
Yackatoon
Sydney Harbour, Sydney (AUS)
New South Wales is home to sought after tourist destinations in Australia on the coast as well as inland. It has some events that take place across the state that are watched all around the world most notably the Bathurst 1000 racing event and the end of year New Years Eve fireworks display on the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
The state also has National Parks, ski resorts and beachside locations all in its possession. The fishing also has a special standing in the state with prized fish species such as tuna, marlin and yellowtail kingfish all readily available.
Fishing is possible in both fresh and saltwater places in New South Wales but the best fishing can be found off the coast. Exiting varieties of fish keep many anglers returning to the waters all year round.
Bigeye tuna: This tuna species can be determined from others due to its large round eyes. It is found in all of the waters in the south of Australia but because of its ability to live in low light and oxygen levelled water, it is mainly found down deep. Can grow to over 2 metres in length and over 200kg but are mainly caught around the 150kg range.
Yellowtail kingfish: The yellowtail kingfish is one of the hardest fighting fish in the ocean when comparing the same size as any other. It has amazing speed and strength that make targetting these fish really exciting. The Sydney Harbour and surrounding areas are just one of the areas that they are usually found in.
Sailfish: These fish migrate to southern Australian waters during the summer months and provide great fishing fun. They can grow up to 3.6 metres in length and around 60kg. Their upper part of the body is a dark purple colour while the lower body is a paler silvery blue and of course, they have the long and slender bill.
Southern Bluefin tuna: These members of the tuna family migrate many parts of the southern coast of Australia each year and provide great fun for fishermen. They can form impressive schools of large numbers on the surface of the water and are opportunistic feeders that target mainly on squid, crustaceans, planktonic animals and fish. They can grow up to 200kg.
The Amberjack species are a game fish that are found both in the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Jigging and live bait fishing are the best techniques to target these magnificent fighters. Greater Amberjack can weigh up to 170 lb (80 kg).
Distributed throughout the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific region, the Giant Trevally - also known as GT - (Caranx ignobilis) is the most wanted species for popping lovers. They can be 1,70 cm long and reach up to 80 kg (175 lb)!
Salmon is a generic name for several species from Salmonidae family. In fact there are eight species distributed in the Pacific Ocean (like for example the Chinook salmon, Pink salmon or the Sockeye salmon) and one species from the Atlantic Ocean (the Atlantic salmon).
The great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda), often referred to as barracuda, is a long predator that can be found in tropical and subtropical waters where they like to patroll mangroves, reefs and drop-offs. Record barracuda can grow to 1,5m and weigh over 45kg (100lb+).
A Flounder is a flatfish and several species are distinguished. They camouflage themself by lying on the bottom of the ocean floor to ambush their prey and also as protection against predators.
Flounder are very good eating fish and can grow up to 60 centimeters (20 inch).
The yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) is a type of amberjack found in the Southern Hemisphere. They can grow up to 180 cm (70 in). Yellowtail kingfish can be caught from New Zeeland, Australia to Chile.
Talang Queenfish (Scomberoides commersonnianus) are a Pacific fish that are highly reflective, shiny and are known to travel in schools. At times they fight so hard that they’ll die due to exhaustion before being released back into the water. They also have pointed spines that can inflict wounds if not handled carefully. Queenfish grow to around 15 kilos, but are most commonly encountered around half that size.
The king mackerel (Scomberomorus cavalla) or kingfish is a common fish species of the western Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. King Mackerel can grow to up to 40kg (90lb) and have razor sharp teeth.
Yellowfin tuna grow fast, up to 400 pounds (180kg) in about a 7-year lifespan, and they range in length from 59 inches to 88 inches long. They’re known for their torpedo shape, with a pointed nose and a sickle-shaped tail, and have dark blue backs with yellow sides (thus their name) with a silver underside.
The Blue Marlin (Makaira nigricans) is probably the most wanted fish in the sport fishing world. The magnificent fighter usually feeds during day time on fish, octopuses and squids. Blue Marlin is mainly caught trolling with artificial lures or with dead bait (bonito, mackerel...).
The Albacore (Thunnus alalunga) has large eyes and long pectoral fins. This is why this species is also known as longfin tuna. The largest Albacore can reach up to 140 cm (4.6ft) and weigh up to 40 kg (90lb).
Mahi Mahi (Coryphaena hippurus) are also commonly referred to as dorado, dolphin or dolphinfish. They are recognizable by their bluntly shaped heads, long dorsal fin and their bright colouring, dark blue and green on their dorsal side and yellow on their sides and underside.
Wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri), also known as Ono (meaning “delicious” in Hawaiian), are found in many subtropical and tropical waters. They’re identifiable by their blue-green upper body which shifts into silver towards their belly. They also have blue vertical striping along their sides. These predators are torpedo-shaped and have long and largemouths with teeth.
Striped marlin (Kajikia audax) can be told apart from blue marlin due to their “stripes” of blue that run vertically down their bodies. Striped marlin is lighter than blue marlin, but their body shape and even colouring remains the same aside from the stripes. These marlin can weigh up to 180kg (400lb) and have a maximum length of 4 m (12 ft).
The White Marlin (Kajikia albida) is a very nice predator which can be caught off shore in warmer waters. This powerful fighter usually feeds during day time on fish, octopuses and squids. They can be caught trolling with artificial lures or with dead bait (bonito, mackerel...).
Spearfish (Tetrapturus) are a generic name for several species such as the shortbill spearfish and longbill spearfish. These billfish are found in tropical and subtropical waters around the world: Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean.
Black marlin (Istiompax indica) grows to be as big or bigger than blue marlin, with males reaching lengths of 4.65 meters and weighing up to 750 kilograms (1500lb), females larger. They are part of a group of fish called billfish, which includes varieties of marlin, swordfish, and spearfish.
The Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus) is a pelagic fish that can grow up to 500kg (1000lb). The biggest Bluefin Tuna ever caught was 780kg (1496lb). These great fighters can be caught trolling, jigging, casting or drifting; mainly off-shore.
Spring: Trout season remains closed until the long weekend at the start of October to allow for spawning season. Once it opens the season is usually pretty productive.
Other species to target include Trevally, Sailfish and Queenfish in the saltwater estuaries and deep water.
Summer: The summer period marks the best time to head out chasing many trout species in inland streams and lakes. Targetting rainbow and brown trout is popular at this time of the year.
In the saltwater areas both yellowfin tuna, sailfish, shark and marlin at there best.
Fall: During this period the water is starting to cool down again after summer and trolling for fish is a popular method. You will cover more area faster and improve your chances of catching a variety of game fish and it is, in fact, the most likely period to hook a big blue marlin.
Winter: In June until October trout fishing is closed due to spawning season. The saltwater areas you will find snapper on the reefs, Australian salmon travelling in schools along the beaches and further out the bluefin tuna will begin to show up.
New South Wales has what many tourists visiting Australia believe to be its capital city, Sydney, but despite this common misconception, the state is in fact not home to it at all. It does, however, boost popular tourist destinations such as Byron Bay in the north, Coffs Harbour, Wollongong, Newcastle and Tamworth. The latter actually hosts the largest music festival in Australia annually in January and it’s also one of the top 10 music festivals in the world.
Sydney is also of course in New South Wales and is arguably the most visited city in Australia. It has world-famous attractions such as the Sydney Opera House, Bondi Beach and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
You need a fishing license to fish in freshwater and saltwater. The fishing charters & guides in New South Wales normally have the fishing license included in the price, so you don't need to buy one if you're chartering a boat.