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NATURAL HISTORY

Twenty thousand years ago, however, was a different story! The earth was ending an ice age and sea levels were rising. What is now the continental shelf off Jervis Bay (the locals say ‘Jurvis’) were mountain ranges to the east. Around 7500 years ago the coastline as we know it today took its present form and the traditional landowners took up residence in this part of the world. Hundreds of Aboriginal sites have been identified right around the Shoalhaven region and even the untrained can identify the middens, the piles of shells from an easily acquired meal. Jervis Bay is a testament to green triumph of sorts. Had plans from the 1960s to the 1990s eventuated, we could have seen the establishment of a city on the northern side, a Navy ammunition storage and wharf facilities, a petrochemical complex, a steelworks on a 6500ha site at Callala, major port facilities and, to top it all off, a nuclear power plant came within a whisker of being built at Murrays Beach in what is now the Booderee National Park! These developments would have destroyed the Bay forever but thankfully we now retain over 50km of unspoilt coastline with beaches that have the whitest sand in the world and water where dolphins and whales. One can only imagine the quality of the fishing prior to European settlement and even in the 1960s local fishermen could pole 3 tonnes of 20-30kg kingfish in an afternoon off Honeymoon Bay.

MARINE PARK

Unlike the establishment of other Marine Protected Areas in NSW, JB had a good consultation period, from 1998-2002. Not everyone was going to be happy with the outcome but you can’t please them all. The upside to all the politics and extreme-green-lockout madness is that the fishing got better, a lot better, and with the combination of the removal of much of the unsustainable, destructive commercial netting effort and the establishment of the NSW recreational fishing havens, the fish were finally given a chance to go about their business and replenish the system. So gone are the days of netting the estuaries, hauling the pilchards, dredging the scallops, trawling the bay for flathead and squid and 10 years on the place is in better shape. JB is a year-round fishery in that crossover zone between tropical and temperate zones and at certain times of year you can catch bream, snapper, salmon, bonito, kingfish and small black marlin within 100m of each other. If there’s anywhere else in the world that that can be done then I want to hear about it!

EXPLORE JB

Jervis Bay is now divided into marine park and Commonwealth waters (Booderee National Park) and rules apply, particularly in the sanctuary zones or no-take areas. Booderee also has a no jet ski or towing policy (tubes and water skiing, etc) to protect the little penguins, and no anchoring in less than 10m to protect vital seagrass habitat. Best thing is to get a map and avoid the $500 fine for fishing where you shouldn’t. Simple. JB is a very large body of water, 14km from end to end and nearly 10km across. The weather in this part of the world can change at the drop of a hat and if you get caught out, your day can turn from paradise to your worst nightmare in minutes. Westerly changes in late Winter and Spring come with no telltale line of cloud and can generate up to 2.5m waves going out of the bay! Top priority is check your weather, have a marine radio and know how log on to Marine Rescue if you’re venturing more than a few miles from help. Have a good anchor with at least the length of your boat in chain and at least 150m of rope if you’re heading offshore and under the cliffs. You can be 50m off the cliffs and in 40m of water at times. Consider hiring a guide or a booking an offshore fishing charter. There are only three operators in JB and weekends are usually booked well in advance. See the fact box for more info.

FISHING JB

Catching a feed isn’t tough. Calamari are thick around the edges where there is clear water and seagrass. Drift for flatties in the middle of the bay with a paternoster rig. Laying down a berley trail where rock meets sand (5-10m in the Bay and 25-35m offshore) works for reef fish. Fish lightly weighted floaters for best results although be prepared to catch 500,000 Port Jackson sharks over the Winter months. Soft plastics really come into their own for reds with the 5” Gulp Jerkshad in nuclear chicken on a 1/6oz head hard to beat. The Bay has snapper year round but Winter is prime time for the bigger models. Please consider releasing all snapper over 60cm because they are prime breeding stock and you won’t starve if you choose to let the fish breed another day. Come Summer and Autumn the pelagics really come into their own and the kingfish have bounced back from brink following the ban on floating traps a decade ago. The average Summer king is now 80-90cm on some reefs with fish to 40kg a real possibility. Leave the bream gear at home! Minimum 50lb braid and 80lb leader with a live slimy mackerel or yellowtail will do the job – if you can dodge the seals. Under Point Perpendicular in 20m is the best place to start but be aware The Tubes, a world-famous land-based game fishing destination is about 400m from the point. Exercise caution and keep your distance from the rocks. Last Summer there were at least two LBG marlin cut off by unsuspecting skippers.