The outside flathead fishing has still been very patchy over the last week. However, a few members who have been targeting a feed of sand flathead have caught some quality fish. Reports early in the week were from the 40 metre depth, just north of Tura Heads and drifting northwest out to about 44 metres, where they caught some quality fish in that 45 centimetre size. There were heaps of small fish in amongst their keepers.
I also got a report from Wednesday, where some fishos had bagged out in the early morning fishing from Bournda Island back to Tura Heads in 35 metres. They had less undersized fish and double headers of flathead to 48 centimetres. The current had picked up and they had trouble keeping a bait on the bottom by the end of the morning. There have been an odd gummy shark and occasional small mako shark in the mix. The in-shore water temperature is sitting around 21 degrees.
The reef fishing has also been doing well with good numbers of snapper up to 45 centimetres and odd larger models. There are also morwong, sergeant bakers and a mixed bag of other species. There are still bonito and a few salmon being caught around the reefs and bait schools. There are also kingfish moving around the headland, bomboras and reef areas.
The surf fishing is still giving up a few fish. I’ve had reports off North Tura Beach of only small salmon, but a few tailor on lures on the edges of the gutters and banks. Bournda Beach also has some salmon and tailor moving around in the morning’s rising tide. The seas are building, so there should be some good beach fishing this coming week.
The estuary fishing has still been good with the Bega River at Tathra only just opening to the sea as of Sunday, but there is next to no tidal effect. Reports from Saturday told me they’re still catching bream, odd flatties and a few trevally. The Merimbula Lake has trevally, bream and blackfish in the front lake and trevally, dusky flathead, odd bream and tailor up the top lake. The estuary water temperature has risen this week, coming up to around 20 degrees.
Last of all the game fishing. I haven’t heard of much lately, but with the water temperature on the shelf sitting between 22 and 23 degrees, there should still be a few marlin out there for those that are keen. There is a bit of current to deal with also. There have been tuna boats working a bit wider from the 30 line out to the 40 line, but they’re gone now with the bad weather forecast for the next week so.
Coming events for the Merimbula Big Game and Lakes Angling Club are the Grudge Match between the Merimbula, Pambula and Eden clubs. Pambula is the host club this year and the weekend we are battling it out is the 15th, 16th, and 17th May. We also have the Snapper Classic scheduled for the weekend of the 30th and 31st May. Rules and posters will be out this week.
The Merimbula clubrooms are open at 6pm this Friday night, so pop in and enjoy a cold bevvy from our licensed bar, catch up on any fishing reports. Buy a ticket or two in our Friday night raffles, sponsored by Goodalls Butchers, the Lakeview Hotel and the Bar Beach Kiosk. Hope to see you there.
Till next week.
Fishy Fellow