Ballina Information Blog

It’s flat this morning but there is real promise for the weekend.
There’s a nice offshore and the forecast for Saturday is south-west to south-east winds, and a westerly is predicted for Sunday.
All we need is a spike in the swell.
Marine weather: W/SW 5/10 knots, tending SE. Sea: About 1 metre. Swell: S/SE about 1.5 metres. [...]

Bruce at Dave’s Bait Shop in Ballina says whiting and flathead are going quite well in the lower reaches with quite a few bream as well.
Mud crabs in North Creek, Emigrant Creek and the main river in good numbers.
The main go this week has been the tailor along the beaches and around the headlands with [...]

Very ordinary onshore conditions today but there’s some hope for waves over the Easter long weekend, with a southerly change predicted for late tomorrow.
There’s a swell of about a metre, so if it holds up over the next few days, there could be better conditions on offer.
Marine weather: E/NE 10/15 knots. Sea: 1/1.5 metres. Swell: [...]

ABOVE: Tintenbar-East Ballina’s Phil Dalli is congratulated by captain Brett Crawford after reaching his century. Scroll down for more pictures.
One of the great contests in Far North Coast sporting history was played out last weekend when Tintenbar-East Ballina hosted Casino Cavaliers in the L J Hooker League final at Kingsford Smith South, Ballina.
Tintenbar-East Ballina batted [...]

Bruce from Dave’s Bait Shop in Ballina says everyone’s catching a few fish in the river.
Plenty of flatties and whiting and a lot of bream but the bream are only just size or under.
A few good whiting around Pimlico with some flatties as well, with bloodworms doing the damage on the whiting.
North Creek, Emigrant Creek [...]

A cleaner swell this morning of about three feet, but the offshore conditions won’t last long.
The forecast is for variable 5/10 knots at first, tending E/SE and increasing to 10/15 knots in the south, 15/20 knots in the north during the afternoon.
Sea: to 1 metre, rising to 1.5/2 metres in the afternoon. Swell: SE 1.5/2 [...]

Bruce at Dave’s Bait Shop in Ballina says the river is fishing well for quality flathead and bream. Mud crabs are going off with plenty of bag limits.
The breakwalls have been fishing well for blackfish and bream.
Offshore conditions are improving and some good wahoo, tuna and a few good snapper.
The beaches outside the Flat Rock-Keith [...]

A beautiful morning, with light offshore winds and about a three foot swell.
There are some decent beach breaks, but many of the best spots lack good banks.
The outlook for the weekend is much the same, although the wind could swing onshore in the afternoons.
Marine weather: SW/SE 5/10 knots, increasing to 10/15 knots during the afternoon [...]

 
The Australian Imperial Forces (AIF) Swimming Championships were held recently at Goondiwindi, with a group of 20 people (pictured) from the Ballina RSL Swimming Club attending the swim meet and the evening function.
There were 14 swimmers who competed from Ballina amongst the 400 or more competitors at the meet. Competition was excellent and all the swimmers [...]

The Ballina Jockey Club race meeting on Sunday, March 16, will have a distinct Naval theme, and will feature leading female jockeys.
The eight-race meeting is being organised in conjunction with the Ballina sub-section of the Naval Association of Australia, and the race names will honour Navy ships and a former leading female jockey, Iris Nielsen, [...]