A nice bag of snapper off our local reefs. The larger fish measuring up at just over 50cm.

Outside flathead fishing is still fishing well with sand and tiger flathead still biting in depths of 30 to 45 meters off Tura Heads back to Long Point. There are also a few gummy sharks being caught in those flathead grounds. There are quite a few smaller gummies to 800 mm long and the occasional large female in amongst them. Best baits at the moment are fresh salmon pieces.

The reefs are also fishing well, with some nice snapper being caught on floating baits and line fishing. There are also morwong, six spine leather jackets and a few calamari squid being caught. Best baits are pilchards, fresh squid and lures. Try some Gulp Jerk Shads in 5 inch with a 3/8 or ½ ounce weighted head with a 4/0 hook.

The salmon are still being caught on our beaches with a few tailor at the end of the day when fishing on a rising tide using pilchards as bait. There are also salmon being caught off most headlands using lures and there are large schools of them in Merimbula front lake at present. There are also a few large tailor in amongst these large schools too. Lures seem to be the best way of catching these fish. Hard bodied lures like 70mm Double Clutches and soft plastics are getting results.

Lake Eucumbene is still fishing okay.

Rainbow and brown trout are being caught off the banks using Power Bait in chunky cheese colour. Fly fishing using Mrs Simpsons and small Wooly Buggers are catching fish. The lake is still dropping, sitting at 52%.

The estuaries at Merimbula and Pambula are fishing well with bream and trevally being caught and I heard of a couple of King George whiting getting caught off the pub jetty at Merimbula recently. There are plenty of salmon below the bridge at Merimbula and the top lake at Merimbula has some large tailor to 60cm with trevally and a few dusky flathead still being caught.

The game fishing scene is still vey quiet with nothing to report.

This weekend coming is the Merimbula Big Game and Lakes Snapper Classic competition with registrations starting at 5.30pm on Friday night at the MBGLAC clubrooms. Come down and register, enjoy a beverage, grab a raffle ticket and catch up on the week’s fishing. All welcome, hope to see you there.

Fishy Fellow