# Sydney Harbour teaming with fish.



## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

I've been checking out Sydney on google earth and have come to the conclusion it must be teaming with fish. There is so much structure there to explore, has anyone made a point of fishing every possible nook and cranny? All those little bays, surely there are areas where people without kayaks either can't or don't fish.....?

I know distance and traffic on the water would be an issue but how many of you check out different spots every time you go fishing?


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## Feral2 (Jun 14, 2012)

It should be, being as no commercial fishing is allowed due to the dioxin poisoning, and recreational fisho's are allowed to eat only a fillet or two a week. So any fishing pressure it gets would be mostly catch and release.


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## si75 (Feb 26, 2008)

In the grand scheme of things its a bloody good fishery given that its slap bang in the middle of the city. I guess that in a strange kind of way part of the reason its so good is that pollution has shut down the commercial fishing.


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## Brez (Mar 2, 2012)

Feral2 said:


> So any fishing pressure it gets would be mostly catch and release.


you might think that but there are still plenty of people who regularly take what they catch from there ( no matter the size ) . be that through lack of education , language barriers or ignorance to the facts etc . i know there are plenty of thumping big bream in there 8)


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## keza (Mar 6, 2007)

Natural selection will take care of them eventually but it is a bloody slow process.


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## dru (Dec 13, 2008)

In the current winter conditions I am finding it a nursery. Particularly for baby choppers just slightly larger than the lure. In summer the evening boils are quite predicable in the inner harbour. Those boils are mostly tailer but can be kings. Whiting have been acceptable in many inner harbour bays, but not this time of year. Bream can be useful pretty much anywhere. There are heaps of spots for squid. Night fishing for jew is reported to be good, havent tried it.

The health of the system can be guaged by the quantity of oysters that are around. Apparantly this has only happened since DDT was banned for boat hull paints. I love Lane Cove River, both the fresh (bass) and the salt.

That said, for fishing I prefer going outside. Water traffic is not for the feint hearted, inner harbour ferries are OK, but the huge quantity of sailing race fleets is crazy (OK first thing of course). Dioxins mean you cant eat anything west of the harbour and only 150g per week from the outer harbour.


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## GetSharkd (Feb 1, 2012)

I personally would _*love*_ to make a stealth mission into cockle bay, some of those Bream around the pylons are F%@#'ing MONSTERS !!!!!! :twisted:

:idea: Now just how can I get away with it :twisted: lol


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

GetSharkd said:


> I personally would _*love*_ to make a stealth mission into cockle bay, some of those Bream around the pylons are F%@#'ing MONSTERS !!!!!! :twisted:
> 
> :idea: Now just how can I get away with it :twisted: lol


Is it a no fish zone?


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

I presume east of the bridge is considered outer harbor and west of it is inner, would that be right?


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## GetSharkd (Feb 1, 2012)

Barrabundy said:


> Is it a no fish zone?


Unfortunately !!


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## Nbh00d (Feb 12, 2012)

GetSharkd said:


> I personally would _*love*_ to make a stealth mission into cockle bay, some of those Bream around the pylons are F%@#'ing MONSTERS !!!!!! :twisted:
> 
> :idea: Now just how can I get away with it :twisted: lol


Maybe the council can setup a fishing comp where catch and release will be practice???


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

Maybe the council could set up a program where city kids without yards can go there, put a smelly prawn on a hook and catch a fish. I reckon there'd be plenty of parents who either don't know how, aren't able to or couldn't be bothered to let their kids try fishing. What if one of them fell in, pricked their finger on a prawn head or something....nah, in hindsight, not a great idea. Once one person fished there it would become one of those places that have bait bags, fish hooks, and fish guts laying around everywhere.

.....I should do some work today.


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## GetSharkd (Feb 1, 2012)

Nbh00d said:


> Maybe the council can setup a fishing comp where catch and release will be practice???


 We can certainly dream about how good it would be ;-) Almost bet my house it would *never* happen



Barrabundy said:


> Once one person fished there it would become one of those places that have bait bags, fish hooks, and fish guts laying around everywhere.


So true !

On another note

I've heard there are a privalaged few who get to sneakly wet a line at the Navel docks in Woolloomooloo ( Bastards :lol: ) , word has it there are some absolute Stonkers in there as well if you can stop them  ahhhh , If only :roll:


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## GetSharkd (Feb 1, 2012)

Actually, all this talk about the Harbour makes me want to have a crack at it.

Does anyone know if Rozelle / Blackwattle Bay has a launch spot ?

The thought of trying to stop a raging Blue nose Bream sounds like too much fun


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## dru (Dec 13, 2008)

Barrabundy said:


> I presume east of the bridge is considered outer harbor and west of it is inner, would that be right?


Yep.


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## GetSharkd (Feb 1, 2012)

Occulator said:


> Blackwattle is an absolutely magic spot, and there is a great beach launch in Glebe park on the far southern shore of the bay. Just behind Hardware and General near the light rail bridge.


cheers


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

I look at some of the places close to Sydney and can't help but wonder what it would have been like at the time of Europeans arriving. The mass of waterways, the fish, shellfish, birds, land animals that would have been in the area would have been a sight to see. I find it difficult to comprehend that during the period of settlement the colony almost starved. Obviously it's not THAT easy.

There is just so much water, so many bays, cliff faces, beaches, creeks and rivers, lakes down there. Before the place was developed it must have been almost heavenly. I know what it's like around here now when you know where to go and how easy it is to get a feed of fish or crabs with very little effort, just walk along a bank with a spear (I can't use one) and fill your bag in a few throws. Go back to how prolific the wildlife would have been per-settlement and you could imagine getting a feed without raising a sweat (in the right seasons), don't imagine it would have been much different down that way either.


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## Southerly (Apr 20, 2007)

Barrabundy said:


> I look at some of the places close to Sydney and can't help but wonder what it would have been like at the time of Europeans arriving. The mass of waterways, the fish, shellfish, birds, land animals that would have been in the area would have been a sight to see. I find it difficult to comprehend that during the period of settlement the colony almost starved. Obviously it's not THAT easy.
> 
> There is just so much water, so many bays, cliff faces, beaches, creeks and rivers, lakes down there. Before the place was developed it must have been almost heavenly. I know what it's like around here now when you know where to go and how easy it is to get a feed of fish or crabs with very little effort, just walk along a bank with a spear (I can't use one) and fill your bag in a few throws. Go back to how prolific the wildlife would have been per-settlement and you could imagine getting a feed without raising a sweat (in the right seasons), don't imagine it would have been much different down that way either.


In some ways it is better due to all the man made structure, in many ways it is worse. The earliest reports by the first 'illegal' boat people suggested great fishing, though one of the earliest fishes recorded in a drawing was a Australian Salmon.

David


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## Musty (Oct 12, 2010)

GetSharkd said:


> I personally would _*love*_ to make a stealth mission into cockle bay, some of those Bream around the pylons are F%@#'ing MONSTERS !!!!!! :twisted:
> 
> :idea: Now just how can I get away with it :twisted: lol


Ive done it, a few times. There's no reason to be stealth about it. We motored in on a 5.2m american bass boat and flicked around the pylons for a while.
Dont waste your time, those bream are born and raised on hot chips, pie crusts, muffins, and anything else thats meant to be people food. They care not for our lures!
:lol:

Musty


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## GetSharkd (Feb 1, 2012)

Musty said:


> Dont waste your time, those bream are born and raised on hot chips, pie crusts, muffins, and anything else thats meant to be people food. They care not for our lures!
> 
> Musty


 I'm thinking of making a new lure, a piece of sponge cut into the shape of a chip maybe with a splash of red for the sauce :twisted:


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## Musty (Oct 12, 2010)

GetSharkd said:


> Musty said:
> 
> 
> > Dont waste your time, those bream are born and raised on hot chips, pie crusts, muffins, and anything else thats meant to be people food. They care not for our lures!
> ...


Dip it in vegetable oil before u cast it out, they love that oily goodness!
edit: greasy kebab oil will be even better!

Musty


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## dru (Dec 13, 2008)

Thanks Con, I'm all enthused now. Will try weekly new spots, then revisit in Summer and run up some results. Could be interesting.

Parts of the inner Harbour are very beautiful, others not. The fish don't necessarily follow the aesthetics.


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