The lure of Port Stephens by Brent Hancock

Port Stephens is a renowned offshore and game fishing hot spot and each year plays host to the largest game fishing tournament in the Southern hemisphere, but did you know there is also another fishing side to this amazing waterway?

If you're an estuary lure addict like me, you will find Port Stephens offers some the best lure fishing in NSW. It has such a large diversity of waterways and fishing options, from the brackish waters of the Myall Lakes to the twists and turns of the Karuah River and the expanses of the open bay, so it's not surprising that the estuary lure options are endless.

Although the advent of the Great Lakes Marine Park has seen some areas become sanctuary zones, there are still plenty of prime fish-holding locations. Visiting anglers should ensure they pick up a copy of the latest marine park map from all the local tackle retailers or by logging onto www.mpa.nsw.gov.au. It details all the park zones - and it makes an ideal way to pinpoint potential fishing areas.

SPECIES

As with any southern estuary, many species can be encountered. There are probably four more common and easy target species, bream, dusky flathead, sand whiting and the holy grail of any estuary lure-caster, the mulloway.

Like most areas, there are various techniques, lures and locations that will play a pivotal role in your success. The unique shoreline of the bay means that there is every kind of fish habitat available, from tidal flats and natural rock walls to artificial structures such as oyster racks, break walls, marinas, moored boats and the like. The options are endless.

THE FLATS

The expansive shoreline of Nelson Bay means that there are hectares of sandy, weedy flats to explore. Whether you have a boat, kayak or even if you prefer to simply wade the shallows, you will find plenty of locations.

Since the advent of soft plastics, surface lures and shallow diving hardbodies, flats fishing has become increasingly popular. As techniques are refined and tackle becomes more suitable, many more bream, flathead and whiting can be easily targeted in skinny water.

I find that the flats in Port Stephens are heavily influenced by tidal flow. Fishing the rising or falling tide is ideal, preferably early morning or late afternoon.

Time of the year can also impact different fishing styles and techniques.

For instance, late Spring to early Autumn are ideal times to use varied surface lure presentations. It seems that as the water temperature rises, especially above 20°, bream, flathead and whiting become aggressive surface feeders.

So what lures attract surface strikes? Any of those small cup faced poppers like the Rebel Pop-R, Daiwa TD Zero, Bushy's Stiffy Popper or a River 2 Sea Bubble Pop are all ideal.

The walk-the-dog style lures such as the Smith Towadi, Lucky Craft NW Pencil