Ron Howes

I would try the park in Griffin street up river from the old ferry at Illawong on run out tide with only 0.7m of run. ie. 1.2m high to 0.5m low. Slower the run the better. There is a gravel car park and easy access to where you fish This spot has a fallen tree on the bank which you have to duck under to get where I fish. There is also two deep pools to keep fish alive in swimmer. I fish this often if the wind is not a howling westerly and only fish 4-6 ft deep and 6-8 ft out in front of me.

At the canal beside Georges River Sailing Club at Dolls Point and the creek in park 150 yards going north east on left hand side of road from St George Sailing Club.

Arrived at Como Baths on Georges River around 2pm on Sunday afternoon. Primed with a full bucket of premier weed from Pomeroy Street canal Homebush. The tide was about one and a half hours off the top with an excellent drift along and outside fence of baths netting. Plied the richest burly trail for the first 10 minutes before I got a down. The bites were few and well spaced till half hour from the top of the tide. Someone threw on the dinner bell and in the next hour I landed about 12 ranging from 24cm-30cm. I ended up with 7 keepers in nett at dark when I finished fishing. I would have doubled this quantity, however as there was a young local chinese bloke fishing the bottom for bream throwing over the top of my drift. As always I take two rigged rods, I offered him one of my rigs and also spent the time mentoring him into catching his first blackfish. I believe another session and I would have him addicted for life. At the end of the day I pulled in my swimmer to release the fish and the new recruits father asked could he have the fish as they would barbecue them in the park and eat them for dinner, so I gave him the fish. On the way back to my car I met three young blokes that were fishing the wharf on the other end of the baths. Found out they were fellow fishraiders who had been fishing the bottom with Botany weed and braining them with blackfish landed up to 38cm and telling me they had been smashed up on bigger fish. This indicates to me they were fishing extremely light monofilament line (1-2kg line). I can believe this as for all my burly (2 Buchets full) ended up in front of where they were fishing. If these chaps are reading this I would love to learn what their rig was as I have been fishing for blackfish for 50 years and never targetted blackfish this way. Best wishes Howsy

Over the last 3 weekends I have fished Clark Park, southern side of Captain Cook Bridge-Botany Bay side, the pontoon on San Souci side of Captain Cook Bridge, Bestic Street Inlet near fisho's club(fish last 2hr to top of 1.85M > tide) the Padstow end of the Moons at first pontoon, Illawong(run out tide up river from old ferry crossing) and Como Baths (Fish last 2hrs run up tide) and been rewarded with plenty of fish and a much bigger run of blackfish than previous years. Last Saturday armed with good Botany weed(channel at Georges River Sailing Club) I took my son down to Illawong on about half run out tide for 7 fish from 32-39 cm. Then on Sunday I arrived about 2pm at Illawong again and alone, ended up with 6 blackfish, all over 34 cm and 1 measured and photographed at 41cm, before being eaten for Sunday dinnner. This spot is good if southerly is blowing. The smaller Chats have not been there. I usually catch and release and only take home one that I want to eat fresh. Another one of my favourite spots I also love to fish is Oatley Point on small tides after rain, when fresh has pushed fish out of upper reaches into deep holes around point. This spot really fires on run out tide and also is less than 1km from my home. I hope I have given some budding blackfish anglers some inspiration and tips to get out there and become addicted to this noble art. Best Of Luck Howsy.

On the bend in the river is a good spot for blackfish just up from the concrete wharf where trawlers tie up. You will need waders as I usually fish up to my crutch over the weed beds. I have caught fish up to 2kg there. Weed is available in pond near caravan park and surf club, just down road south of the Narooma Golf club. If you have a tinny the Narooma inlet has excellent flathead drifts and under the road bridge is some big silver bream. I have seen a successful angler fishing there in a tinny for bream using red rock crabs. Soft plastics may be successful. Charter boats fish south of Montague Island for kingfish and each time I been out we have slaughted them. Last time I went out, sometimes between landing a kingy you'd get a snapper, however the leopard seals would take it before retreaval. They would not touch the kingies. Narooma is like a magnet for me as a blackie fisherman and pub has a great bistro too.

I have been fishing Illawong in georges River for darkies, Tuesday and Wednesday this week catching heaps of 20-24 cm fish, however, I finally woke up on Wednesday the bigger fish were out deeper and wider away from my burley trail, resulting in me catching half a dozen 32-34 cm late on the slack tide just before dark. I Fished Clark Park at Woolwich today for 2 x 34 cm blackfish, big females full of row both released, fishing was very slow 2 hours between bites. I was using Botany weed where others who were fishing for blackfish caught half a dozen (all over 32 cm) using cabbage or weed from Stanwell Park.

We didn't find any kings yesterday. Around ship rock had bonito but they were taking very small baitfish and wouldn't be enticed by anything we threw at them. Only got one fish on a transperent flick bait after about 50 casts at them. Despite them smashing the surface continuously within centimetres from the boat. Fished the arm for 2 salmon 3lb and 6lb and a few tailor around the 50cm mark on slices fished deeper. Very exciting to watch them smashing baitfish into the shore and see them shower everywhere. Fished Gymea baths for a few small reddies on nippers. Can't help but notice the size of these nippers are much smaller than I used to remember. Am I just looking in the wrong place?

You see plenty of blackfish with the same markings. My guess is they are somwhow caught in gill nets and pulled out causing the damage.

Luderwick angler I travelled in late March early April to the Bay of Islands NZ and while there we travelled up to Kerri Kerri to an old bluestone warehouse beside a lagoon where the the fresh water runs into the salt. I stood on the edge of a stone road bridge in awe, There was a school of the biggest blackfish I have ever seen, some were nearly a metre long, alas I had no fishing gear and could not find any local weed. I have said to my wife, I will have to go back there and take some weed and 20kg fire line next time.