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.