Old Mans Hat & North Head

[altmiller]

Afternoon All,

This is my first post so please be gentle!! I guess I should introduce myself a little.

I have spent many years fishing Norht Head but have not ventured down for quite a few years. I fished there with my father and his mate and we went over the edge and down the old ladders if anyone on here has been down that way. They are quite well known so expect alot of you have.

When my father moved to Cairns I got out of the habit of fishing despite living almost on the beach!

Anyway, I am looking get back to it and a mate from work and I are planning to visit Old Mans Hat this weekend. He doesn't fancy the ladders and I am not not sure myself after a few years. I have always mainly fished for Taylor/Salmon at daybreak and then had a crack at Bream off the edges in the wash. Is this the same at Old Mans Hat? Can anybody offer any advise for fishing there?

Look forward to speaking to you all.

Regards,

Rookie

[southerly]

Hi Rookie,

You can fish it the same way as Nth Head proper, it is shallower but bream, pigs, blackfish, salmon and tailor are all possibles. Was quiet around there this morning (I was in a yak) but who knows what the weekend will bring.

Just watch out for that swell, if it comes up as planned I would recommend staying as far away from the rocks as you can get. Large or making swells are guaranteed rock fisherman killers, I would be pissed off if you added yourself to the 6pm news.

David

[altmiller]

Hi David,

Thanks for the reply.

I am the worlds most careful fisherman and sign of wash or trouble and I don't even cast out. Thanks for the warning though. The tide is a bit of a worry as well because it is high about 7:00 am that day and because I don't know the area there all that well i'll be extra carefull.

R

[tan the fisherman]

Gday mate,

Ive fished there plenty of times and always lose gear there. It just gets washed under the platform I'm standing on and get hook on the rocks underneath... sometimes the tide/was releases it but not often.

I have caught PJ Shark & salmon only there unfortunately however as mentioned other species are also present.

I second the BE CAREFUL suggestion as I have almost been knocked over by a wave several times trying to retrieve gear.

A beautiful spot but very dangerous in the wrong conditions.

Good luck and safe fishing

Tan

[gone_wishin]

As the guys have mentioned I would stay away this weekend, the forecast on BOM is not looking good especially for Rock fishing. The Kingfish social has been cancelled due to the conditions, so don't risk it wait for better conditions.

Sydney Coastal Waters, Broken Bay to Port Hacking and 60nm seawards:

Thursday until midnight: Wind: SE 10/15 knots, increasing to 15/20 knots during the day. Sea: about 1 metre, increasing to 1 to 2 metres during the day.Swell: E/NE about 2 metres, increasing to 2 to 2.5 metres later.

Friday: Wind: SE 20/25 knots.Sea: 2 to 2.5 metres.Swell: E 2.5 to 3.5 metres.

Saturday Outlook: Wind: SE/NE 20/25 knots.

Sunday Outlook: Wind: N/NE 10/20 knots ahead of S/SE change 15/25 knots.

[altmiller]

Thanks Tan,

I'm used to the loss of gear from all fishing off the front of North Head.

Again thanks for the warnings.

R

[kingiemaster]

Afternoon All,

This is my first post so please be gentle!! I guess I should introduce myself a little.

I have spent many years fishing Norht Head but have not ventured down for quite a few years. I fished there with my father and his mate and we went over the edge and down the old ladders if anyone on here has been down that way. They are quite well known so expect alot of you have.

When my father moved to Cairns I got out of the habit of fishing despite living almost on the beach!

Anyway, I am looking get back to it and a mate from work and I are planning to visit Old Mans Hat this weekend. He doesn't fancy the ladders and I am not not sure myself after a few years. I have always mainly fished for Taylor/Salmon at daybreak and then had a crack at Bream off the edges in the wash. Is this the same at Old Mans Hat? Can anybody offer any advise for fishing there?

Look forward to speaking to you all.

Regards,

Rookie

OMH is an old favourite I've mine. I actually prefer it to Bluefish point (can't comment on Northhead proper, never tried it).

Over the years I've caught, Tailor, Bonito, Salmon and Kingfish off here BUT not consistantly. And I haven't seen any surface action between the heads lately. But I always keep a lure rigged spinning outfit to hand just in case and generally have a few casts each session.

Bream, Blackies and Drummer on the other hand are common and relatively consistent depending on the conditions and there are number of washes and ledges you can fish for them.

As for this the conditions this weekend, definately no go if blowing SE and at high tide with an easterly swell kicking in. Could be could good once the wind dies down and with an outgoing tide though. As you know the fish can really come on the chew after a bit of weather. The last week or so OMH has actually been a little to calm being protected from NE winds and swells which in turn has kept the fishing a bit quiet.

And finally. Old Mans Hat is part of the North Harbour reserve so can't collect bait there.

Dave

[altmiller]

Thanks Dave,

I wondered about the bait thing and it being a reserve. I used to use the soft shelled crabs from out of the rock pools for Bream bait but I am not sure if this is legal?

I did a bit of a check on Wednesday about 2:00 pm and it looked OK but rest assured I am always very careful when it comes to safety

R

[bazle brush]

mate iv been to north head a few times over the years not bad but i have a dvd i bought from my local

fish and tackle the best dvd based in sydney its called local knowledge the best i recomend the dvd

they have a part in the dvd of OMH and i would 100% agree with kingie master its funny to say they were fishing for luderic on bread and scoring heaps of bream luderic and drummers the north head fish like eating bread mate

when you go post it tell us how you go

over and out the brush

[altmiller]

Thanks Brush,

I'll make sure I have some tucked away in my back pack.

Thanks to everyone for the advice and welcome and i'll post how we go whenever we get down there.

R

[altmiller]

Well just for the sake of keeping things up to date I went down to OMH this afternoon to do a little check before the proposed trip in the morning and as you all said it was way too rough. So all trips have ben postponed for at least a week.

The interesting thing was there were two guys down there having a fish!!! Waves crashing all around them and they were turning their back on the oncoming waves to re-bait and have a chat. Just an accident waiting to happen.

I'll post a report when I finally get down there.

Tight lines

R

Edited January 4, 2008 by North Head Rookie

[slam354]

Does anyone know when they will allow access to the old mans hat  North head.I have a feeling that we have lost another fishing spot due to the giant rockfall about 300 metres east of the hole in the wall track.It has been closed for a while now.

 

Edited March 19, 2017 by slam354

[Short]

There are other ways to get down there from the road up the top (which should probably not be discussed on a public forum). They have closed the path but not the fishing spot.

You can walk all the way from Shelley Beach/Fairy Bower right round North Head to Cannae Point along the rocks. Gets a bit tricky (and maybe illegal) around the old Quarantine Station. I do use the term "walk" loosely though there is a fair bit of clambering/climbing involved.

 

[slam354]

Thanks for the info short but the path is closed due to safety concerns so was more interested in when they are reopening it.

[Short]

Hey mate not too sure. I was surprised they closed that path but didnt close Fairfax lookout (main pedestrian access spot at the end). The lookout is closer to the rock fall and you're pretty much standing right on the edge of the cliff there.