Around seven weeks ago, Pete Kyvetos (a mate of mine), bought a sea going boat and hasn’t been able to take it outside as every weekend it’s been blowing a gale. I can tell it’s getting to him as he is dying to get out with me and get into some awesome Tweed fishing. Now we wait patiently for the weather to play the game!

The only good thing to come out of this is that we ended up testing the new boat in the river. Anchoring up and throwing livies and baits over the side is not exactly my style of fishing. We dropped anchor under Boyds Bay Bridge around midnight and I can’t remember the rest because, being on a big cosy boat, I was asleep within five minutes! To combat this, Pete’s been towing my yak to our fishing spots, where I’m free to roam around the place.

Which brings me to the bite. I mentioned last month that a couple of guys lost a massive mulloway off the end of Fingal Wall – well the fish are still here and in numbers. I know this because a mate of mine (Craig) is the captain of one of the local dive boats that regularly goes out to Cook Island to take tourists for awesome experiences on the reef. When it’s too rough out there they enter the water at Jack Evans Boat Harbour at high tide and float down the wall past the hospital. This particular time Craig couldn’t believe what he was looking at, he was right off the hospital staring at over 50m long mulloway all sitting on top of one another, not moving much, just enough to stay steady. I have been told they are a lazy fish! To catch one, try behind the hospital, however the bridges put up a good bite as well. Beach fishing at night is effective, if you’re up for it, and the beaches from Tweed to Pottsville are mulloway heaven.

The rough conditions outside have made the river a little crowded, and I’ve noticed a lot of folks in big boats in the river fishing with way too heavy gear but at least having fun. The Tweed jack hunters are also enjoying themselves; one mate caught his first jack on the surface from a yak at the oyster lease to the left of Seagulls. I’ve been stung by them there, I kept losing my lure to what I thought were bream, until I upgraded my leader to 15lb and skull dragged a red bream in. You’ll find them in there; it’s a challenging but fun place to fish. The trawlers, Chinderah Wall, and Boyds Bay Bridge have all accounted for some nice fish in the last month.

Flathead are still avoiding me, but they’re around. Cobaki and Terranora Broadwaters are good hunting grounds for lizards. If you’re out there take a popper with you as there are some awesome spots to cast a surface lure on the high tide, particularly off a yak as you can go where boats can’t to some of the sweetest whiting hot spots you’ll come across. Check out behind the airport – with all the little rocks and crannies, it’s a great place to explore.

The tailor are off the walls, but are out there with the swell. Just remember that rockfishing is the world’s most dangerous sport.