Eastern Suburbs?

[lethargist]

Hi guys,

Just wondering if anyone can help me out with some land based fishing spots around the eastern suburbs. I have only ever fished on lakes before, but am now living in Kingsford with no car or boat, and hoping that there is somewhere I can still fish - particularly as summer rolls around.

I dont mind walking as far as coogee or maroubra, or somewhere like that.

Thanks for the help

[Guest danielinbyron]

hey mate i used to fish that area all the time until i moved to byron bay.... and i'd fish using public transport quite a bit as well.. i did ok until .eventually i hooked up with a bondi born mate who is a chef and mad keen fisherman and he showed me how to fish super light and into the wash just off the ledges... and then i did great...and even though i got it pretty good up here there are times i miss what some of the ledges had to offer down there... ie pigs...i'd really need to know how you fish and what your chasing to reccomend some spots... but i can tell you that behind the grave yard at clovelly is legendary when safe. and mckenzies between bondi and tamarama and the north side of bondi and yellow rock at maroubra all hold fish in good numbers.. it is possible to organise your gear and jump a bus to almost anywhere on the coast.

Edited September 6, 2006 by danielinbyron

[Mondo Rock]

Lethargist

I live in Kingsford and fish the Coogee/Maroubra/Malabar area as often as I can.

I know quite a few good spots but, as with all things fishing, I am still very much a learner. There are plenty of spots - most of which I still haven't tried - but you need to be more specific about the type of fishing you intend to do.

Also, what gear have you got? Nearly all the fishing in the East requires a good 12 foot rod and solid threadline or sidecast reel.

Anyhow - PM me if you want to catch up for a fish on the weekend sometime. I'm always looking for an excuse!!!

[lethargist]

to give you a bit of an idea, I grew up in the country, going fishing a few times a year in lake hume for redfin. So i am neither very experienced, nor well equiped.

I am prepared to buy some gear.. possibly spending up to about 200 bucks..

I am happy to fish for just about anything.. just hoping to learn.

So, yeah.. i am basically looking for a few pointers on a solid, safe place to fish and what gear i should get to do so successfully. nothing too fancy..

And Mondo, i may have to take you up on the offer sometime - will PM you when I have some gear.

[Guest danielinbyron]

i'd strongly reccomend in that case that you explore the places in my last post ... look for safe areas with a little bit of wash ... use a small ball sinker "smallas a pea." and a 2/o hook ... catch crabs for bait{where legal} or buy a few prawns.. or a little squid prefferably from a fishmonger ...same price better stock generally. don't even use a swivel ...pea sinker free to move on line straight to hook.... and flick these small baits into washy holes off local rock ledges.....

this is the way i get everyone sucked into rock fishing .... catching bream pigs and maybe groper" like this months fish of the month:... you don't need big gear..15lb line will get you out of a few jams but you could fish lighter.. and you don't need a whole lot of it..i often fished with an 8ft two piece if traveling on a bus...so don't spend much on gear until you realise what it is you will need...

its a great way to learn about how line behaves in moving water.. which is nessesary to know i think if you want to graduate to bigger things .... and most of all its more often enough FRUITFUL... with plenty of fish hanging in those washy holes ...

it also will get you familiar with the territory... and is a little safer than climbing out on to points and fishing heavier or spinning for tailor or kingy's.... the best time of day is dawn dusk and high tide even better when they coincide....

always be improving

IF ITS NOT ON ITS NOT ON.... and mate please watch the ledges you fish for a while if its anywhere near rough water before you climb out on it..

and most impotantly

NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON THE SEA....

good luck d

[lethargist]

Sounds like a lot of fun... I might head to one of those places in the next couple of days most likely maroubra. What is the best way to yellow rock? I have a 6'6'' rod at the moment, so hopefully that is enough to get me started.

Are there usually many fishermen around that area i might be able to watch to get a bit of an idea of how it is done?

Thanks for the help

Cant wait to get out there

[Mondo Rock]

Daniel in Byron is giving some great advice there about how to fish the rocks around this area, however I strongly recommend you don't go and fish them alone until you have significantly more experience with the ocean. Yellow Rock, in particular, can be a very dangerous place to fish from what I've read.

I reckon you should definitely give them a go - but take someone (like me!) with you when you do.

If you want to get into some easy and safe fishing then I would recommend you start by fishing the north corner of Maroubra beach. There is some good structure around there, you can fish off the rocks or the beach, and peeled prawns will put you in with a chance at some trevally, flathead, whiting and bream. If you do decide that the rocks proper are your thing then I'd recommend the rocks off the northern side of McKenzies beach, or Lurline Bay in Maroubra. Both are much safer than the headland between Maroubra and Malabar, even though they may not fish quite so well.

As for the gear - well a redfin outfit is unlikely to cut it (although it would work off the beach on a calm day).

With $200 to spend I would definitely recommend a 10 to 12 ft 5 or 6 wrap two-piece fibreglass rod (preferably with a sand spike attached) coupled with an Alvey sidecast reel spooled with 15lb mono. You could try to get a big threadline (ordinary eggbeater reel), but for the money you're looking to spend you probably couldn't get a particularly sturdy or long-lasting one (although maybe Okuma do something big and cheap). Alvey are a quality product that will fish well and last forever - and you can always upgrade to a more expensive threadline later on if you want.

There's a very good tackle shop in Matraville called Fishfinder and they'll definitely help you out if you can get there. The other option is the Tackle Shop in Charing Cross, which is a bit easier to get to but also a bit more expensive.

[lethargist]

Yeah, thanks for the advice guys..

I think i will skip uni and take a bus to maroubra tomorrow morning and just take a bit of a look, and see if i can find some of these places, and then hopefully get back down there on saturday (or maybe friday!) for a bit of a fish.... probably from the north corner..

green prawn meat from the supermarket good enough for a beginer?

we'll see how that goes and take it from there.

I will keep in touch and hopefully soon i can graduate to rocks for proper!

Also, how would i go just fishing from the shore? is it worth a try or are rocks the go?

cheers guys

[kingpig]

Mate

The info the guys are giving you is great I would like to add a few things. Start with and Alvey sidecast reel of 7 inch diameter. If you want you can go threadline (eggbeater) style if you want but rock fishing like this is hard on gear and unless you purchase a good one you will more than likely have trouble down the track.

Use 15-20 pound mono get one with a hard outer case. This will help with abbrasion against rocks and cungie. For hooks I use Mustard 542 style in 2-0 size. These are bouble strength shank and will not get straightened out.

Go to your local bread shop and ask to purchase their stale bread, mix it with water and smash it up. Berley hard I go through an old fashioned corn bag of bread every session.

The fish that live close to rock shelves are extremely strong. Cast into washy gutters or behind bommies where there is white stired up water fish with just enough lead to cast and depending on bait sometimes no at all. If you hook up lock the drag and hold on, get your fish up off the bottom fast. There is not much room for playing fish in these areas.

I would also recommend you purchase a pair of rock fishing boots. I bought a pair for this season and I would never go back to kleets after using them.

Last of all be safe no fish is worth getting washed in for. Never trun your back on the ocean freak wave do happen even on calm days.

Cheers

Kingpig

[Guest danielinbyron]

yeah dude yellow rock has plaques on it from guys who've died on it... take mondo up on a tour of his spot or try mckenzies .... it changes all the time at mckenzies and fishes well when its not full of sand... i've caught thumper bream and whiting and a couple of good pigs there but bream consistantly...and at this time of year..

just so you've been told three times.... NEVER TURN YA BACK ON THE OCEON...

[lethargist]

Are there any regulations that I should be careful of in this area?

for example, some parts are IPA's and even though i have read what that means, i still dont completely understand what this means exactly..

I am aching to get out there.. even just to have a look at some of these places and find which ones might be suitable/safe enough for me... but it is pissing down right now, and i don;t think it will clear up by tomorrow morning. :-/ ......