Geoff McMahon, happy about his capture of a 48 kilogram yellowfin, caught out of Eden on Sunday trolling a bibbed lure.
The talk this last week has been yellowfin. The currents have moved south bringing with it the tuna from up north. Over the last week, even with the weather we have had, boats have still ventured out chasing tuna. The waters from Tathra’s Canyons, south down past Green Cape, now have plenty of yellowfin and albacore from 50 fathoms out to 1000 fathoms. The albacore are all out over the shelf, but the yellowfin have been caught and lost inside the shelf. I have reports of one boat landing three yellowfin off Tathra in 55 fathoms and another off Merimbula spending 3 hours on a fish estimated to be 70 – 80 kilograms before losing it, boat side, in 60 fathoms. Then on Sunday, boats fishing on the shelf caught yellowfin to 50 kilograms and albacore around 10 kilograms and plenty of them. The best area on Sunday, was around that 37 line north south and 20 nautical miles out. The fish have been in that area for the last week from reports I’ve received. Trolling bibbed lures has been producing the most, but the stick baits need to be ready if the fish come up. The change of tide is when the fish are more active. The water temperature on the shelf is around 18 degrees.
On the table fish side of fishing, the flathead outside are still biting well out in depths from 35 to 50 metres. There is a mixed bag of flathead being caught, but the better fish are around that 40 centimetres. There are also a few flying gurnard being caught, but not many gummy sharks. Working areas from Turingal Head back to Long Point will catch you a feed.
The reef fishing is still producing a feed of pan sized snapper, morwong, nannygai and a mixed bag of other reef species. The inshore water temperature is sitting around 16 degrees and there are pockets of cooler water in some bays.
Our salmon and tailor fishing off the beaches is pretty patchy at the moment. The beaches are very deep and there is not much wave action to hold the fish. Although, those that are trying, are catching an odd salmon to keep them interested.
Our local estuaries are all producing a few fish at the moment, with the water temperature climbing to around 18 plus degrees in the shallows. The Pambula Lake has trevally, tailor, dusky flathead, bream, and an odd flounder on the bite. Merimbula Lake has trevally, odd bream, dusky flathead, and still the odd salmon and occasional tailor being caught. The Bega River at Tathra has dusky flathead, bream, odd tailor, trevally, mullet and odd whiting being caught of late. The dusky flathead seem to be coming right up into the shallows on those sunny days to warm themselves up and feed, so if you’re bank fishing, you could be casting your line way past them.
The Merimbula Big Game and Lakes Angling Club is open this Friday night, opening at 6.00pm. Come on down and catch up with the locals. Buy a ticket in our weekly raffle, sponsored by Goodalls Butchers and the Bar Beach Kiosk. Catch up on the week’s fishing while enjoying a cold beverage.
Till next week.
Fishy Fellow