THE DOWNRIGGER SHOP FIELD GUIDE
Start with a wreck in the area you want to fish, check its depth, then have a look at the fish reported there. There is plenty of variety around Sydney, from the harbour wrecks to deeper water off the Northern Beaches and Royal National Park.
ON THE WATER
At Valiant, first decide which bait the next part of your trip needs. Andrew has found plenty of yellowtail there and still moved because they were larger than he wanted. A busy screen is a reason to investigate; the fish you bring up tell you whether the stop is doing its job.
Annie Miller provides the jigging lesson. Find bait and larger returns above the wreck, note their depth and work that band. A balanced outfit makes repeated drops easier. If the line is sweeping away before the jig reaches the marks, reset the drift or change weight. Keep room for dive boats and people in the water.
Read Andrew’s Valiant bait decisions ↗GET TO KNOW THE AREA
Centurion, Centennial and Itata are the three harbour wrecks in this guide. Baitfish and tailor have been reported at Centurion. The other two have depth and wreck information, with habitat-based species suggestions shown separately from catch reports.
Valiant sits in about 27 metres, while several wrecks around Long Reef and the Northern Beaches are in the mid-40s to around 50 metres. Compare those depths when choosing your gear and deciding where to start.
Annie M Miller, Tuggerah and Undola are offshore wrecks with different fish reported around them. Dunbar is quite different: its remains are spread over a broad area below South Head. Open the cards below to compare their depths and locations.
Andrew’s jigging guide uses Annie Miller sounder images to show what to look for around a wreck. Fish can sit above the structure, so check their depth before sending the jig straight to the bottom.
EXPLORE THE MARKS
Search by spot name, fish species or fishing method, then open a mark on the map.
14 of 14 marks shown
Broken Bay offshore
A published localised wreck reference with tourism-supported reports of bream, bullseye, yellowtail and occasional yellowtail kingfish.
View on interactive mapNamed in fishing sources. Reports may be historical and do not confirm a current bite.
Documented coastal wreck structure and surrounding seabed. These are habitat-based suggestions, not recorded catches at this wreck.
Species reviewed 14 Oct 2026Source datum: WGS84. GPX download available in the map.
Published WGS84 localised reference, treated as approximate rather than surveyed precision.
Planning reference only. Verify independently and do not anchor onto, attach gear to, disturb or remove material from the wreck.
Cannae Point inside North Head, Sydney Harbour
An official WGS84 reference for the protected Centurion wreck inside North Head. Heritage NSW records substantial buried hull remains, deck frames, mast sections and anchor chain on the site.
View on interactive mapNamed in fishing sources. Reports may be historical and do not confirm a current bite.
Sheltered harbour structure and neighbouring sand. These are regional and habitat-based suggestions, not catches reported at this wreck.
These broad or unresolved labels are retained as source history and are not extra target suggestions.
Jigging · Sounder monitoring
Fishabout Sydney Harbour reports tailor at the wreck during September. This is an attributed seasonal observation, not a catch forecast.
Source datum: WGS84. GPX download available in the map.
Official Heritage NSW WGS84 coordinate with the southern sign restored from the explicit Sydney Harbour locality.
Protected historic shipwreck within North Harbour Aquatic Reserve. Line fishing is limited to finfish; do not target squid or other invertebrates and do not spearfish. Do not anchor onto the wreck or seagrass, attach gear, disturb it or remove material. Check current harbour dietary advice and fishing rules.
Dover Heights offshore, Eastern Sydney
An official converted WGS84 reference for the substantially collapsed Annie M Miller wreck on sand abreast of Rosa Gully.
View on interactive mapDocumented coastal wreck structure and surrounding seabed. These are habitat-based suggestions, not recorded catches at this wreck.
Recorded underwater observations, rather than angling catch reports.
These broad or unresolved labels are retained as source history and are not extra target suggestions.
Source datum: WGS84. GPX download available in the map.
Heritage NSW identifies the original record as AGD66 and supplies the selected WGS84 conversion. The source AGD66 value is not plotted directly.
Protected historic shipwreck and the site of six deaths. Use this only as a planning reference. Do not anchor onto it, attach gear, disturb it or remove material, and check current rules before visiting.
Fish Reef, Dee Why offshore
An official WGS84 reference for the former anti-submarine vessel and later kerosene carrier scuttled at Fish Reef as the Meggol.
View on interactive mapDocumented coastal wreck structure and surrounding seabed. These are habitat-based suggestions, not recorded catches at this wreck.
Species reviewed 14 Oct 2026Source datum: WGS84. GPX download available in the map.
Official Heritage NSW WGS84 coordinate, reproduced without adjustment.
Planning reference only. Heritage NSW records the wreck as not protected, but current rules may change. Do not anchor onto it, attach gear, disturb it or remove material.
Long Reef offshore artificial reef area
An official approximate reference for the steel bucket dredge scuttled off Collaroy. The wreck sits in the Long Reef artificial reef area and retains recognisable dredge structure.
View on interactive mapDocumented coastal wreck structure and surrounding seabed. These are habitat-based suggestions, not recorded catches at this wreck.
Recorded underwater observations, rather than angling catch reports.
These broad or unresolved labels are retained as source history and are not extra target suggestions.
Source datum: AGD66. GPX export is not available for this coordinate.
Official Heritage NSW AGD66 coordinate. It is intentionally not relabelled as WGS84, so GPX export is unavailable and a datum-related offset may exist.
Planning reference only. Heritage NSW records the wreck as not protected, but current rules may change. Do not anchor onto it, attach gear, disturb it or remove material.
Long Reef offshore artificial reef area
An official approximate reference for the large scuttled Dee Why ferry. A current dive-site account describes the bow, stern, four boilers and connecting keel structure, with the collapsed Meggol wreck nearby.
View on interactive mapDocumented coastal wreck structure and surrounding seabed. These are habitat-based suggestions, not recorded catches at this wreck.
Recorded underwater observations, rather than angling catch reports.
Species reviewed 14 Oct 2026A dive operator reports Port Jackson sharks in large numbers during winter. This is an attributed underwater observation, not a catch forecast.
Source datum: AGD66. GPX export is not available for this coordinate.
Official Heritage NSW AGD66 coordinate. It is intentionally not relabelled as WGS84, so GPX export is unavailable and a datum-related offset may exist.
Planning reference only. Verify the position and current rules independently. Do not anchor onto the wreck, attach gear, disturb it or remove material.
Long Reef, Northern Beaches
An official approximate AGD66 reference for the iron steamship wreck north of Long Reef. Heritage NSW identifies the engine as the dominant remaining feature.
View on interactive mapDocumented coastal wreck structure and surrounding seabed. These are habitat-based suggestions, not recorded catches at this wreck.
Species reviewed 14 Oct 2026Source datum: AGD66. GPX export is not available for this coordinate.
Official Heritage NSW AGD66 coordinate. It is intentionally not relabelled as WGS84, so GPX export is unavailable and a datum-related offset may exist.
Protected historic shipwreck. Use this only as a planning reference. Do not anchor onto it, attach gear, disturb it or remove material, and check current heritage, reserve and fishing rules before visiting.
North Head offshore, Sydney Harbour entrance
An official bow reference for the low-relief Malachite wreck north of North Head. Heritage NSW reports the stern on rock, the bow on sand and rock piles on both sides of the hull.
View on interactive mapDocumented coastal wreck structure and surrounding seabed. These are habitat-based suggestions, not recorded catches at this wreck.
Species reviewed 14 Oct 2026Source datum: WGS84. GPX download available in the map.
Official Heritage NSW WGS84 coordinate, reproduced without adjustment.
Planning reference only. Verify current wreck-protection status and local rules before visiting. Do not anchor onto it, attach gear, disturb it or remove material.
Northern Beaches, off Whale Beach/Avalon
A documented Northern Beaches wreck whose fish-life context includes large schools of fish, whiting and frequent wobbegongs.
View on interactive mapNamed in fishing sources. Reports may be historical and do not confirm a current bite.
Documented coastal wreck structure and surrounding seabed. These are habitat-based suggestions, not recorded catches at this wreck.
Species reviewed 14 Oct 2026Source datum: WGS84. GPX download available in the map.
Official Heritage NSW WGS84 coordinate, reproduced without adjustment.
Planning reference only. Observe wildlife without interference and do not anchor onto, attach gear to, disturb or remove material from the wreck.
Royal National Park offshore
A published approximate reference for the protected historic wreck. PADI and Zentacle separately report fish life around the wreck and bow.
View on interactive mapNamed in fishing sources. Reports may be historical and do not confirm a current bite.
Documented coastal wreck structure and surrounding seabed. These are habitat-based suggestions, not recorded catches at this wreck.
These broad or unresolved labels are retained as source history and are not extra target suggestions.
Source datum unknown. GPX export is not available for this coordinate.
Published approximate PADI web-map coordinate with no explicit datum declaration. The Heritage NSW AGD66 entry has an apparent latitude-sign issue and no usable conversion; no repair or silent transformation was made.
Protected historic wreck and the site of six deaths in deep offshore water. Use this only as a planning reference and verify independently. Do not anchor onto it, attach gear, disturb it or remove material. Check current weather, current, vessel capability, heritage and fishing rules.
Royal National Park offshore
A protected historic wreck at an official WGS84 position, with the Australian Museum independently documenting a school of redfish on the wreck.
View on interactive mapNamed in fishing sources. Reports may be historical and do not confirm a current bite.
Documented coastal wreck structure and surrounding seabed. These are habitat-based suggestions, not recorded catches at this wreck.
Species reviewed 14 Oct 2026Source datum: WGS84. GPX download available in the map.
Official Heritage NSW WGS84 coordinate, reproduced without adjustment.
Protected historic wreck. Do not anchor onto it, attach gear, disturb it or remove material; check current heritage and fishing rules before visiting.
Salt Pan Creek, Long Bay, Middle Harbour
An official WGS84 reference for the protected Itata wreck in Salt Pan Creek. Sydney Dive Charters reports a shallow wreck with abundant fish but limited visibility; no named species are inferred.
View on interactive mapSheltered harbour structure and neighbouring sand. These are regional and habitat-based suggestions, not catches reported at this wreck.
Species reviewed 14 Oct 2026Source datum: WGS84. GPX download available in the map.
Official Heritage NSW WGS84 coordinate, reproduced without adjustment.
Protected historic shipwreck in Middle Harbour. Limited underwater visibility is reported. Do not anchor onto it, attach gear, disturb it or remove material. Check current harbour closures, dietary advice, vessel traffic and fishing rules before visiting.
South Head, north of the Signal Station
An official approximate AGD66 reference for the protected Dunbar wreck below South Head. The remains are broken up and spread across a broad area, with anchor, chain and ballast among the surviving features.
View on interactive mapDocumented coastal wreck structure and surrounding seabed. These are habitat-based suggestions, not recorded catches at this wreck.
Species reviewed 14 Oct 2026Source datum: AGD66. GPX export is not available for this coordinate.
Official Heritage NSW AGD66 coordinate. It is intentionally not relabelled as WGS84, so GPX export is unavailable and a datum-related offset may exist.
Protected historic wreck and the site of a major loss of life. The debris is spread across shallow, exposed water below cliffs. This is not an anchoring or safe-navigation point. Do not disturb or remove material, and check current swell, vessel traffic, heritage and fishing rules.
Taylors Bay, Sydney Harbour
An official approximate AGD66 reference for one of Sydney Harbour's largest shipwrecks, the iron steamer Centennial, sunk in Taylors Bay after a collision in 1889.
View on interactive mapSheltered harbour structure and neighbouring sand. These are regional and habitat-based suggestions, not catches reported at this wreck.
Species reviewed 14 Oct 2026Source datum: AGD66. GPX export is not available for this coordinate.
Official Heritage NSW AGD66 coordinate. It is intentionally not relabelled as WGS84, so GPX export is unavailable and a datum-related offset may exist.
Protected historic shipwreck inside Sydney Harbour. Use this only as a planning reference. Do not anchor onto it, attach gear, disturb it or remove material. Check current harbour closures, dietary advice, vessel traffic and fishing rules before visiting.
FISHING TIPS & TRIP REPORTS
Match the jig to the depth and current, then work the water where fish are showing.
Andrew’s practical account of choosing bait, watching the sounder and knowing when to change the plan.
Andrew’s examples of structure, bait and fish on the screen, and what to do with that information.
Andrew’s fishing tips for small jigs.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Choose a wreck at a depth you are comfortable fishing, then compare the species and fishing notes in its card. Andrew’s Valiant and jigging articles below give you a closer look at how he approaches a session.
Choose “View on interactive map” on a card, then use Copy coordinates or Copy link. The map help guide explains how to save, share and plan with them.
KEEP EXPLORING
Explore Sydney fishing marks from Long Reef and The Peak to the Twelve Miler, Browns Mountain and Bate Bay, with map links and Andrew’s fishing reports.
Explore the guide 14 fishing marksFind Central Coast reefs and wrecks around Terrigal, Bateau Bay, The Entrance and Norah Head. Open each mark on the NSW fishing map.
Explore the guide 17 fishing marksExplore Wollongong, Bulli, Bass Point, Kiama and Gerringong fishing marks. See fish species, depths and locations on the map.
Explore the guideMAKE A SHORTLIST
Find a boat ramp, choose your fishing spots and save them in Trip Planner.