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