Did you know that Forster and Tuncurry in the Barrington Coast region of New South Wales is one of the state’s favourite places to fish? Avid anglers will love the local waterways and beaches to cast a line and bring home the catch of the day!

We caught up with Luke from Great Lakes Tackle in Tuncurry, to tap into some local fishing tips and find out what fish varieties you can expect to hook!
 

Now’s the Time to Hit the Water in Forster 

Fishing is a fantastic means of keeping active and mentally fit, getting outdoors safely and in a manner that adheres to social distancing regulations, and catching a few fish to feed the family can reduce time spent at busy supermarkets.

The Barrington Coast region is littered with amazing waterways, the ocean is never far away, the estuaries are clear and full of life and the freshwater creeks that flow from the hinterland are full of iconic native species such as the hard fighting Australian Bass. As you can imagine, being surrounded by water means that the fishing options are endless!

Beach Fishing

As the weather starts to cool off it is the perfect time to take advantage of the westerly winds and head on down to one of the beaches to try your luck at a bit of beach fishing. The beaches are generally dead flat for the Autumn and Winter months, with Beam, Tailor, Mulloway, Whiting and Flathead all on offer. It’s hard to beat the feeling of the nice, warm ocean water on your freezing toes after walking across the sand dunes!

If keeping your feet warm and planted on solid ground sounds more inviting don’t despair, you can still access some red-hot fishing action from plenty of shore-based spots such as the breakwalls in Forster and Tuncurry. Perching yourself on a nice flat rock in the beautiful winter’s sun and tossing a line can be very rewarding.

Estuaries

The local estuaries are full of big Bream, Luderick, Flathead, Leather Jacket, Yellowtail Kingfish and huge Mulloway. If you prefer lure fishing these areas are still definitely worth exploring as there is plenty of space to move about safely and find those hungry fish looking for the next easy meal that may well be your soft plastic lure!

By Boat

Lucky enough to have a boat? If so your options are endless (just remember to follow any social distancing guidelines that may be in place). The ocean is as flat as the estuary on some days so why not duck out through the entrance and head to one of the many inshore reefs to look for a few Snapper or simply drive out until you are about 40m deep and have a drop for some tasty Flathead.

Staying closer to home, the estuary has numerous Oyster Leases throughout it and these are absolutely full of Bream and Luderick throughout the cooler months so floating baits into them is sure to land you a few fish.
 

More Waterways to Explore

Venturing a little further up into the waterways the crystal-clear water slowly changes into a darker, silty colour typical of riverine environments. These rivers and creeks that flow into the estuary are alive with small Prawns and baitfish during winter and as any fisherman (or woman) knows, find the bait and you will find the fish! Flathead, Mulloway, Bream and Bass all congregate in the deep holes and with a little bit of work can be fished for very successfully.

Luke calls the Barrington Coast region a true fisherman’s paradise. The water is pure, the beaches are clean and the fish life is absolutely incredible.

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Ready to spoil yourself with a weekend or longer away on a fishing trip to this amazing area?