Fishing advice for Forster Tuncurry

[seasponge]

I am going up to Forster for the week next week. I’ve had a good search through the relevant posts on this site and wanted to ask some questions of people who fish there. I will be fishing land based and will be targeting the usual – bream, whiting, flathead.

Bait: I normally can’t go past the good ol humble prawn. Obvious others are worms and nippers. What baits work best up there at this time of year?

Pumping nippers: Where are any good locations to pump nippers (shore based)

Lures and SPs: I normally fish the Hawkesbury and my tackle bag is stocked with Pumpkin Seed and Nuclear Chicken Gulp Nemesis. What colours and styles of SPs work well up there? Any other lures that are a hit – crabs, vibes, soft vibes, surface poppers?

Tide lag: I’ll be going off the tide charts from Willy Weather. How long after the published tide time does the current normally slow up? It’s a family holiday so I’ll have to pinpoint my fishing times. In the Hawkesbury I know the current can still be running hard up to 2hrs after the change of tides.

Sand bar at bridge: Is it possible to get out to the main sandbar near the bridge without a boat

Any tips from people who regularly fish there would be appreciated.

Thanks

[BrassRoots]

I was up there a few weeks ago but maybe the same situation. Family holiday with limited fishing times.

BAIT:

Saw lots of people using bait along the water near wharf st but didn't see anyone catching anything. Most people were using squid.

While down at Smiths lake I got a tip from a local that pippis are a gun bait on the flats down there, so might be worth a try in Forster too

LURES:

I caught flatties on the pearle powerbait jerkshad/drop shot things but I think they would take just about anything. Also caught flathead on 2inch zman grubz in bloodworm. Didn't try much else as I dont have much else.

TIDE:

Not too sure but it definitely rips at least 1.5hrs after ocean tides.

SAND BAR:

The one with the vegetation on it on the Forster side?

You might be able to swim across holding your rod up above you if your game. 

[Cargo05]

Can’t comment on bait as I never use it, but soft plastics definitely work at Forster/Tuncurry. Flatties will take almost anything when they are in the mood. Fish the drop-offs for flatties. The stuff you have in your tackle bag should do the job. Hard body and surface poppers work well on bream, particularly around the oyster leases. Whiting have been going on SP worm with a light jighead, and surface poppers, but from my observation, the bait blokes get more whiting than lure anglers.

The breakwall is a bit tricky to fish, the tide stops up to 2 hours after the indicated tide times (depending on the difference between the tides). Good jewies are regularly caught on both breakwalls.

I am not too sure that the sandbar would be an option for a land based angler.

Forster is a great place to fish. Tight lines.

[seasponge]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I might take the larger rod and have a crack along the breakwall as well. I also think I'll have to head down to the ol Boatshed and hire a tinny for a day to get out and fish the racks. 

Would still be keen to hear any shore based spots to pump nippers.

On 2/28/2017 at 4:01 PM, BrassRoots said:

Also caught flathead on 2inch zman grubz in bloodworm.

Any video I've seen on Forster SP fishing seems to star bloodworm grubz. Might have to add them to the arsenal