Port Stephens and Jarvis Bay

[mustang 76]

Gent's I hope some one can help either via PM or here . We are planning to go to Port Stephens for a fish for a couple of days . I would like to catch my first Marlin ( tried for 2 seasons and still trying ) . I do not know the place at all but if anyone could help please let me know

* gps marks if possible
* bait grounds

Ater Port Stephens we are going to stop at Jarvis Bay to get some kingies and I also haven't been here either so any help will be appreciated

we do have a capable vessle and all offshore gear

Cheers
Mustang 76

[NAGG]

PM ..... Sent
Nagg

[NAGG]

I just got off the phone to a mate who is up at Port Stephens atm (I should have been there too) ,,,,,, Anyhow shock horror , another mate who was up there too with their 5.5M Savage ( only had it for 2 months) .... lost their boat on New Years Eve while attempting to go offshore through a very messy entrance ( due to the storms off Qld) . Fortunately Grant & his father were OK ...... but the boat was destroyed & all the gear lost !

Its a timely reminder that no matter how little time you have on your holidays ... Its just not worth going out for a fish in dubious conditions!!!

Personally I think a little inexperience came into it as well! Nagg

[mustang 76]

sorry to hear about your mates boat but if they are ok that's all it matters .

thanx for the PM

mustang 76

[FNQCairns]

Personally I think a little inexperience came into it as well! Nagg

Crossed out through the heads there more times than I can remember, would say you are correct, that bar certainly lets a person know when not to bother trying, other times it's a pussycat compared to so many others.

Shame they just didn't get a big fright and turn back, good they are OK.

cheers fnq

[NAGG]

Crossed out through the heads there more times than I can remember, would say you are correct, that bar certainly lets a person know when not to bother trying, other times it's a pussycat compared to so many others.

Shame they just didn't get a big fright and turn back, good they are OK.

cheers fnq

Yeh .... Normally if you go out during an incoming tide ..... Its a piece!
This time they had a powerful surge to boot ( & I bet an outgoing tide )
From what I heard .... they took one over the front (0.5M of water in the boat) ...... but they never kept their momentum going forward! .... Got pushed backwards ( which drowned the motor) ...... & stalled the boat!
Wisely they got out of the boat .... before it got rolled.
The main thing is that they can still tell the story!
Cheers .. Nagg

[fishmtb]

That's a bugger. I'm heading out port stephens entrance next weekend (weather permitting, piss off rain!!) for the first time. I'll gladly take any hints/tips anyone has. The boat is new (2nd hand, new to me) so i'll be getting the feel for it still.

[FNQCairns]

For typical trailer boats and I dunno what you have. If it's fairly rubbery and the swell direction relegates it stay either hard north or south, the guts of the entrance is for dopes when there is flow and wind.

You can stay harder exiting or entering on the southern side, it's an easy entrance at all tides. Of coarse there are 50 different conditions that can present at any time.

About the only conditions that close the entrance is a big ground swell or a cold front.

Others may know more up to date info it's been a few years since I lived there.

cheers fnq

[Wayne_Red]

HI Mustang, I was talking to a bloke who fished the "car park" on the self off port stephens 2 weeks ago and got 10 yellowfin and one stipped marlin @90kg and had another stripped swiming at the back of the boat as he was packing up to come home. Got them all on skirts trolling around a small area. It's about 40km from the heads if you want to go that far. They call it the car park because thats what it looks like on a busy day, everyone is there working the one spot.
bait grounds in front of the south head and on the north west side of cabbage tree island (marine park around cabbage tree now but still allowed to catch bait only there)
fishmtb, great entrance most of the time, now swell go out anywhere, big swell stick to the south side. Weather is not looking good for this weekend.
Get a marine park chart, plenty of sanctuary zones around port stephens now, you don't want to be caught unknowingly in the wrong place
Regards Wayne

[blackjack]

Hey Wayne_Red. Thanks for that info. I won't be visiting the 'car park' for a while. Too far out for a novice. Without giving away your secrets, any ideas for close in fishing hotspots around Port Stephens?

It'll give me a chance to try out my GPS. I need to learn how to use it!

[Outsider1]

I can't vouch for them but this list of GPS marks should help to get you started;

http://www.fishnet.com.au/information/gps/ports.txt

Cheers

Dave

[Band of Brothers]

Mate, I have plenty. Send me an email to info@bandofbrothers.net.au and I will assist with the marks you need

[Wayne_Red]

Hi Blackjack
I mainly fish for snapper. I fish a fair bit around broughton island, mostly on the north side in close. Seal rocks around inner and outer edith. In close around boat harbour and anna bay. This time of year I like to fish the deeper water in 80M off boat harbour.
Don't get the snapper quantity of the QLD guys around here but if you work hard there's good fish around.
Regards Wayne

[Blackjenny]

The wife here.
Yesterday I took a long walk out to Yaccaba Head with 'the dog' and saw first hand the reason why the Port Stephens bar is extremely d a n g e r o u s under certain conditions. The swell was up and six foot waves were breaking on both the northern and southern headlands as well as in the middle of the harbour. The white horses spraying backwards from the breaks in the offshore winds were impressive to say the least. Thankfully only surfers were trying to brave it. It was good to see what can happen.

Safety first always.

[fishmtb]

The wife here.
Yesterday I took a long walk out to Yaccaba Head with 'the dog' and saw first hand the reason why the Port Stephens bar is extremely d a n g e r o u s under certain conditions. The swell was up and six foot waves were breaking on both the northern and southern headlands as well as in the middle of the harbour. The white horses spraying backwards from the breaks in the offshore winds were impressive to say the least. Thankfully only surfers were trying to brave it. It was good to see what can happen.

Safety first always.

We had the boat out at the western end of the bay and you could see the surf breaking from there. It looked pretty full on but was sheltered where we were.