The Holiday Coast provides loads of opportunities for all sorts of fishing - deep sea, freshwater, off the jetty and from boats.

Hot Spots to throw in a line

Red Rock 10 mins north of Woolgoolga
* Fishing from the Red Rock headland is a popular spot for catching Bream & Tailor.
* By boat you can access the Red Rock River. These waterways are home to a huge range of fish. Quite a few 'big ones' have been caught & 'got away'. Eg Mangrove Jack & Flatheads. For serious fishing it would be a good idea to use wire traces.

Woolgoolga 20 mins north of Coffs Harbour
From the beaches you can catch Jew, Snapper, Bream, Tailor & Trevally.

Moonee 8 mins north of Coffs Harbour
* Moonee Headland is excellent for hooking a common variety of fish & the sand bars at the mouth of the Moonee Creek you can hook Flatheads, Whiting & Bream.
* The sandbars and creek waterways here are popular for pumping for yabbies and catching Pottie Mullet for bait. This is a great place to take the family as it has BBQs, tables and a playground.

Coffs Harbour
* Mutton Bird Island provides a great view of our Harbour side city, as well as great fishing, with an opportunity for catching a great range of fish, including Jew, Snapper and Trevally - Early morning or evening is the best time to fish here.
* Off the Jetty Board walk (a great spot for the kids). Jordan Esplanade
* South Wall & Gallows are popular spots for both surfing and fishing. Jordan Esplanade - near the Deep-Sea Fishing Club.

Sawtell 8 mins south of Coffs Harbour
* Off the Sawtell Headland and beaches is a top spot for Tailor & Bream.
* Boambee Reserve is another good place to pump for yabbies. A great place for the kids to fish too, you can access this section of the creek via the Boambee BBQ & Recreation Reserve on Sawtell Rd. Or head over the railway bridge walking tunnel to gain access to the mouth of the Boambee Creek and Beach.

Urunga 20 mins south of Coffs Harbour
* On the Kalang River by boat you can drift to catch Flathead and Dew.
* Riverside - along the Back Creek (which feeds the Kalang). To gain access turn off the Pacific Highway onto Yellow Rock Road, (just north of the Urunga Bridge) and follow the road along the river. This is a great spot to hook all types of fish, Eg Flathead, Whiting, Bream etc.
* Try throwing a line in off the Urunga Lagoon walking bridge. Morgo Street, near the main street.

South West Rocks
* Fishing off the rocks can offer good results. You can commonly catch Bream, Tailor and maybe with a bit of luck, a Jewfish. Fishing into the gutters of the Beach near the rocks in good conditions can also be rewarding.

• Try not to over use any type of insect repellent. Contact with bait, line, hooks etc can repel the fish away.
• The best time to fish from the rocks is at dawn and dusk because the change in light conditions stimulates fish feeding.
• Always keep an eye on the tide, as you may get stuck.
• Most species of fish prefer to feed on an incoming tide as the rising water provides access to new feeding grounds.
• Use a hook size that is suitable to the size of the fish you are trying to catch.
• Remember your sunscreen, hat & sunglasses (to help stop the glare from the water.)

• Never turn your back onto the ocean.
• Take only what you need.
• Don't rubbish the waterways and forests.
• Practise safety.
• Observe fishery rules.
• Use established roads to get to your destination.
• Let someone know where you are going and what time you should be back.
• Return all under sized fish to the water.

COMMON FISH

Bream, also known as: Silver Bream, Emperor, Southern Yellowfin can be found around pylons and piers, oyster leases, weed beds and reef areas. Bream can be caught from a variety of locations - from rocky ocean foreshores to quiet upper reaches of an estuary. The best bait to use: Sandworms, peeled prawns, crabs, yabbies.

Flathead are found on sand and mud bottoms of bays and river inlets and shallow coastal waters. They lie in sandhole areas where they partly bury themselves for camouflage waiting to ambush their prey. Drifting is a successful technique. Some large fish are encountered on the bottom of deepwater rivers. Best bait: Squid, fish flesh, yabbies, prawns. Flathead are also called: Slimy, Southern Sand, Sandy.

Good areas to hook a Mangrove Jack are coastal swamp areas and lower river reaches, although they have been found more than one hundred kilometres inland.Best Bait: Mullet fillets (or fish fillets), yabbies, pilchards, prawns

Tailor swim in schools along surf beaches, rocky headlands and wash areas, and can also be found in estuaries and inshore reefs. Best Bait: Pilchards, garfish, whitebait or lures. Other Names for Tailor: Bluefish, Skipjack, Choppers, Elf. Tip: They have sharp teeth so use traces or ganged hooks to avoid being bitten

Whiting are essentially an inshore fish. They favour shallow water over sand flats in estuaries or along the edge of channels and inshore gutters along surf beaches. If fishing from a boat, anchor over the dark patches and fish into the lighter areas. Best Bait: Yabbies, squid, peeled prawns, sand worms.

LESS COMMON FISH

Jewfish can be taken from ocean, rocks or beaches, estuaries and close reefs. Top catches are usually made at dusk or three hours after sunset from the gutters and deeper flats of the surf. Jewfish have a reputation for being one of best eating fish around. Best Bait: Live mullet, yellow tail, pilchards, tailor.

Snapper can be found in major estuaries and bays. They generally school over inshore reefs. The larger snappers are good fighters and will use their weight to dive into deeper water. Best Bait: Pilchards, squid & fish fillets. Other names: Cockney, Squire, Old Man Snapper.

Found in estuaries, bays, harbours, and beaches Travellay inhabit both coastal and offshore waters and are often taken in large numbers, especially during the autumn months. Best Bait: Pilchard, cut fish, pipis, prawns and lures. Other Names: Skippy, White Trevally, Skipjack.