Penguin Head (Culburra Beach)

Penguin Head is the narrow rocky finger at the southern end of Culburra Beach, a street of houses running out to a lookout with ocean on three sides. Its ledges are low, flat and ringed by kelp and white water, which is exactly what black drummer and luderick want. The protected gutter on the south side and the flat ocean-facing ledges are the spots for drummer, salmon and tailor. It also has a lookout car park about a hundred metres from the fishing, which on this stretch of coast counts as luxury.

Drummer are fished close in, under the foam on the edge of the washes, with a short heavy rod, no float or a small one, and a bait of cunjevoi, bread, peeled prawn or green weed. Berley with bread and a little sand to hold fish in the gutter. Luderick come to a float with green weed in the same washes through the cooler months. Salmon and tailor are taken by spinning metals or floating a ganged pilchard into the white water at first and last light. Squid hang around the kelp in the calmer bays on either side — a 2.5–3.0 size jig works the edges on a still evening.

Black drummer (rock blackfish) are 30 cm minimum with a bag of 10. Luderick are 27 cm with a bag of 10, bream 25 cm on a bag of 10 shared with tarwhine, and tailor 30 cm with a bag of 10. Australian salmon have no minimum size and a bag of 5, and squid have no size limit with a combined bag of 20 across squid and cuttlefish. Eastern blue groper can't be taken by any method in NSW until the end of February 2028 — release any you hook.

Fish the south-side gutter when the swell is from the north-east and the north side when it is from the south — the point usually gives you a lee somewhere. Drummer pull hard for the kelp in the first two seconds; lock the drag and lift. Octopus cannot be taken from ocean rock platforms anywhere in NSW, so leave them in the rock pools. Bring your own bait and berley — there is no tackle shop on the point.

Drive to the end of Penguin Head Road, where there is a turning circle and small parking area at the lookout. From there it is a short but unformed scramble down to the ledges, with no handrails — check the route in daylight before you fish it at dawn. Culburra Beach village, with shops and toilets, is a few minutes' drive back up the road. The platforms are not suitable for young children or anyone unsteady on rock.

This is open ocean rock, so swell size and direction decide everything. A swell under about 1.5 m with a light offshore wind is the time; anything bigger washes the low ledges completely. The point gives a lee on one side or the other in most directions, but big south-east swells wrap round both. Salmon and tailor bite best with some white water, while drummer prefer a moderate wash rather than a flat sea.

Penguin Head is exposed ocean rock with deep water close in, and waves can sweep the low ledges without warning even on a moderate day — check the swell forecast, watch a full set break for at least 10 minutes before you walk down, keep off low, wet rock, and never turn your back on the sea. Shoalhaven is not one of the ten declared rock-fishing lifejacket areas, but a lifejacket is strongly recommended on any rock exposed to ocean swell. Wear cleated or felt-soled shoes and light clothing you can swim in, fish with someone, and set up where you can retreat uphill. The scramble down from the lookout is steep and loose. If you are washed in, swim away from the rocks, float and signal; if someone else is, don't go in after them — throw something that floats and call 000.

Black drummer, luderick, bream, Australian salmon, tailor and squid. Black drummer must be 30 cm with a bag of 10 and tailor 30 cm with a bag of 10, while salmon have no size limit and a bag of 5. Eastern blue groper can't be taken by any method in NSW until the end of February 2028 — release any you hook.

Shoalhaven is not one of the ten declared rock-fishing lifejacket areas, but a lifejacket is strongly recommended. Penguin Head is exposed ocean rock where waves can wash over the low ledges.

Park at the lookout at the end of Penguin Head Road and scramble down to the ledges. The route is short but unformed and steep, with no rails, so check it in daylight first.

No. Penguin Head is north of the Jervis Bay Marine Park, which starts at Kinghorne Point on the Beecroft Peninsula. Standard NSW bag and size limits apply.