What fantastic weather over the ANZAC long weekend we had.  The outside flathead fishing is still a bit slow.  Boats caught flathead but not quickly like at the start of April.  I heard there are still some quality sand flathead being caught between Bournda Island and just north of Turingal Head in depths between 30 and 37 metres.  There are still plenty of small fish, but the keepers were inconsistent.  Other areas have been patchy, but if you find a patch, don’t lose it.  Long Point down to the end of the Haycock Reef also has a few flatties, out in that 50 metre depth.  Also an odd gummy shark and fishing wider than 50 metres, you will see more tiger flathead on the hooks.  The water temperature in shore is sitting between 19 and 20 degrees.

The reef fishing around Merimbula over the weekend was a bit slower.  We were still catching fish but not the ones we wanted. We caught plenty of undersized snapper and only a few pan-sized or 40 centimetre models.  Wrasse, sergeant bakers and the dreaded pike were plentiful.  This was all on plastics fishing the rising tide in the afternoons.  We saw bait being pushed up around the shallow Hunter and fish feeding on them, but they couldn’t be caught on our plastics or poppers that we presented.

The salmon fishing on our local beaches has settled a little bit over the last week.  There are salmon and odd tailor being caught on Tura Beach in the early mornings and on North Tura Beach.  There are still salmon schools on Tathra Beach and around the Bar area of Merimbula Lake.  Whiting and bream are still on Main Beach.

The estuary fishing is starting to slow up, although there are still fish being caught, but the clear waters has them on edge if you’re a lure fisherman.  Bait fishing has been better from reports lately.  Live poddy mullet for the dusky flathead and the bream have been eating them also in the Merimbula top lake.  There are also trevally, odd whiting and tailor about.  The Bega River at Tathra has been quieter over the weekend, with plenty of small bream, odd trevally and flathead.  The water temperature in the estuaries is sitting around 17 degrees.

The game fishing is happening mostly from Bermagui to Batemans Bay, where those keen game fishers have been heading wider out to the 150 – 30 line where they’re catching a few yellowfin now.  There is not a lot of action locally, but the water looks good, with it sitting around 22 to 23 degrees on the shelf.  There should still be an odd marlin in that temperature water out the front of Merimbula, but you need to find them.

Coming events for the Merimbula Big Game and Lakes Angling Club are the Grudge Match interclub competition being held from Friday afternoon, 15th May through to Sunday 17th May, with Pambula being the host club this year.  After that, MBGLAC will host its Snapper Classic over the weekend of the 30th and 31st May.  Keep an eye out for details coming soon.

The Merimbula Big Game and Lakes Angling Club is open this Friday night, opening at 6pm. Come on down and meet the locals and catch up on the week’s fishing reports.  Support our Friday night raffle, sponsored by Goodalls Butchers, the Lakeview Hotel and the Bar Beach Kiosk in addition to other prizes.  Members and guests are all welcome.

Till next week.

Fishy Fellow

The outside ocean flathead fishing has slowed up with the new moon. They are still getting a few but a lot more work is needed to bag out. There have been a lot more undersized flatties in between the keepers. Bournda Island up to Turingal Head is still giving up some quality fish in depths from 33 to 37 metres, and those fishing wider in 55 to 65 metres are catching some nice tiger flathead and odd flying gurnard. The inshore water temperature is sitting around 20 degrees and there is cooler water pushing up underneath the warmer surface water.

The reef fishing has been fishing very well, and these larger seas over the weekend will only improve the fishing. The snapper fishing has been excellent with plenty of pan sized snapper to 40 cm, and some quality 50cm and odd fish up to and over 60 centimetres. There are also some nice morwong and other reef dwellers being caught on the drift. Float baiting pilchards and squid is working well, whilst burleying on anchor, or drifting and casting plastics or dropping a metal jig and leaving it about 2 metres off the bottom while you drift, has also been working. There are still a few bonito around the reefs and headlands. They can be caught trolling small skirted lures at around 6 knots or trolling some small bibbed lures at a slower pace. You might also catch a salmon or even a kingfish if you are lucky.

The beaches will all change again after the weekend’s large seas, but it should stir up the salmon and tailor till the seas settle down. There was a school of salmon in the Merimbula lake, just upstream of the fishing club on Friday evening. The fish were seen jumping out of the water and not bothered by the seals on the Marine Rescue jetty. That school might be the one that has been hanging around the bar and wharf over the last month. Before the weather came in, there were three large schools of salmon near the Bega River entrance at Tathra, hopefully when the seas settle. They will still be close by. Main beach Merimbula right around to Pambula Beach is still fishing well for whiting and bream, and now the westerlies are blowing the mullet run North should get underway. Saturday afternoon I caught 5 whiting and 3 bream using beach worms as bait, there was a lot of sand moving around due to the building seas and the whiting were hungry about an hour before dusk.

The estuary fishing over the weekend was tested well and truly, with the Pirtek competition being held. Saturday was a hard day for all, due to the winds. Fish were caught in all systems, but most people cut the day’s fishing short. Sunday was a different story. Merimbula Lake fished the best from my reports. Good numbers of dusky flathead ranging from 40 to 55cm were caught up the top lake, as well as a few bream, tailor and trevally, bait fishing was the best using live poddy mullet as bait. The Merimbula front lake had plenty of trevally and blackfish being caught. The Bega River saw bream, trevally, blackfish, tailor, dusky flathead and at least 1 mulloway. Lures and bait caught the fish here. The estuary water temperature in both estuaries started at around 14 degrees early and only getting up to 17 degrees. The Bega River has dropped 6 degrees in the last week. That would be a shock to the system of every fish.

The game fishing has slowed up considerably, most likely due to the fuel price increases. The water on the shelf still looks okay and sitting around 22 degrees and it looks like it gets warmer, the current is pushing to the south once again. It’s well worth a look once the weather settles down. I have nothing to report apart from that blue marlin that was caught last week, nice catch. There might
be more out there and with the current pushing shoreward, the fish might just be closer than you think.

Coming events for the Merimbula Big Game and Lakes Angling Club are the Grudge Match between the Merimbula , Eden and Pambula Fishing clubs. Pambula is hosting and the dates are the 16th and 17th of May. Then, we have the Snapper Classic on the 30th and 31st of May to see the year out.

The Merimbula Big Game and Lakes Angling Club is open this Friday night, opening at 6pm. Come on down and enjoy a cold bevy from our licensed bar, buy a ticket or two in the Friday night raffle Sponsored by Goodalls Butchers, the Lakeview Hotel and the Bar Beach Kiosk. We have about 8 to 10 prizes depending on numbers. Catch up on the week’s fishing reports and enjoy the sunset on our balcony looking over the lake.
Till next week.

Fishy Fellow

Local member, Geoffrey McMahon caught this beautiful 70 centimetre snapper last week fishing out of Eden using a bream rod trying to catch some sweep whilst burleying on the reef.

The local fishing for sand and tiger flathead has slowed right up over the last week out the front of Merimbula and Tura.  Reports I have gotten from some anglers amount to only half a dozen fish for a morning’s fishing.  Then I have spoken to others that have found good numbers of fish between Bournda Island and Turingal Head in around 35 metres of water and they have been fishing into the afternoons, chasing the rising tides, when they are biting best.  There have also been a few gummy sharks in the mix off Bournda.  They are also being caught off Long Point Merimbula and around the reefs at Haycock and Lennards Island.  The in-shore temperature is sitting around 20 degrees.

The reef fishing is only improving lately.  Good numbers of pan-sized snapper being caught on bait along with morwong and a variety of other reef species.  There are some quality larger snapper in amongst the smaller fish and I’m told lures, such as plastics with the right flavour added, are catching some great fish over 50 centimetres.  There are also a few kingfish being caught around the headlands and the bombies in our area, slow trolling squid and slimies around them in the early mornings and tide changes.  There are still bonito and odd northern bluefin tuna being caught live baiting around the headlands and local wharves.

The beaches still have a few salmon moving along them on a rising tide.  You just have to be there when they’re passing through to get onto a few.  Tura Heads still has a school moving around it and so too does Long Point Merimbula.  When the seas pick up again on the beaches, the fishing should fire up again.  I did hear of a small patch up in the Pambula River last week, but a seal was working them, and they were not catchable.  Main Beach Merimbula still has whiting, bream, odd trevally and occasional salmon being caught on beach worms in the early mornings and late afternoons if anyone is keen. 

The lake fishing has still been steady over the Easter break, with the Bega River giving up a few bream, odd perch, dusky flathead and mulloway.  The Merimbula Lake has bream, trevally, whiting and blackfish in the front lake and the top lake has, odd bream, trevally, dusky flathead, a few tailor and an odd mulloway.  The Pambula Lake and River still has a few duskies, trevally, bream, blackfish and occasional flounder being caught.  The most versatile bait to use in all these systems is live nippers, but you will have to catch them yourself.  Prawns are a good shop option for those that haven’t got a nipper pump.  In saying that, this coming Friday 17th April is the next and probably last new moon for prawning for those that are keen for a feed.  Wednesday 15th April would be about the first chance at catching a few and it will go through into next week.

The local game fishing has slowed up considerably, mainly due to the fuel costs and how far it is to the shelf where all the action is.  The water on the shelf is around 21 plus degrees, and I’m hearing there are still marlin being seen, but are not keen to eat.  Fishing north of Tathra, the water is improving up to 22 degrees and there are still a few being caught.  The best bite for us at the moment, seems to be off Bermagui, where they’re still catching multiple fish per boat per day and there is still good bait up that way too.

Coming events for the MBGLAC include our interclub fishing competition, “The Grudge Match”, between Merimbula, Pambula and Eden clubs.  It is  on the 16th and 17th May, with Pambula hosting.  Then we have the Snapper Classic competition on the 30th and 31st of May, so mark those dates and sharpen your hooks.

The Merimbula Big Game and Lakes Angling Club Inc. is open this Friday night, from 6pm.  Come on down and meet the locals, support our raffle, sponsored by Goodalls Butchers, the Lakeview Hotel and the Bar Beach Kiosk.  Catch up on the week’s fishing reports, whilst enjoying a cold bevvy and watching the sun set over the lake.

Till next week.

Fishy Fellow

Peter, from Canberra, very happy with his catch of a pair of 60 centimetre Australian salmon he caught on Saturday morning on Tura Beach.

Happy Easter everyone.  Fishing has been very good over the Easter long weekend holiday period.  The weather has been excellent for the in-shore flathead fishing, and the sand flathead have been hungry too.  Boats have been catching their bag limits of quality flathead, from Turingal Head down to south of Long Point Merimbula.  The best areas have been off Bournda Island, just on the southern side of Tura Heads and off Long Point in depths from 35 to 55 metres.  This fish can be patchy, but once you find a good drift, go back on it to capitalise.  The fish sizes have been very good with consistent fish from 42 to over 55 centimetres.  The in-shore water temperature is sitting around 19 to 20 degrees.

The reef fishing is firing right up.  The snapper fishing has been great with captures of snapper up to 50 centimetres and the odd fish over 60 centimetres down Eden way.  Locally, the snapper fishing has them being caught consistently around that 45 centimetre size with an occasional snapper over 55 centimetres.  There are still morwong and nannygai being caught and a variety of other bait stealers.  Lure fishing has come to life lately and more snapper are being caught on plastics, jigs and burleying.  It will only get better from now on.  There are still good numbers of bonito and squid being caught on the reefs and around the headlands and wharfs.

The surf has been fishing okay over the Easter break.  There were plenty of salmon Easter Saturday morning on Tura Beach at the bottom of Tura Beach Drive parking lot.  There was a good school straight in front of the beach access.  The bait fishers were cleaning up using pilchards for bait.  Lures did not work. I know, because I was using them, and chased the school up the beach towards Tura Heads for an hour and nothing.  There is also a school between Long Point and the Merimbula bar, where they are catching a few off the wharf as they are going past.  If the beach you are fishing has gutters and banks, there should be salmon somewhere along it.  Other beach fishing has seen some good numbers of whiting, bream and trevally on Main Beach Merimbula.  Beach worms are the bait of choice.  Low tide rising into the night has been a lot of fun over the Easter break.  Salmon to 60 centimetres are even taking beach worms on Main Beach.

The estuary fishing over the weekend has also been pretty good, with the Bega River at Tathra giving up some nice bream, dusky flathead, mulloway, the odd perch and a few whiting.  Merimbula Lake is producing bream, blackfish, whiting and trevally in the front lake and dusky flathead, trevally, odd mulloway and tailor up the top lake.  The Pambula River and Lake has trevally, bream, whiting and dusky flathead along the rock wall and leases down to the entrance.  The lake section is giving up a few duskies, trevally and odd flounder and tailor.  The estuary water temperature is around 19 to 20 degrees.

The game fishing has slowed right up now down off Merimbula and Eden.  For boats launching at Tathra and heading north, there is still a bit of chatter of an early morning bite from the canyons to the north.  Bait is pretty thin.  The water is sitting around 21 degrees which is getting better for a bit of deep dropping.  There have been reports of odd marlin being seen cruising, but not interested in feeding.  There are still reports of sharks grabbing slow trolled baits.

The Merimbula Big Game and Lakes Angling Club rooms will be open this Friday night from 6pm.  So, come on down and enjoy a sunset on our balcony, while sipping some bubbles.  We have raffles to get involved with, sponsored by Goodalls Butchers, the Lakeview Hotel and the Bar Beach Kiosk.  The raffles are drawn between 7 and 7.30pm and with a fully licensed bar, a great night can be enjoyed.

Till next week.

Fishy Fellow

A large school of Australian salmon at the bottom of Tura Beach Drive, before the large seas came in.

The outside fishing for sand and tiger flathead last week was still very good with reports of sand flathead over 60 centimetres.  However, the average size was 45 to just over 50 centimetres and many double headers of quality fish.  There were also quite a few small gummy sharks around 60 centimetres and an odd longer model occasionally.  There were flathead and gummies being caught off Long Point all the way up to Bournda Island and the best depths were from 40 metres out to 55 metres.  Those fishing in shallower, at 30 plus metres, still caught flathead around 40 centimetres, but the small bait stealers were a menace.  Since the weekend’s weather, the water has cooled a bit and is sitting around 20 degrees.

The reefs had reasonable numbers of pan-sized snapper and morwong on them and still good numbers of nannygai also being caught before the weather came through.  It should be better once these seas settle down.  I heard that the lures have been catching some better snapper in that 50 centimetre size and float baiting also, using pilchards and squid for bait.  There have also been a lot of bonito, frigate mackerel and salmon seen off the points and reefs, feeding on small bait fish, so casting small metal slugs or trolling small skirts around the feeding fish will catch them.  However, the turbulent water over the weekend will definitely have pushed these fish out to sea, so once it settles down they should come back.

The salmon on the beaches will liven up after this weekend’s weather.  Tura Beach has a great gutter and so too does Tathra Beach.  So pillies, off the bank or casting smallish slugs, will catch these fish.  Main Beach Merimbula has some nice bream and whiting being caught using beach worms for bait.

The lake fishing is doing very well of late, with the Bega River at Tathra, still giving up good numbers of bream, dusky flathead, perch and mulloway.  This fresh water should only stir up the fishing even more.  The Merimbula Lake has bream, blackfish, trevally and whiting in the front lake and bream, trevally, dusky flathead and a few mulloway and an odd tailor up the top lake.  The Pambula River and Lake has dusky flathead, whiting, bream and trevally in the river part and dusky flathead, trevally, odd bream and flounder in the lake section.

The game fishing last week saw the marlin had pushed north.  They were caught from Tathra’s northern canyon to the north.  Sharks were a huge problem and so too were the seals if you found bait.  It was a fight between the seals and sharks as to who would get your bait first and every so often a marlin would win.  The water temperature on the shelf is sitting between 21 and 22 degrees, with the current slowly pushing north.  There have also been a few decent size dolphin fish caught over the last week or so.  They have been taken using some slow trolled livies and lures.  There are still two days of fishing left in the BSR March Marlin competition.  There have been 28 marlin recorded so far, so fingers crossed, there can be a couple more caught before the end of March.  Reports just received since the bad weather, the water has turned over and the bait has vanished and no action at all on Monday.

The Merimbula Big Game and Lakes Angling Club rooms will be closed this coming Friday night (Good Friday), so we will see you all the following week.

Till next week.

Fishy Fellow