On The Bite - Al McGlashan

there are also some serious ‘stud’ bream
lurking in this suburban waterway
Bream are prolific throughout
the system, especially in the
upper reaches.
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gamefishing offshore – including some sensational
kingy grounds literally just outside the Heads.
YEAR-ROUND OPTIONS
The beauty of the harbour is that it offers yearround
options. In fact, it is one of the few places
where anglers are pretty well guaranteed to catch
something every day of the year. That may seem like
a tall claim, but the fishing now really is that good.
Bream, flathead, jewfish and tailor are yearround
options, while pelagics, such as kingfish
and bonito, are common from early spring right
through to June.
During the peak of summer, the East
Australian Current pushes a warm tongue of
water down the coast, bringing with it a series
of tropical intruders like spotty mackerel, striped
tuna, amberjack and even cobia. Alternatively,
during the cooler months, Aussie salmon invade
the harbour en masse and will often hang around
right through to the summer months.
While the kingfish may slow down inside the
harbour during the winter, they are thick over
the coastal reefs, also making them a year-round
option.
Further offshore, marlin and dolphinfish (mahi
mahi) are common during the warmer months.
This season saw unprecedented hot water push
down the coast, bringing with it wahoo and even
Spanish mackerel. And as the water cools during
the winter, the marlin are replaced by yellowfin,
albacore and even the highly-prized bigeye tuna.
So, there is always something on the chew.
FISHING FOR ALL
What makes Sydney Harbour such a great fishing
spot is that it is so varied and has great fishing for
boats big and small as well as land-based anglers.
It may surprise many fishos, but there are also
some serious ‘stud’ bream lurking in this suburban
waterway. Although common throughout the
system, the best fishing is in the rivers. The Lane
Cove River is productive throughout its length,
but the lower reaches, from Burns Bay Bridge to
the entrance at Greenwich, offer the most reliable
stretch. Not only does the area produce a lot
of bream, but it is also home to some sizeable
flathead and even a few flounder.
The Parramatta River is even better, but
some of the hotspots are around the Gladesville
Bridge and my personal favourite is Iron Cove Bay.
These areas can be fished just as effectively from
a canoe or a ‘pro’ bream boat, and in the case
of Iron Cove the land-based fishing is also highly
rewarding. In the middle reaches of the system,
there is a maze of boat moorings, wharves and
rocky banks that all hold fish for both the bait
angler and the lure flicker. Bait-fishing the deeper
holes can also produce jewfish at night.
PELAGIC PARADISE
The lower reaches of the harbour still offer some
great bread-and-butter fishing, but they are
overshadowed by the exceptional pelagic fishing.
Every spring, massive schools of whitebait enter
the harbour attracting a wide range of pelagic