Coffs Coast

COFFS COAST Rob Taylor

Are lockdown restrictions still on? If they are, no-one has told the tailor about it. Nor do the tailor schools seem to be aware of social distancing rules as every beach gutter, rock ledge and island wash is currently a tailor hotspot. Pretty much any type of metal hottest tailor spinning action this year.

As well as tailor, the beaches and headlands have been yielding winter whiting and bream, and a 50lb jew was taken from a local beach a few days before this report was written.

In the saltwater reaches of the local creeks and rivers there have been some good catches of flathead and bream for those willing to

Luderick are a reliable target throughout September. Look to the headlands, rock walls or the local marina for a bag of these battlers.

lure, from old faithfuls such as Tobies and Twisties to modern Raider shapes, will produce fish if cast into white water and retrieved at a medium to quick pace. Fish sizes range from 30cm choppers through to horse greenbacks, with recent weeks seeing some of the put some time in.

Offshore is all about snapper at this time of year, with some solid fish coming from both the shallow and deeper reefs. Trag and pearlies have also been taken by those anglers prepared for frosty starts before sunrise. Further out around the 500m line, a spattering of solid yellowfin have been taken, with fish between 30-50kg taken either cubing or fast trolling pushers and jet heads.

Looking ahead, plenty of good fishing is on the cards for those keen enough to take on the last of this year’s cold starts.

Estuaries will be producing plenty of bream and luderick, and some solid flathead will also be moving about the lower reaches. Drifting or wading the shallow flats is the best way to target these fish as they seek the warmth of the sun in the shallows. Hardbodies, 2-3” grub or paddletail plastics, and even surface lures will entice lizards in just 1-2ft of water. Although whiting are somewhat scarce, their absence is more Gavin Hackett with a solid land-based red. Anything can turn up off the rocks at this time of year.

The author with a solid tailor taken off the rocks. It has been a bumper year for choppers. than compensated for by excellent numbers of bream, which will take both lures and baits without hesitation. Lightly-weighted fresh yabbies are a certainty when chasing bream.

Most of the rock walls of the bigger local systems have good catches of luderick and this will continue during the winter. As always, cabbage, hair or even flies will get a bite out of a luderick. The Coffs marina is always a sure bet for a catch of blackfish too.

On the headlands and beaches, it’s going to be tailor, tailor, tailor as the hot bite shows no signs of abating just yet. If you do tire of spinning tailor, some good drummer, groper and of course, bream, are also feeding in the wash zones. Avoid any sand in the wash if you are targeting drummer and groper, and remember to hang on as both these fish are tanks and don’t like

being caught.

For a real tussle, some big mulloway are also cruising the beach gutters and rock washes. Live baits such as yellowtail or legal tailor, or dead baits such as tailor strips/heads or even blackfish will put you in with a chance of a silver ghost. The mulloway are ranging in size from 8k-20kg+, so fish heavy to avoid disappointment.

Off the rocks the secret fraternity of jewfish spinners will be busy throwing Croakers, Joliffes and big plastics into the washes, hoping for that big hit right at their feet. As always, fish the moon and tides for a chance at a jewfish of a lifetime.

Longtail tuna have all but gone but the ever-present mac tuna will still take a floated live bait for those having LBG withdrawals as the long wait for summer kicks in.

Offshore and it’s a favourite time of year for many boaters and kayakers alike. For the yak brigade, the next month will be all about snapper in the shallows. Paddlers braving icy waves over the yak will be rewarded with some potentially trophy snapper over the next few months, and there’s no need to paddle too far; some exceptional fishing will fire on the inshore reefs, and for those quiet enough, 5m and deeper is the place to start. The old faithful Gulp 7” Jerkshads or ZMans in colours such as blue pepper neon, nuclear chicken and white will find fish.

Boaties will also have a ball on the snapper with before dawn starts, and solid berley trails and float lines are the way to go for some epic sessions. If float lining is not your thing, drifting over reef and gravel patches while working plastics will also produce. Just remember that engine noise will ruin a session in the shallows.

Heading deeper to the 40m-50m line will also be worth a look. Pearlies and other welcome bycatch will mix in with the snapper in the deeper stuff.

Don’t forget the islands this month as the Light will hold some big hoodlum kingfish, big tailor in the wash and snapper on the surrounding reefs. The Solitary group can be temperamental targets at this time of year, but if you time it right it’s mixed bag heaven.

Finally, this month is not a complete write-off for the game fishing fraternity as some solid yellowfin will still be feeding out wide if you can find the bait.

Good luck and tight lines!

September means one thing for the local kayak brigade: big snapper in the shallows.