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Post flood, the fishing picks up
  |  First Published: May 2015



There has been a bit of a turn around on the Tweed at the time of writing. The water has finally cleared and the weather’s been great. I’ve been fishing all over the river in the past month, hitting Cobaki Lakes for flathead with shallow divers, successfully I might add, but couldn’t get a legal one that day.

Popping for whiting, well that was a different story. I was using a Berkley Pop Dog and really working it hard across the surface. It was one of those days where it seemed 10 or so fish were chasing the lure, and I had a sore face from smiling!

Next I ventured to Terranora Flats to see what was happening around the leases, the Crab Boat and the Jew Hole. Here I caught a variety of fish on the popper, the bream especially loved it, and the colour I used was clear. I had a problem though; I noticed them on my peddle through the river system and that’s the marauding long toms busting up all over the place. Unfortunately for me they took a liking to my popper. They are hard to hook with their miniature, croc-like mouths, but when you do pin one you had better hang on as they go nuts, screaming all over the shop. One thing I learnt was to be very careful when getting them close to a kayak, as 1 did the marlin thing and shot straight out of the water and hit me on the shoulder.

I have also been fishing the Fingal Lighthouse rocks using big metal slugs, ripping them back as fast as I could. Seeing the explosive strike of a tailor smashing your lure makes for some exciting fishing. Interestingly, I managed an Australian salmon — the first I’ve ever caught.

One area where I did find some legal flathead was the spot where the golf course starts. I just floated with the incoming tide, sight casting at any interesting looking spots. I made it all the way to the Chinderah Bridge where my plastic got nailed by something I couldn’t stop. I think it was either a jack or a trev — it headed straight for a pylon and zip! Gone.

So the fishing’s pretty good. The boys tell me the rock walls out at the seaway have been working well, with tailor, bream and little kings mostly caught on diced pilchards. Flathead are all over the place. When you’re chasing these fish, look for where the weed meets the sand, as I’m finding lately that’s where the bigger ones are. The sand bank next to Pickets Wall where the sunken barge is has been producing some nice whiting, likewise the beach on the Fingal side near the seaway.

Jacks are still around. I caught 2 in 15 minutes under Boyd’s Bay Bridge, but they were just on the 30cm mark — not quite what I was after, but a jacks a jack.

Every week I go fishing I leave from my backyard. Check the size of Dylan’s bream he caught right where I launch from. Maybe I should’ve stayed at home!

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