Hawks nest/ tea gardens

[brecko90]

Hey everyone,

Im only new fairly new to fishing, but i was wondering if anyone can help me and point me in the right direction, im heading to tea gardens on Saturday for golf and want to wet a line while im up there. Does anyone know any good spots where id be able to catch some live bait, and is there any spots better than others i should be fishing at. Please any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Im only fishing fairly light tackle (4lb braid) so i was thinking maybe off the beach if its calm or in the bay. Ill be land based also. Hope to hear from someone.

[Mr Squidy]

Hey Mate,

I used to go on regular 4x4 and hiking holidays up that way and camped on some of the beaches up north of Hawksnest (between Yagon and the big gibber if your looking at the maps)before the national parks set about locking it all off and making it an offence to camp in there except at the park run site at Yagon . The beach fishing up there is something really special when your used to what we get here in Sydney. Although i dont think the main beach is quite as good as the more remote ones its still where i would be heading, try driving up Mungo brush road and walking in at one of the access ways a little further North. With the gear you've mentioned i'd walk the beach in the late arvo or early morning until you find a pipi bed and use these for bait targeting bream and whiting in the close in gutters. With the cold water you'll probably have more luck on the bream. In my time up there i found the bream really seemed to love a pipi bait where i would smash the shell up rather than fully removing it. Also, when i say close gutters i mean it. I used to pick up alot of bream just on a handline lobbed a few meters in from the shore.

Also, while your doing this make sure you have some metal slices 10g-20g in your bag as you will at times see huge salmon schools right in close and if you can come across one of these you'll be in for a lot of fun, especially on 4lb

Anyway, cant help in regards of the river as i never fished it but hope that gives you something to go off.

Rich

Edited August 18, 2011 by Mr Squidy

[brecko90]

Hey Mate,

I used to go on regular 4x4 and hiking holidays up that way and camped on some of the beaches up north of Hawksnest (between Yagon and the big gibber if your looking at the maps)before the national parks set about locking it all off and making it an offence to camp in there except at the park run site at Yagon . The beach fishing up there is something really special when your used to what we get here in Sydney. Although i dont think the main beach is quite as good as the more remote ones its still where i would be heading. With the gear you've mentioned i'd walk the beach in the late arvo or early morning until you find a pipi bed and use these for bait targeting bream and whiting in the close in gutters. With the cold water you'll probably have more luck on the bream. In my time up there i found the bream really seemed to love a pipi bait where i would smash the shell up rather than fully removing it. Also, when i say close gutters i mean it. I used to pick up alot of bream just on a handline lobbed a few meters in from the shore.

Also, while your doing this make sure you have some metal slices 10g-20g in your bag as you will at times see huge salmon schools right in close and if you can come across one of these you'll be in for a lot of fun, especially on 4lb

Anyway, cant help in regards of the river as i never fished it but hope that gives you something to go off.

Rich

thanks mate, sounds like some great advice, i have never caught pipi's on the beach before, how do i go about finding a pipi bed? is it just trial and error?

[Mr Squidy]

thanks mate, sounds like some great advice, i have never caught pipi's on the beach before, how do i go about finding a pipi bed? is it just trial and error?

To get the pipis just walk along in the wave washed zone with bare feet, preferably at mid tide. Every 20m or so stop and twist your feet in the sand while the wave washes over your feet, this will wash away the loose sand and your feet will dig down. If the pipis are there you'll feel them with your feet and see them washing down the sand in the wave. Up there they used to be thick enough that you should see them even without doing this. Once you find some just keep digging in the same area for a while and you should get plenty. Often they seem to be in the same area as the good gutters as well so sometimes you can just dig them out as you need them.

Rich

[brecko90]

Thx mate. thats great advice, ill be sure to post any photos up of my catch, if i get any haha

[kiwipea]

To get the pipis just walk along in the wave washed zone with bare feet, preferably at mid tide. Every 20m or so stop and twist your feet in the sand while the wave washes over your feet, this will wash away the loose sand and your feet will dig down. If the pipis are there you'll feel them with your feet and see them washing down the sand in the wave. Up there they used to be thick enough that you should see them even without doing this. Once you find some just keep digging in the same area for a while and you should get plenty. Often they seem to be in the same area as the good gutters as well so sometimes you can just dig them out as you need them.

Rich

Interested to read if you do find any pipis, from what I hear the pipis have been pretty much skinned out and are few and far between

kp

[Basil D]

any where on any wharf there is always bait, under the Bridge is a good spot for a fish, the beaches are awesome there as well, Just pick your Gutters

[Mr Squidy]

Interested to read if you do find any pipis, from what I hear the pipis have been pretty much skinned out and are few and far between

kp

Pretty sad if that is the case. We used to get heaps of them but then that was a few years ago that i was last up there and the beaches we hit to the north are pretty remote. May be worth buying some live beach worms for bait just in case.

Rich

[brecko90]

Ill give it a shot and let u guys know the result. would it be worth trying to catch my own beach worms i have read its pretty tough but i might give it a go, what do u think??

Also is there anywhere that anyone knows of where i will be able to catch poddy mullet or yakkes up there?

thx guys is has all be great help too by the way.

[lavabull]

Ill give it a shot and let u guys know the result. would it be worth trying to catch my own beach worms i have read its pretty tough but i might give it a go, what do u think??

Also is there anywhere that anyone knows of where i will be able to catch poddy mullet or yakkes up there?

thx guys is has all be great help too by the way.

the boat ramp in hawks nest is good 4 catching mullet and small herring 4 bait

[rjc123]

I might be a bit late but here goes.

You can get your mullet in traps along all the sandy and muddy areas at tea gardens. If you can then anchor under the sining brdge and you will have yellowtail and other livies around the boat with a bit of burley. Fishing wise, you seem keen to do some live baiting. Night time on the wharf next to the singing bridge gives you a great chance of big Bream and Massive jewies! Seen a 31kg monster pulled out here at night on a mullet! If you want to stick to day time then i suggest having a crack for bream and flatties off a particular wharf on the hawkesnest side just east of the bridge. The odd jewie hangs around here too! Jimmy's beach is another option. In winter it might not be as productive but this is the spot where i get a few live worms from the tackle store and zip down to my favourite spot ( a bit further towards the river mouth near barnes rocks where there is scattered reef) for whiting and the odd bream and flattie. Got a few for the table last summer up there but wind id the killer here! You could still chuck ut a livie here with a chance of flathead and maybe jewfish! I could name countless spots but you only have limited time. Give one a go and hope for the best! Good luck!