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Trevally on the close reefs
  |  First Published: September 2013



The Northern Beaches is often a great late Winter fishing spot, especially around the offshore reefs that stretch along the Barrenjoey Peninsula.

This is certainly the case this year with the close reefs, specifically Trawleys, Reggies, Boultons, Newport and Dee Why, all holding extra large silver trevally.

Mixed with the trevally are plenty of other species, such as leatherjackets, morwong and good-sized tailor, which all provide a good feed and plenty of fun as well. The trick is to send plenty of berley down and wait for results.

The trevally are also in good numbers at Long Reef in about 42m, as well as at the Wall and the Whale.

Some of these trevally are over 3kg and provide plenty of entertainment on light tackle as well as a decent feed. Most of the fish are taking WA pilchards or large peeled prawns.

There have also been several reports of extra-large kingfish being taken from the Long Reef Wide grounds, as well as around Bluefish Point and the Northerners Reef. Live yellowtail and fresh big baits such as green eye squid are accounting for fish up to 10kg.

For a nice feed of flathead, the drifting grounds along Narrabeen, Palm Beach and Mona Vale beaches in about 35m-42m seem to be the best at present, with plenty of locals taking nice bags of good-sized lizardson pilchards and mullet strips.

Yellowfin and mack tuna have been trolled up around the 12 Mile marks and at the Waverider buoys.

Yellowfin of 8kg-15kg also have been taken up around Broken Bay Wide. For best results use small Black Pete skirted lures or Halco Crazy Deep Laser Pro 120 minnows.

For good-sized trevally and snapper up to 2kg, try the closer reefs off Box Head, Little Box Head or Geoff’s Reef. Bilgola in close to the pool is also proving good for 1kg- 2kg reds. Fresh local squid is the bait to use.

BEACHES

The beaches are holding up well and are producing large salmon, quality bream, plenty of dart and the odd large jewfish.

Over the past few weeks we have weighed in several mulloway at Narrabeen Bait and Tackle and shop manager Curly says he has had other reports of jewfish from Dee Why and Newport.

The fish weighed in have averaged around 10kg, but one fish caught by Nigel Perry of Narrabeen was 16kg cleaned. This mulloway was taken on a whole mullet at North Narrabeen just in front of the surf club – a great catch for this time of year.

Curl Curl, Queenscliff and Avalon beaches are turning up plenty of big salmon on WA pilchards and prawns. The odd extra large flathead has also been in the mix – try Mona Vale Beach in the Basin and also at Avalon in the northern corner.

The surf bream are most prolific at Whale and Palm beaches and there have been some at North Narrabeen, especially at dusk or early morning. The best baits to use for the bream are live beach worms or fresh peeled Hawkesbury prawns.

It is also worth trying for a greenback tailor at dusk – a few around 2kg have been caught at North Palm Beach, Bilgola and Dee Why beaches.

The lake has shown good form during Winter with reasonable catches of bream, flathead and flounder and some good-sized luderick around the Ocean Street bridge and alongside the breakwall on the eastern side of the bridge.

A number of salmon have also being taken in this area, especially towards the caravan park.

There have been reports of great catches of flounder around the Wakehurst Parkway area and alongside the shops on Pittwater Road. Drift for the flounder and use fresh mullet strips.

Bream have been found at Jamieson Park and at Pipe Clay Point, with live nippers and fresh Hawkesbury prawns the best baits by far.

Facts

Hot Spots

Long Reef Close – Trevally

Northerners Reef – snapper, trevally, tailor

Newport Beach (south end) – mulloway

Narrabeen Lake bridges – luderick

Best Baits

Fresh green eye squid – snapper, kingfish

Hawkesbury prawns - trevally

Salted WA pilchards – sand flathead

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