An action shot of a striped marlin during the fight before being tagged once caught.  

The game fishing has been the talk over the last week and weekend.  The fishing has been really good with the water temperature sitting around 24 degrees out on and over the shelf.  There is plenty being caught by some boats and others are seeing marlin but can’t get them to bite.  I’ve heard that switch baiting and skip baiting is working for the boats catching the fish.  Other boats are catching yellowfin tuna, fishing out to the 1000 fathom line, trolling lures and casting stick baits at jumping fish.  Peter McMahon landed one at 41.5kg.  It was one of four tuna landed.  These fish have been seen between Eden and Bermagui.  There are also quite a few dolphin fish being caught in that warmer water.  I’ve heard they are taking live baits while they’re being trolled for marlin.  They’re also catching some off the Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) off Merimbula by casting small live yellowtail at the FAD, and they can also be caught trolling lures.  Peter Haar’s boat, Spooky II caught a beauty going 1.3m and weighing 14.5kg.  So, while the weather holds and the water hangs around, don’t put off getting out and having a go.

In other fishing, the flathead outside could be a bit thin over the next few weeks after a commercial boat was seen trawling in closer than normal, in about 35 to 50 metres depths off Bournda to Long Point.  My suggestion is to head in closer, like the Bournda Island bay up to Turingal Head and even in the Merimbula bay to find that feed of ocean flathead over the next week or so.

The reefs still have odd snapper on them off Long Point and Haycock Point.  Plenty of small ones, but I did hear of a 60 plus caught last week.  Morwong are patchy, but good numbers of nannygai and other reef dwellers.  Fresh fishy baits and squid are your best option.  Lures are worth a try but you just never know.  There are a few bonito around the points and on the reefy areas, so the lures may catch you one.

Our beaches are still fishing well, with good catches of salmon and odd tailor being caught on Tathra Beach, North Tura Beach, Tura Beach and Haycock Beach.  There are also some nice whiting, bream and a few trevally being caught in Merimbula Lake.  At the Bega River at Tathra, they’re catching odd bream, dusky flathead, tailor and a few undersized mulloway.  At the Pambula River and Lake they’re catching whiting, bream, trevally and dusky flathead.  Baits like nippers, tuna bits and live mullet and lures are catching most of the species listed.  The rescheduled MBGLAC Dusky Challenge is set down for April 12th to 13th, so get yourselves ready and be at the club on Friday 11th April from 5.30pm to register.  Updated rules, with new fishing times will be on our website shortly.

March Marlin half-way results as per the rules:

Boat Points:  3 Phase 190 000

She Left     35 500

Sea Hog     20 000

Rumamuk           1 000

Angler Points: Ian Gullock     70 000

Stewart Jeffery     60 000

Tyrone O’Connor     25 500

Nigel Hack     20 000

Trevor Chippendale     1 000

Brendan Chippendale     1 000

York Chippendale     1 000 (Small-Fry)

There is still plenty of fishing to be had, so these standings will likely change.

The Merimbula Big Game and Lakes Club rooms are open every Friday night from  6.00pm.  Come on down and enjoy a cold beverage, catch up on the week’s fishing reports, buy a ticket or two in our raffle, sponsored by Goodalls Butchers and the Bar Beach Kiosk, and enjoy the views from within the club.

Till next week.

Fishy Fellow

Local MBGLAC junior member, Logan Walker, captured a yellowtail kingfish at Haycock Point on the 20th December 2024.

It was recaptured on the 2nd February 2025 at Montague Island by Tim Mason.  DPIRD send certificates to those that tag fish and are recaptured and Logan received this last week.  

The outside flathead fishing is still giving up a feed to those that are trying.  Boats are fishing from Bournda Island to just south of Tura Heads in depths from 30 to 45 metres.  The flathead sizes are varying from 36 to 42 centimetres with odd bigger fish in the mix.  A few gummy sharks are also being caught around the reef edges and deeper in amongst the flathead.

The reef fishing has been a bit slow.  The fish are there, but have been hard to catch.  Before the cyclone swells, there were some quality snapper caught to 55 centimetres.  Since the seas have settled down the reef fishing should still be good with the stirred up waters.

The beaches are fishing well for salmon and tailor.  Fishing the rising tide during the day  with whole pilchards being the most popular bait for the salmon and tailor.  Over the last week, Tathra Beach, Bournda Beach, Tura Beach and Quondola Beach have all been fishing the best.  They’re also catching a few salmon around the headlands and off the Tathra and Merimbula wharves.  If you’re fishing from the wharves or headlands, try floating your bait about 1.2 metres under a float and you might even catch a bonito.  The beaches have whiting and bream being caught on them at the moment.  The best beaches are Tathra, Merimbula and Pambula.  Fresh beach worms are the only bait worth using.

The estuaries are still fishing pretty well with dusky flathead, bream, trevally, some tailor, whiting, blackfish and mulloway being caught in Merimbula, Pambula, Tathra and Wonboyn Lake systems.  Lures and fresh natural baits such as nippers, prawns and live mullet baits will give you the best chance of catching a good feed.

The gamefishing was on fire early last week before the cyclonic swells slowed things down.  Over the weekend the seas settled, but the wind persisted.  Saturday was a good day weather wise, but listening to the Bermagui competition on my radio, things were a bit quiet.  45 boats and lots of 0.0.0 in the skeds.  Sunday was a rougher and windier day, which had a decent bite around the low tide change at lunch time.  A few boats out of Eden also found marlin.  The marlin bite was between 70 and 250 fathoms.  The water temperature is sitting around 24 degrees on the shelf.  Bait was patchy, but once boats found bait, they generally found marlin.

Coming Events:

March Marlin 1st to 31st March

Rescheduled Dusky Challenge 12th to 13th April

Details can be found on our website at www.mbglac.com.au.

The MBGLAC club rooms are open at 6pm every Friday night.  Come on down and enjoy a cold beverage, support the raffles sponsored by Goodalls Butchers and the Bar Beach Kiosk.  Catch up on the week’s fishing reports and meet the locals.

Till next week.

Fishy Fellow

Blain Sharman with his PB bass of 34cm, caught in the Brogo Big Bass weekend held Friday 28 February, March 1st and 2nd at Brogo Dam.

Fishing over the weekend has been pretty good on all fronts.  The outside flathead fishing is giving up a good feed, fishing between Turingal Head and just south of Tura Head.  The fish are being caught in 35 to 45 metres with flathead around 40 centimetres in length.  There have been a few gummies in the mix also.

The reef fishing has improved a bit over the weekend with some better snapper to 50 centimetres being caught along with pan-sized snapper and morwong as reported over the last few weeks.  There has also been an odd kingfish caught around the shallow Hunter and the Merimbula Wharf over the last week.  The water is still cool inshore from south of Greencape to Tathra, sitting around 19 degrees.

The offshore game fishing on the shelf is a different story with reports over the weekend of water temperatures around 24 degrees and better in places.  The fishing was exceptional.  There were plenty of marlin caught and tagged out the front of Merimbula and one species you don’t see on the far south too often, a sailfish.  Congratulations to all that caught fish.  Job well done.

The surf fishing is still very good with some exceptional salmon to 70 centimetres being caught.  The best beaches are Tathra near the river mouth, Bournda Beach, Tura Beach and they’re also catching plenty off the rocks at Tura Heads and on the Merimbula Wharf.  Bait fishing with whole pilchards and lures are catching these fish.

The estuary fishing is a bit harder at the minute.  The cooler water has slowed the dusky flathead and whiting bite down, but the bream and trevally are still feeding well.  The entrance at Mogareeka at Tathra is nearly closed.  It is very shallow, and people are walking across at any time.  There were a few jewfish caught at Tathra over the weekend but not much else.  Merimbula has bream, trevally and blackfish in the Front Lake and tailor, trevally and a few duskys in the Top Lake.

March Marlin has started with a bang with around a dozen marlin caught over the weekend.  If you are considering going out and you are a member and want your captures to count, you MUST contact someone on the game fishing Committee to register before heading to sea.  Corey, Lucas and Blain’s details are on the rules on the club website.  They can add you into the Facebook March Marlin group, so you can chat and register you are fishing for the day in the competition. Don’t forget, the FAD is back out in front of Merimbula and Eden, so it is worth a look.

The MBGLAC is open every Friday night from 6.00pm.  Come on down this Friday for the drawing of the monthly species, dusky flathead.  Enjoy a cold beverage, support our raffle, sponsored by Goodalls Butchers and Bar Beach Kiosk and catch up on the week’s fishing activities.  

Hope to see you there.

Fishy Fellow

 Fiona Beasley showing off a lovely 395mm bass caught over the weekend in the Towamba River.

The flathead fishing this week slowed a bite with the water temperature in close having dropped, sitting around 19 degrees.  With the cooler water and not much current, the flathead were a bit patchy with lots of undersized fish in the mix.  There were still some nice flathead caught around 40 centimetres, but plenty of throw back between the good fish.  Working different depths between a couple of boats, may get you onto some numbers of fish sooner.  The cooler waters might invite a few gummies in to our flathead grounds, so be ready.

The reefs are still ticking over at the moment, with pan-sized snapper and morwong and a mixed bag of nannygai and other reef dwellers.  I had a report of squid being caught around the inside of the Haycock Point from a boat.  They were casting towards the shore and picking them up on the retrieve.  However, watch the sea closely if you’re trying this.

The surf fishing is still going well, with salmon being caught on Bournda Beach to 70 centimetres and a few bream and tarwine din the gutters using beach worms for bait.  Tura Beach also has a few salmon being caught.  The Merimbula Wharf also has an odd salmon being caught on live yellowtail or pilchard under a float.

Our lakes are still fishing pretty well with this cooler water.  The Bega River at Tathra is giving up a few bream, perch and odd flathead and jewfish.  The Merimbula Lake has good numbers of bream, blackfish, trevally and whiting being caught in the front lake on the run out tide.  On the rising tide, in the Top Lake, tailor, trevally, dusky flathead, whiting and an odd mulloway.  The cooler water has slowed the dusky flathead bite in all estuaries, however, they’re still catching a few, but not like weeks prior.

The game fishing is very good at present.  We have a good marlin bit from Bermagui to Eden.  Locally out the front of Merimbula the water temperature is around 21 degrees with the current heading to the north slowly on the shelf.  The better water is towards Tathra.  Find some bait and hopefully the marlin will be at that school of bait.  If not, find another school and try again.

Coming events for the Merimbula Big Game and Lakes Angling Club:

Brogo Big Bass Club Social   February 28th – March 2nd

March Marlin    1st -31st March

Dusky challenge rescheduled TBC

The Merimbula Big Game and Lakes Angling Club is open every Friday night from 6pm.  Come on down.  Everyone is welcome to meet the locals, support our weekly raffle, sponsored by Goodalls Butchers and Bar Beach Kiosk.  Catch up on the week’s fishing reports and enjoy a cold bevvy or two.

Till next week.

Fishy Fellow

Wally Elfring caught this mantis shrimp off Tura Heads whilst chasing flathead in 50 metres of water.  He didn’t know the flesh tastes like lobster, so it went back.

The outside flathead fishing is still giving up some good feeds for those able to fish during the week.  Those fishing out off Tathra are catching sand and tiger flathead in 45 metres from Tathra Point back to Kianinny boat ramp.  Merimbula anglers are catching them off Tura Heads back to Short Point.  I also had a report from Friday that in 24 metres, straight out from the bar in Merimbula Bay, good numbers of sand flathead to 50 centimetres being caught.  There are also odd gummy sharks in the mix.  The in shore water temperature has also dropped with all the rain water run off and now a cool current has pushed up around Green Cape, bringing with it 18 degree water on the bottom.  However, it now is coming to the surface, so now possibly more gummy sharks will be in the mix.

The reefs are still giving up a few pan size snapper and morwong and a selection of nannygai, red rock cod and reef species.  The rain run off will only help the reef fishing.  Use pilchards or fresh fish baits and fresh squid to give yourself the best chance of catching that feed.

The surf fishing and headlands are still producing salmon and occasional tailor.  Any river mouth that has opened since all the rain has fallen is totally worth a try for a feed.  Mogareeka at Tathra, Bournda Beach, and Wallagoot if opened are all worth a try with fresh fish strips and beach worms.  There is not only salmon to be caught, but also bream, whiting and possibly a mulloway.

The lakes and estuaries are still fishing well.  Unfortunately, over the weekend, we had to postpone the MBGLAC Dusky Challenge due to the Gale Warning issued on Friday.  However, Saturday was still fishable and boats that fished Merimbula Lake caught bream, trevally and blackfish in the front lake and up the Top Lake they caught dusky flathead, tailor and pinkies.  Those that fished the Bega River at Tathra, caught bream, dusky flathead, perch and some small mulloway.  Lures caught the majority of the fish but for those using baits, nippers and striped Tuna were best.

I haven’t heard much on the game fishing scene over the last week.  The water has cooled a bit, sitting between 22 and 23 degrees on the shelf.  Batemans Bay held their rescheduled Tollgate Island comp.  Seventeen boats entered for 9 dolphin fish, 2 black marlin and 12 striped marlin.  There was a few marlin caught at Bermagui on Friday and Saturday as well.  Our area has been quiet and nothing to report.

The MBGLAC rooms are open every Friday night, opening at 6pm.  All are welcome.  Come on down and catch up on the week’s fishing reports, support our raffle sponsored by Goodalls Butchers and Bar Beach Kiosk.  Enjoy a cold bevvy and find out what’s going on around the club.

Coming events are:  

Brogo Big Bass (Members event) February 28 to March 2nd

Introduction to Game Fishing for Kids February 23rd

March Marlin 1st to 31st March

Dusky Challenge to be rescheduled.  Stay tuned for details.  

Check out our website www.mbglac.com.au and our social pages on Facebook and Instagram for more information.

Till next week.

Fishy Fellow

Fishing Report week 6, February 9, 2025

 Lucas Holley, Dad and Riley Holley with a couple of bream they caught on the weekend in the Merimbula front lake using nippers as bait.

The outside flathead bite is still going very well with good catches of sand and tiger flathead being caught off the Tathra Pub, back to Turingal Point, and Bournda Island back to Tura Beach Drive.  The best depth is around that 40 to 45 metres, with the fish sizes being 40 to 55 centimetres.  There are still odd flying gurnard and very occasional small gummy sharks.  There are also schools of frigate mackerel being seen on the surface around Tura Heads and in the Bournda Island bay.  So, trolling some small stripey lures or saltwater flies might catch you some great flathead bait.

Our reefs are still fishing well from reports.  Not many large snapper, but reasonable numbers of pan size snapper, morwong, some quality nannygai and a mixed bag of sargent bakers, red rock cod and leatherjackets.  Baits of choice are fresh squid, pilchards and tuna strips (bonito and frigate mackerel).  Patternoster rigs and float baiting are the preferred rigs.

The beach fishing for salmon has been excellent.  There are plenty of large salmon being caught to 60 centimetres in length off Tathra, Tura, Bournda beaches and south at Haycock Beach.  The best baits are pilchards and blue bait.  Lures are also catching plenty.  Use stick baits and weighted lures in that 30 to 40 gram size.  There are also schools of salmon hanging around the headlands at Tura Point, Long Point, Haycock Point and at the Merimbula Wharf.

The lake fishing, after all the rain we have had over the weekend and what is forecast for the new week, is going to be on fire.  All the fresh water run off will force all the lake species like bream, blackfish, trevally, dusky flathead, whiting and tailor into the fronts of all the estuaries, towards the ocean entrances, looking for the saltier water.  Bait is the preferred method to fish with baits like nippers, tuna pieces and even garden worms will catch fish.  All the estuary systems will be affected the same.

The game fishing over the weekend was great.  Tathra Amateur Fishing Club held its first marlin competition on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  The marlin bit very well on Friday north of Tathra with reports of 29 marlin between 14 boats.  On Saturday, around 20 marlin were caught and then, due to the weather decline, there were fish caught Sunday morning, but many boats stayed home.  I also heard reports of dolphin fish and sharks being caught.  Reports of the ocean currents that were getting stronger were making the fishing conditions not so good.  The water temperature on the shelf is around 23 degrees celsius with the current running to the south.  Bait was patchy early and it came to the surface at low tide in the middle of the day with the feeding marlin.  The forecast for the next week is not the best, but that water will get closer to the Merimbula grounds.

Coming events for the MBGLAC are the:  

Dusky Challenge, February 15th and 16th

Kids Introduction to Game fishing workshop February 23rd 

Brogo Big Bass, February 28th and March 1st and 2nd

March Marlin, March 1st to 31st 

Check out the MBGLAC website at www.mbglac.com.au for details.  The club rooms are open next Friday night from 5.30pm for registration for the Dusky Challenge.  The bar will be open also.  Come on down, even if you are not planning on fishing and enjoy a bevvy, support our raffles sponsored by Goodalls Butchers and Bar Beach Kiosk.  Have a chat with the locals and catch up on the week’s fishing reports.  Everyone is welcome.  

Hope to see you there.

Fishy Fellow