Beginners Guide to the Shoalhaven River and Jervis Bay by Gary Brown
You could spend a whole life-time fishing the Shoalhaven River and Jervis Bay and still not fish all the great spots it has on offer to both the novice and experienced angler. If you really enjoy fishing, you'll find every type of fishing on offer from freshwater dams, rivers, lakes, the rocks, beaches to open ocean game fishing.
Boat-based fishers in the Shoalhaven are likely to be rewarded with an amazing catch including marlin, tuna, kingfish, snapper, morwong, and flathead. In the region's estuaries, there's every opportunity to catch bream, flathead, whiting, tailor, luderick, tailor, Australian salmon, bonito, trevally, drummer, snapper, kingfish and crabs, while freshwater enthusiasts should head to Tallowa Dam, Danjera Dam and the upper Shoalhaven River to target Australian bass, carp and estuary perch.
The Shoalhaven River rises on the eastern side of the Great Dividing Range, below Euranbene Mountain, about 350 kilometres southwest of Sydney. The upper reaches of the river flow northwards through an upland pastoral district near the town of Braidwood and the river works its way down into a remote canyon east of Goulburn. It then emerges into the coastal lowlands at Nowra where it is spanned by the historic Nowra Bridge. The river is joined by thirty-four tributaries which include the Mongarlowe, Corang and the Kangaroo Rivers. It descends 864 metres over its 327-kilometre course, making it a great river to fish.
Jervis Bay is one of the most popular fishing spots on the South Coast. This dedicated Marine Park ensures the conservation of marine habitats and species while allowing recreational fishers plenty to enjoy. The rock platforms on the northern side of the bay are world famous for the land-based game fishing opportunities they offer for species such as marlin, tuna and kingfish. Inside the bay, chase the bream, whiting and flathead from almost any of the beaches. There are several boat ramps around the bay for the boating angler, while there are kilometres of beaches, rocks and estuary shoreline to fish from.
