North Coast Blackfishing

[Centrepin]

After years of hearing of Yamba in winter we decided to check it out.

The huge downpour and the warm weather slowed the run of fish this year.

We were land based and found fish aplenty at the peninsula.

On the southern wall we found a few people fishing and generally do quite well.

At the famous Tee piece the odd person I saw fishing had not troubled the scorer.

From the accounts and evidence at boat ramps the fishing at the middle wall was great. Most guys bagging out in a couple of hours. One boat used to bag out on blackfish on inside of wall and the bag out on bream on outside of wall.

At the peninsula the bite was quite consistent, for blackfish standards. Various parts fished better on run out versus run in but fish caught at nearly all parts of the tide. The run of fish size varied each day. Some days it was 30 – 35 others 32 – 37.

Double hook ups happened from time to time and caused some interesting times with the landing net.

A couple of fish were larger with the largest 42 cm’s. All types of weed seemed to work. Cabbage available from ocean rocks at Yamba. Green weed was available from shops in town or the cane drains had a supply once the fresh abated. Look for some rocks close to the saltwater end of the drains and some reasonable weed could be had.

Seeing the numbers of fish people take every day left me feeling uncomfortable. Blackfish frozen are OK but they don’t keep for months on end. I struggle to believe all the fish taken were being put to good use. I am sure some of the regulars get their bag and come back later for another bag. Fisheries were inspecting for compliance but very difficult for them to check numbers in possession.

Evi and I would get our 6-8 and call it a day. That is a feed to us and 2 feeds for the freezer of whoever wanted them in camp.

We stopped in at Urunga on the way home and the story was similar. Chatted with some guys who fished the east wall from a boat and they were getting reasonable numbers of fish. Not as prolific as Yamba but the fish were big. 42’s were about the size they often landed and a number of breakoffs.

Just finished a dinner of frozen blackies and they were nice. Not a good as fresh but well worth keeping.

So we will be back in another 6 weeks or so. No doubt the run will have finished but there should still a few around and the flatties should be around.

Geoff and Evi

[Burger]

Nice report Geoff, lotsa nice memories of family holidays for me as a kid at Yamba.

[Guest hawkesbass]

Very nice couple off days fishing.

Yamba is a very nice place anytime off the year.

[Ryder]

Great stuff.

It's fun when they're on in numbers.

Funny, I was just talking to a mate about Yamba on Saturday.

I've only been a couple of times, and back then I didn't know what a blackfish was.

[Stapo]

Nice work. Looks like a great place to go fishing.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[luderick -angler]

Mate well done on the Yamba blackfish years since I visited the walls there! Nice spot and was one of Dads favourites before he was married and had me! Lol. I have pictures of him and his mates lined up with so many fish you can't count them in the days before bag limits and they would sell them for beer money! Good to see you still getting around mate I was starting to think you disappeared to the land of the long white cloud permanently. Great report

[Centrepin]

Royce,

Yes I am still around.

We will be heading north a bit later then Tassie for summer.

I'll keep you posted.

Geoff