The south coast of New South Wales is famous for its game fishing, and Narooma is no exception. This is close to where the East Australian Current (EAC) meets the cooler waters coming from the south, resulting in some of the best sportfishing in the world. From huge Striped Marlin to record-breaking Southern Bluefin and Yellowfin Tuna, this part of the NSW coastline deserves its place on the list of the planet’s top sportfishing destinations.
But what makes this town particularly special is the fact that Narooma fishing charters don’t only focus on the big game. This is a perfect place to come for enjoyable reef fishing or light tackle fishing, too. So come along and bring the family!
Known for
Narooma’s name come's from the Aboriginal word for ‘clear blue waters.’ And it's these sapphire waters that are home to a famously rich oyster community, as well as seals, nurse sharks, and several species of whale. Overlooked by the mighty Gulaga (previously known as Mt Dromedary), the town is surrounded by nature on all sides. Not a bad place to take your family fishing, then.
Narooma is one of the few places in the world where the unspoiled nature on land only gets better when you get out to sea. All its immediate waterways are part of Batemans Marine Park, which runs out to 3 miles offshore. While this has put a stop to commercial techniques such as trawling, dredging, and longlining, there are few restrictions on recreational fishing in the area. This means the quality of the catches over recent years has been getting better and better and fish are thiriving in the local estuaries, mangroves, kelp beds, and rocky reefs.
Go beyond this marine paradise into deep waters, and the fishing just keeps on getting better. Most charters take their customers to explore the waters around Montague Island, a National Parks and Wildlife Reserve that’s 9 km (5 ½ miles) east of town. Even without a rod in hand, this is an attractive place to visit, with its picturesque historical lighthouse, colony of little penguins, and resident seal population on the northern shore.
But mention the island to a local fisherman, and they’ll only want to talk about one thing: the amazing Yellowtail Kingfish you can find here. The local reefs are also productive year round for species such as Snapper, Flathead, Trumpeters, Perch, and Morwong. It’s no wonder, then, that this is one of the most popular fishing spots around.
Look east out of Montague Island, and if you could see through the water, you'd be looking at the edge of the continental shelf. Take a short boat ride southeast, and you’ll be fishing over “the kink,” where baitfish attract Marlin, Tuna, Mahi Mahi, and Wahoo. Due east of the island, and Montague Canyon tells a similar story. Two miles northeast of the island, the Narooma FAD attracts Mahi Mahi and much more. With reefs and big game a stone throw from each other, this is a place where full day charters really can give you the best of both worlds.
Back on the coast, and there’s still plenty to keep anglers busy. Fishing from the rocks and beaches can get you Australian Salmon (Kahawai), as well as Tailor, Drummer, and Blackfish. Meanwhile, fishing Narooma’s Wagonga Inlet results in good catches of Flathead, Whiting, Bream, and Jewfish. The town’s 5 all-weather boat ramps offer great facilities to locals in their “tinnies,” while charter boats are moored just a couple of minutes from Wagonga Head and the open ocean.
Techniques
A favourite technique of local skippers in Narooma is casting for Yellowtail Kingfish with light tackle and jigs. Live baiting is another super productive way of getting your hands on these impressively hard fighters, with “yakkas” (yellowtail scad) and slimy mackerel being particularly popular.
When it comes to big game, the name of the game for Tuna fishing around the Oyster Coast is “cubing” (chumming) the waters and sight fishing for schools of huge Southern Bluefin. Otherwise, you can never go wrong with trolling with bait—just look out for inquisitive Sharks while you’re at it!
Need to know
Budget
Narooma fishing charters cost around $130-$150 AUD for a half day shared trip. If you want the full game fishing experience, expect to spend closer to $1200-$1500 for a full day.
Rules and regulations
While recreational anglers in NSW do need to purchase a fishing license before they dip a line, anglers fishing aboard a licensed charter boat will have this covered for them. They should be aware that filleting fish is not allowed on the water and must be done away from the water on land or at a designated fish cleaning area. Catch limits apply to most fish species.
Get there
Narooma is located on the Princes Highway, just under 5 hours from Sydney by car. It’s under 3 hours’ drive from the nation’s capital of Canberra, and an 8 hour drive from Melbourne.
Regular busses run to Narooma from Sydney with Premier Motor Service. The journey has a number of stops and takes about 7 hours in total. Moruya airport is about 50km (30 miles) from Narooma and has regular flights to and from Sydney and Merimbula.
What are you waiting for? It’s time to get on the water!