Richmond river at Ballina

[bugman]

It seems the cyclone has curtailed my offshore trip out of Ballina starting tomorrow.

We'll be down there for four days so has anyone got any info on fishing in the river itself. I'll still be taking the big boat so will be a bit restricted getting up into the small creeks but we'll be chasing some whiting - flathead bream etc as well as putting in the crab pots.

Can anyone help.

Bugman

[Gorilla_in_Manila]

Hi Bret,
Latest report here says it all really:
http://www.fishingmonthly.com.au/rep...nswreport.html

Your mate should know where Daves bait shop is. Call in there and they should be able to direct you to the various spots mentioned.

Your big boat will be a bit of overkill for getting up emigrants creek but it should be ok and north crk gets quite shallow. Flicking little hard bodied lures or rubbers up against the banks, around snags and where the cane farm drains join emigrants ck is always fun.

Been back OS for over a month now, so don't know the latest. Hopefully the couple of Ballina guys on here will see this and help out.

If you get sick of the river, a drive over to south Ballina and down Patches beach is always nice. Can produce good whiting, flatties, dart, bream and tailor.

Let us know if you need any more info. Enjoy.

Cheers
Jeff

[gunna]

Fished there the last couple Xmas's. #As Gorilla says - the spots in Immigrant where the canefiels drain are good for lizards. #I also had success in the first 2k of Immigrant throwing plastics along the deeper shoreline. #Got plenty of lizards on plastics on the banks opposite the RSL. #Also did well up in North arm near the new bridge. #There are some good shell bottom areas on the eastern side that held good bream (on placcies and yabbies). #Also found plenty of whitingon yabbies in the channel back toward the older bridge. #Hope that helps.

[Gorilla_in_Manila]

This the spot Gunna.

[sharkbait]

Gday Bug,

Good article on chasing whiting in the deep water in this month's bush n beach, reckon some imported qld blood worms would clean up.

I will be trying it next time i'm down there.

[Tony_N]

Yep outside looks a bit shabby. #Buoyweather has tomorrow with a swell of 6-8ft and winds to 12 knots - but if you blend that to BOM 2.5 metre swell and winds of 25 knots, its probly better to be in the river. #Might be worth a look though. #Weekend looks ugly.

Fair few boats in the river over the last few weeks. #Some claiming fish from drifting along the porpoise wall - Emigrant ck might be OK, but I think I would be going further upstream to the slightly dirtier water..

I fished the sth wall ocean side last friday evening at the top of the tide for a feed of bream on pilchards, and a chopper of about3/4 kg on a raider. #Bloke next to me got a schoolie on a pilchard still in full daylight - 2 or 3 kg. #We were the only 2 on the wall.

Anyway as the others suggested try Dave's bait shop or Peter's bait and tackle #- these guys always have some suggestions #- but i think they talk the fishing up a bit - or maybe I'm not as good a fisherman as the others who are catching the fish.

good luck - but I can't see the river being too gripping for somebody who is still excited about catching marlin

Tony

[Leo_N.]

There are some really productive yabbie beds on the many sand banks on the river - have had a lot of fun drifting along them with the current around the top of the tide with lightly weighted live yabbies. Heaps of bream, flathead and whiting using this method, though many undersized. You also cover a heap of ground by driofting with the current and casting lures to the side. Obviously the gutters perform better around the lower tide, especially toward the end of the run-out.

[Jack_Lives_Here]

There are some good deep holes in the Richmond. Worth a troll for jewies and jacks !!!!