Bernie Vandermay won the biggest salmon again today off Haycock Beach in the Club’s Salmon Sunday competition. He has now won it three years in a row, with this year’s fish going 560mm. Congrats Bernie!
The outside flathead fishing has stabilised since last week’s report. The sand and tiger flathead have been caught over the last week in depths from 20 to 30 metres and the fish size has improved with some very good fish being caught in that 50 centimetre range. The best areas over the week were off Tura Heads and out off Tura Beach Drive in the depths mentioned. The fish have been in patches, so short drifts are a must. There are also a few flying gurnard in the catches as well. The inshore water temperature is in that 14 to 15 degree range.
The reefs are still giving up a few snapper and morwong. Nothing overly big, but snapper from 30 to 45 centimetres and morwong in the low 30’s on our local reefs off Merimbula and Haycock. I have had a report of Greencape also fishing okay with plenty of pan sized snapper and morwong.
Our salmon fishing is still pretty hard. The weekend Salmon Sunday competition saw the salmon caught between daybreak and 8am in the tide just starting to rise for the first two hours. After the tide rose more, the dolphins moved in and policed the beach and the bite ended. I got a report that there was a school of salmon seen on Nelson’s Beach just north of Tathra on Saturday also. Unfortunately, the beaches only have wave action on the low tide, so fishing from the low tide change till the tide rises about half way up (3 hours) might be the best time for the surf fishing enthusiasts.
The game fishing has improved again last week. The warm water eddy is being pushed down towards Merimbula slowly again. It’s centred out off Bermagui with water around 19 degrees and its southern edge is off Tahtra, but out a way, and its water for us in around that 17 degrees. On Friday we had two boats head out for a half day look and they came home with a 44 kilogram yellowfin and an albacore. Up off Batemans Bay, there were about 6 yellowfin caught in that 40 kilogram size. The fish locally were caught off Merimbula on the second drop off.
In coming events, the Merimbula Big Game and Lakes Angling Club is holding its presentation night on the 9th August at the Lakeview Hotel starting at 6pm. For bookings call Shane on 0428 424 496 or text Fiona on 0412 831 036.
Then we have the AGM on Monay the 11th August at the clubrooms. Anyone that has some free time and would like to help out on our committee please reach out to the above numbers.
On Friday August 22nd we have a Tackle buy, swap, sell meet planned at the fishing club starting at 6pm, so get out your gear you might want to get rid of, or just come down and see what is on offer.
The club rooms are open each Friday night at 6pm. Come on down and enjoy a cold bevvy, support our raffle, sponsored by Goodall’s Butchers and the Bar Beach Kiosk and catch up on the week’s fishing reports. We would love to see some new faces.
Till next week.
Fishy Fellow