Recreational Fishing Guide

FISHING HAVENS & CAMPING IN NEW SOUTH WALES taru PRESENTED BY In 1999 the New South Wales state government created 30 Recreational Fishing Havens (areas largely free of commercial fishing) along the NSW coast to provide better angling opportunities for recreational fishers. The havens also promote tourism and create employment in the local areas. St Georges Basin This town is located just off the Tomerong Creek in southeast New South Wales approximately 150km southwest of Sydney. About the area The area was formerly occupied by the Dhurga Aborigines who called the lake 'Bherwherree'. Its European name was chosen in 1828 by Thomas Florance. St Georges Basin has population of around 7,600 and is about 16m above sea level. It's nearest towns are Sanctuary Point, Basin View and Sussex Inlet. Almost 24% Boat access of the NSW male population go fishing compared to about 10% As you enter the town from the west turn right into Island Point Road to access the concrete boatramp. of females. Places to stay There are 21 holiday parks or camping grounds within 20kms of St Georges Basin. O A n 21 PLACES TO STAY Local catch: Dusky Flathead The Dusky Flathead is the largest of Australia's flathead species. They are highly predatory and bury themselves under sand leaving only their eyes visible and wait to pounce on unsus more commonly caught during the summer months. St Georges Basin is well-known for flathead fishing. prey. They Kgs caught by recreational fishermen in NSW in a year MAX WEIGHT MAX LENGTH 1.5m 886,824 15kg LEGAL LENGTH MAX PER PERSON 36cm 10 fish Good baits Baitfish (live poddy mullet are a great bait), crusta- ceans, marine worms and fish strips. A common catch on diving lures, flies and soft plastics. You must carefully release You are allowed 10 of these any shorter than this. You fish in your possesion. For may keep only one Dusky other species of flathead Flathead larger than 70cm. you are allowed 20 in total. Tweed Heads Tweed Heads is a coastal city on the Tweed River in northeast New South Wales. It is one of the easternmost cities in Australia with a population of around 56,000. About the area Tweed Heads is as far north as you can get in NSW, with the town abutting the Queensland border, and turning into Coolangatta on the other side. It offers excellent offshore, estuary, beach and boat fishing opportunities for catching a wide variety fish species. $20 MIllion Million was raised from the NSW Recreational Fishing Fee to create the fishing havens Boat access There are boat ramps, 2 either side of the Pacific Highway. To the east find one off Dixon Street and another off Tooloon Street, Coolangatta. To the west one at Leeward Terrace, Coolangatta and one at Tweed Heads West. Places to stay There are 16 holiday parks or camping grounds within 20kms of Tweed Heads. Q Å ↑ 16 PLACES TO STAY Local catch: Mulloway Mam Mulloway grow to a hefty size and are found everywhere from estuaries to ocean beaches. Also called the Jewfish, they are easily recognizable by their silvery bronze scales, opalescent sheen and row of pearly spots. The lower parts of the Tweed River are perfect spots for Mulloway. Kgs caught by recreational fishermen in NSW in a year MAX WEIGHT MAX LENGTH 60kg 1.8m 273,703 60кs LEGAL LENGTH MAX PER PERSON 45cm 5 fish Good baits Live squid, beach worms, mullet, baitfish and oily fish such as tuna. You must carefully release You are allowed 5 of these any shorter than this. You may keep only two fish larger than 70cm. fish in your possesion. Botany Bay Botany Bay is located in the south-eastern suburbs of Sydney, about 7 kilometres south of the city's central business district. It has a population of around 39,000. About the area Botany Bay was the site of James Cook's first landing of HMS Endeavour on 29 April 1770. Cook named it Botany Bay after the variety of plants found there. Botany Bay has a diverse marine popula- tion and the area around its entrance is some of the best scuba diving in the Sydney Metropolitan Area. Boat access Sydney has the largest number An excellent 4 lane concrete boat ramp with of recreational fishers washdown and toilets is located off Foreshore Road. 482,739 Places to stay There are 7 holiday parks or camping grounds within 20kms of Botany Bay. a Á ↑ 7 PLACES TO STAY Local catch: Yellowfin Bream The Yellowfin Bream is possibly the most chased of all species due to its fine table quality. It is commonly encountered in bays, estuaries and in the surf. Many children catch bream as their first ever fish and Botany Bay is a great place to start them off. Kgs caught by recreational fishermen in NSW in a year MAX WEIGHT MAX LENGTH kg 60cm 728,752 Ако LEGAL LENGTH MAX PER PERSON 25cm 20 fish Good baits Crustaceans, marine worms, small bait- fish. Live prawns are a great molluscs, You must carefully release any shorter than this. You are allowed 20 of these fish in your possesion. bait for bream. Will also respond to small minnow lures and soft plastics. Merimbula Merimbula is a coastal town on the Old Princes Highway in southeast New South Wales situated about 190km south- southeast of Canberra. It has easy access to the Bega and Bergamui Rivers. About the area Merimbula is known as Jewel of the Sapphire Coast and is the tourism hub of the far south coast of NSw. Satellite towns within a 10 km radius include Pambula, Pambula Beach, South Pambula and Tura Beach. Boat access The dual lane boat ramp is only a kilometre down the road in Arthur Kaine Drive, near the Merimbula airport. Public toilets are available but no fish cleaning is permitted. 59% 41% Shore fishing vs boat fishing in NSW Places to stay There are 13 holiday parks or camping grounds within 20kms of Merimbula. Q Å ↑ 13 PLACES TO STAY Local catch: Tailor Tailor are great sporting fish because they bite so freely. These voracious feeders have razor-sharp teeth and are known to "chop" through schools of baitfish killing way more fish than they require for food. You'll find them around beaches, rocky headlands, estuaries, inshore reefs. Kgs caught by recreational fishermen in NSW in a year MAX WEIGHT MAX LENGTH 16kg 1.2m 252,736 LEGAL LENGTH MAX PER PERSON Good baits 30 cm 20 fish Small baitfish such as pilchards and whitebait or oily fish such as Responds aggressively to tuna. Undersize fish cannot be You are allowed 20 of these metal lures and diving used as bait, they must be fish in your possesion. returned to the water. minnows. Port Macquarie On the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Port Macquarie lies about 390km north of Sydney. The city is located on the coast at the mouth of the Hastings River. About the area Port Macquarie is a family oriented tourist resort and fishing port and is a haven for fishing enthusiasts of all ages. It has a magnificent landscape, 2 river systems and many rocky headlands and off shore reefs. Boat access Ramps are located at: Short Street, next to the Fish Co-op at the end of Clarence Street and off Park Street. There are also ramps at River Park Road in Settlement Point, at Ferrybank Creek Road in Port Macquarie Number of recreational fishermen on Mid North Coast West and in Blackman's Point Road. 74,441 Places to stay There are 11 holiday parks or camping grounds within 20kms of Port Macquarie. Q Å ↑ 11 PLACES TO STAY Local catch: Luderick Luderick or Blackfish live only in waters off eastern Australia. Around November they make runs from inside the rivers and coastal lakes to the sea. They are often found in large schools around rocky outcrops and jetties in coastal rivers and estuary systems. AKg MAX WEIGHT MAX LENGTH Kgs caught by recreational fishermen in NSW in a year 70cm 280,130 Good baits LEGAL LENGTH MAX PER PERSON Marine weeds (green weed cabbage), cunjevoi and marine worms. 27cm 20 fish and bread, Undersize fish cannot be used as bait, they must be You are allowed 20 of these fish in your possesion. returned to the water. Sources: NSW Recreational Saltwater Fishing Guide 2012, dpi.nsw.gov.au, bonzle.com, smh.com.au, wikipedia.org. tightlinesauatraliafiahing.wordpreas.com, fishingmonthly.com.au, whereia.com, tweedatay.com, tweed.naw.gov.au, tropicalnaw.com.au, pir.sa.gov.au, Survey of Recreational Fishing in New South Wales 2000-20001, censusdata.abs.gov.au, localatata.qpzm.com.au, profile.id.com.au, modernkayakfiahing.com, fishing-mates.com, australianboatguide.com, merimbulatouriam.com.au, thebegavalley.org.au, cmfishing.indev.com.au, portmacquarieinfo.com.au, s88-ex.com taru THE PLACE TO VISIT BEFORE YOU GO