We had beautiful weather again over the weekend, with Saturday being the pick of the days, and the Merimbula boat ramp was packed.
On the ocean flathead scene, the fishing has changed a bit over the last few reports. I fished Sunday and we got our bag limit of mainly sand flathead. We ventured up to Tura Heads and started approximately half way to Bournda Island, in 40 metres, drifting back towards Tura Heads. Lots of small pickers but managed about 8 fish on the first drift. Most of them were caught straight out from Tura Heads. We went out to 45 metres for our next drift, saw a lot of bait on the bottom between 43 and 45 metres, drifted through all that and caught fish. However, the pickers were a menace. We put a metal jig down and bang, 4 or 5 keepers in a row, and the pickers were not a problem then. Big jig, big flathead. Bagged out in 3 hours with fish sizes from 36 to 50 centimetres. 43 metres was probably our best depth. We topped our bag off in 43metres off the Tura Golf Course with some quick sand and tiger flathead at 40cm a fish. The water temperature was cool at 15 degrees.
And what a week for the reefs with the snapper fishing. There have been plenty of those pan-sized snapper in that 40 centimetre size range with good numbers in the 50s, 60s and an odd fish over 70 centimetres. Also, morwong, nannygai and plenty of red rock cod. All our local reefs have been giving up these quality snapper. Baits and plastics have both been working well for the snapper.
The salmon and tailor fishing on our surf beaches has been a bit slow over the last week. I think it has been due to the lack of swell and the clear inshore waters. I heard over the weekend there is a school of salmon hanging around Bournda Island, and there have been a few mulloway caught around the Mogareeka entrance over the last week with the new moon. They’re still catching salmon off the Tathra Wharf, so you’d expect them to be coming into the beach up the surf club end as well for a look.
To the estuary fishing – this is probably the toughest place to fish at the moment. Lots of casts for minimal return. The Bega River at Tathra has given up a few mulloway on the dark moon cycle, also an odd trevally and bream around the bridge pylons, and an odd bream and occasional small flathead up in the shallows. Merimbula Lake has a few trevally, tailor and salmon being caught up the Top Lake, where you find bait, either trolling or casting lures like blades and deeper diving minnows. I did hear of a few fish in Pambula River down towards the front, some trevally to 50 cm and tailor trolling, but the salmon have been scarce. The estuaries’ water temperature is pretty cool, sitting around 12 to 13 degrees.
The local game fishing isn’t really happening. I know of a few boats that ventured out on Friday and Saturday and fished out to the 150.45E line from Merimbula to Tathra and north for no fish. Bermagui had fish caught and seen out on the Sea Mount, but it all seems to be happening from Batemans Bay to the north. The water out over the shelf is up to 18.5 degrees and I’ve heard when the tuna are seen, there are usually sauries in the area.
Events for the MBGLAC coming up:
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- Salmon Sunday on August 2nd at the Mogareeka Lions Park Beach. Starts at daylight. High tide is around 10:30am with a BBQ at 12 noon in the Lions Park. Sausages will be supplied. Catering numbers to Shane please.
- Club’s Presentation, Saturday August 8th, 6pm at the Lake View Hotel.
- Club’s AGM on Monday night, August 10th, starting at 7pm sharp. We have committee positions vacant if you would like to be involved in this great fishing club.
The MBGLAC is open this Friday night, opening at 6pm. Come down and enjoy a drink from our licensed bar, support our meat tray raffle, sponsored by the Lake View Hotel and Goodalls Butchers. Catch up on the week’s fishing reports and meet new people.
Till next week.
Fishy Fellow.