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Hard to ask for more
  |  First Published: February 2011



No-one could ask for any more than what we are experiencing on the fishing front at the moment, with an excellent run of outside fish, some thumper jewfish off the beaches and a good run of prawns in Narrabeen Lake.

The outside reef systems are really on fire for snapper, jewfish, teraglin and kingfish.

There have been top catches reported from Esmeralda Reef and Long Reef wide over the past few weeks with several kingfish over 10kg and some huge snapper around 8kg.

The Dee Why Reef, Newport and Boultons reefs are all holding good-sized squire, morwong and large trevally, mixed in with tailor and the odd jewfish. O’Shaughnessys Reef and Long Reef Wide are turning up jewfish, mostly at night, with East Reef producing large kingfish in the evenings and early mornings.

Try the drifting grounds off Mona Vale Hospital and Curl Curl for nice-sized flathead and the occasional blue morwong. Locals George and Wayne Waldron have been having a ball on these delicious eating fish and have had no trouble locating big flatties in good numbers.

Out wider, Browns Mountain, the Peak and the 12 Mile Reefs are working well, with Peter Ryan taking a giant bass groper of 74kg off the southern side of the mountain in 1200’.

The FADs have mahi mahi and the odd small marlin hanging around with two billies averaging 70kg taken over the past few weeks.

The mahi mahi are readily taking live yellowtail or whole fresh local squid and many of them are being trolled up on 6” skirts or soft plastics around 5” or 6” in pink or white.

JEWIES, WHITING

The beaches are on fire for sand whiting from 400g to 800g – excellent eating and great fun to catch on light gear.

Jewfish to 17kg have been taken recently, especially of an evening and into the night.

Local fisho, Chris Haak recently weighed in a jewie just over 17kg cleaned at Narrabeen Bait and Tackle. He hooked this big fish just north of the pines at Narrabeen and also reported seeing several others being caught recently.

A similar-sized fish was taken by Shaun Martin off Dee Why Beach using fresh mullet strips.

I suggest you try Palm Beach or Whale Beach for big surf bream at daybreak – the southern ends of these beaches are the best spots.

Narrabeen Lake is without doubt one of the most productive lagoons in NSW. At the moment, locals and visitors are enjoying catches of whiting, bream, flathead, flounder and many other species.

The Ocean Street bridge area is a great spot to get a nice feed of sand whiting and bream. Fish around a kilo have been regular captures here over the past month.

Lake Park Parade (near the cricket nets) is holding big flathead and the odd bream. Use worms or nippers in this area. Live bait or fresh whitebait cast around the Wimbledon Avenue area is producing great catches as well.

LAKE PRAWNS

Prawning has been extremely successful this year with catches of small to medium prawns along Wakehurst Parkway, the Deep Creek area, Jamieson Park shallows and the back of the boatshed area.

These prawns are top quality and delicious to eat.

Chris Leslie has reported several jewfish around 3kg to 5kg cruising around the lake. He also saw larger fish around 10kg chasing mullet around the Narrabeen Pittwater Road bridge.

All in all, things couldn’t be better.

Facts

HOT SPOTS

Narrabeen Lake – prawns at Wakehurst Parkway and Ocean St Bridge

North Narrabeen Beach – jewfish, whiting, tailor

Long Reef Wide – snapper, jewfish

BEST BAITS

Large fresh squid – whole or strips for jewfish

Live nippers – for flathead in Narrabeen Lake

Beachworms – whiting on the beaches and in the estuaries.

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