FISHING PORT STEPHENS: SUMMER with AMBITION!
Fishing Port Stephens and Ambition Game Fishing Charters are synonymous during the Summertime…
During the Summer months, the East Australia Current moves closer inshore. The current brings the bait fish and their predators, Marlin, Sharks and all the Other Game Fish to within easy reach. The current pushes down the coast hitting Seal Rocks. It bounces out and eddies down the shelf and over the canyons.
Off the shelf at Port Stephens there are several well-known spots. The ‘Car Park’, ‘ The Middle Grounds’, Newcastle Canyons’ and ‘Norah Canyons’ to name a few. At these places, the bait congregates and the Marlin and other gamefish gather to feed. Every year anglers take an awful lot of Game Fish from these spots. Nelson bay fishing and Newcastle fishing spots are also within easy reach of Port Stephens.
MARLIN
You can find the Marlin in three areas which roughly define each species at Port Stephens i.e. inshore, the shelf and wide of the shelf. That is not to say that there is no overlap.
Small Black Marlin are generally found close to shore feeding on the bait around the local reefs and may occur in numbers. They are generally between 25 to 60 kilo’s and will take baits and lures. The preferable method is trolling live baits around the schools of bait fish. The bigger Blacks inhabit the wider grounds around the bait schools at the shelf.
Of all the Marlin these Blacks, especially the smaller ones can be very dangerous at the boat. They are very fast and jump like crazy.
Striped Marlin are usually found further offshore than the Blacks and are often found out well past the shelf. The fishing methods are much the same as for the Blacks. Find the bait and you’ll find the Stripies. They are larger in size generally 70 to 100 kilo’s and are arguably more exciting fighters than the other Marlin spending a lot of time on the surface jumping spectacularly.
Blue Marlin are he largest of the Marlin found on the East Coast of NSW usually anywhere from 100 kgs. to well over 300 kilo’s with the occasional one over 400 kilo’s so you had better have the right gear ready. Usually you will find Blues well out over the shelf but occasionally they are around the bait amongst the Striped Marlin on and inside the shelf. Trolling lures on heavy tackle is the best way to target Blues, they are screamers and more than one angler has been spooled on their first run.
Other Game Fish
All the other Game Fish unless targeted will be encountered as by catch while Marlin fishing Port Stephens and the surrounds. It’s a unique fishery. Only eighty miles from Sydney and the fishing is out of this world.
LINKS to…
Ripcharts
CSIRO
Bureau of Meteorology
N.S.W. Bluelink
Other links: