by Chris Young | Nov 30, 2018 | Uncategorized
Fishing the Estuaries and the local Wharfs recommended during periods of strong winds.
Photo Caption: Luke Wuiske of Pambula Beach shows a beautiful Butterfly Gurnard off Merimbula.
At the Merimbula Wharf large squid remain order of the day and Australian salmon are also active, mornings and evenings are the best time to hook up, metal spinners and hard body plastics both work well. Snapper and Morwong can be targeted along our local reefs and respond to bait and soft plastics. A cool current from the south has washed over most of the flathead grounds and with water temperatures less than 16 degrees activity has certainly slowed down. Luckily Flathead have continued to bite well about the Boyds Tower Reef and also off the Tathra Hotel. Some good size tiger and sand flathead are reported. Near the Kiah River entrance deeper holes in Quarantine Bay are producing Jewfish.
During the full moon good gummy shark are on the chew, try the inshore edge of Horseshoe reef.
At the Tathra wharf kingfish remain and some large fish have been landed. At the Merimbula wharf calamari squid remain patchy together with cuttlefish and octopus. Best results from jigging at dusk.
The annual prawning season is due to commence with the next new moon. Some have run already and this means that prawn-like squid jigs are the go. In the estuaries Tailor remain active early morning and evening. Fish recently taken are full of prawns. Dusky flathead remain active at Mogereeka. Metal vibe jigs, soft plastics and bait are all effective. When using bait, burley certainly helps. Bream are a little shy, try further up the Bega River, the Merimbula back lake and Pambula. Trevally abound in the Pambula Channel though mostly just legal size.
What motivates gamefish anglers to spend endless hours at sea, on or over the continental shelf, hunting for an elusive game fish, day after day? The Club is running an “Introduction to Game Fishing” next Wednesday evening 5 December. The evening will be pitched for new comers, an introduction that the whole family can benefit from. Come along to the clubrooms in Spencer Park at 6:30pm for a free sausage, all under 16 year olds will receive a raffle ticket and go into a draw for fishing tackle, with compliments from Tackle World Merimbula. RSVP to Peter Haar on 0417 021 066 SMS. The Club’s XMAS party will be held on Friday 7 December at the same location.
This Friday come along and enjoy the fishing report, the ambience, friendship and lovely views with very competitive bar prices. Darragh Reynolds is your scheduled host. All enquires to Lindon Thompson on 0411 873 880. Membership application, membership renewal and everything you need to know about local fishing is on the Club’s Website: www.mbglac.com.au
Keep your rods bent!
by Chris Young | Nov 30, 2018 | Uncategorized
Strong winds keeps Anglers Inshore
Photo Caption: Club Member Les Dirou shows a large Port Jackson Shark taken off the Horseshoe reef as by product to his Gummy Shark fishing.
Just before the strong NE winds interrupted offshore angling we had reports of good yellowfin tuna out from Kianinny. These were seen off Bermagui last week. Without doubt warmer currents are pushing southwards and it is anticipated that marlin will soon be moving into our game areas. There are already lots of small slimy mackerel, just follow the birds. Closer in, good size australian salmon are hugging Haycock Point and Long Point, so it’s worth a slow troll to find the action. Off the beaches; Aslings, Haycock and Tura seem the best localities.
With slimy mackerel bait some excellent flathead have been taken at Nullica off Boydtown and trevally near the headland at Aslings beach. Good flathead remain available at Tura Headland and SE of Turingal Headland. Try 15-20 fathoms. Snapper and morwong are available off Long Point and Haycock out of Merimbula and White Rock from Kianinny. From Eden try at about 20 fathoms at Lennards, North Head and Boyds Tower. Snapper and morwong respond to pilchard and squid baits as well as soft plastics and metal micro jigs.
At the Tathra wharf “Rat” kingfish are providing lots of excitement for anglers, be careful as the legal size for Kingfish is 65cm. At the Merimbula wharf calamari squid remain patchy together with cuttlefish and octopus. Best results from jigging at dusk.
Now is the time to get your prawning gear ready for the run at the next new moon. Some have run already and this means that prawn-like Squid Jigs are the go and both flathead and reef areas are firing up. In the estuaries Tailor remain active early morning and evening.The estuaries are fishing well for tailor, try slow trolling in the channel at Merimbula. There are plentiful trevally and dusky flathead. A good starting point for dusky flathead is at Mogereeka. Some fine whiting have also been recorded from the sand flats nearby. Metal vibe jigs, soft plastics and bait are all effective. When using bait, burley certainly helps. Bream are a little shy, try further up the Bega River and the channel at Blackmans. Pambula also sports lots of mullet which are best attached with bread burley and will take prawn bait.
Come and enjoy the fishing report, the ambience, friendship and lovely views with very competitive bar prices. Darragh Reynolds is your scheduled host. All enquires to Lindon Thompson on 0411 873 880. Membership application, membership renewal and everything you need to know about local fishing is on the Club’s Website: www.mbglac.com.au
Keep your rods bent!
by Chris Young | Jan 1, 2018 | Uncategorized
Merimbula Big Game & Lakes Angling Club’s 82nd Gala Monster Fish Auction 7 January 2.30 pm Spencer Park
Photo caption: Auctioneer Robert Wood assisted by Stuart Green holding a lovely bag of Ocean Flathead at the Spencer Park Monster Fish Auction.
Harking back to its heritage in 1937 Gala this year will feature a Talent Quest with a $200 cash prize for the best judged act. Entries are open to all and registration is from 12.00pm at the Rotunda. First come best dressed! Master of Ceremonies will be the Town Crier Mr Alan Moyse. The Talent Quest will commence at 12.30pm and be completed by 2.00pm. Bring your own music, the Club has a PA system.
In its 82nd Year, Gala weekend harks back to the humble beginnings of the Club in 1936 and has taken various forms over the years. Gala weekend is truly a heritage event for Merimbula, organizers said. Some events have included rowing and raft races from town to Spencer Park as well as carnival sideshows, chocolate wheels, talent quests and even a billy cart race.
The Gala weekend starts with the Fishing Competition on Saturday 6 January; club members, locals and visitors are invited to fish both the ocean and estuary to provide fresh fish for the club’s Monster Fresh Fish Auction. There will be 37 prizes across a number of categories to reward the anglers, thanks to the large number of businesses who donate and sponsor the event.
Briefing and entries for fishing will be held at the clubhouse in Spencer Park on Friday 5 January from 6.30pm. Entry is essentially free with Registration just $1 to cover the paperwork.
This year there is a bias to flathead which are very popular at the auction. In this regard McKays Oysters have sponsored a $500 Tackle World voucher for the heaviest bag of Flathead – this cannot exceed 10 fish to meet DPI regulations. Seniors, Ladys and Juniors are all eligible for prizes for heaviest bags of Flathead and mixed fish.
The Gala Day Monster Fresh Fish Auction, will be held at Spencer Park at 2.30pm Sunday 7 January. This is a once a year only opportunity for locals and visitors to bid for just caught fresh fish. The Club donates all proceeds of the Auction to Charity.
Last year the proceeds of the fish auction allowed the Club to donate $3,200 to the Merimbula Rural Fire Brigade and this year the Club hopes to significantly increase this amount.
The Brigade pitches in on the day to run a great public barbecue which will open at 12.00pm. So don’t dawdle, come along early to Spencer Park for lunch, the Coffee van, entertainment and to get a prime position for the Monster Fresh Fish auction. Keep your eyes peeled too for the ever popular “seafood in a wheelbarrow” which is also raffled. There will also have be fire engines on display to entertain the little ones and the not so little!
After the fish auction, and the huge Kayak, Paddle Boards and Wheelbarrow Seafood raffle draws. Club members will also host a cleaning and filleting station so you can get the perfect fillet for a small donation.
“The club is looking for a huge roll up of anglers to support the Monster Fresh Fish auction and looks forward to its 82nd Gala come the weekend of 6 & 7 January”.
Ocean flathead both sand and tiger are on the chew off Merimbula, Tura Beach and Tathra, try 22-24 Fathoms.
Great luderick have been returned from Tura Headland. At the Tathra Wharf large kingfish are on the prowl and at the Merimbula Fishing Platform calamari squid are back and some large ones landed.
Snapper and morwong are in good form on our local reefs, try 20 fathoms. During the full moon now is the time to target gummy shark (flake).
Fish in the Merimbula Lake remain active. Dusky flathead, bream, trevally and whiting are available. Good tailor are prolific at Pambula Lake. The Bega River continues to fish well at Mogareeka and some magnificent whiting are reported.
The Club house in Spencer Park will be open from 6.30pm on 5 January. Visitors are very welcome. Come and enjoy the fishing report, the ambience, friendship and lovely views with very competitive bar prices. Darragh Reynolds is the scheduled host. All enquires to John McKay on 0427 639 585. Membership Application, Membership Renewal and everything you need to know about local fishing is on the Club’s Website www.mbglac.com.au.
Keep your rods bent!
by Chris Young | Jun 24, 2017 | Uncategorized
Snapper Season Producing the Goods!
Photo Caption: Angler John Bunyan of Tura Beach shows a great Snapper taken at White Rock off Kianinny.
As noted last week Yellowfin Tuna and Marlin are scarce offshore although one angler reports fighting a Southern Bluefin. Large bust-ups of Albacore are the order of the day and numerous Albacore were tagged and released during the Merimbula Open.
On the beaches Australian Salmon have made it hit and miss with reports of sizeable fish at north Tura Beach one day but not the next! It should be worth trying Haycock beach for Salmon. Best bait remains pilchard or try silver spinners.
The Snapper season is in full swing and good quality Snapper are available along our reef areas with early morning and evening prime fishing times. With the moon full, some excellent good Gummy Sharks have been taken as well as great Morwong. Chinamen Leatherjackets are beginning to be a problem away from the reefs.
Up north at Tathra, Chinamen Leatherjackets have moved in with a vengeance over the Flathead grounds and it has become almost impossible to get our gear to the bottom where the Flathead are quite voracious. Looks like wire braid lines and hard body plastic lures are needed to fish the flathead grounds.
So far off Merimbula and to the south there are only a few Chinamen.
Slimey Mackerel remain plentiful at the Merimbula Fishing Platform together with a few Calamari Squid. Locals and visitors continue their wait for big Kingfish to visit.
Reports from the Bega River, which council has kept open, include magnificent Bream upstream from the launching ramp. Best bait is without doubt nippers. Flathead as well as Trevally, Tailor, Bream and good size Mullet are still biting in our estuaries.
The Clubs next event is the 25th Merimbula Broadbill & 5th Southern Bluefin Tournament scheduled for 7-10 & 14-17 July. It will be the second year this event has featured braid line allowing daylight fishing of the deep canyons for Broadbill. This is a new technique pioneered in the USA and now being successfully utilized by local anglers. Last week the Daily Telegraph featured Al McGlashin’s magnificent 222kg Broadbill taken in daylight off eastern Victoria. To quote McGlashin; “Swordfish mania really has gripped Australia this season…and suddenly fish are being caught from the Gold Coast to Tassie. Sydney has certainly produced a few, but if you want monster Broadbill Swordfish then eastern Victoria is the place to be. The wild waters of Bass Strait hide one of the biggest underwater canyons in the world – home to some true sea monsters”
Now that the “secret” of daylight Broadbill capture has been publicized Merimbula’s Tournament provides an excellent opportunity for keen anglers to successfully make daylight captures off the far south coast of NSW. Perhaps the Merimbula and Tathra Canyons will match those in Bass Strait?
The Club is open every Friday evening. Visitors are very welcome. Come and enjoy the fishing report, the ambience, friendship and lovely views with very competitive bar prices. Darragh Reynolds is your scheduled host. All enquires to John McKay on 0427 639 585. Membership Application, Membership Renewal and everything you need to know about local fishing is on the Club’s Website www.mbglac.com.au. Keep your rods bent!
by Lindon | May 9, 2016 | Uncategorized
A trio of winning Yellowfin Tuna came from local boat Seamode. Paul Jones Captain, in background Winner Ross Cooper, Dave Sydenham, Third prize winner John McKay and Second prize winner Greg McKay.
The Merimbula Big Game & Lakes Angling Club’s major fishing Tournament for the year; The Merimbula Open Yellowfin Tournament, enjoyed two days of magnificient fishing conditions with balmy weather and light winds. Saturday saw local boat Seamode find a Yellowfin school and achieve some award winning captures. The Crew took out the $6,000 cash 1st Prize for the heaviest Yellowfin Tuna “line class” caught over the duration of the Tournament. A number of other major prizes were awarded thanks to the Club’s great Sponsors, including highest scoring Boat and Shark tag and release; Cassie, captained by Ole Ersvaer and highest scoring Striped Tuna tag and release by a junior Jemma Pollock.
Eden District Fisheries Officer Matt Proctor and expert Snapper fisher will be giving a talk on his Snapper Fishing Techniques as lead up to the Snapper Classic. Members and visitors are welcome to attend Matt’s talk at the Clubhouse this Friday 13 May – 6.30pm for 7.00pm. The Snapper Classic, will be held one week later on 21 and 22 May. This is a great competition for bottom bouncers and there is also free entry and cash prizes for junior anglers. Contact Chris Young: 0417 114 275.
Bream, some real stonkers, are reporting from Merimbula Lake and Dusky Flathead, Trevally, Tailor and some Salmon are available in our estuaries. All estuary fish respond well to soft plastics and also live nippers and baitfish metal lures bringing good results. Luderwick continue to shoaling off the Merimbula Fishing Platform, mornings and evenings, and respond to cabbage weed as well as plastic lures. Good squid are about, as well as lots of bait fish.
For Ocean Flathead try 20 fathoms off Merimbula and northwards all the way to Tathra. Snapper are coming onto the bight as the waters cool. Best time is near dawn or dusk at a tide change. Try from an anchored vessel near reef edges with burley or use soft plastics especially if you can locate a bait ball.
The Club maintains an Open House at Spencer Park, every Friday evening commencing 6.30 pm. Visitors are welcome, come and enjoy the fishing report, the ambience, friendship and lovely views with very competitive bar prices. This Friday 13 May Jeff Knox and Kris Larsen will be your hosts. All enquires Lindon Thompson on 0411 873 880. Everything you need to know is on the Club’s Website and new Members are welcome; www.mbglac.com.au
Keep your rods bent!
by Lindon | May 2, 2016 | Uncategorized
Merimbula’s Yellowfin Tuna Tournament commences this week.
Come and Get Me
Merimbula’s major fishing Tournament for the year; the Merimbula Big Game & Lakes Angling Club’s Open Yellowfin Tournament, commences this Friday 6 May. With reports of good weather and fine Yellowfin and Broadbill being taken offshore, the Tournament certainly looks to be on track for a very successful weekend. Briefing and final entries will be at the Clubhouse on Thursday evening 5 May, commencing 6.30pm. The Club is posting a $6,000 cash 1st Prize for the heaviest Yellowfin Tuna “line class” caught over the duration of the Tournament. Thanks to its great Sponsors there will also be 16 numerous other category prizes up for grabs. For further details contact Robert Wood: 0413 333 598.
As lead up to the Snapper Classic on 21-22 May, Eden District Fisheries Officer Matt Proctor and expert Snapper fisher will be giving a talk on his Snapper Fishing Techniques, all are welcome to attend at the Club on Friday 13 May – 6.30pm for 7.00pm. The Snapper Classic, one week later, is a great competition for bottom bouncers and there is also free entry and cash prizes for junior anglers. Contact Chris Young: 0417 114 275.
Dusky Flathead, Trevally, Tailor and Flounder are available in our estuaries as well as good size Bream, particularly near oyster beds. Remember large Bream are very old and are our breeders so please practice catch and release. All estuary fish respond well to soft plastics and also live nippers and baitfish metal lures bringing good results. Luderwick are still shoaling off the Merimbula Fishing Platform, mornings and evenings, and respond to cabbage weed as well as plastic lures. Good squid are about, as well as lots of bait fish.
Ocean Flathead remain on the chew, try 20 fathoms off Merimbula and northwards all the way to Tathra. Good Snapper and Morwong are best sought off reef edges. Snapper are coming onto the bight as the waters cool. Best time is near dawn or dusk at a tide change. Try from an anchored vessel with burley or use soft plastics especially if you can locate a bait ball.
The Club maintains an Open House at Spencer Park, every Friday evening commencing 6.30 pm. Visitors are welcome, come and enjoy the fishing report, the ambience, friendship and lovely views with very competitive bar prices. This Friday 6 May Darragh Reynolds and Jeff Knox. All enquires Lindon Thompson on 0411 873 880. Everything you need to know is on the Club’s Website and new Members are welcome; www.mbglac.com.au
Keep your rods bent!
