Fishing In Ballina

[Forzasab]

Hey guys im a newbie here.

I'm heading down to Ballina with the family next week for a week and was just wondering where the best places to go fishing are.

We will be staying at one of the cabin parks in East Ballina on Shaws Bay, from just google mapping i can see that there is a rock wall nearby so that will be interesting.

On our last "adventure" to Yamba/Illuka i was able to find heaps of info online as in maps that show what fish can be caught where, yet for Ballina i haven't had such luck?

Does anybody have any copies or can point me in the right direction?

I've tried the Ballina info site and nsw fisheries too but alas no info!

Any help would be appreciated.

[andrew399]

PM Jewgaffer, he is from around up there and will definately point you in the right direction for jews and bream etc. When I was up there last year I got a fair few flatties on the sandflats on sp's and there were people pumping nippers there and catching heaps of whiting. Its a very fishy place so if you know your estuaries and likely fish holding places you will be fine. There is also a charter operator that does charters in the river as well as offshore.

Im heading up there again at the end of the year so let me know how you go!

[Forzasab]

Cheers for the tip dicko!

I'll let you know how i go upon my return.

[kingpig]

Forzasab

I have fished in this region for the last 20 years. What type of fishing do you want to do?

The area will cater for any style you want.

Cheers

Kingpig

[Forzasab]

Sorry for my tardish reply.

I had an average fishing experience in Ballina, mostly due to my inexperience with the area. I mainly fished in Shaws Bay, tried under the North River Bridge and inland a bit also.

I must say though that i had what looked like approx 50-60cm Flathead on my line and about 1mtr from the shore until it broke my line and went off to lick his wounds and that was only my 2nd cast!!

From then on it was pretty lackluster with some of the wild weather we had down there at the time!

I shot a pm to Jewgaffer as you advised but got no reply in time or even until now?

Not a bad area down that way too, had thoughts of doing the "sea change" thing!

Having had an average fishing experience I SHALL RETURN!

I want that Flatty!

[jewgaffer]

Hi Forzasab to Fishraider. Apologies! I overlooked your PM..... Shaws Bay fishes well for flathead off the shore near the park on the other side near the little bridge well away from the swimmers and the canine stick fetchers lol...... Some big jew have been caught off north wall and the main jetty, and near the maritime jetty in the summer, but winter fishes best for jewfish when the bull mullet run...... North Creek generally has a mile of fish in it and fishes well for flathead nesting up at night off the inside of the point near the Prospect Bridge on the town side ...... You can park your car on the Ballina side and get easy access to the point by just walking down the grassy slope only fifteen metres from your car..... Watch out for bust offs by school jewfish, mangrove jack and big estuary cod which as you may know are protected..... There's a good spot for live bait, bream, whiting and flathead near the boat ramp at the ferry to South Ballina...... If you have a 4wd you can drive miles along the beach south of South Ballina caravan park towards Evan's Head, and you'll be able to camp overnight in front of a deep gutter that could well produce jewfish on clusters of beach worms ...... You can get plenty of beach worms at the beach just to the right of Scanner's Head road Lennox Head which is only 5 minutes away from Ballina. ...You can get plenty of whiting along the same road at the backshores of Chickawber lake which is only 5 minutes minutes awaay and a few minutes out of Ballina. Like most other lakes off creeks joined by culverts, Chickawber fishes best for whiting in the shallows when the tide is well on it's way in through the culverts ..... Also any of the streets opposite the Big Prawn will take you down to where the commercial boats are in the Richmond itself and anywhere around the boats fishes well for all estuary species on natural bait.

Cheers

jewgaffer

Edited December 3, 2008 by jewgaffer

[Forzasab]

WOW legend!!!!

Thank you very much for that info!

I'm even more eager to get the family back there now!

Edited December 4, 2008 by Forzasab