Name’s Artificial Lure here with your Sydney fishing report.

We’ve got a classic winter pattern settling in around the harbour and coast. Light westerlies this afternoon, cool and mostly clear, with a top around the mid-teens and not much swell on the inshore reefs. Sunrise was just after 7 am, sunset around 4:55 pm, so it’s a short window – low light at both ends of the day has been the prime bite.

Tides today were a moderate run: a morning high around mid‑morning, dropping to an early arvo low, then building back toward an evening high. That flooding tide late in the day has really fired things up in the lower harbour and around the headlands.

Reports from local anglers this week say Sydney Harbour has produced solid numbers of **kingfish**, **trevally**, and **tailor**, with the odd **salmon** school pushing bait into the washes. Botany Bay has seen good **flatties** along the drop‑offs and a few **bream** on the rock walls and pylons. Up the Parramatta and Lane Cove arms, it’s been a mix of **bream**, **flathead**, and the occasional **estuary perch** tight to structure.

Kingfish have been taking small live baits – yakka, slimies, and squid – slow‑trolled or dropped down around markers and reefy points. When they’re up high, 4–5 inch soft plastics in baitfish colours and metal stickbaits have been doing damage. Trevally are sitting under the burley trails; peeled prawn and small pieces of pilchard on light leaders are putting a steady stream in the esky.

Flathead numbers have been decent, especially along sandy edges in 3–8 metres. Best results have come on 3–4 inch paddle‑tail soft plastics in motor oil or natural baitfish colours, and simple paternoster rigs with pilchard cubes or whitebait. Work the plastics slowly along the bottom – short hops and long pauses.

Bream fishos are doing well around bridge pylons, moorings, and rocky shorelines. Light leaders, small long‑shank hooks, and baits like peeled prawn, chicken, or lightly weighted bread baits have been the go. Hardbody lures and small crankbaits worked along rock edges are also pulling some quality fish.

A few tailor and salmon schools have been popping up from The Heads down to Maroubra. Keep a light spin rod rigged with a 20–40 g chrome metal or small surface stickbait; when the birds start working, get in upwind and fire long casts through the school, fast retrieve.

Hot spot one: **Middle Harbour** – from The Spit up to Roseville. Work the deeper bends and moorings for bream and flathead, and keep an eye on the sounder for bait schools holding mid‑water – kings often aren’t far away.

Hot spot two: **North Head and Quarantine area**. The washes along the headland and around the Quarantine marker have held tailor, salmon, and the odd better king on live baits and metals, especially on the run‑in tide with a bit of chop on the surface.

Best lures right now:

– 3–5 inch soft plastics in natural baitfish or motor oil colours

– 20–40 g chrome metals for surface bust‑ups

– Small diving hardbodies in brown or prawn patterns for bream

Best baits:

– Live yakka, slimies, or squid for kingfish

– Pilchard, whitebait, and prawns for general harbour work

– Chicken and mullet strips for bream and flathead on the bottom

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Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Sydney fishing rundown.

Light westerlies and clear skies around the harbour today, with temps sitting in the high teens to low 20s and just a slight afternoon breeze on the points. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, swell offshore is modest from the south‑east, so the ocean rocks and headlands are very fishable if you pick a safe ledge and watch the sets. Sunrise was just after 7, sunset just before 5, giving a tight bite window around the low‑light periods.

Tides from the official NSW tide tables show a handy early‑morning high, dropping to a late‑morning low, then a building afternoon run‑in. That incoming this arvo has really flicked the switch inside the harbour: classic scenario for baitfish pouring over the banks and predators pushing in tight.

Reports from local tackle shops and charter skippers around Sydney Harbour and Botany Bay over the last couple of days have been solid. Anglers are finding good numbers of **winter bream**, **trevally**, and **flathead** in the bays, with the odd **legal kingfish** still hanging around the markers and deeper structure. A few **tailor** are chopping up early and late, mostly around the headlands and channel edges. Offshore, snapper fishos are picking up mixed bags of **pannies to 40 cm**, with the better reds coming at first light on the inshore reefs.

Best lures have been small **2.5–3 inch soft plastics** in natural baitfish and motor‑oil colours for bream and flatties, worked slowly along drop‑offs and sand‑flats. For kings and tailor, local gun anglers are leaning on **metal slices around 20–40 g**, white **5 inch jerk shads**, and **stickbaits** when the water’s clear. If you’re old‑school, fresh **squid strips**, **pilchards**, and live **yellowtail** are still outfishing most artificials on the tougher days.

If you’re land‑based, a couple of hotspots to try:

- **North Harbour / Spit Bridge area**: Great tide run, plenty of bait, and consistent bream, trevally, and the odd king. Work the pylons and shadow lines on the run‑in, especially with light leaders and small plastics or peeled prawn.

- **Kurnell and the mouth of Botany Bay**: The rocky points and nearby reefs have been turning up tailor, salmon, and solid flathead. Cast metals into the washes at dawn, then switch to soft plastics or strip baits as the sun climbs.

Inside the harbour, places like Rushcutters, Rose Bay, and the mooring fields around Drummoyne are holding good schooling trevs and pan‑size bream. Fish light, burley gently, and don’t be afraid to drop leader diameter if the bite’s tentative.

Overall fish activity is typical of the cooler months: fewer outright surface explosions, more subtle bites down deep. Slow your retrieve, shrink your lure profile, and focus on those tide changes and dusk sessions. The anglers who match the hatch and keep their presentations natural are the ones walking away with a feed right now.

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Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Sydney fishing report.

Light westerlies and clear skies have had the harbour and beaches looking mint most of the day, with just a bit of afternoon chop as the breeze pushed up. Temps have been sitting in the high teens, low 20s on the coast, cool starts but very comfortable on the water. Sunrise was around twenty‑past five this morning, sunset just after five, so that first and last light bite has been short but punchy.

Tides today have been running a standard two‑tide cycle, with a solid morning high pushing bait right up onto the flats and into the washes, then easing into a draining afternoon low. That run‑in around the bridges and headlands has been the key window, with the run‑out this arvo better for fish holding tight to structure and drop‑offs.

Fish activity’s been classic early‑winter Sydney. In the harbour and middle reaches, tailor and salmon schools have been chopping into tiny whitebait and pilchard fry, especially off Clarke Island, Bradleys Head and around the Spit. Flicking 20–40 gram chrome slices and small white metal slugs into the edge of the bust‑ups has pulled consistent fish, with a few better salmon nudging the 60 cm mark. Fast, erratic retrieves are doing the damage.

On the stones and beaches, bonito and the odd kingfish have been cruising the washes on the run‑in. Pilchards on ganged hooks, live yellowtail, or squid strips have worked well, with metal lures and 5–7 inch stickbaits also picking up fish when they’re up on the surface. Kings have been a bit patchy but there are still legal models hanging around headlands and marker buoys if you put in the time with live baits.

Bread‑and‑butter species are very much on the chew. Bream and trevally have been stacked up around wharves, pylons and deeper moorings. Best results have come on lightly weighted peeled prawn, chicken gut and small pilchard cubes, as well as 2–3 inch soft plastics in motor‑oil and bloodworm colours hopped slowly along the bottom. There’ve been some solid bream to 35–38 cm and trevs in the 40s for those fishing light leaders and plenty of berley.

Flathead are still taking advantage of the dropping water on the sand and mud edges, especially in Botany Bay and up the Parramatta and Lane Cove rivers. Paddle‑tailed plastics in the 3–4 inch range, worked along channel edges and drop‑offs, have produced good numbers of fish, with a few in the mid‑60s turning up for anglers slowly dragging whitebait and pilchard baits.

A few squid have been around the kelpy points and weed beds, particularly on the eastern side of the harbour and in the lower bay. Bright orange, pink and natural prawn‑pattern jigs in the 2.5–3.0 sizes have been the pick. Fresh squid is still the best bait in town for kings and big snapper out wider, so it’s worth putting in a session.

Couple of hot spots to put on your hit list:

– Middle Harbour, from the Spit up to Roseville, for bream, flathead and the odd jewie after dark. Work the edges with soft plastics and lightly weighted baits on the change of tide.

– Botany Bay’s Towra Point and the Captain Cook Bridge area for flathead, bream and school jew, especially on the run‑out with soft plastics and live poddy mullet.

Best all‑round lures right now: small chrome metals, 3–4 inch paddle‑tail and jerk‑shad plastics in natural baitfish tones, and 2.5–3.0 squid jigs. For bait, you can’t go past fresh squid, pilchard, peeled prawn and live yellowtail.

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Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Sydney fishing report.

We’ve got a classic early‑winter pattern around the Harbour and coast. Light to moderate westerlies have been pushing in, keeping the mornings cold but the days pretty clear. The Bureau of Meteorology is calling it cool and dry with only a slight chance of a shower, and winds tending westerly then easing off into the evening. Sunrise was around 7:00 am, sunset about 4:55 pm, so you’ve got short bite windows – dawn, the mid‑morning tide push, and the last hour of light are prime.

Tides today are fairly gentle: a morning high, dropping to a mid‑arvo low, then building again into the evening. That building run‑in around sunset is when you want to be on your mark, especially inside the Harbour and up the rivers. On these neap‑ish tides you won’t get huge current, so focus on structure and bait rather than big tide lines.

In the Harbour, tailor and salmon schools have been working the usual haunts – North Head, South Head, Middle Head and along the main channel markers. Birds have been a dead giveaway on calmer mornings. Small metal slices in the 10–25 g range, white or pilchard‑pattern stickbaits, and tiny soft plastics on 1/8–1/4 oz jig heads are getting bit. If the fish are fussy, drop leader size and speed up the retrieve.

Kingfish have been patchy but still about around the wedding cake markers, Clifton Gardens, and the pylons of the Harbour Bridge and Anzac Bridge. Live squid is still king on the kings – if you can jig a few around Balmoral or Chowder Bay, send them down on a running sinker rig or lightly weighted. When they’re shy, switch to 4–5 inch soft plastics in natural baitfish colours or small fluttering jigs worked mid‑water.

Bream and flathead fishos are doing well up the Parramatta and Lane Cove arms, plus around Iron Cove and Hen and Chicken Bay. A few solid blue‑nose bream are coming from rock walls and pontoons on lightly weighted baits – peeled prawn, chicken thigh strip, or half‑pilchard. For plastics, 2.5–3 inch grubs and paddle‑tails in bloodworm and motor oil colours have been deadly, especially slow‑rolled along the bottom for flatties sitting on the drop‑offs.

Off the stones, the lower swell and westerlies have opened a nice window for drummer, luderick, and the odd snapper close in. Cabbage and weed under a float are the go‑to for blackfish, while cunje and peeled prawn fished into the wash will find pigs. Fish the last of the run‑in and first of the run‑out, and don’t skimp on berley.

A couple of hotspots to consider:

- **North Head and Quarantine area**: salmon, tailor, and the chance of a king working the bait schools on first light and the evening run‑in.

- **Parramatta River around Gladesville Bridge and Drummoyne**: bream and flathead on plastics and lightly weighted baits, especially around the top of the tide and first of the run‑out.

Best all‑round lures right now: 10–20 g metals, 3–5 inch baitfish‑style soft plastics, and small hardbody minnows for bream in the shallows. Best baits: live squid, pilchard pieces, peeled prawn, and a bit of chicken for the bream if you’re soaking a bait.

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Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Sydney fishing report.

Norfolk Island tide tables from the Bureau of Meteorology line up pretty closely with Sydney today: an early **high just after dawn**, a **low mid‑morning**, building back to a **solid afternoon high**, then dropping away after dark. That afternoon push of water is the pick, especially around headlands and breakwalls when the current starts to run properly.

Weather-wise, the BOM has the coast under a light to moderate **nor’easterly sea breeze**, mostly clear skies and only a slight chance of a shower. It’s been **cool at first light**, then warming quickly, with a pretty comfortable afternoon. Sunrise was just before **7 am**, sunset around **4:55 pm**, so that classic first and last light window is tight but very fishy.

Inshore, the **kingfish** have been patchy but still worth the effort. Local reports from charter skippers out of Rose Bay and Mosman say they found **legal kings to mid-80s** around **North Head and South Head**, plus a few rats mixed in. Live squid is still king on the kings, but 5–7 inch **soft plastics in white or pilchard colours** and **micro-jigs around 20–40 g** have picked up fish when the bait’s hard to find.

Inside the harbour, there have been good numbers of **trevally and bream** on the **run‑in tide**. Anglers fishing from the **Spit Bridge pylons and Sow and Pigs Reef** have reported solid bags of pan-sized trevs and a few bruiser bream mixed with pickers. Best bait there has been **pilchard cubes, peeled prawn and chicken gut** fished on light leaders and small circle hooks, with just enough sinker to hold bottom. Berley light but steady and you’ll keep the school under the boat.

The **luderick (blackfish)** scene has kicked up a gear along **Clifton Gardens, Watsons Bay wharf and the eastern suburb rock walls**. Local blackfish specialists are getting regular bags of fish to 40 cm using **green weed and cabbage** under stem floats. A bit of fine-tuning to depth—usually 1.5–2.5 metres—has made all the difference.

Beach gutters along **Maroubra, Wanda and North Narrabeen** have produced **tailor and salmon**, especially on the afternoon high into dusk. Metal slugs around 25–40 g, clipped straight to the leader and cranked fast, have been the go for the pelagics, while fresh **half pilchards on ganged hooks** pick off the better fish. A few school **mulloway** have shown up after dark on **fresh squid strips and live beach worms**, mainly from the deeper, well-formed gutters.

Off the rocks, safer ledges around **Bluefish Point and South Curl Curl** have turned up a mix of **bonito, salmon and the odd kingfish**. Most of the action has been on **chromed metal lures, 60–80 g**, and **stickbaits in natural baitfish patterns**. Always treat the stones with respect: check swell and wind, wear a vest, and never fish alone.

If you’re land‑based and looking for quick wins this afternoon or tomorrow, a couple of hotspots:

- **Clifton Gardens Wharf** – Great for kids and casual sessions. Trevally, bream and yakka schools hanging deep on the high tide with unweighted peeled prawn or small bread baits.

- **North Head (boat-based)** – Work the bait schools with 20–40 g jigs and 5–7 inch plastics for kings, with a live squid down deep as your big‑fish ticket.

Lure-wise, pack **5 inch jerk shads**, 1/4–1/2 oz jigheads, a selection of **metal slugs from 20–60 g**, and a couple of **sinking hardbodies** around 90–120 mm. For bait, you won’t go wrong with **fresh squid, pilchards, prawns and beach worms**.

That’s your Sydney wrap from Artificial Lure.

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Artificial Lure here with your Sydney fishing rundown.

Light winter westerlies and a cool, clear day have made for classic harbour conditions – glassy in the morning, a bit brisk but very fishy. Sydney Observatory data shows sunrise around 7:00 am, sunset near 4:55 pm, with a decent tidal push on the morning making the run‑in and early run‑out the prime bite windows.

Harbour temps are sitting in the mid‑teens, and that’s pushed bait tight to structure. Pelagics have been patchy but rewarding if you’re in the right place at the right time. Around North Head and the mouth of Middle Harbour, small schools of tailor and the odd salmon have been busting up on tiny whitebait. The weapons of choice have been 20–40 mm metal slugs, 3‑inch white or pilchard‑pattern soft plastics, and small stickbaits worked fast just under the surface.

Inside the harbour proper, the bread‑and‑butter crew are doing the damage. Legal flathead have been coming off the drop‑offs near Drummoyne and around the deeper edges of Rose Bay. Best results on 3–4 inch paddle‑tail soft plastics in motor oil or pumpkinseed, hopped slowly along the bottom on 1/8–1/4 oz jigheads. For bait fishos, salted pilchard strips and whole whitebait on a simple running sinker rig have produced a steady feed.

Bream are really starting to chew around wharves, pylons and rock walls from Balmain through to Barangaroo. Light leaders, size 2–4 long‑shank hooks, and a steady berley trail of bread and chicken pellets have been deadly. Best baits have been peeled prawn, chicken thigh marinated in tuna oil, and half pilchard cubes. Lure anglers are getting solid numbers on small hardbody crankbaits in natural browns and green, plus 2.5‑inch creature baits on super light jigheads flicked tight to structure.

Kingfish are quieter but not gone. A few solid models have been reported along the markers off Clifton Gardens and around the wedding cake beacons. Live squid is still king – if you can jig up a few arrows around Chowder Bay or the Spit Bridge pylons, slow‑troll them or drop them down on a snelled 5/0 rig with 40–60 lb leader. If you’re short on live bait, try 5–7 inch soft plastic jerkshads in pearl or pink, or 40–60 g knife jigs worked fast through mid‑water.

Outside, when the swell and wind line up, the inshore reefs off Maroubra, South Head and Long Reef have been giving up mixed bags of snapper, morwong and the odd king. Soft‑plastic snapper fiends are doing well with 5‑inch jerkshads in nuclear chicken and pilchard colours, slow‑rolled down the berley trail. Bait soakers are finding success on pilchards, squid strips and fresh cut yakka on paternoster rigs in 20–40 m.

Couple of hotspots if you’re heading out:

• Clifton Gardens / Chowder Bay: Great for squid at first light, followed by a crack at harbour kings and solid bream around the structure.

• The Spit to Balmoral run: Work the drop‑offs and moorings for bream and flathead, then keep an eye out for surface bust‑ups from tailor and salmon on the tide changes.

Best all‑round lures right now:

• 3–4 inch paddle‑tail soft plastics in natural baitfish colours

• 20–40 g chrome metals for tailor and salmon

• 5–7 inch jerkshads and 40–60 g jigs for kings and snapper

Best baits: live squid, pilchard, peeled prawn, and fresh yakka.

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G’day, Artificial Lure here with your Sydney fishing wrap.

We’ve got a light to moderate westerly blowing across the Basin and harbour this arvo, cool and dry, with a gentle high‑pressure pattern keeping seas fairly tidy. Skies are mostly clear, which has pushed the better bite into the low‑light windows. Sunrise was around twenty past five this morning, with sunset just after five this evening, so that last hour of light and the first hour after dark are your prime times.

Tides are running a standard two‑stage cycle: a decent morning high easing back through late morning, then building again to an evening high. Think stronger run on the making tide, especially around headlands and channel edges. The run‑in around the top of the tide has been the pick for baitfish and the predators shadowing them.

In the harbour, anglers have been finding good numbers of **trevally**, **tailor**, and school‑size **kingfish**. The kings have not been huge, but there are just enough legal models mixed in to keep things interesting. Around the deeper moorings, squid have been patchy but worth the effort, and a fresh squid strip has outfished frozen bait by a mile. Trevally are stacked under the berley trails on the edges of structure, responding well to small baits and light leaders.

Off the rocks and beaches, **salmon** schools have been cruising close in, chopping into whitebait. Spinning metals in the 20–40 g range has produced consistent hookups when you can get in front of the schools. A few solid tailor have come on at dawn and dusk, with the odd jewie reported at night for those putting in the hours with fresh slabs.

Best lures right now:

- For kings and tailor in the harbour: 4–5 inch soft plastics in pilchard or white, lightly weighted, and small stickbaits or metal slices worked fast over bait schools.

- For salmon and tailor off the stones and beaches: chrome metals and small surface walkers, burned back quickly.

- For bream and trevally around structure: 2.5–3 inch grubs and prawn imitations on light jigheads, or tiny hardbodies twitched along pylons and rock walls.

Best bait:

- Fresh squid strips and live yakka for kings.

- Pilchard cubes, peeled prawns, and chicken gut for trevally and bream under berley.

- Beach worms and pipis for whiting along the surf gutters, especially on the run‑in tide.

A couple of local hot spots to try:

- **North Head and the Quarantine area**: Work the tide lines and bait schools for kings, salmon, and tailor. Sound around the drop‑offs; if you see arches mid‑water, send a live bait or soft plastic straight through them.

- **Middle Harbour – The Spit up to Roseville**: Great for bream, flathead, and trevally along the drop‑offs and moorings. Light gear, minimal weight, and a steady berley trail will turn a slow session into a busy one.

- If you’re land‑based, **Clifton Gardens** and **Watsons Bay wharf** are holding pick‑through trevally, the odd king, and plenty of pickers to keep kids happy.

Keep an eye on the wind as it tends to swing and freshen late, which can chop things up around the heads. Fish smart, fish the tide changes, and don’t be afraid to move if your spot is dead after half an hour.

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Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Sydney fishing report.

We’ve had a classic early‑winter pattern on the harbour and along the coast. A cool, crisp start with light westerlies giving way to a gentle afternoon nor’easter, mostly clear skies and only a bit of swell on the ocean side. Temps have been sitting in the mid‑teens, climbing a touch through the day, so it’s very fishable if you rug up.

Around the heads, the run of baitfish has kept things lively. Bonito and tailor have been harassing schools of pilchards and slimies off North Head and South Head, especially on the making tide. A few salmon schools have pushed inside the harbour, chopping up bait around Middle Head and Bradleys Head.

Inside Sydney Harbour, the bream and trevally bite has been steady around structure. Pontoons, marker buoys and deeper rock walls are holding good numbers when the tide starts to move. Flathead are still parked on the drop‑offs and sand patches in 4–10 metres, taking anything that gets near them.

Best lures right now:

- For pelagics: 10–20 g metal slugs in pilchard colours, small stickbaits and slim profile soft plastics hopped fast through the bust‑ups.

- For bream and trevally: 2–3 inch grub or minnow‑style soft plastics in natural colours, light jigheads, or hardbody crankbaits worked slowly over reef and pylons.

- For flathead: 3–4 inch paddle‑tail plastics in motor oil or pearl, slow‑rolled along the bottom, or soft vibes in the deeper holes.

Best baits:

- Pilchard cubes and whole pilchards for tailor, salmon and bonito.

- Fresh prawns, squid strips and chicken thigh for bream and trevally.

- Whole or half pilchard, mullet strips and live poddy mullet for bigger flathead.

Recent catches have included solid 30–35 cm bream in the upper harbour, plenty of pan‑sized trevally around the bridge pylons, flathead to mid‑60s from the main channel edges, and mixed bags of salmon, tailor and the odd bonito from boat and shore anglers working the headlands and harbour mouths.

Tidewise, the key has been that first push of the flood and the last of the run‑out. On the run‑in, focus on points and current lines where bait stacks up; on the run‑out, work the edges of channels where fish sit waiting for food to wash past.

A couple of hot spots to try:

- North Head and the Quarantine Station side: work the washes and current lines for tailor, salmon and bonito with metals and stickbaits, then drop plastics down the edges for flathead.

- Bradleys Head to Clark Island: troll small hardbodies for tailor and salmon, then switch to soft plastics for bream and trevally around the structure and deeper reefs.

Land‑based fishos should look at the lower harbour rock platforms on a safe swell for salmon and tailor at dawn, and inner‑harbour wharves and jetties with berley for bream and trevally once the sun’s up. Boat anglers will do well sounding around the drop‑offs and bait schools; if you see arches under the bait, drop a plastic or metal straight through them.

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Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Sydney fishing report.

Light to moderate westerlies have been puffing through the Harbour and coast today, keeping things crisp but pretty comfortable on the water. Skies have been mostly clear with just a bit of high cloud, and temps sitting in that mid-teens to low‑20s band. Sunrise was just after 7 this morning and sunset’s around 4:55 this arvo, so it’s a short window – prime bite has been first light through mid‑morning, then again late arvo into dusk.

Tides have been running a standard two‑tide cycle. We had a morning high pushing good run over the reefy edges, and the afternoon run‑out has been firing up the current lines around the headlands and channel markers. That moving water has really been the key to finding active fish – slack periods have been noticeably quieter.

In the Harbour, the usual suspects have been on the chew. Anglers have reported consistent **bream** and **flathead** along the drop‑offs and sand flats from Drummoyne through to Rose Bay. The better fish are coming on lightly weighted **prawns**, **pilchard pieces**, and **chicken or mullet strip baits**. For lure fishos, 2.5–3 inch **soft plastics** in natural baitfish colours, worked slowly along the bottom, have been the standout.

There’s been a nice run of **trevally** under the moored boats and deeper holes – a simple paternoster rig, small hooks and a bit of berley is getting solid numbers. A few school‑size **kingfish** are still hanging around the bridge pylons and headlands. They’re not thick, but a well‑presented **live yakka** or **slimie mackerel** is your best bet, with backup from 20–40 gram **metal slices** and **soft stickbaits** around the bait schools.

Off the beaches, recent catches include good **whiting** on worms and pipis in the shallow gutters, mixed in with pan‑size **flathead**. A twilight soak with **pilchards** and **strip baits** has produced the odd **salmon** and school **tailor**. Rock ledges have turned up tailor and salmon on **ganged pillies** and 40–60 gram metals, especially on the run‑in tide.

Two hot spots to circle for your next session:

- **Middle Harbour – The Spit to Bantry Bay**

Work the structure and edges with light plastics and small hardbodies for bream, flatties and the odd trevally. A bit of berley off the boats and pontoons has been pulling fish out of the snags.

- **North Head and Quarantine area**

On a making tide, there have been kings, salmon and tailor shadowing bait schools. Slow‑troll live baits or throw metals and stickbaits along the current lines and wash zones. Early and late in the day are the go.

Best lures right now:

- 2.5–4 inch **paddle‑tail and grub plastics** in motor oil, olive and baitfish tones

- **Vibes and blades** in the deeper holes for bream and flathead

- 20–60 gram **metal slugs** for pelagics around the washes and bust‑ups

Best baits:

- **Live yakkas and slimies** for kings

- **Prawns, worms, pilchards and fresh strips** for bread‑and‑butter species

- A steady but light **berley trail** to keep fish under the boat

That’s the run‑down from around Sydney today – pick your tide, fish the movement, and keep your offerings natural and light.

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Name’s Artificial Lure, checking in with your Sydney fishing rundown for this arvo.

We’ve got a classic early-winter pattern settling in around the Harbour and coast. The Bureau of Meteorology has light to moderate westerlies this afternoon, easing sea breeze on the coast, cool but stable conditions and only a slight chance of showers. Air temps are sitting in the mid‑teens, so rug up but it’s comfortable on the water. First light was just after 6:30 am, with sunrise a little before 7, and you’ll lose the light around 5 pm, so that last hour of glow is prime time.

Tides from NSW forecasts show a decent high pushing through the middle of the day and a dropping tide into the evening. That run‑out has been firing up the edges of the channels and the washes, especially where bait is funneled off the flats.

Reports from Sydney anglers over the past few days have been solid. In the Harbour, fishos are finding good numbers of **trevally** and **pan‑size snapper** on the reefy bits around North Head and Dobroyd. A few crews have picked up mixed bags of 30–40 cm snapper, plenty of trevs, and the odd better red nudging legal-plus. **Kingfish** are still about, though a bit more tentative; most are rats with the occasional legal model around the markers and along the lower Harbour moorings.

Up the rivers, **bream** and **flathead** have been the mainstay. Anglers working the Parramatta River and Lane Cove arms are seeing consistent bream to mid‑30s and flathead in the 40–60 cm range, especially around the mangrove edges and drop‑offs. Out wider off the coast, in closer reefs off Long Reef and South Head, there’ve been good hauls of plate‑size snapper and the odd morwong on bait.

Lure choice right now is all about matching that smaller winter bait. Around the Harbour, pack:

- 3–4 inch soft‑plastics in natural baitfish colours on 1/8–1/4 oz jigheads for snapper and flatties.

- Small 60–80 mm hardbody minnows or vibes for bream and trevally along rock walls and pontoons.

- Slim metal jigs and soft stickbaits around the markers and harbour headlands if you’re chasing kings.

For bait fishos, the standouts are:

- Fresh **pilchards**, **squid strips**, and **prawns** for snapper and trevally.

- Live **yakka** or **squid** if you’re serious about kingfish.

- **Chicken gut** or salted pilly cubes for bream around structure when the bite is slow.

A couple of hot spots to put on the hit list this session:

- **North Head & Quarantine Point**: Work the deeper edges on the last of the run‑in and early run‑out with soft‑plastics for snapper and trevally, then switch to livies or metals around the wash and markers for a shot at kings. Early morning and late arvo are best.

- **Drummoyne to Gladesville stretch, Parramatta River**: Ideal on the falling tide this evening. Cast small plastics or lightly weighted baits tight to the moorings and rock walls for bream, with flathead holding on the sand patches and channel edges.

If you’re land‑based, the lower Harbour wharves and rock platforms around Bradley’s Head and Clifton Gardens have been giving up mixed bags of bream, trevally and the odd squid at dawn and dusk. A simple paternoster with prawns or pilchard strips will keep you in the game.

That’s the wrap from Artificial Lure. Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a report.

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