Please select your home edition
Edition
Leaderboard FD July August September 2023

Five of my favourite land-based fishing spots in Sydney

by Gary Brown on 5 Jan 2014
This little point off the eastern side of the boat ramp at Manly is worth a short for bream, whiting and flathead Gary Brown
Many of the anglers that I have come across over the years always talk about needing to have a boat to get amongst the fish in Sydney Harbour and to a certain point they are correct. But if you don’t have a boat and you are shore-based bound Sydney Harbour has hundreds of land-based spots you can get a feed of fish from. In this article I am going to let you into five of the places that I have regularly caught fish at in Sydney Harbour and the Parramatta River.

To find out where these spots are you will need to refer to a Sydney street directory.

Manly Point
Manly Point juts out into Manly Cove and is a fairly protected spot from any swell that may come in through the harbour entrance when the seas a big outside. Even though this area is not classes as ocean rocks you will need to take care when fishing from here especially when there are big seas running from the south. The point is a great spot to fish from during the warmer months of the year when the nor-easters are blowing as this spot if fairly protected from these winds. The bottom here is a mixture of sand, boulders and broken shells. Great place to go and do some spinning for Pelagics.

To get there you will need to locate the Esplanade at Manly, turn left into Stuart Street, find a parking spot and walk down to the boat ramp at the end of Craig Avenue. Then it is just a matter of walking around the eastern foreshore to the point.

Try using whole pilchards for the salmon and tailor, strips of mullet, tuna and bonito for the bream, silver trevally and bream. While peeled prawns will catch almost anything that can be caught here. When I fish here I will take a bucket of chicken layer pellets or a bag of bread for berley.

During the summer months you can target whiting, silver trevally, squid, flathead, flounder and bream from here, but to do so you will need a light surf rod of at least 3.6 metres in length. This length rod will allow you to get a descent cast out to avoid the kelp and rocky foreshore and to be able to get to the sandy bottom in about six to seven metres of water. It will also allow you to lift the fish up and over the rocks and cunje that will be at your feet. I have found that the last two hours of the rising tide and the first two hours of the falling tide to produce the best results. This can be a great spot to fish during those north-east blows during the summer months.


Grotto Point Reserve – Middle Harbour
Grotto Point Reserve is situated in the Sydney Harbour National Park and it has a number of superb swimming spots, bush walking tracks, picnic areas, as well as a great fishing spot at Grotto Point. Not only can you fish here, but you can also see everything from convict-built buildings and military fortifications to aboriginal sites and a heritage listed lighthouse. During the winters months you may even see whales on their annual migration north.

The walk out to Grotto Point is in a magnificent area above the entrance to Middle Harbour and the walk provides plenty of views of Middle Head and Sydney Harbour.

Luderick have been known to frequent this stretch of water during autumn to winter. You can use either a stemmed float or a bobby cork here, but you will need to set the rig fairly shallow as there is not much water coverage here. The falling tide seems to produce more fish. You could use a stemmed float (like the ones uses when targeting luderick), but I would prefer to use a 5cm bobby cork. The line would need to freely run through the centre of the bobby cork with a stopper at the top. The rig below would be a combination of a number 1 or 2 ball sinker, number 12 size swivel, a leader or about 60 to 90cm’s in length and a hook. The stopper above the bobby cork will allow you to adjust the depth of the rig.

A couple of hours either side of the top of the tide would be the preferred time to fish here if you can coincide this with the sunrise or sunset even better and use the ball sinker down onto the hook. If you were use the sinker, swivel and a long leader or about 1 to 1.5 metres long I would fish the run-up tide on the upstream side of the point.


Blues Point Reserve
Blues Point Reserve is arguably the finest place in Sydney from which to view the harbour, the bridge and the Opera House, and for that reason Blues Point Reserve is arguably the finest place in Sydney to enjoy a picnic while at the same time having a fish. During the summer months many a mulloway, snapper and big dusky flathead have been caught here. You will need to get a descent cast in here to get your rig out pass the kelp and snags. Try using a number five to six ball sinker that slides down onto the bait or the paternoster rig.

During the autumn to winter months you will be in with a good chance of catching luderick on cabbage or weed. I would suggest that you use a mixture of bread, sand and chopped up weed and cabbage for berley for the luderick. One of those stemmed floats will do the trick, no need to use a bobby cork here. Whole pilchards or garfish that have been rigged onto a set of 5/0 ganged hooks. Five and seven inch soft plastics worked slowly along the bottom could get you into a mulloway or two.

If you are fishing on the eastern side of Blues Point I would suggest that you fish the run-out tide in the afternoon and if you are going to fish the run-in tide you would be better off going to western side of the point in the morning. This will allow you to use the current, along with your casting ability to get the rig out onto a sandy patch, while not have the sun shine directly into your face.


Manly Dam - Manly
Whether you want to mountain bike, go water skiing or spend quality time with family friends by the water, the Manly Warringah War Memorial Park (Manly Dam) has something for everyone. Gates are currently open from 7am-8.30pm. Manly Dam is popular with novice fishers. Section 4 near the wetlands is thought to be the best fishing spot. The dam is stocked regularly with Australian bass; however other species that may be caught are silver perch, carp and redfin.

Fishing with surface lures can be one of the most exciting ways of catching bass. There's little to compare with the sound of a strike with the feel of your line going tight a moment later. It’s definitely my favourite form of bass fishing.

Vaikobi 2024 DecemberCyclops Marine 2023 November - FOOTERSCIBS 2025

Related Articles

Matt Allen AM matches AOC funding
To support 2024 Olympic Podium Performing Sailors Matt Allen AM has once again demonstrated his unwavering support for sailing by generously matching the Australian Olympic Committee's Medal Incentive Funding (MIF) for Olympic champion Matt Wearn and Paris 2024 silver medallist Grae Morris.
Posted today at 4:45 am
60th Anniversary Congressional Day 2
Monnin in the hunt for semi-final spot Switzerland's Eric Monnin and his Capvis Swiss Match Racing Team delivered a faultless performance today, the second day of the 60th Long Beach Yacht Club Congressional Cup.
Posted today at 4:26 am
Antigua Race Week Day 4
One-third of the classes started the penultimate day with boats tied on points at the top Racing at this year's Antigua Sailing Week is so close that one-third of the classes started the penultimate day with boats tied on points at the top of their respective leaderboards.
Posted today at 3:04 am
5.5m Alpen Cup at Fraglia Vela Riva Day 1
The Jean Genie makes strong start to title defence The Jean Genie (GBR 43, Peter Morton, Andrew Palfrey, Ruaridh Scott) took a commanding lead on a very tricky opening day of the 2025 5.5 Metre Alpen Cup at Fraglia Vela Riva, on Lake Garda, Italy.
Posted on 1 May
21st Sandberg PalmaVela Day 1
Magic Carpet E wins two from two on her debut The Maxi class officially opened racing today at the 21st Sandberg PalmaVela, completing two W/L races in which the newest elite 100-footer, Magic Carpet E, dominated with two clear victories in what was its first-ever races.
Posted on 1 May
52 SUPER SERIES Saint-Tropez Cup Day 2
Gladiator back on winning form Disappointed to miss out on winning the 2024 circuit title after coming into the last event of the season with a solid points lead, Tony Langley's world champions Gladiator crew started their assault on the 2025 title on the best possible footing.
Posted on 1 May
Life-Changing Experience in Melbourne Osaka Cup
The crew of White Spirit talk about their journey A resounding yes, they'd do it again for such an amazing life-changing experience, is how Cyrus Allen, skipper of the Beneteau 50, White Spirit, summed up the 2025 Melbourne to Osaka race, which he completed with co-skipper Lillian Stewart.
Posted on 1 May
Transat Paprec Day 12
Charlotte Yven & Hugo Dhallenne: "Now, it's all in the mind too!" He checked in mid-morning, and you could hear the joy in his voice — Hugo Dhallenne is doing what he loves most: racing at sea. He's at the front of the fleet in the Transat Paprec and fully enjoying this adventure alongside Charlotte Yven.
Posted on 1 May
Entry open for trio of Brisbane Finn events
For three weeks in February 2026 the Finn world will descend on the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron Entry has opened for the main Finn events in 2026. For three weeks in February 2026 the Finn world will descend on the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, in Brisbane, Australia, for three back-to-back major regattas.
Posted on 1 May
XR 41 ready for racing debut at MaiOR
All eyes on Kiel-Schilksee as the offshore racing season starts in northern Europe Every spring, the sailing world turns its eyes to Kiel-Schilksee, where the Mai Offshore Regatta (MaiOR) launches the offshore racing season in northern Europe.
Posted on 1 May