Ocean Shores / Brunswick Heads

[mamu]

G'day all,

I am taking a small weekend break down at Ocean shores in the next couple of weeks and I was after some local knowledge in regards to general hot spots,species to target, crabs. Yes I am aware that I need a licence down there and that has been taken care of already.
I am taking the tinny so we are keen to explore the esturine systems but not wanting to waste to much valuble fishing time trying to find spots.
Any help is welcomed.
Thanks in advance
Matt.

[roz]

Hi Matt,

When I lived in Murwillumbah, I would travel down to Brunswick quite often to wet a line.

Fishing near the marina in the evening can turn up good bream...well that's to be expected fishing around structure.

There used to be good jack regularly caught under the bridge (but not by me unfortunately), now the by-pass has gone through I don't know what has changed, but if the old bridge is still there and you can access safely, worth a shot on livies, remember no cast netting is allowed in NSW.

I used to drift fish from my canoe in the Brunswick using SPs on flathead, hardly ever missed.

All that rain could change things also, on the up side it generally brings the jewies on, so if you can pull out sea worms, fish the gutters at night you could be in with a chance.

good luck

r.

[mamu]

thanks roz, thats what I am after. seeing as you cant use a cast net indown there, how do you get your livies? jigging subikies?
cheers
Matt.

[Weber244]

Hi Matt,

The best place to pick up livies using a jig is at the marina. At the entrance to the marina on a run in tide in the first half is a good place to put out a livie especially when the cleaner water is just making its way through there.

Anywhere up passed the oyster leases in the main river part is good for muddies. There is plenty of structure all over the place to float a livie passed for some jack or anything else.

Drifting anywhere from the marina to the mouth is great for flatties, whiting and bream.

When they built the new bypass bridge they removed the old bridge. Not sure how the fishing is in that part of the river now. A couple of months ago, the last time the river was a chocolate colour with near no visibility my usual spots failed to produce however the cleaner water near the mouth was good for whiting and flatties and the crabs were on.

Hope this helps,

Cheers,
Chiron

[stonecold]

G'Day Mamu,

With the recent flood water most of the fish are holding from the new traffic bridge to the river mouth. That will change within the next week or so if we dont get any follow up rain. I was up river from the trafic bridge on Monday and it was pea soup at best.

The marina is good to get livies on jigs as Chiron says

If the water does clean up there is plenty or structure including lots of new fallen trees to throw a livie. About 2ks up river from the bridge there is a section of Coffee rock on the southern bank which also produces jacks and trevs at times.

Good Luck

[hook-line-sinker]

You had better get a Cape Byron Marine Park map from the Brunswick Bait and Tackle. Parts of the estuarine system are out of bounds eg parts of Marshall's creek.

Fishing off the North break wall (access from New Brighton), towards the reef to the north, and nearly to the end, can be ok.

Sometimes good bream there, and mulloway.


Good luck

H-L-S

[pickers]

any of the lower river sections with groins is worth live baiting around dusk and dark for jacks and jew.
you should be able to jig livies from the new bridge or as my mates that live there do burly up the mullet with bread and catch them then , in the corner of the memorial wall , it's the one shaped like an L.
my mates are MAD JACK FISHERMEN and don't muck around , they use 50lb braid and up to 80lb leaders and still get smashed so I hope you go ready for them.seen plenty of pics of the fish they catch and there's some real bruisers among them.
I also grew up in brunswick heads but have not fished there for years.
the lower area of the river will be the go with all this fresh as the water is still like coffee.
pickers

[bondy99]

She's all changed since I've been down there, Broken Head is where I went but caught bugger all. I'm also thinking of going to Brunswick Heads to give it a go for silver jew, I use 1001b braid overhead reel, 1201b jinkai leader.

What's the best way to get to this place were they are found, I don't have a 4WD, Thanks

[pickers]

you don't need a 4wd as you can drive up to the walls in a car.
just watch the locals and catch on fast.
pickers