Tony Zann’s weekly fishing report for Ballina
Bruce at Dave’s Bait Shop in Ballina says the whiting are going very well in the Richmond River with Pimlico Island and above the spots to be and bloodworms the only bait. Size has been around 35-41cm so there are some good fish among them.Still a few flathead around the lower river and up above the ferry, with some fair ones working upstream from there as well. Mud crabs are going OK at the top of North and Emigrant creeks and there are a few well up the main river.
Beaches have been a little slow but there have been some whiting and flathead kicking around. The strong onshore winds have meant not many people have been on the beaches after about 10am but a few tailor and some salmon have been caught in the surf.Jewfish have been around the walls and there’s a good run of schoolies from 5-10kg in the lower river, with the RSL Club and up around the ferry the best spots.
Offshore there have been some good snapper on the wider grounds with mixed reef fish as well and plenty for the jiggers to have fun with in the form of kings, samson and pearl perch.
Strong northerlies have shut down the river and the beaches at Evans Head with murky upwelling water, a mild red tide, and plenty of fine weed making life a misery, and clearing the stuff from lines every cast essential.
Some bream and whiting along the beaches when you can find clearer water.
The big tides over the new moon have also pushed this water well up the river but from about the Black Hole up it’s been a little better, with whiting and flathead on the shallow banks and the odd bream and mud crab in the snags.
Offshore has been OK once you can get out past the murky water, which has also been quite cold, around 19°. Further out the snapper have been fair leading up to the new moon and the kings and samson have been good on the wide grounds.
