Photo: MBGLAC member, Glen Rollason, happy with his 591mm dusky flathead that won him the biggest dusky flathead for the Mex Williams Memorial club trip to Wonboyn last weekend.
The inshore flathead fishing has been controlled by the wind and messy seas for much of the week. Some boats early in the week, got out early before the wind came up too strong and managed a feed fishing in depths around 40 to 50 metres off the Tura Beach golf course. The fish size is the same as last week’s, around 40 centimetres. No gummy sharks reported but the odd flying gurnard in the mix. The inshore temperature is still sitting around 18 degrees.
The weather hasn’t helped the reef fishing. I have only one report from Wednesday morning. Fishing was hard at Long Point, so they went to Haycock where they caught a couple of 40-centimetre snapper and one keeper morwong of 32 centimetres. Plenty of rubbish fish around and undersized morwong. They also tried for some flathead off Pinnacles/Haycock but got heaps of undersized flathead.
The beach fishing has still been okay. They’re catching a few salmon and odd tailor off Bournda Beach, North Tura Beach and Tura Beach. There are only small schools of fish moving along the beaches, so bait fishing with pilchards and surf poppers are the best method of catching these fish. There are also a few bream moving around the gutters, so some beach worms are a good chance of catching them and you might be lucky enough to catch a whiting also. Use a number 4, long shanked hook for the worms to catch these bream and maybe whiting.
The estuaries fished very well over the weekend, in the mornings. The Bega River have hungry bream along the rock walls that are not necessarily hungry for lures, but baits and a bit of burley did very well. Sunday, before the wind got up, one report had them catching eight bream and losing a couple. The lures attracted quite a few but some of the bream were cautious to bite. There were also a lot of tailor early, busting up and eating what was offered. The dusky flathead were very elusive and the people I spoke with caught none. The mulloway were elusive also for most boats. The water temperature at Mogareeka is sitting at 23 degrees. The Merimbula Lake has good numbers of trevally in the front lake, whether you have a boat or just fishing from the shore. The Spencer Park jetty or off the sand at low tide are a great chance of catching some. The top lake has a few tailor, trevally, odd duskies and a few mulloway being caught after dark. The water temperature in Merimbula is between 18 and 19 degrees. The Pambula River and Lake unfortunately has blanket weed in the river section and very visible on the run out tide. I did see a few whiting in the shallows while walking the edge at the river mouth over the weekend.
The game fishing is still giving up a few yellowfin tuna when the weather allows. Wednesday saw a few boats venture out. It was good early, but the winds got up around lunch time. Sea Hog managed a couple of fish. One over 50 kilograms and another around 40 kilograms. The Jenks caught a couple also, both around 35 kilograms. I am told these fish were caught just over the shelf out off Tathra where the water is sitting between 19 and 20 degrees. I will try and get a picture for next week.
Coming events for the Merimbula Big Game and Lakes Angling Club:
Saturday 31st October – working bee starting at 8.30am. Lunch will be provided for those that stay on.
November 28th and 29th – Tri-estuary competition. Save the dates. Details are coming shortly.
The Merimbula Big Game and Lakes Angling Club is open this Friday night from 6pm. Come on down and enjoy a cold beverage from our licensed club rooms. Buy a ticket or two in our Friday night raffles sponsored by the Lakeview Hotel and Goodalls Butchers. Catch up on what’s biting during the week and if it’s a clear evening, watch the sun set. Hope to see you there.
Till next week.
Fishy Fellow.