SYDNEY is not only known for its stunning beaches, iconic landmarks, and vibrant culture, it’s also a haven for anglers of all skill levels and from all walks of life. I grew up fishing the Harbour and Botany Bay and have an affinity for these two urban waterways with many fond memories spent sharing time on the water with my dad. Back then we didn’t have a car, so our fishing adventures revolved around public transport, the odd cab trip and walking to get away from the crowds. As the years progressed my love of fishing Sydney still prevails and I’m still in awe of the fishing we have on our doorstop and am still exploring these vast waterways and unlocking new locations decades after I first cast a line locally. In this article, we will focus on the common terrains found in both waterways along with baits and lures that work best, the optimal tide stages for each terrain, and the tackle selection required for a successful angling adventure. These tips will hopefully help you unlock the secrets to success on Sydney’s iconic waterways.
SYDNEY HARBOUR
Sydney Harbour is an incredible waterway that is not only a natural wonder but also a haven for anglers. Its intricate waterways, diverse terrains, and vibrant marine life make it an exceptional waterway for fishing; having withstood the pressures of urbanisation, The Harbour only seems to be getting better with time as water quality and fisheries management improve.
BREAM IN THE UPPER AND LOWER REACHES
The Harbour and Parramatta River are home to some exceptional bream fishing with plenty of opportunities for boat and land-based anglers to tangle with these wily predators.
Areas to look for bream in the Harbour include rocky outcrops, mangroves and manmade structures like jetties and moored boats. I like to scout locations on the low of a spring tide which exposes bottom formations, rock shelves and clusters of mangrove roots. Any location that has barnacles, oysters and other marine growth will house food sources and ecosystems that the bream actively seek.
When it comes tactics, flicking unweighted prawns and nippers along jetty pylons, under the shade of a mangrove tree or along a rocky foreshore is a dynamite technique for bream. A lightly weighted 2 inch single tail or paddle tail soft plastic is also deadly in these locations. Small suspending minnows cast over flooded and adjacent to moored boats and wharves also work exceptionally well.
A rising tide, especially if it coincides with sunrise and sunset, is ideal for chasing bream that mooch over structure when the water levels rise.
KINGFISH IN THE LOWER HARBOUR
The iconic yellowtail kingfish is an apex predator of the harbour, known for its powerful runs and thrilling battles. They can be found in the lower reaches and whilst available year-round, are best targeted in the warmer months from late Spring to early Autumn.
Kingfish love structure so any marker buoy that gets a decent lick of current will house kings at some stage of the tide. Deeper headlands and channels also hold good number of kings in season, the trick is the find aggregations of baitfish that are tightly balled and to go from spot to spot keeping a close eye on your fish finder for the telltale signs of kingfish attacking bait.
Live squid or freshly caught squid is the number one bait for harbour kings. Stick baits and poppers work well around the markers early in the morning or late afternoon; match the lure to the conditions with subtle lures working well on calm days and noisier lures coming to the fore in the wind and chop. Small and micro jigs worked around deep water bait schools can be dynamite when kings are holding deep in the water column.
FLATHEAD IN THE SHALLOWS
Flathead, with their distinctive flat bodies and mottled coloration, are a popular catch in Sydney Harbour. I tend to focus my efforts in shallow water of less than five metres deep mainly because I enjoy the fishing light in anticipation of the solid crunch and dogged fight that a big dusky offers on light tackle.
Sandy and silty flats are the ideal hunting grounds for flathead as are the edges of these locations as they fall away into deeper water. Flathead can also be found along the shallow sandy fringe of a rocky foreshore where they soak up the radiant heat from the rocks whilst waiting for a meal to pass by.
Live poddy mullet are a great bait for big flathead when drifting the flats with fresh pilchards and whitebait good alternatives. Soft plastics are a classic lure for flathead with lures in the 4 inch or 80mm range coupled to 7-gram jig head being ideal.
Flathead are active year-round however the elevated water temperatures during spring and summer result in more aggressive strikes than the cooler months of the year. You can chase flathead at any time of the day with a rising tide and a fresh push of clean water over the flats being generally productive.
BONITO, SALMON AND TAILOR
During the warmer months of Summer and into Autumn, aggregations of baitfish make their way into Sydney Harbour, bringing with them a host of predatory speedsters including various tuna species, bonito, salmon and tailer.
These predators are nomadic so the key to success is being mobile and keeping an eye out for any signs of activity on the surface. One point to remember is that baitfish generally travel with the tide so you should start looking around the lower harbour towards the heads at the bottom of the tide and further upstream as the tide floods with attention focussed on waters between the harbour bridge and the heads.
“If you take the time to study satellite images and marine charts you will soon find that Sydney Harbour and Botany Bay hold many hidden urban fishing treasures.”
Unweighted fresh whole pilchards cast into a school of feeding fish are the bait of choice if you opt to use a natural offering however lure and flies offer an exhilarating alternative and work particularly well if you match the lure size to the bait fish being predated. Small metal baitfish
profiles are a great option as are minnow lures. Hard and soft stick baits around 6-10cm in length can also be dynamite when the fish are mooching around and not actively feeding. Saltwater flies come into their own when the fish are fickle and I’ve spent many an enjoyable morning practicing my average fly casting and throwing around home made flies with surprising success!
BOTANY BAY
Botany Bay, to the south of Sydney, offers a different angling experience being a wide open and industrialised bay that contains a diverse array of habitats and a raft of estuary favourites.
BOTANY BAY WHITING
Sand whiting or yellowfin whiting, with their distinctive silver flanks and golden fins are a tasty and prolific target for anglers in Botany Bay. Whiting thrive in the sandy and silty shallows and flats of Botany Bay. The Bay has multitude of sprawling, sandy beaches that are accessible by land or boat making a feed of whiting readily accessible to those willing to make the effort. A light 2-4kg spinning outfit featuring a running sinker rig and 6 lb leader is perfect for whiting with live nippers and worms the pick of the baits. Small surface poppers can be extremely effective for targeting whiting; scout out shallow areas of weed interspersed with patches of sand and use a constant popping retrieve to mimic a prawn flicking across the surface and trying to make a hasty escape! A rising tide and low light on the flats is the ideal time for chasing whiting in Botany Bay.
TREVALLY
Silver trevally patrol the waters of Botany Bay in vast numbers and put up an exceptional fight on light line. Target trevally near the runways, the edge of any deep drop off, along Molineux point or on the southern rocky patches near Kurnell. I spent many of my younger years chasing large trevally in the shallow fringes, between three to five metres of water, adjacent to a deep hole or channel. Tackle for trevally is a light tackle affair with a 3-4kg outfit ideal. Fresh prawns are the pick of the baits with trevally known to school up and responsive to berley so if using prawns, it pays to peel them and mix the heads and shell with some chook or layer pellets for berley. Small 2-3 inch soft plastics are ideal for trevally with a single or paddle tail grub, similar to what you would use for bream, being a good general offering. Trevally are active year-round with larger fish coming into the bay around April and May and aggregating over the rocky, sandy fringes and cockle beds.
TAILOR IN BOTANY BAY
Botany attracts vast numbers of baitfish which in turn attracts tailer in droves. Tailor are aggressive predators and will often herd baitfish along the runways, rock walls and along the steep depth transitions. Whole pilchards on a ganged hooks
are the most commonly used and effective rig whilst metal slices or minnow lures cast into the melee are almost guaranteed results. Look out for the telltale signs of surface commotion and birds dive bombing the water which are indicative of baitfish being pushed towards the surface with predatory tailer in hot pursuit. Tailor is a species available year-round however the peak activity in Botany Bay is usually in late summer and early Autumn which coincides with their migration north along the east coast to spawn in Northern Queensland around Springtime.
MULLOWAY: THE BAY’S ELUSIVE GIANTS
Mulloway or jewies would have to rank as one of the most prized species on any anglers capture list and have evolved to be opportunistic predators that conserve energy by seeking refuge in areas that offer respite from the current. It stands to reason that the optimal time to chase jewies around the turn of either tide as the water slows before changing direction picking up again. Without doubt the most productive bait for mulloway inside the bay would have to be freshly caught squid with freshly butterflied yellowtail, tailer or mullet good alternatives. Mulloway will hold around the bridge pylons of the Captain Cook bridge, around the steep drop offs dredged near the airport and more generally areas where water flow is disrupted horizontally or vertically. Although jewies can be caught year-round, they tend to move down stream towards
the warmer months in around November and spend time in the lower estuaries, beaches and inshore reefs till before migrating into the upper reaches around April and May which gives a solid six month window of peak activity. Four and five inch soft plastics with 3/8 or 1/2 ounce jig heads or soft vibes are the pick of the lures if fishing deeper water whilst slow wobbling hard bodies can be dynamite when fishing around concrete or rock walls and bridge pylons at night..
If you take the time to study satellite images and marine charts you will soon find that Sydney Harbour and Botany Bay hold many hidden urban fishing treasures all within a stone’s throw of the Harbour Bridge, Opera House and Sydney Airport. Sydney’s waters teem with diverse fish species, from speedsters like bonito and salmon to the aggressive kingfish, as well as familiar catches like bream, whiting, and flathead. Understanding the terrain, tides and tackle selection will help you unlock the vast array of fishing opportunities available in the two iconic waterway.
