Green Weed at Iluka/Yamba District

[Derek Bullock]

Hi guys and girls

I am currently spending some time on the Clarence. Can anyone tell me where I can get some green weed down here for luderick. Either on the Yamba or Iluka side of the river.

Plenty of cabbage on the ocean rocks but looking for the green weed for the river.

Thanks in advance


Derek

[Freeeedom]

The Iluka Bluff has weed growing there all of the time. You have to search a bit for it amongst the cabbage. The most reliable area I've found is about the middle of the headland roughly in line with the lookout. You'll need to be there near low tide. It does get fairly heavily picked over at times but it grows pretty fast, so if you're the first one there with a low tide around dawn you should have no trouble getting enough for a couple of river sessions
Cheers Freeeedom

[theoldlegend]

Now Derek, that's one of the most closely guarded secrets on the north coast of NSW. Did you know that Yamba and Iluka have the highest ratio of missing persons in the State? These are the people who have publicly stated where the best places are to get weed. They just quietly disappear, never to be seen nor heard from again.

All I know is that I've heard people speak of cane drains.

Freeedom might be able to help, but I think he fishes for luderick almost exclusively at the Bluff, so he probably uses the cabbage on the rocks there. Then there's Mattooty, but I think he's at university these days. You could also give Tye Porter a call. He's a regular correspondent for Bush n Beach magazine and knows the area really well.

There's a popular spot on the Iluka side where there's a break in Colless' wall where the Esk river meets the Clarence. Go up there about 500 or 600 metres and you'll see them on your starboard side where the river takes a turn to the left. It's also easily accessable by car.

I've never fished for them because I believe you need skill, finesse and expertise, three qualities which I don't have.

Hopefully somebody with a lot more local knowledge than me will put you on track.


TOL

[Derek Bullock]

Thanks guys.

TOL, I am heading for an unidentified cane drain this afternoon. I have directions that have never been cast in ink and could possibly shorten my stay on this amazing planet we call home should I ever repeat them although my main concern will be irate cane cockies armed with buck shot. :o

Have also been told that the purists down here grow their own black weed in large tanks under secret conditions that could best be described as resembling a hash dealers underground hydroponic system. 8-)

Cheers


Derek

[theoldlegend]

Sorry Freeeedom, I didn't realise you'd put up a post before I did.

Derek, you'll soon spot the blokes fishing for luderick off Colless' wall. They throw a pick out the bow and also throw a reef pick out the stern onto the rock wall, so that they're anchored at 90 degrees to the wall. If they're "on", you'll probably see a fair few anchored like this.

I know Freeedom does very well at the Bluff, and I've seen photos of the results.

Hope you manage to get onto some of the secret weed. Just don't tell me where you got it, as I don't want to be implicated in any way.


TOL

[Derek Bullock]

Well TOL, I donned flak jacket and helmet and headed down this obscure track through the cane fields this afternoon after throwing a camouflage net over the truck. Much to my disappointment . . . . . zilch, not one hairy strand.

Off to the Bluff tomorrow at low tide. :)

[Spoon1337]

There's a popular spot on the Iluka side where there's a break in Colless' wall where the Esk river meets the Clarence. Go up there about 500 or 600 metres and you'll see them on your starboard side where the river takes a turn to the left. It's also easily accessable by car.

Bit of a regular to Iluka and I believe you are talking about Anchorage point, just follow duke street right to the end. This spot produces some great luderick, I am sure the blokes that are there all day will give you a clue where to find some weed. I use to just buy it from local tackle shop. I Was just down there this past weekend chasing snapper, talked to a friend who said they were getting some luderick.

[Derek Bullock]

I am currently at the Anchorage Holiday Park so must be close by. Have never seen anyone bank fishing down this way though. Duke Street turns into Marandowie Drive when it hits the waterfront. Is it in through the Mangroves at that point?? Colless wall I think is straight out from about there.

Cheers

[Freeeedom]

The popular spot near the Anchorage (where I always stay too) is the Old Ferry Crossing Park which is at the end of the dirt road which is the extension of Marandowie Drive from where the bitumen turns right to the golf course and the road out of town. The two most popular spots there are the rock wall at the end of the road (where there is a little roundabout) and a bit of a rock wall just to the left of the dirt boat ramp about seventy metres from the end of the road.
Cheers Freeeedom

[theoldlegend]

Derek, if you drive out of where you are and turn right, go along that road until you can't go any further. You'll have the river on your left. The bitumen turns to gravel.

Once you get to the end and have to turn around, you should see some blokes luderick fishing there. If there's nobody there, have a look around and you'll quickly spot the deep water close to the bank. That's the spot.


TOL

[mattooty]

I'll pm you some directions to my old secret cane drains on one condition. You destroy the evidence. Don't just delete the pm, delete your computers memory, then track down Steve from Ausfish and destroy his server. Then we'll have a deal....

If you start calling all the local tackle stores you should also get put in the right direction, although the money you pay for it never seems justifiable. There's plenty of spots to try landbased and even more boat based but if you stick to the reliable patches of rocky bank you'll get fish, just burley heavy, burley hard and burley often.

[Derek Bullock]

Matt. The evidence is currently being digested inside me. Hahahahahaha. Thanks mate. Locals tell me the cane drain weed is better than the stuff off the Bluff. Thanks everyone.

[kingcray]

about 4 years ago i met an old fella down at yamba when we were staying at peninsula court. I believe from memory he owned 2 or 3 of the town houses at the end of the street. The backyard was a rockwall where some of the locals would fish for luderick. I watched him fish for them every day for a week and every day he would catch 6 or 7 then go home. I used exact same technique using the headland weed / cabbage and cauhgt nothing but bream and mullet. Eventually he gave me some of his 'black magic' (cane drain stuff i believe). He told me where to find it but i couldnt be bothered looking.
I went back on new years 2 years ago to stay at the same townhouse and he was there again. He rememberd me and gave me some more, both times i caught luderick on it. But not there, only at the middle wall. Once again he told me how to find it, although did explain it was 'a bit of a local secret'

[Derek Bullock]

I currently have enough luscious green weed to last a couple of sessions along with enough for burely as well. Now time to see if I have lost my touch. :)

Thanks everyone for the advice.

If you never hear from me again you will know that the local weed Mafia have caught up with me for raiding their stash. If they don't keep an eye on the reports section.

Cheers


Derek

[mattooty]

What area did you hit up? Did you find a drain or off the rocks?

[Derek Bullock]

It was in a cane drain near where you didn't tell me to go ;)

Thanks

[softplasticsdude79]

drains at the back of yamba gold club

[mattooty]

Anytime mate, glad you got enough. It usually only takes a couple of handfuls to get more than enough. Goodluck.

[Derek Bullock]

No report today. I was there amongst a dozen locals all luderick fishing and no one caught anything. Well thats not true as I did catch a 6 inch one. It fought like a marlin. Hahahahahahaha.

I did get a lot of downs but couldn't hook up. Even went down to a size 10 hook to see if I could get that in their gobs but no luck. One of the locals said that small bream could have been attacking the weed. Anyone had that before??

Cheers

[Freeeedom]

Yes - bream will sometimes take the luderick baits - as will butter bream, which may have been the culprit. They have very small mouths but you should get them on a number 10 hook. Don't use up all the weed. I'll be down there in about 10 days!!!!
Cheers Freeeedom

[kingcray]

Freeeedom i wil be there from Sep 7 - sep 19 staying at the Iluka Tourist Park. Will be having a crack myself. ive also caught some fair size mullet on the slimy snot sorta weed that grows off the sides of the pontoons. I normally use the little square shaped green mustad luderick hooks i think theyre number 10 or 8.

[Freeeedom]

Kingcray - I'll be at the Anchorage Holiday Park from Sept 4- 11. I usually use a number 8 hook (sometimes the green ones you mention) as most times I fish the rougher water of the Bluff and the main breakwater where the bigger fish hang out. You can also get the odd pig there too!
Cheers Freeeedom

[kingcray]

Yes caught one down at Laurieton once, a silver i believe it was. Might see you down the bluff on that weekend, if its not blowing a gale

[Freeeedom]

If it's blowing a gale that's when I'll be there! The luderick go mad there when the seas are up. They are much harder to catch there in calm weather. However I usually take one day off each time I'm down there to visit my sister in Grafton and give her some fresh fillets and I do that on the weekend rather than fight the weekend crowd.
Cheers Freeeedom