tide on a weekend in the middle of the day. The place was packed and he made sure everyone seen it.

We have had some great days on the Bream at Flint and Steel and Lion Island with fish to 40cm and down in Mooney Creek there are Jews and Bream in the hole near the Oyster Shed that was used in the movie “The Oyster Farmer”.

Flatties are still being caught on plastics and bait, best spots in Brisbane Waters are Hardys Bay, Pretty Beach and Orange Grove and the best in the Hawkesbury has been Patonga and Little Pittwater. We have caught plenty under 40cm but not many over.

The racks in Brisbane Waters and Mooney are fishing ok for Bream with Davistown the best and Pink Nippers the best bait with Cockles second and there are Whiting on the sand flats at the Gosford end of Paddys Channel and at Hardys Bay with the best bait for them being tube worms and pink nippers with some fish over 40cm.

It shouldn’t be too long now and the schools of Frigate Mackerel, Striped Tuna and Bonito will be in Broken Bay because the water is warm enough and there are plenty of bait fish around. So keep your eyes open for diving birds and splashes in the water and have your lures ready.

Ron Osman, Captain - Estuary Fishing Tours

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Fishing Report 22nd Nov 2007

Hi all, the Salmon and Tailor schools have moved on from Broken Bay but the Tailor should be back and we are still catching some Salmon while fishing for Bream around Lion Island along with the odd Trevally to 35cm and Leather Jackets. Most of the Bream have been under 30cm but still good fun on light gear.

The water in Broken Bay is around 22 ۫ at the moment so it won’t be to long before the Frigate Mackerel, Bonito and Striped Tuna start to visit.

We had a good run of Jewies for a while and there are still a few around but there are plenty of boats chasing them so there is a bit of luck involved in catching them. Last Saturday night at the Rip Bridge there where over 20 boats, so I suggest going on a week day. We went out on a Monday night at the Rip and we were the only boat there but still only managed one fish (2kg/60cm) only small but still a Jewie. It took fresh squid that we had earlier caught in Pittwater.

Pittwater is full of squid at the moment. For squid try West Head, Barrenjoey Palm Beach Wharf, and Mackerel Beach and if you’re right up in Pittwater try Church Point Wharf and Newport Wharf or any of the Marinas in the area. We caught two of the biggest Squid I have ever seen (see photo) at Barrenjoey. We could see them in the water and they wouldn’t take any jig we threw at them and we threw nearly every jig in my tackle box. So I pulled out a live Yakka and stuck him on a jig skewer and they pounded on him straight away, too big for live bait but great to eat and the heads are great bait. Most days we have caught 5 or 6 Squid in a couple of hours but some days they just won’t play and we have to rely on back up frozen Squid, which usually does the trick.

Blue swimmers are around in numbers, we have caught 6 to 12 on most days in our witches hats at the mouth of Mooney Creek. You catch a lot more if you are in the a area and check them every hour but we just drop them off in the morning and pick them up at lunch time on the way home and still get plenty. In Brisbane Waters around Davistown there are plenty but not much else to catch while targeting them, try Empire Bay, Davistown Channel and Amy St Channel with Amy St being the best. A friend of mine managed 22 in 2hrs on a run in tide in the early morning (that’s good crabbing).

Flatties are a bit quieter than last year but we are still managing to catch  a few; in the Hawkesbury try Mullet Creek mouth, Dangar Island flats and around Milson Island; in Brisbane Waters try Pretty Beach, Booker Bay and Ettalong but the best spot has been orange grove. You should have seen the guys face when we pulled a 60cm model out from under his wharf it was like it was his pet lizard and he told us to fish else where but not that nicely. Soft plastics are the way to go for Flathead. You cover a lot more area and it’s too easy just bounce them along the bottom and wait for your line to tighten.

The Kingies in Pittwater have been very picky some days but we still manage 1 or 2 keepers with plenty of throw backs most days. Bust some days we have them chase our lures back to the boat and then shy away at the last moment. It is very frustrating to see them and not catch them and I have found a replacement for the Sluggo which is very hard to get now for some silly reason. It is from Bass Assasin and it looks pretty much the same and works great. It comes in all different colours but my favourite is the pearl colour but we have caught a few on Halco Roosta Poppas. Best spot has been near Avalon Sailing Club and on a calm day you can see them hitting the surface and cast your lures at them. On a rough day you just cast anywhere and watch for follows and when you find them just stick to that area. I have a list of names in my book that I have to call when they are ‘on’ but it just hasn’t happened yet this year. The water might be too warm for them; in Pittwater we hit 24 ۫ water the other day.

As I said Squid have been relatively easy to get and they have caught the majority of the Kings. On a weekend there are over 20 boats in Pittwater with down riggers trolling around. But it’s all good most people are friendly but some think they own the place and are not. If you see someone hooked up just don’t get to close or you might rightly cop an ear full, there is plenty of room for everyone.

I am new to the Whiting on poppers scene and while it’s great fun you can’t beat worms and nippers. We have caught some to 40cm both ways. In Pittwater try the sand flats on the southern side of Scotland Island or in Lovett Bay. In the Hawkesbury try Dangar Island flats and in Brisbane Waters try the Gosford end of Paddys Channel or Hardies Bay flats and the gulp blood worm soft plastics work nearly as good as a real worm. Just cast them out with a small jig head and give them a small twitch every now and then.

Matt Hooper from Ettalong Bait and Tackle and myself held our first fishing workshop at his store. About 40 people turned up, not bad for no advertising. The next one we have will be in January sometime and this time it will be more organised and you may have to book a seat as this time we will advertise. So if you want to get in early just contact Matt or myself to book your seat but as I said we are not sure what date as yet.
On the night we covered downriggers, knot tying, rigs for catching everything and what lures and baits work best for what species and a lot of people took advantage of Matts 20% off everything in store sale. I had my boat there for the night and everyone was asking questions about live bait tanks, sounders, GPS units and what gear I use and I was happy to help out with any questions and show them what I was running on my boat.

Ron Osman, Captain - Estuary Fishing and Tours

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Fishing Report 24th Oct 2007

Hi all, great news the Jewies are finally back they are not big but it is a great sign that the Hawkesbury is finally coming back to life and the Bream and Flatties are there too. With about one and a half hours flicking soft plastics on the mud flats near Milson Island opposite Mooney boat ramp on a high tide we scored eight keeper Flatties and plenty of throw backs. The biggest was only 42cm but great eating size and fun to catch.

If you only plan to target Flatties with your plastics just use the cheap ones as I have found Flatties will snap at anything that goes by when the water is warm. So there is no need to buy the expensive lures or the ones that dry out and only last one session. However if you would like to be in for a chance at a bi catch like a Bream or a Jewie then I suggest you use better plastics like the Berkley Gulps to be in with a chance.

The blue swimmer crabs are back in the Hawkesbury too we catch six most charters in our traps at Mooney Creek mouth or near Croppy Head. They are small but males.

The Kingies in Pittwater are there but they are very picky. They are only taking live small squid baits and these small squid have been hard to get. We have tried with a few larger live squid baits and have noticed them getting harassed by the way the rod jumps around but they won’t take them. The small ones don’t last long at all with the Kingies smashing them straight away. Most Kingfish are still throw backs but the occasional one is over the new size limit of 65cm. There are plenty of wrecks in Pittwater so be sure to keep an eye on your sounder and mark the spots in your GPS if you see them. They have all proven great Kingfish attractors. I have found about seven big wrecks and heaps of little ones. There is even suppose to be a reef made of shopping trolleys that a few fishos put there years back and I may have that mistaken with a sunken boat or I haven’t found it yet. All these wrecks are holding heaps of baitfish and the Kingies aren’t far behind. I scuba dived one with a few mates and found a 60ft cruiser sitting upright on the bottom with cups in the cupboard, chain in the anchor well and it still even had the old wooden steering wheel. For a great scuba shot we even got photos sitting on the boats toilet. We saw big schools of Yakkas, Bream, Blackfish and sweep but we didn’t see any Kingies or maybe they saw us first.

The Trevally have gone now but they were pretty thick for a few weeks and the Bream are still there which is great and can be caught around the headlands and even right up the Hawkesbury and in Brisbane Waters. Up in the racks on a high tide with Pink Nippers and Cockles is working good around Hardies Bay and Davistown in Brisbane Waters and Mooney Creek in the Hawkesbury.

Salmon have been along the coast for months but rarely visited Broken Bay in big numbers until last week when they were there every day around Lion Island. They haven’t always got the birds following them so it can make it hard to spot them on a choppy day. Tailor are amongst the Salmon to 40cm so hopefully they will stay around for a while.

Matt from Ettalong Bait and Tackle is hosting our first fishing workshop at his shop on November 1st from 5pm. We will just be chatting too everyone about fishing and I will have my boat there and answer as many question as I can. There will also be a sausage sizzle and in store discounts for the night. All are invited to come along and be part of our first workshop. If it works well we will hold more in the future. See you there.

Ron Osman, Captain - Estuary Fishing and Tours

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Fishing Report 25th Sept 2007

Hi all, first I would like to welcome my new sponsor, Ettalong Bait & Tackle and owner Matt Hooper who has kitted me out with all new Silstar and Okuma rods and reels. For the downriggers we have the Okuma eclipse EC-65 reels matched with the Silstar Crystal Blue 6’6” power tip rods and we run 50lb iron braid on them. I went with Eclipse Bait Runners because they are a lot easier to use when dropping down your downrigger bombs and the Silstar Blue Power Tips just for plain toughness and reliability. Then we have the Okuma Salina Sa 80 reels matched with Silstar Crystal Pro 6’6” power tip rods for the bigger fish and we run 30lb iron braid on them. Our smaller rods and reels for everything from smaller Jewies and Kingies to Bream, Flatties etc are the Okuma Salina Sa 30 reels matched with the Silstar Stamina 6’6” power tip rods and we use 9lb iron flex mono line. We have used them all a few times now and they are all great combos.

I will be working closely with Matt from Ettalong Bait & Tackle trying out all the latest lures and tackle as he lives close to me and summer is nearly hear which is a great time to test new gear and I will let you know what works and what doesn’t.

To the fishing report this month I can say that the fishing has definitely picked up a lot since the last report with schools of Salmon in Broken Bay most days but you have to be early as they disappear pretty quick just after sun up. Most days they have been in front of Lion Island but sometimes over towards Box Head and on a few days there were schools of Tailor as well. The Salmon are about 2.5kg with the Tailor only about 35cm max.

I have done this a few times and it works when you can’t see the school on the surface anywhere – putt around the area and look on your sounder and when you see the school, drop your lure down and jig it up and down, “it works”, just like jigging Kingies outside I suppose.

Last Sunday was a great day on the Bream and Trevally. At Flint and Steel we ended up with 16 Bream and 18 Trevally with plenty of throw backs in a few hours between three people and we could have stayed longer and caught plenty more, not many people where using burly so they were catching heaps less than us. The frozen burley bomb tricks them every time as they don’t know we are using burly but it might be my $20kg Hawkesbury Squid or my $13kg Hawkesbury prawns, if you’re going to fish the Hawkesbury it only reasons to use bait caught there. While we were there the bloke next to us (as it was packed being a Sunday and everyone was pretty close we could see what each other were catching) pulled in a big lobster on one of his rods the lucky devil. His mrs didn’t seem too interested in the fishing until he pulled that in the boat, then she had a rod in her hand too.

We have caught a couple of kingies on the downriggers along Clareville in Pittwater but they have been far and few between and only throw backs now the limit is 65cm. But they should turn up in numbers pretty soon as the water temp is already up to 18.5 degrees and last year we were catching plenty on the October long weekend. There are Salmon and Tailor Schools in Pittwater in the early mornings sometimes and we have caught a few on the downriggers also.

The Hawkesbury and Brisbane Waters have picked up a lot as well but still no Jewies. We have been catching a few Flatties mostly caught on bait but they will take lures more aggressively when the water hits 20º C. We are catching a few on plastics now along with small Tailor and Estuary Pike (which make great live bait) around Hardies Bay and Ettalong in Brisbane Waters and from Patonga Creek mouth around to Juno Point in the Hawkesbury. The Jewie population in the Hawkesbury must be somewhere but I can’t find them at the minute. Hopefully they will turn up soon but there are heaps of other fish around mostly around the headlands and up to Flint and Steel. But there are a few Bream and Flatties to be had further up the river but I suggest hitting the headlands; Box Head, West Head, Barronjoey, Middle Head and Lion Island (I prefer the northern side drop off). Just burley up, use fresh bait, a small hook and sinker and I’m sure you will catch plenty of Bream and Trevally with a few Tailor, Salmon and Leather Jackets thrown in.

Ron Osman, Captain - Estuary Fishing and Tours

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Fishing Report 23rd Aug 2007

Hi all, I have left this report as long as possible to let the fishing pick up a bit so I had something to report. Until the last two weeks the fishing has been terrible and it still is very quiet inside Brisbane Water and the Hawkesbury River.

We have been fishing around the headlands in Broken Bay and Lion Island the most and are starting to catch decent bags of Bream, Trevally, Leather Jackets, Tailor and big Slimy Mackerel. We also came across our first school of Salmon for this year at Big Box Head but they were only swimming on the surface like carp and not feeding on anything. We only managed one on a small white soft plastic lure before they disappeared. He was only a small one but still took a while to reel in on 4lb line.

We also came across a school of small Tailor at Flint and Steel in the Hawkesbury River with birds diving everywhere. They took soft plastics and small crommies but were all only about 25cm. The Salmon and Tailor schools will only get more and more consistent but they better hurry up because summer is just around the corner.

Hairtail have gone quite with none caught on our last outing only Squid, Tailor and a 6ft Pike Eel. We have only caught a few in the last two weeks but not many at all. It was a very short Hairtail season this year where they were biting strongly for 2 weeks and then thinned out. Best spot this year was Jerusalem Bay but everyone knew and Friday and Saturday nights saw up to thirty boats in Jerusalem and it’s not a very big bay. To get the best spot right up the end you had to get there early. When the Hairtail were at their strongest the water temp was down to 12° and it went quiet when it hit 14°.

Luderick have been very quiet this year so I have only given them a few goes with not much result, only catching a few if any. There have been good and bad days at the Entrance with one day great the next none. I have never seen the channel deeper and wider than it is now, you would have trouble swimming across now when a month ago you could walk across with ease.

For something different a couple of weeks ago I went out and played deckie for my mate Scott Thorington from Haven Fishing Charters at Terrigal. He took us 15n/m out jigging for Kingies and we caught one 10kg, about 8 at 7 or 8kg plus a heap of smaller ones and then on the way back in we stopped off and caught a few Pearl Perch and small Snapper. My arms are still sore as it was 110m deep and its hard work jigging even before you get a fish on and then when you get one look out. If your up to it give Scotty a call on 0419 440 869, I totally recommend it.

The weather is getting warmer and so is the water. The fishing is getting better and better every week and all the summer fish are starting to turn up so if your keen to come out give us a call.

Ron Osman, Captain - Estuary Fishing and Tours

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Fishing Report 15th July 2007

Hi all, the Hairtail have returned to Cowan Creek and in good numbers too although my trip out with Richard from spooled.com.au didn’t produce any. We have caught them since and there are plenty of other boats chasing them too with one boat bagging out. That’s twenty Hairtail. They are tricky to catch, they are mostly caught at night, its cold and there are quiet spells when the school moves off but if you have ever caught one you will know it is worth it.
The way to catch them is plenty of burly and throw a few bigger chunks around every now and then. Steel traces, gang hooks, Pilchards or Yellowtail, glow sticks (red if you can get them) and just a Bream rod with 9lb line will be good enough. Set a few baits at different depths and watch for the bites as they are only very light. You can even drift a couple of pillies down the burly trail and once you have found what depth they are at adjust all the rods to suit.
Just a few spots to try in Cowan Creek are Waratah Bay, Cottage Pt, Looking Glass Bay, Coal and Candle Creek and Jerusalem Bay and anywhere where there is deep water, I have even caught them at Box Head.
In other fishy new the Hawkesbury, Brisbane Waters and Pittwater areas have been a bit quiet since all the fresh came in except for Luderick. So I have been doing most of my daytime fishing around the mouths and headlands and catching good feeds of Bream and bucket loads of big Tailor with a few Trevally, Leather Jackets and Salmon thrown in. No surface action in Broken Bay as yet but it shouldn’t be too long before we see schools of Salmon and tailor returning to our waterways. Best spots for Bream, Tailor, Trevally, Salmon and Leather Jackets in Broken Bay have been Middle Head, West Head, Box Head and the northern side of Lion Island.

Ron Osman, Captain - Estuary Fishing and Tours

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Fishing Report 15th June 2007

Hi everyone sorry for the late report (again), the fishing was great before the storms we had. We were getting good size Bream, Trevally, Tailor, Leather Jackets and a few Salmon fishing our winter spots around Lion Island and the head lands with plenty of burley and fresh Hawkesbury prawns (peeled are better), fresh squid strips and salted fish cubes. I use Mullet but if I get any Tuna or Mackerels they are good too.

Burley is the secret to catching plenty of fish in winter and I will tell you my not so secret burley mix. My burley consists mostly of chook pellets, tuna oil, minced fish and wheat with plenty of water and then frozen solid in ice cream containers that fit in my burley pot perfectly and slowly defrost and give out a good consistent trail that doesn't take too long to attract anything in it's path and you don't have to mash the burley and people fishing next to you don't think your burleying and wonder why you're catching fish and they're not. During winter a four litre container full will last about an hour and a half and in summer about forty five minutes but that depends on the rocking of the boat and if you want it to come out faster just pop it out of the container.

Anyway back to the fishing, down the Hawkesbury has been quiet but I did have a couple of good weeks down at Little Wobby catching just legal Jewies which mostly went back and good size Bream to 38cm on Squid and Prawns with a few Flatties but not many, other than that the Jewies have been pretty quiet with just a few hear and there and nothing over 2kg.

There are still a few Kingies down in Pittwater but not in the numbers we were getting last month. We are still getting some most days that we try for them and mostly on small yellowtail with a few Salmon getting in on the act as well.

The Salmon and Tailor schools haven't shown up yet but hopefully with the rain and return of the cold water that should change pretty soon.

I have only fished twice since the storms hit last week and that was on Monday 11th and Tuesday 12th June and it was very quiet fishing and the crap in the water was unbelievable. We saw pumpkins, chokos, a dead Pelican and heaps of trees and rubbish and there were yachts washed up everywhere. The water was as dirty as it could get and the out going tide was flowing much faster than the tide table said it should have been which shows how much fresh water is going out.

The weather will calm down soon and the fishing will be great around the mouths and even up the rivers with all the food getting washed down and off the rocks. So if you're going out I'm sure you will get a bag full of Bream, Tailor, Leather Jacket, Trevally and maybe even a Jewie or a late season Kingfish. One of my customers last month caught a Moses Perch at Lion Island on a prawn, they are usually only found in the Northern Waters of NSW but sometimes stray south so you never know what you can catch.

Fishing in Brisbane Waters has been good around the Rip Bridge for Bream and it won't be long before I get the Blackfish gear out again because they should be around by now and so should the big Bream and Whiting around the oyster racks. I am going Hairtail fishing a couple of times later this month down Cowan Creek and are hoping that it is a better year than last year for them. In all I can't wait for the strong winds to stop so we can get back out there.

Ron Osman, Captain - Estuary Fishing and Tours

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Fishing Report 18th May 2007

Hi All, Well last month had some of the best days fishing I have ever had on this boat. On some days we had over 30 Kingfish following each other to our boat in Pittwater and we would hook up another one before netting the first. The best days we caught ten before moving on but that doesn't include the bust offs we had along with a couple of broken rods and even a broken reel.

They have all been from 65cm to 78cm taking live Yakkas and fresh Squid but we did catch some on lures, they are in a different spot nearly everyday and sometimes it takes some time to find them. The Palm Beach drop off on the Mackerel Beach side has been good and so has Stokes Point and along to Avalon.

We have been catching a few Watson's Leaping Bonito at West Head and Box Head on lures but you have to be quick as they are only on the surface for a short time and there are not many other school fish around at the moment but that should change pretty soon with Salmon and Tailor due.

Bream fishing has been patchy with a few days in a row great fishing and then a week straight with only a few fish. The best time I have found is on a very small change of tide and use plenty of burly. Brisbane Waters has fished better than the Hawkesbury River as is usually the case and there are still Flatties around but they won't take a lure you have to use bait, Whitebait has been working the best for us drifting the channels and the drop offs. Bream and Leather Jackets are under the Rip Bridge and at Flint and Steel.

If you are fishing in the Hawkesbury River drop a Squid Jig over the side as there has been plenty of Squid and some are huge. The Jewies have gone quiet again after a little showing after the rain. They weren't big but there were plenty for a while and hopefully will come back soon. We caught a Conger Eel at mooney Bridge and it must have been 9 or 10 foot long and as round as a soccer ball,it was absolutely massive and we cut the trace a long way from it's mouth.

There are some Salmon and large Tailor around Lion Island but not in schools. We have caught them on bait while fishing for Bream and some Tailor are over 50cm and at night there has been a lot of Hammerhead Sharks around and we caught 5 in one night along with Eels, Catfish, Shovelnose Sharks, Port Jackson Sharks and a few Jewfish.

Ron Osman, Captain - Estuary Fishing and Tours

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Fishing Report 4th April 2007

Hi All, The Kingies in Pittwater are back in numbers and the best spot by far has been Stokes Point and along Clairville. On most days they are taking Yellowtail and the smaller the better which is great because they are a lot easier to catch than Squid. Although some days we catch 6 or 7 Squid in an hour and some have been nearly a Kilo, to big for live bait but you get a whole plate of Calamari Rings out of one Squid.

Some days we catch 5 or 6 Kingies and all have been 60 - 70cm. Not huge but they fight like demons. We use down riggers with live Yakkas and live Squid, but some days they will take dead fresh squid aswell.Best spots for Squid have been Palm Beach, Currawong and West Head. Just have a drift past flicking jigs and if you don't get one move elsewhere and try again.

Frigate Mackerel are still hanging around in Pittwater but there are not many and you have to be lucky to come across them as the birds aren't there to show the way. You just look for the bait fish and a few splashes and cast small cromies or bait fish look a likes at them and you will get some but you have to be fast as they are diving quickly. We were winding one in one day and there were a few followers and one of them had a tag but we couldn't catch him. Best spots for Frigates are the basin and Currawong Point and if there is no wind it is a lot easier to see them.

We are catching Jewies down the Hawkesbury but not to many during the day. The best time is the top of the tide and if it is dark you stand a much better chance. Most have been in the 1.5 - 3kg range and there are plenty of throw backs as well. We have been getting ours on fresh squid and peeled hawkesbury prawns with a couple of the bigger ones taking live Yakkas.

Blue swimmers are still around but not in great numbers but they are all huge. We had a Conger Eel wrapped up in one of our traps and it must have been 6ft with teeth like a tiger. Best spot is in between the road and rail bridge and the big Jelly Fish are starting to disappear.

Brisbane Waters has been good fishing but we still have the odd bad day. Flatties are still around but not in great numbers most are in the 40 - 50cm range with a couple of bigger ones all taken on soft plastics around the sand bank drop offs and edges of the oyster leases. Try places like Ettalong, Hardys Bay and the northern end of Paddys Channel.

Bream are up in the racks at high tide taking Nippers and Cockles and if the tide is to low try the Rip Bridge if the current is not running to hard and get a burly trail going and float fish or just use a light sinker and drift it down the burley rail right under the bridge is the best spot.

There are plenty of Mullet around at the moment due to spawning season and the pros are waiting for them at Box Head. I don't fish for them except to use as live bait but I've got a mate who eats them and reckons they're a great fish to eat.

If your in Brisbane Waters and see something stick it's head up out of the water it is probably a turtle as there are plenty around at the moment.

Broken Bay has seen a few schools of Tailor and a few Salmon as well but they should become more frequent this month and Bream and Trevally are on the northern side of Lion Island, but you will need burly to get them on the bite.

Funny story of the month, I had some customers on board my boat and they said they had a Sarca Anchor exactly the same as mine but they lost it at Flint and Steel and guess what that's where I found mine and it still had their chain and stainless shackles on it (what a coincidence hey).

Ron Osman, Captain - Estuary Fishing and Tours

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Fishing Report 22nd March 2007

Fishing the Hawkesbury River one afternoon with a couple of regular customers we thought we had hooked onto an eel or a piece of weed, but to our surprise it was a 1.4kg Lobster hooked through the tail (he must have been the unluckiest Lobster in the river, but my customers were happy) and we got a nice Jewie as well. The Hawkesbury has been popular for small jewfish, about 50 to 60cm in size.

Blue swimmers are still around, some days we catch eight and other days we catch two, you just never know.

Bream fishing in Brisbane Waters has been good with the Rip Bridge producing fish to 42cm but you only get to fish 45min each side of the turn of the tide because on big tides the water runs at 4 knots plus.  Use plenty of burley and just about any bait will work. We have been using salted Frigate Mackerel fillets and fresh squid.

Speaking of Frigate Mackerel or Leadies as they are also known, they have been around Broken Bay and even in Brisbane Waters and Pittwater. On one day I had four visitors from Japan and they were happy to take home twenty two Frigates. Other days we kept a couple and thru the rest back. They are also at Terrigal Haven, just look for the crowd of people tossing lures. There has been a few good sized Tailor and Bonito schooling as well and they are all taking 5 gram metal slices.

Flathead are an easy catch on soft plastics. You just have to work the sand and weed drop offs. Try a few spots and you will get a feed. On overcast days use bright coloured lures like orange or yellow and on sunny days use dark lures like grey or silver.

There has been plenty of small Hammerhead and Bull Sharks around at night in the Hawkesbury and around Broken Bay so if your fishing at night you will probably hook up or get bitten off by a few and don’t throw them back, small sharks make great eating.

Squid are about in good size and numbers, fresh squid is always a favourite at my place, the kids love Calamari and it's easy to prepare and cook. Jewfish fillets and calamari, it's making me hungry.

Ron Osman, Captain – Estuary Fishing and Tours

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Fishing Report for November 2006

Fishing is picking up every week; we are catching Flathead on soft plastics now where a couple of weeks ago they would not look at them. The Flathead are only small but there are not many throw backs and Flatties are one of my favourite eating fish especially the smaller ones.

There is Bream action everywhere now even down the Hawkesbury see photo of one of my regular customers Rich with a 1.1kg, 40cm Bream which took a whole squid on a 9/0 hook set for a Jewfish. We have also been getting soapie Jews to 60cm and other good size Bream on Pink Nippers and fresh squid. The Hawkesbury has lots of Blue Swimmer Crabs as well, most days we are catching 8 to 10 good sized ones at places like Mooney Creek mouth or in between the road and rail bridges.

Brisbane Waters has produced some great Bream fishing and they are getting bigger too. We fish up in the oyster racks at high tide with Cockles, Nippers and Mullet and we are not catching many small ones, most are over 30cm and some 38cm and there are always the bigger ones you just can’t turn around.

Kingfish are in full swing down in Pittwater and I have finally bought myself a pair of (Scotty) downriggers and they do work great and it saves having a sinker swinging around while you’re winding in your fish. The squid have been hard to get but when you get one you always get a Kingfish, although some days they have been taking small live Yakkas or freshly bought squid trolled on the downriggers. They are even taking long squid strips with the hook in one end. They have only been in the 58 – 70cm range but they still pull hard and we have been busted by a few much bigger ones we just couldn't’t turn around, even with 35lb braid and 40lb mono leader and the drag cranked right up they still managed to run and wrap us around something, hopefully we will get them next time.
The fishing is only getting better now this time of year so if you’re keen to get out there give us a call.

Ron Osman, Captain – Estuary Fishing and Tours

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Fishing Report for October 2006

Hi all,
Sorry the report is so late but I’m glad I waited so I could report the return of Kingfish in Pittwater. We have been catching some going 5kg and a few rats to throw back. The rats were hitting the surface and taking lures like small metals and stick baits. Great fun on light gear and the big ones were deep and taken on trolled live squid.

We have been catching a fair few small Jewfish down the Hawkesbury in the last couple of weeks all taken on fresh squid and we have caught a few throw backs on Pink Nippers, these where not large fish only up to 55cm but still a Jewfish.

Also down the Hawkesbury the Blue Swimmers are back after a couple of weeks off, all good size and sometimes catching eight.

The Whiting have been huge in Brisbane Waters and the Hawkesbury. Taking Pink Nippers and Cockles. I had to attach a photo to show you just how big.

The Bream are nowhere to be seen down the Hawkesbury but they are in Brisbane Waters. Up in the Oyster Racks on a rising tide using cockles we caught some going 38cm and have been busted off on the racks by bigger ones.

The Flathead haven’t really started yet but there are still a few if you target them with bait because there not touching the lures yet.

Lion Island has gone quiet except for Tailor and they are in Pittwater too, taking 5gram metal lures and trolled Rapalas.

So the quality fish are here for the start of another great fishing summer. Kingfish and Jewfish put up a mighty fight and are great eating too. It’s easy to join in the fun, just give me a call on 0407 661 397.

Until next time,
Ron Osman, Captain - Estuary Fishing and Tours.

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Fishing Report for September 2006

Hi everyone, some fish have picked up and some of the winter fish have gone all together.

The Salmon schools in Broken Bay, Pittwater and the mouth of the Hawkesbury are just about all gone with only a few very small schools here and there to chase around. Trevally were in the hundreds only last week in Broken Bay and Brisbane Waters but they have nearly all gone too.

But the good news is the Bream have moved back in the racks and the Flatties have picked up a lot in the passed few weeks and so have the Squid and the Whiting. Tailor didn't really make a showing this year but their season isn't quite over yet there still might be a chance of them showing up.

Blue swimmers are back in big numbers, on one charter we caught eight good size ones near Juno Point, Hawkesbury River in our witches hats. Blue Swimmer crabs are in Brisbane Waters in good numbers too but you’re only allowed to use handlines. We found them in Davistown Channel and near the Rib Bridge as well but I'm sure they would be everywhere else too.

Small Squid are at West Head and Baranjoey but I did say small and some days there are none at all.

We have been catching good size Bream to 38cm in the racks just before high tide in Brisbane Waters on Mullet strips, fresh Squid and cockles with a few whiting to 36cm caught there on Pink Nippers as well. I haven't fished the racks down the Hawkesbury for a while now so I can’t report on them just yet but I did get some nice whiting down Jerusalem Bay on the flats at high tide using Pink Nippers and compost worms, one went 42cm.

Fishing for Bream around Lion Island, Broken Bay is still pretty good with most days catching a bag full, but you will need lots of burly and some fresh Mullet and Squid. There are some huge Pike there too and a lot of rubbish fish as well. I lost my anchor at Lion Island a few weeks ago and costing $200 I cut the rope and attached a buoy and went scuba diving a few days later and in about ten square metres there must have been ten anchors, most were old and rusty but a few I took home as spares.

The fishing this month should pick up even more with the pelagic fish showing up soon and the Bream, Flatties, Whiting, Tailor, Squid and Jewies picking up as the water gets warmer and I can't wait for the Kingfish to return. It shouldn't be to far away for these brutes to return to places like Pittwater and Cowan Creek.

Ron Osman, Captain – Estuary Fishing and Tours

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Fishing Report for August 2006

Hi all..

hasn’t the weather and water warmed up. We have 19’ water and last Sat 2/9 was 27’ and a beautiful day. Unfortunately every man and his dog with a boat was on the water, it was like a circus, especially chasing Salmon Schools. The schools were only small but there must have been 30 boats to every school and some fishos didn’t have any etiquette, driving straight up to the school and making them dive, it was chaos. We caught half a dozen and got the hell out of there before I got cranky.

The Salmon were in the 2-3kg range and only taking the smallest lures, the fly fishos were killing it but some of the lure tossers with 25grm lures were kidding themselves. We used 3 gram crommies on 4lb braid with 9lb mono leader and we still didn’t get a hook up every time but almost and a 10 minute battle to get the fish to the boat is always good fun on light gear. The Salmon are there most days you just have to hunt around for them. But if it is windy don’t bother they wont surface you might catch some trolling magnums down deep instead.

Schools of Tailor haven’t really shown up yet. You get the odd school here and there but the schools are small and diving all the time. We have been catching a lot trolling lures around like magnums and crommies around the headlands (west head, Baranjoey, middle head, Big Box Head and Lion Island).

Trevally has been everywhere inside and out, anchor up and burly and it won’t be long before you are pulling them in hand over fist. We have caught some going 40cm and they fight all the way back to the boat.

Bream have been very quiet up the rivers and estuaries but we have had a couple of good days around the mouths of the Hawkesbury River, Pittwater and Brisbane Waters, burly is a must and fresh Mullet or Tuna fillets are the best. A few are showing up at the oyster racks in Brisbane Waters but the Hawkesbury and Mooney Mooney have been really quiet (since the oyster thing) so hit the racks at high tide and then the mouths for the run out. You should catch a few whiting while fishing for Bream in the racks, the best bait is worms. I have been using compost worms out of my compost bin and they work great but farmed tube worms are the best and pink nippers a close second.

Flathead haven’t shown up in numbers yet but it shouldn’t be long. We have caught a few but not many drifting Halftide to Boxhead and Pittwater to Lion Island.

I haven’t caught a Kingy in a while not that I have fished for them but I have heard that there’s a few big Kingfish around in the Pittwater area.

I didn’t catch a Hairtail this season but I only fished for them twice and that was up Cowan Creek at Waratah Bay. I heard reports of them at Boxhead but I didn’t see photo proof so I don’t believe it, hopefully next year will see them return.

Blackfish season is still a bit patchy. Some days we clean up on Blackfish and other days nothing. A week or two ago I picked people up from Palmy Wharf and there was a school of about 100 Blackfish under the wharf and we couldn’t even get a down. I don’t know why but they were so fussy, we only had green weed so next time I’ll try brown weed, cabbage or squirt worms.
Now the water is heating up the fish shouldn’t be far away. September is usually a good month for fishing for most species, so if your keen give us a ring and if you want to go on a week day (Mon-Fri) fishing charter you get 10% off your charter price at the moment.

Until next time,

Ron Osman, Captain - Estuary Fishing and Tours

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Fishing Report for July 2006

Hi all..

Salmon have been taking 5gm Cromies and Saltwater Flies around Broken Bay but sometimes there are only one or two small schools. The fish are in the 2 – 3kg range and are great fun on light gear and if the Cromies didn’t work the Saltwater Flies did every time.

If you see the schools of Salmon head upwind of them and sit and wait and they will come to you as they usually feed into the wind, but I did say usually. Sometimes they are all over the place.

Luderick are patchy with one day catching heaps, the next day none in the same spot. The trick is to try somewhere for half and hour and if you don’t get any downs move spots and try again.

Best spots for Luderick in Brisbane Water have been Riley’s Island; Paddy’s Channel and the Rip Bridge, but anywhere with weed beds and a bit of a drop off has fish. Best spot in the Hawkesbury River being Patonga Creek just near the Caravan Park and the best spot in Pittwater has been the Public Wharf at Palm Beach. Sometimes you can see them under and around the pylons.

Tailor has been plentiful but are not schooling up. They are finding our burley trail and taking baits meant for Bream. There are so many sometimes you have to move to get away from them and they are all around the 30-35cm mark (good eating size).

Bream have been hard to catch lately with all of the Tailor around. It has been hard to get a bait down past them to see what is underneath. But most days we still get a few keepers. The Hawkesbury has been quiet but with a little patience you can still manage a few good size stud Bream around the leases near Peat’s Bite and Barr Pt. (Try Mullet strips or Mullet gut.)

Jewies have been very quiet not that I have targeted them lately, but I always put out a big bait (live or not) when fishing for other species because you never know when something bigger is around.

The last Jewie caught was while fishing for Bream down at Spencer and he took a live Tailor and he wasn’t much bigger than the bait only going 3.5kg but still a Jewie.

Flathead are still there but very lethargic we have still managed a few drifting from Patonga to Lion Island in the Hawkesbury and Ettalong to Box Head in Brisbane Water. Some are in the 60cm range.

Hairtail haven’t shown up yet but I have heard reports of them being caught in Wara

tah and Looking Glass Bays but when I go down there they must move somewhere else. The last trip down there we got caught in the fog and it took 2 ½ hrs to get back to Brooklyn. I will never forget my map plotter again.

Lobsters have shown up so if you have got a fishing license you are allowed one trap and it is worth the effort when you get one. Anywhere around Lion Island and the mouth of the Hawkesbury should get a couple (two lobsters per day per person). Here is a nice one we got last Friday 28 July. (See photo below) Remember to put your name, address and phone number on the buoy to make it all legal.

That’s it for this month. I hope you’ll join me on a days fishing in the near future as the days are getting longer and warmer and the fishing should get even better than it is right now. Hopefully the next report will have heaps of Hairtail photos because they should be turning up now.

Until next time,

Ron Osman, Captain - Estuary Fishing and Tours

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Fishing Report for June 2006

Hi all..

I hope you have been enjoying the uncrowded waterways as much as I have. It's worth putting up with the cold as the fishing has been pretty good.

Small schools of monster Salmon have been around Broken Bay. Popping up here and there, they're pretty shy but you can still manage to catch a few on small chrome lures and there is a few large Tailor lurking among them also.

Bream fishing has been patchy with one day catching heaps of good sized Bream and the next day none or just small ones. We are still catching the odd Blue Swimmer but there are not many about. The ones we do get have been huge.

Leather Jackets, Leather Jackets and more Leather Jackets inside, outside and right throughout the estuaries and up into the rivers. They are a good size and great to eat.

Trevally are everywhere as well and when bled straight away and eaten fresh they are also a tasty fish to eat.

There have been schools of large slimy Mackerel around Box Head and Little Box, not on the surface but you can see them on your sounder and drop down baits. They will bite every time. Some of my customers have taken them home to eat and said they were really nice.

The Jew fishing has slowed right down but if you are still keen I suggest going up past Spencer and fishing in the deep holes that are at nearly every bend. Get live Slimies if you can they have been the gun bait.

Hairtail haven’t shown up yet. I heard of a few being caught and I had an enquiry to chase them so we headed up Cowan Creek to Waratah Bay and joined about ten other boats for a night of nothing. Not even a sniff. We had every type of bait you could think of. The Hairtail should turn up soon and I will be straight down there chasing them again.

Luderick have come on strong and have saved us on a couple of charters. Palm Beach Public Wharf has been full of them. They are there most mornings if the tide is running out. They are there on the run in too but won't touch a bait. We have caught some going 38 - 40 cm, that’s a pretty big Luderick. Also try Riley’s Island, Paddy's Channel and Lobster Beach in Brisbane Water or Patonga Creek mouth down the Hawkesbury and there are plenty like always at The Entrance.

Next month we should start to catch even more Luderick, Trevally and Leather Jackets. The schools of Salmon and Taylor showing up at Broken Bay should get larger in numbers and don't forget the Hairtail with the water temp dropping I expect they will start running very soon.

So if you’re keen on a charter give us a call. We have plenty of days free at the moment and don't let the cold weather put you off it's nothing a jumper and wind jacket can't fix.There are hardly any boats on the water and fish to be caught....

Until next time,

Ron Osman, Captain - Estuary Fishing and Tours

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Fishing Report for May 2006

Hi everyone...this is my first fishing report for the website. I will be trying to do one a month so here it goes.

May has been great fishing with the winter fish coming on strong and the summer fish still hanging around.

We've caught Kingfish to 73cm while fishing for Bream and Trevally on light gear, good fun and a 15 min battle. On one charter one of my regular customers brought his wife along for the day and she caught the fish of the day a 43cm bream. We thought it was a Kingie with all the line it took. If you want to target Kingies I suggest you go to Pittwater, catch live yakas and live squid (if you can get them) and sit and berley or hunt around for schools on your sounder and drop them down with heavy sinkers or if you have a downrigger even better. Just troll slowly around the schools.

You should be able to get squid casting jigs at West Head and Barrenjoey or sit a rod in the rod holder with a jig on it about half way down and the rocking of the boat will do the rest.

While berleying at West Head we've caught Bream, Leather Jackets, Trevally, Salmon and Kingies all among the yak.

We've caught a few Jewies down the Hawkesbury. Mostly of late arvo and down at Spencer in some deep holes. Live Slimies are the best bait but they are hard to get. Fresh squid has also been good as well as live Tailor and live Pike. Hawkesbury River has not been as good as Brisbane Water for Bream, but hopefully it will pick up now winter is here.

It is definitely time to get your Luderick gear out. We've been catching great numbers and some are going 44cm. I picked up customers from Palm Beach Wharf the other day and there were at least one hundred Luderick sitting under the wharf. We had our gear and the weed so we filled up the esky before we even left, getting busted off on several occasions around the pylons.

Both Brisbane Water and Pittwater has had good numbers of Luderick, but you still need plenty of berley and wait at least 30min before moving.

Schools of Salmon and Tailor have been around Little Box Head among the breakers and Flatties galore drifting between Ettalong Point and Lobster Beach. We caught six keepers in one drift using bait and soft plastics. The drift off Patonga is also pretty good.

Until next time,

Ron Osman, Captain - Estuary Fishing and Tours

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