Member, Nigel Hack, very happy with his 65.5 kilogram yellowfin tuna, caught on Saturday on the surface.
The tuna bite continues. Saturday and Sunday, saw many boats come home with quality yellowfin from just over the shelf off Merimbula and Eden. The fish are still around the 37 line south and 20 line east and there are plenty of them, ranging from 20 kilograms to over 60 kilograms. There are also some quality albacore in the mix. Small fry angler, Riley Holley, captured a 20.2 kilogram albacore on 15 kilogram tackle. Nice catch Riley! The mornings have been the pick of the best bites as the wind has been getting up in the early afternoon. Trolling with deep diving lures is catching the albies and odd yellowfin. However, top water lures and being ready to cast is what’s catching the bulk of the yellowfin at the moment. The fish seem to be very concentrated.
Other fishing for the inshore fisherman is seeing sand and tiger flathead being caught in depths from 35 to 60 metres this week. There are plenty of undersized flathead being caught with those quality 40 centimetre models and also some nice 50 centimetre flying gurnard. The inshore water temperature has cooled over the weekend with a southerly current pushing up past Green Cape, dropping inshore temperatures to between 15 and 16 degrees. This might bring some gummy sharks up with it, as they like that cooler water.
The reefs at Long Point and Haycock are still giving up a reasonable feed of pan-sized snapper and morwong, a few nannygai and an occasional leatherjacket.
The beaches are still on the slow side around our end of the coastline. There are only occasional, odd salmon being caught whether you’re bait fishing or casting lures. All the beaches are very deep, with very little wave action on them.
The estuary fishing has been improving, but on Sunday, Merimbula’s front lake was only 15 degrees, and we did not see a fish in the channel anywhere. I’m told there are a few trevally, odd dusky flathead, and tailor up in the Top Lake. The Bega River at Tathra is giving up a few dusky flathead, odd trevally, and bream and Pambula Lake has trevally, bream, dusky flathead and odd tailor being caught at this time. However, this cooler water moving up the coast could stall the improved fishing until it passes. After 18 degrees last week and 15 this week, the fishing in these estuaries may go into shock.
Coming events for the Merimbula Big Game and Lakes Angling Club are:
Mex Williams Memorial Club Trip at Wonboyn Lake Resort – October 24 – 26
Soft plastics and lures Junior Workshop November 1st
Tri-Estuary competition November 22nd – 23rd.
October monthly species is Tailor.
The Merimbula Big Lake and Game Angling club rooms are open every Friday night from 6:00pm. Come on down and enjoy a cold bevy, while chatting to the locals. But a ticket in our Friday night raffles, sponsored by Goodalls Butchers and the bar Beach Kiosk and catch up on the week’s fishing reports. We would love to see some new faces. All are welcome.
Till next week.
Fishy Fellow