We’ve had great weather over the weekend for inshore fishing. The flathead, I’m hearing, were a bit widespread and boats had to move around a lot to catch a feed. The fish were smaller also, measuring 33 to 38 centimetres. There are odd larger fish, but they’re very spread out. There is also odd flying gurnard being caught in the mix. The best areas have been from Tura Heads back to Long Point, Merimbula. The water temperature in shore is sitting around 15 to 16 degrees with not much current.

The reef fishing is still giving up a feed of snapper, morwong, a few nannygai and a mixed bag of other reef species. The snapper have been consistently around that 40 centimetre size with only the odd fish up to and just over 50 centimetres of late, fishing off Long Point. However, fishing off Haycock and Leonards Island, there have been some nice morwong up to 50 centimetres. The best bait for the morwong is fresh squid and a piece of prawn over the hook barb. There are pilchards out there at the moment, so pillies for the snapper will work too. Plastics will also catch all your reef species, so have a chat with the local tackle shops for their advice and go catch a few.

The beach fishing is pretty slow at the moment our way, with the local beaches having filled with sand over recent weeks. All the gutters and holes have gotten very shallow on a high tide and all the beaches have sand banks, which have formed, keeping them very shallow. Bournda Beach is the only beach I’ve seen that has a few gutters worth fishing of late.

Our lakes are in need of a decent dump of rain to dirty the water up a bit. They are all so clear at the moment which is making the fishing hard. The water is still very cool, even though the days have been sunny and warmish. There are a few small flathead starting to move around up in the shallows in the Bega River and odd bream and trevs around the bridge. Merimbula has a few tailor, odd salmon and trevally in the top lake and Pambula Lake also has odd tailor and salmon the lake itself. I did hear of schools of blackfish coming out from under the oyster bags down the river, heading towards the mouth in the Pambula River and other than that, it is very quiet. The water in the estuaries is sitting around 13 to 14 degrees.

The game fishing hasn’t happened at all over this week. We have had strong wind warnings in place for many days, even though the wind hasn’t got over 10 knots in shore. So, hopefully, next week, it might mean all boats can go have a look. Many of the long liners have been working the 23 line east over the full moon nights, so it will be interesting to see if they have been catching anything. The water on the shelf is between 18 and 19 degrees.

Coming up for the Merimbula Big Game and Lakes Angling Club is the annual Mex Williams Memorial Club Trip with a memorial dusky flathead trophy up for grabs. This will be held at the Wonboyn Lake Resort from the 16th – 19th October. Peter has reserved a few cabins for our members, so if you are looking to go fish Wonboyn for the weekend, contact Peter at the resort directly on 0499 334 555 and he will look after you.

The Merimbula Big Game and Lakes clubrooms will be open on Friday night from 6pm, so head on down and enjoy a cold bevvy or two at great prices. Catch up on the week’s fishing reports and support the club’s Friday night raffles, sponsored by the Lakeview Hotel and Goodall’s Butchers. Hope to see you there.

Till next week.

Fishy Fellow.

The ocean flathead are still biting well for those keen for a feed of sand and tiger flathead. Boats are catching the majority of fish in depths around 40 metres and out to 60 metres. Lots of boats are fishing out from Tura Beach, Tura Heads and Long Point, but I am hearing just about anywhere in that depth they are catching flathead and a few flying gurnard. Fish size is not big, but the flathead are consistent in that 35 to 40 centimetre size range. The water inshore is sitting around 16 to 17 degrees.

The reef fishing is still fishing very well, with snapper, morwong, a few nannygai and a mixed bag of Maori wrasse, sergeant bakers and red rock cods. The snapper size is consistent, with fish around 40 centimetres and up to 50 centimetres, and those larger models are still being caught randomly on lures. Long Point down to Mowarry Point off Eden are all fishing well, with bait and lures both producing good numbers of fish.

The beach fishing is a bit harder at the moment. It is due to the lack of swell and the amount of sand back on most beaches, which has filled in the gutters and holes where the fish were holding up. So many beaches are not really fishable. I fished at Mogareeka on Saturday for only one salmon, but there were a few gutters worth fishing around. North Tura Beach is full of sand and, in my view, not worth the effort. I did hear of a school of salmon at Dolphin Cove, but they were out pretty wide for beach fishos. Haycock is very shallow and looks fishless, so the headland may hold a few fish with the calm seas we are having lately.

The lakes are hard work lately, with the crystal clear water sitting around 13 degrees on a sunny day. The Bega River at Tathra has an odd bream and trevally, and an occasional salmon around the bridge. Merimbula Lake has nothing to see in the channel from the boat ramp to the lake entrance, but the Top Lake has odd tailor, salmon and trevally, usually found around the bait schools when they are feeding. Pambula is much the same as Merimbula, with odd tailor, salmon and trevally in the main lake system. Trolling 80mm lures like Daiwa Double Clutches around the lake area is the easiest way to find the fish.

The game fishing, when the weather allows, is still worth the effort, as you can see by this week’s photo. Young York Chippendale captured that 59kg yellowfin on 24kg tackle last Sunday, and York’s sister Isia also caught a 25.5kg yellowfin on 15kg tackle. So a great effort to both youngsters, job well done. Saturday there were a few fish caught up the coast off Batemans Bay for those interested in travelling. Locally there looks to be a fair bit of current over the shelf, running to the south, and the water temperature is sitting around 19 degrees. So let’s hope the weather gods give us a few fishable days leading up to the full moon.

Coming events: The club trip is off to the Wonboyn Lake Resort again this year, the weekend of October 16 to 18. Book directly with the resort and mention the club to get our deal.

The MBGLAC is open this Friday night, opening at 6pm. Come down and enjoy a quiet social night with a cold, very reasonably priced drink, finger food, fishing reports and our Friday night raffles, sponsored by Goodalls Butchers and the Lake View Hotel. Love to see you there this week.

Till next week.

Fishy Fellow.

The outside flathead fishing has dropped off over the last week. I’ve had reports of the flathead bite being very slow in shallower waters. The small flathead and whiting have dominated the bite with only the odd keeper fish being caught in amongst all the activity. Reports have also said there is an odd flying gurnard being caught fishing from 45 metres and deeper. Anglers have been persisting out deeper and catching tiger flathead to get their bag of fish. The inshore water temperature has dropped back to 16 degrees.

The reef fishing is still giving up a feed of pan-sized snapper around that 40 centimetre size, a few morwong, nannygai and a mixed bag of other reef fish, like red rock cods, nannygai, sergeant baker and leatherjackets. There are still odd better snapper being caught mainly around Long Point Merimbula. Leonards Island has had reasonable numbers of morwong being caught around the outer edge of the reef in about 40 metres.

The surf beaches over the last week have probably been the best, with schools of salmon being seen on Tathra Beach, North Tura Beach and Quondola Beach, near Haycock. They are catching a few salmon on pilchard baits and odd tailor at low light periods early and late. Metals haven’t been working that good lately, but I’m told soft plastics and hard body lures have been getting the bites.

The estuary fishing has gone quiet again after the better bite for a couple of days last weekend. The Bega River was slow on Saturday, but the sounder told the story, as the bream had all schooled up ready for their spawn cycle each year. There were still a couple of small bream caught with odd trevally around the bridge. Merimbula Lake really only has an odd fish being caught up the top lake, with odd trevally and tailor hunting around the bait schools. Pambula Lake is probably fishing the best with a school of salmon in the lake and above the boat ramp. There are also odd trevally and tailor being caught. The estuaries water temperatures are pretty cool with the temps around 10 degrees.

Finally, some yellowfin tuna off Merimbula. Saturday I weighed two yellowfin, not huge fish, but our picture of Baxter Pryor of a 36.1 kilogram fish caught just over the shelf, east of Merimbula, which took a Halko Lazer Pro lure. The other was a 27.8 kilogram fish caught around the 30 line off Tathra, taking a 6-inch skirted lure. Both random takes with no visible fishy signs. That warmer water has made it down our way with the temperature sitting around 18 to 19 degrees out over the shelf, so fingers crossed, the weather allows boats out there and there are more fish caught over the coming weeks.

The Merimbula Big Game and Lakes Angling Club holds its AGM on Monday 10th August, having just held the annual presentation night for the Lakeview Trophy Board. A great night was had by all and there were plenty of winners. Thank you to the Lakeview Hotel for sponsoring our annual trophy presentation and for hosting us again this year.

The MBGLAC club rooms are open this Friday night from 6pm, so drop in and catch up with a few familiar faces. Grab yourself a cold drink from the licensed bar, have a yarn about what’s been biting, and pick up a ticket in our Friday night raffle, proudly supported by the Lakeview Hotel and Goodalls Butchers. We’ll also have the latest fishing reports and, no doubt, a few good fishing tales doing the rounds.

Hope to see a few of you there.

Till next week.

Fishy Fellow.

The outside flathead fishing is giving up a good feed of sand and tiger flathead and a few flying gurnard. There are heaps of small flathead and red spot whiting stealing baits, but the better fish are in amongst the bait stealers. The keeper fish are ranging in size from 35 to 45 centimetres and there are better fish up to 50 centimetres. A lot of boats have been fishing off the golf course off Tura Beach and up to Bournda Island in depths from 35 to 45 metres. The swells were up on Sunday and there were still boats out there fishing. The in-shore water temperature is sitting around 16 degrees.

The reef fishing is still excellent with plenty of snapper on all our local reefs. These fish are ranging from pan-size fish to 60 plus centimetres. A lot of the better fish are being caught on plastics now as you always have an active line in the water and the snapper love the moving plastics. Baits are still working, but all the other species are fighting for that bait also. There has also been some good morwong, nannygai, and leatherjackets being caught and these species also take lures if presented and they are hungry.

The MBGLAC Salmon Sunday was run and won today, with Tathra Beach at the Mogareeka end being the venue. Leanne Hoath took out the trophy this year with a nice 56.5 centimetre model. Seas were up, caused by the high-pressure system off the east coast of New South Wales. We had a dozen fish caught between the competitors all on bait rigs. Those using lures didn’t see any action. There was a school of salmon out the back, which you could see in the waves, from time to time, but it was a long way out. There are also schools on North Tura Beach, Dolphin Cove Beach and I heard of a patch around Tura Heads during the week.

The lake fishing fired up in the Bega River on Saturday. I got a report of one angler who caught five bream, all over 30 centimetres and one dusky over 50 centimetres. He also said the water was 10 degrees. There are also a few trevally being caught around the bridge and bream are being seen on the flats but are spooking easily. The Merimbula Lake is still hard fishing. The water in the channels is so clear and there are no fish to be seen. The top lake has a few tailor and odd salmon being caught trolling or casting lures around the bait, and there are the occasional small dusky flathead and trevally around the weed edges. Merimbula’s top lake water temperature is 11 degrees.

The game fishing is on fire up the coast at Batemans Bay and to the North, but the boats are venturing out to sea up to the 150 50 line, but down our way, things are slow. Plenty of donuts for those trying. I have seen a pic of one yellowfin caught during last week out of Tathra. Fish size, I’d estimate around 50 kilograms, but that is it. Not even seeing any albacore. The water temperature looks to be around 17.5 degrees on the surface and there is cooler water underneath.

The MBGLAC presentation night is next on our agenda. It is Saturday night at the Lakeview Hotel, starting at 6pm. We have 50 people booked in already and there is room for more. You have until Wednesday 5th August to confirm attendance, so ring Shane on 0428 424 496 to reserve your seats. Don’t forget also our AGM is happening on Monday 10th August at the clubrooms at Spencer Park, beginning at 7pm.

The MBGLAC club rooms will be open again this Friday night from 6pm. Come along, have a chat with the locals, grab a ticket in the Friday night raffle, kindly sponsored by the Lakeview Hotel and Goodalls Butchers, and enjoy a cold drink from our fully licensed bar. There’ll also be the usual weekly fishing reports and plenty of fishy stories to catch up on.

Hope to see a few of you there.
Till next week.
Fishy Fellow.

Club member Greg Ford with a flying gurnard, showing off the colours, which he caught recently.

The local ocean flathead fishing is still giving up a good feed, although there are plenty of pickers stealing your baits before a sizeable flathead gets on. Anywhere from Bournda Island back to Long Point, and in depths from 35 to 50 metres. There are also some nice gurnard and an odd gummy shark being caught in the mix. The inshore water temperature is sitting between 15 and 16 degrees.

The reef fishing is still fishing well. Not so many large snapper this weekend, but still good numbers of 40-plus size fish, as well as morwong, sergeant bakers, nannygai and plenty of pike for the line fishermen. Also heard of some sizeable squid being seen under the boats and grabbing the lures, and quite a few rat kings seen chasing plastics up to the boats.

The beach fishing is still okay for the bait fishos and those casting lures. Like myself, there are a lot of casts between bites. I fished North Tura Beach on Saturday afternoon for three hookups, but only one fish before a seal appeared and I couldn’t get another hit. On Sunday, I spun Tathra Beach up the Mogareeka end, saw salmon chasing my lures but no hits, and also saw a small school in the waves but no interest in my lures. I also saw a decent school of salmon at North Tura Beach, but they were out the back and moving fast, probably getting away from that seal.

The lake fishing is pretty tough of late, mainly due to the crystal clear cold water. The estuary water temperature is sitting around 12 degrees. There are a few fish being caught. The Bega River at Tathra is giving up odd bream and trevally, occasional small dusky flathead and flounder. Merimbula has a few trevally and tailor up the Top Lake, with an odd salmon occasionally. Pambula has a few trevally, tailor and the odd flathead being caught down the river.

The game fishing has seemed to bypass us and it’s happening off Moruya and Batemans Bay, where they’re catching bluefin upwards of 60kg and a few yellowfin in that 50kg and better size. The water temperature is better up that way, with a substantial temp break in the currents where they meet. Locally the water is sitting around 18 degrees and, if boats are seeing fish, they’re typically feeding on sauries and very hard to entice them.

Coming Events for the MBGLAC

• Salmon Sunday next weekend at Tathra’s Lions Park at Mogareeka. Catering numbers are needed ASAP to Shane on 0428 424 496.
• Presentation Night: August 8th at the Lakeview Hotel, starting at 6pm. Contact Shane or Fiona.
• Our AGM is approaching, Monday night, August 10, in the club rooms. 7pm start.

The MBGLAC club rooms are open this Friday night, opening at 6pm. Come on down and meet the locals, buy a raffle ticket in our Friday night raffle, sponsored by the Lakeview Hotel and Goodalls Butchers. We have a fully licensed bar and weekly fishing reports. Hope to see you there.

Till next week.

Fishy Fellow.