Laurieton/Dunbogan

[Heff]

I'm off to Laurieton with two rello's for a week's estuary fishing from Friday 8th May.

Can anyone with experience in this area assist with where to fish (including beach) and what to use etc?

[Guest 4myson]

Hey Heff , we use to stay in North Haven , mates old Holiday House . We fished Riverview Reserve (south side of inlet) for a decent feed of bread & butter species on bait (best times were always in-coming tide) . We also fished Grants Beach near the inlet hoping for that MEGA Jew but we had no luck , but the locals swear it's a Top Spot Jew Spot on outgoing tide ... You might have better luck ......

[Witha]

G'day mate, used to be local up there and there's definitely plenty of options! Estuary wise I always loved drifting down the river into Queens Lake, we usually ran a simple running sinker rig with fresh live beach worms (caught at pilot beach or they have them at the dunbogan boat shed) great for your standard estuary species. The river has sanded up a fair bit and the current can rage, with all this rain try and find the areas out of the main current, plenty of flatties on the edge of sand bars and banks all the way down sting ray creek. If it's still wet and muddy could try some big baits or plastics off the end of the breakwall for a flood jew (never tried but the river can get pretty shagged by flooding rain) just hope there's no more pesky catfish haha

[Heff]

Thanks boys, that's very helpful. Don't think that area has had anywhere near the rain down south so hopefully the water won't be too fresh.

My brother has a kayak so he should be able to get into some very shallow areas.

We were originally booked into Tea Gardens, where we have been going for the last two years. That area will be 'catfish' territory for weeks.

[GTM]

Heff I love that place. Fished it all my life and have a lot of family in the area. they haven't had our weather basically no rain despite what we've been experiencing. This time of year will be good for bream off the North haven wall. Enter near the surf club I like fishing near the mouth on the river side around the tide changes. Runs too hard otherwise. Good for tailor on the beach side at the end of the wall as well. Pretty reliable night spot for jewfish, I fish either side but generally find the inside works best for me. think there would be some blackfish as well back towards the park and some weed that sits I the tidal pools behind the wall. You access that best through the park opposite a takeaway shop near Edith st. t's past the big round about which takes you to Port Mac There kids play equipment near the road so hard to miss. Fishes well for bream there also on the tide changes with a reef running down the middle of the river. You might see guys there casting lightly weighted baits into the middle and walking the wall. Googlies Lake has a big sand flat at the back of the Dunbogan Wall follow the dirt track on the left as you turn on to the road to Pilots Beach. Great for yabbies and then whiting and flathead at high tide, would be great in the yak but starting to get late in the season. You could put in there and fish that flat or venture through the small opening in the wall at high tide and fish the Klondike which is a shallow reef on the left with the red Channel marker. South beach on the Dunbogan side good for bream, whiting Jews etc. I like worms off the beach and there plenty along it. Just keep checking the flats until you run across them. I usually enter the beach now off the 4wd access that runs off Scarborough Way or fish the North end near or off the rocks. If you see a couple of 80 odd year olds catching worms and pulling out a few bream driving a Suzuki stockman along the beach its probably my uncle and father. As Witha mentioned Queens Lake can fish well especially for flathead, there's a big sand flat where the creek opens up into the main lake which we like to flick plastics around and good for pumping yabbies Been a great year for crabs in that lake with the pros working it hard but again might be late. Hope you get great weather and a few fish. Cheers Garry

[Heff]

Thanks Garry,

That's a whole lot of valuable info.

We have a house on Dunbogan so will do a bit in that area.

I rang the boat shed and seems to be under new management, and don't stock live worms any more. If I see the two 80 year olds worming I'll mention you. Might even be able to purchase a few worms!!

Regards

Heff

[Heff]

Regretfully the fishing trip is now over. (8-15 May).

What a great week. Pippies galore on Dunbogan beach which were great bait along with worms for whiting and big snowy bream.

Only trouble was the seas were pounding the beach most days which made it difficult to cast out past the wash.

There is a beach on the Southside near the break wall called "pilot beach".

The beach adjacent to that facing the sea was very worthwhile.

Worth sussing it out at low tide as there are a lot of rocks to the southern end that disguise themselves and strip tackle at high tide, but it gets protected from the Sou Easters.

I'm not much into estuary fishing so just loved working the 'beach rod' and picking up big fish. Biggest fish I bagged were a 1.75 kg snowy bream and a 450mm whiting, both on Dunbogan beach on pippies harvested there.

It was at a time when the wash wasn't too bad and the gutter was visible and castable, which was rare!

Hey! But that's fishing. I'll be back!!

[kyle]

Is there any good spots for flathead and squid up at dunbogan?

[dirvin21]

Further up at Lake Cathie isn't to bad for flattties

[Hill373737]

On 1/16/2019 at 5:28 PM, kyle said:

Is there any good spots for flathead and squid up at dunbogan?

Do you have a boat or land-based?

 

[kyle]

Bit of both mate

[Hill373737]

18 hours ago, kyle said:

Bit of both mate

Here are some tips for flatties, I don't usually fish for squid.

Land-based, Gogley's Lagoon at the back of the breakwall is a great spot to pump nippers and at high tide, I fish the area near the wall but generally get better results as the tide drops and fish along the drop off along the southern endge of the flat.

The creek that runs along Camden Head Rd into the Lagoon is also a good land based spot.

Also, try the area around the Laurieton-North Haven bridgethat crosses Stingray Creek.

With a boat, there are lots of options. Try Stingray Creek, anywhere there is some structure such as oyster leases, sand flats or where it enters Queens Lake.

Same applies if you head the other way up the Camden Haven River, if you go up as far as Watson Taylor Lake or through it to continue up the Camden Haven River, be careful as it is very shallow even in the navigable channel and can get tricky on windy days.

Drop into North Haven Tackle if you want to find out how the recent fishing has been, Brooke is always a good source of info.