Red-hot Fishing Has Anglers All Fired Up

Illawarra Mercury

Friday March 4, 2005

GARY WADE

THE ramps at Shellharbour and Port Kembla were again almost full last Saturday.

The southerly wind gradually increased, forcing most boats home early. Port ramp had nine boats waiting at one stage and they all seemed to have good catches of fish.

Young Daniel Bevan from Windang was very happy with his two stud-sized bonito as was Craig Nuttall, who travelled down from Waterfall to take home five top-quality bream with his best over 1kg.

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Garth from Deans Bait & Tackle at Windang said fishing in the lake had been great for flathead in the back channel using hard prawn lures. White bait worked very well at the drop-off for more flathead and some large flounder.

There were reports of blue swimmer crabs around Mt Warrigal, and Minamurra River has seen good mullet in the early mornings and also some great flathead just under the railway bridge using live poddie mullet.

Beaches have been productive for whiting, with Port the best performer.

Rocks have had plenty of surface fish with slimeys around the Kiama Blowhole. Kingfish in early morning are working these waters taking strips of squid and slimey. There are bonito in good numbers in around Bass Pt, with 40gm green metal lures working best.

Flathead fishermen drifted along the beaches for some great-sized sand flathead and the banks off Greenwell Point are still producing marlin, mainly blacks around the 80kg mark.

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Hayden from the Tackle Shop said not to tell his boss Griffo, but he snuck away and chased some of the bruiser bream that have been caught of late. Hayden fished Bass Point for bream to 1kg and was knocked off by some sand mullet!

Glen DeBritt headed out mid-week to chase some quality fish and scored four prime snapper to 4.1kg. Steve Foster took his son Daniel out on a charter and hooked into some great dolphin fish around the 3kg mark including one 8.9kg whopper.

Shane Beer has been at it again, this time chasing rock blackfish from the rocky washes around Bass Point.