I'm fortunate to have visited and fished at many places around Australia. Everyone has their favourite place, a place where they feel most at home, most a part of. For me that place is Yamba. It has a bit of everything, a family connection, great fishing, great beaches, a relaxed atmosphere, a great climate and probably one of the best located pubs in Australia.
Photo is of Yamba Main Beach taken from below the lighthouse
The fishing is generally excellent. Bread and butter species such as whiting, bream, flathead and blue crabs are very common. In the river, those that target them can catch good jewfish, bass and even mangrove jacks. There is also a very healthy offshore fishery with snapper and pearl perch for the bottom fishos and tuna and both spottie and spanish mackeral for the surface fishos. I love fishing for many of these species, but for me Yamba will always make me think of the humble blackfish.
If you are going to attempt to fish for luderick (or blackfish if you prefer), then you are going to need to use an appropriate rod. This article is an attempt to list blackfish rods and rough prices as of January 2012 in one place. But first, what makes a rod appropriate for blackfish.