Destination Coffs Harbour

Roughly midway between Brisbane and Sydney, the high country range running parallel to the coast moves east toward the Tasman Sea. A good rainfall from moisture coming off the sea helps in the agriculture of this area and one of the bigger cash crops is bananas. Hence the tourism title, Banana Coast.

Now, if you believe all the myths about bananas and boats, it would put you off fishing here, but it doesn't seem to worry the fish, which are in abundance in the clean waters off this coastline.

Originally named Korffs Harbour, a political name change to Coffs Harbour was the result of issues with German titles during a previous altercation with that country. A small island called Korffs Islet still retains its original handle and is situated 0.34nm at 148º from the end of the breakwater, which has been built to buffer the swell coming into the harbour.

The harbour boasts a long jetty for those land-based and sheltered moorings with good access to fuel, while chandlery is available behind more break walls on the northern side of the harbour.

On the southern side, a poorly located and designed break wall tries to shelter a double boat ramp which is the only one available in town. The swell does affect this ramp, and at low tide the entry and exit to the ramp area is very shallow.

TOWN AMENITIES
Car parking is ample with street lighting for night-time security and a short distance away, the Deep Sea Angling Club dominates the landscape with brilliant views to seaward. This is an ideal venue for reasonably priced meals, while in town there are plenty of options as far as apartment-style accommodation is concerned.

We bunked down at the Observatory Holiday Apartments (website: www.theobservatory.com.au) with third floor views of the harbour which are brilliant. As long as gear is secured in the boat, it can be left locked to the vehicle on the street.

To the northeast, a number of islands provide for natural fish attraction, some of which is designated a marine park and therefore a no-take zone as far as fishing is concerned. North and North West Solitary Island, Split Solitary Island, Black Rock and a number of other shoals and pinnacles provide for some scenic fishing.

The locals here have got the soft plastic fishing down pat and target, with a high rate of success, snapper and kingfish around the islands, and snapper on various ribs of reef running parallel to the coast.

Those bait fishing often tend to anchor in water 30 metres deep and the average boat's ground tackle is sufficient for this job.

Those on soft plastic lures would seem to prefer the drift and a sea anchor or drogue will assist in slowing the drift to keep you over the strike zone longer, plus also keep the boat yawed at the ideal angle in relation to direction of drift.

Astute use of the depth sounder is required here. In relatively shallow water the target fish are often out of the beam, so location of bait schools and the subsequent marking of them will get you started.

Generally, the low-light conditions at the beginning and end of the day offer some good returns on the snapper, although these fish should not be discounted during the day and especially so in overcast conditions if you are fishing the shallows.

OFFSHORE
The northern end of South Solitary Island features deep water close to its rock edges. When a big swell is running into it, it's a good place to steer clear of, but during calmer times, good kingfish can be caught here on live bait and soft plastic. At times cobia, erroneously referred to as black kingfish, call this place home.

Moving farther offshore, the 100-fathom drop-off mark is about 14.5nm due east. Good catches of blue marlin can occur here and even wider, 1094 fathoms of blue can be found.

At co-ordinate Lat. 30 15.887S, Long. 153 40.350E, which is approximately 24.4nm at 115º from Coffs Harbour boat ramp, a big kink in the continental shelf may be located.

Another kink is found about 27.5nm at 083º from the ramp. Its co-ordinate is Lat. 30 29.238S, Long. 153 34.718E according to my C-Map cartography.

UPWELLING
These kinks create upwelling in the offshore currents that attract the bait and the rest of the food chain, the higher end of which you, the sportsfisher, might well be targeting.

Back in town and refuelling your trailerboat, you can expect fuel prices to be on a par with Sydney. If you have hauled down from Queensland, you will be paying about six to eight cents more per litre for unleaded patrol due to the fact that Queenslanders receive a rebate to around that amount from the state government at the bowser. Road conditions are good for the trailerboater, but you will find road works in progress north of Coffs, as has been the case for the last decade with the continual upgrades of sections of the Princes Highway.

There's nothing scary about food prices either, but be aware that accommodation should be booked early, to avoid having to sleep on the streets. A lot of conferences are scheduled for big companies and councils at Coffs Harbour throughout the year, so vacant accommodation may become scarce.

All-in-all, a friendly but busy seaside town with good fishing on its doorstep.