A beginner’s guide to St Georges Basin and Sussex Inlet by Gary Brown

The towns on the fringes of the broad St Georges Basin waterway make an ideal base for anyone who enjoys boating and fishing. They also offer easy access to the sheltered waters and beaches of Jervis Bay, which includes Hyams Beach, Green Patch and Murrays Beach, and the ocean beaches to the south.

This peaceful spot is perfect for the whole family to enjoy sailing, swimming, water-skiing, kayaking and snorkelling. Don't miss Booderee National Park Botanic Gardens, which is a short drive from Sanctuary Point and well worth a visit. The scenic 40-minute Basin Walk follows the shoreline from Palm Beach Reserve to Paradise Beach Reserve. Conjola National Park has forests surrounding beautiful lakes and estuaries, and large areas of woodland and heath that become a mass of wildflowers in spring. The park is ideal for walking, bird watching, swimming, fishing and canoeing.

Much of the town of Sussex Inlet is built around a system of tidal canals, offering water panoramas and easy access for boating enthusiasts. Each of these is a scenic sensation, and the proximity of these varied seascapes gives residents and visitors to Sussex Inlet a great range of leisure options.

EROWAL BAY

Erowal Bay is best fished when the wind is coming from the north, as it can get very rough during a southerly blow. Not only can you fish out of a boat, but there are plenty of spots to fish from the shore too. If you drive down to the boat ramp at the northern end of the bay, you can fish here at all times of the day, although better results will come in the early morning and late afternoon. During the warmer months of the year, the surface action from bream, flathead and whiting can be mind blowing.

The depth varies and there are a number of dropoffs, cockle and weed beds. The 3 boat ramps that are situated there give easy access to many a great spot.

If the breeze is coming from the north, you could try drifting, starting from the shallows in the north and going right through the bay. Weighted soft plastics and blades are the go if lure fishing, but if you are a bait angler, try using pink nippers, half pilchards and strips of tuna and mullet.

THE DROPOFF

This whole stretch of shoreline along the south eastern side can be trolled for tailor and salmon on the edge of the dropoff, or you could work baits, soft plastics and blades from the edge of the weed beds to around 5m in depth. Flathead, flounder, bream, whiting, tailor, tarwhine, snapper and the odd mulloway can be caught while fishing this area.

THE ARTIFICIAL REEFS

The artificial reefs here have been constructed using Reef Balls, and are randomly placed. This area produces yellowtail, mullet, bream, whiting, flounder, snapper, tarwhine, tailor and mulloway. For more information on the GPS position of the reefs, go to http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/recreational/saltwater/artificial-reefs/st-georges-basin

SANCTUARY POINT

This shallow, small bay is another place worth fishing when the wind is from the north. Try working the shoreline with hidden weight soft plastics and hardbodies. As you get to deeper water, try working blades across the bottom.

This is also a great place for the shore-based angler who doesn't mind wading out to the edge of deeper water. Pink nippers can be found here as well.