Ballina, Evans Head fishing report
NSW Fishing Monthly editor TONY ZANN reports on the weekly fishing scene around Ballina and Evans Head …
Bruce at Dave’s Bait Shop in Ballina says that even though the tides have been ‘wrong’, there have still been some good whiting on bloodworms in North Creek and behind the CBD.
Quite a few decent lizards persisting at the bottom end of the river but the smaller ones have gone a little quiet, maybe they’re working upstream.
A couple of school jew from the ferry to Wardell in the early evening.
The mud crabs are going well right up the top ends of Emigrant and North creeks and in the river above Wardell.
Beaches have been a little slow but there have been some whiting, flathead and dart.
Plenty of mahi mahi around the FAD and the traps, with some snapper and pearlies on the wider grounds with not a lot in close. Plenty of fun with jigs on kingfish, amberjacks and the like on the wider reefs.
There have been some decent flathead in the Evans River from all reports, especially up around the golf course.
If you want an Evans River mangrove jack then try over the next few weeks for your best chances, before the holiday bait crowd clean them out.
Some decent whiting also poking around the Evans, with the best catches at night.
There are still some nice bream about as well, with night the best time to chase these.
Some decent catches of trag and squire offshore earlier in the week and there’s plenty of talk of mackerel but I’ve yet to see one on the cleaning tables or any evidence of them there. That’s not surprising when you consider that there have still been some salmon caught along Airforce Beach this week in water that’s only around 21°. But any mackerel around will be well south.
Also some whiting and dart on the beaches.
Tony Zann t.zann@fishingmonthly.com.au
