Avon Rollason does it again. This time she has caught an 892mm Long Dusky Flathead on a 50mm long prawn imitation lure. Great fish, well done Avon.

The outside flathead fishing is still going off. My reports tell me that good numbers of sand and tiger flathead are being caught in depths from 30 to 45meters, and the size has been between 40 and 50 centimeters.

There has also been odd flying gurnard and gummy sharks in the mix. The reports I am getting are also saying that the deeper you fish the more undersize fish their catching between keepers. So, staying in shallower could possibly be the better option at the moment.

The best areas this last week have been between Bournda Island and Turingal Point, and Tura Heads back to Short Point has also been doing ok also. The inshore water temperature is sitting around that 19 to 20 degrees.

The reef fishing is just ticking over at the moment, reports of pan sized snapper and morwong with some nannygai and an odd leather jacket thrown in, there is also plenty of other reef bycatch being caught, drifting across the reefs at Long Point and Haycock reefs using a two hooked paternoster rig.

Float baiting is also working early before the winds are getting up. Best baits have been fresh squid and pilchards. The squid can be caught around the Merimbula Wharf, Long Point, Haycock Point/rocks if the seas allow, or anywhere there is visible weed growth.

There has been a few salmon and tailor caught this week off the Beaches. Tura Beach, Haycock Beach and Bournda Beaches have been the pick of them. Lure casting and bait fishing are both producing fish. Bournda Island has also been giving up good numbers from the low tide/rising for the lure casters, when the seas have permitted. If you have a boat, trolling around Haycock Point and Bournda Island is also producing a few Salmon and odd Tailor.

The local estuary fishing is still going off, with some really nice catches over the last week. The caption photo this week saw Avon Rollason’s capture of that 892mm Dusky Flathead and a few casts later she landed another 835mm Dusky. Other reports have bream, whiting, odd mulloway, and Perch and duskies to around 50 centimeters.

This all happened on New Years Day at Tathra in the Bega River when all the other punters slept in. The Merimbula Lake has slowed a bit this week. With trevally, odd bream, whiting, plenty of dusky flathead but only fish around that 50-centimeter size and odd mulloway. Pambula has had trevally, whiting, dusky flathead odd bream and occasional flounder. The bulk of my reports are from lure fishers, but fresh nippers and squirt worms have been the pick of the baits for the bait fishos.

The game fishing has been a bit slow out the front of Merimbula if your chasing Marlin. I have had reports of bluefin tuna being caught just on and inside the shelf to 70 fathoms, the fish size is small with fish to around 5kg, and they have been getting caught between East of Eden and just South of Tathra. The water temperature on the shelf is between 21 and 22 degrees.

Those kingfish were still at Tathra during the week, with captures of kings around that 8 to 10 kg mark. For the marlin fishos a trip to Bermagui or further north might get you onto a fish or two. I understand that Turos canyons has better numbers, and they are being seen on bait balls of sauries but are very hard to catch.

The Merimbula Big Game and Lakes Angling Club is open this Friday night, opening at 6pm. Everyone is welcome to come down and enjoy the evening with us at Spencer Park Merimbula. We would like to welcome a new contributor and sponsor to our Friday night raffle.

The Lakeview Hotel Merimbula is donating a $50 bistro voucher every week, so welcome aboard! That also goes with the meat trays sponsored by Goodall’s Butchers of Merimbula and the Bar Beach Kiosk $20 coffee voucher. We also have current fishing reports from those that have been fishing during the week, and a fully stocked Bar. We would love to see you there. Till next week

Fishy Fellow