Beach Fishing Newbie ...... Thinking of trying out Wanda Beach. Your opinion would really help.

[Kevy89]

Hey Raiders,

After putting plenty of research into it I decided to set myself up with some beach gear .... Now I am ready to hit the town!

Im finding it pretty hard getting info about decent beach spots or rock spots that arent too dangerous. I have a few places in mind with jewfish at the top of the list.

If there are any tips that some seasoned beacho's could pass down to me would be awesome aswell as tell me your opinion on the following beaches:

Narrabeen .... What is caught from here?

Stanwell Park .... What is caught from here?

Wanda Beach .... What is caught from here?

If these places are not really the right spots to be than if you could point me in the right direction or offer any advice it would be greatly appreciated ..... Ill keep you posted with any future sessions I have too. Sorry if I ask to many questions, but I wont know unless I ask.

I hope for some feedback.

Cheers

Kev

[nbdshroom]

Well I'm anything but a seasoned (nor even a journeyman) beacho but I've fished at Wanda this summer so my 2 cents here. The fish types that I have caught (in order of what has been caught most likely): flathead, dart, bream, salmon, shovelnose. I don't recall catching any tailor or whiting which is a surprise.

[fisholb]

mate...if u r trying to catch jewfish...the beaches u mentioned r d spots...u can also catch salmon/tailor/flathead at those spots...my mate caught a 18kg jewie at stanwell park on pilchard oct 2011...another mate of mine caught one at newport beach back in aug 2010...just need to put in the time...

[SargeRX8]

Most beaches which have good gutter formation should fish well. Stanwell is consistent for salmon, as with every other beach Ive fished. The problem I have found beach fishing is the amount of rays and shark that take baits. Try stanwell beach, but be warned it gets packed. If its a warm day be prepared to be swarmed with flies. Its the only beach Ive been to with a fly problem and its irritating as ****. The rock platforms around curl curl(north and south) are, in my opinion, the safest locations to fish off rock. Can get a mixed bag there, but again its full of rays and shark. Kurnell rocks are safe imo but the gates get shut at 7 or 8pm in the national parks so unless you're gonna do an all nighter its not a practical location.

The beaches off wollongong have provided fish.

I think you should lower your target, if you're only going for jewfish, you're gonna be let down on many nights. If I was fishing the beach I'd have one or two bigger rods pumped with jew enticing baits and another rod in my hand to target anything else on usually much lighter gear.

Edited January 25, 2013 by SargeRX8

[Kevy89]

Yeh I think your right. I have my jew rod set and ready to go and I was thinking of taking my 8ft for some lighter work maybe on pillies or prawns but not to sure on what rigs to use on the lighter gear.

What do you think on rigs for the light rod?

[SargeRX8]

Just use the usual running sinker, swivel, 50cm trace. You don't need a big sinker either, you'd be surprised but there is fish almost everywhere where there is any depth of the water, just behind the breaking waves. On the bigger rod I'd use the setup with the 3 way swivel, big sinker on about 30cm and the hook on about 60 - 100cm. The bigger rod you want to get to one of the exit or entry points of a gutter. Again though, fishing doesn't follow rules, try different casts different baits different points and see what works and what doesn't.

Make sure you've got at least a 80 - 100cm pvc pipe stuck nicely into the sand. You can lose rods if it isn't.

[whitewash]

hey mate,

I fish wanda fairly regularly (depending on conditions) and have a few mate thats do so also between us we always come away with a feed.

depending on the day you go you can find very deep gutters in close that hold alot of fish, I have pulled in 50 cm flaties 2m from the shore ( could see my leader coming out of the water) mates have pulled nice hauls of taylor, brim, flaties and dart.

I usually use pillys on a triple 4/0 gang hook and/or prawns on a 1/0 long shank.

but the same as you Im kinda looking for something a bit bigger and have moved to the rocks to get into the deeper water.

I'm finding that the best time is 2hrs either side of sunlight up/down.

I am thinking of moving to bigger soft plastics in the surf as i have had a bit of luck of late in the estuaries ... wonder if this will work?

[SargeRX8]

I've caught a flathead on a 3/8 jig head size 1 hook with a squidgy fish. I think it was a fluke. Your better option is spinning metals.

[benm]

Mate, a paternoster rig with with 3" sp minnows will get you heaps of flatties.