SAM’S FISHING REPORT – 10 July 2026

FISHING REPORT – 5 July 2026
Fishing Reports thanks to MBGLAC

The ocean flathead bite continues for those fishing during the week. The weekend’s weather was ordinary and only a few boats ventured out early on Saturday morning, and all were seen coming home between 9 and 10 o’clock. From my reports, the flathead are biting in depths off Turingal Head from 35 metres out to 45 metres and back to Tura Heads around that 40 metre depth. Fishing off Tura Beach back to Long Point, the boats are working that 40 to 45 metre depth. The flathead size has dropped off a bit, but fish ranging from 40 to 48 centimetres is common. There are odd flying gurnard and an occasional gummy shark being caught also. The inshore water temperature is sitting around 17 degrees.

The reefs are still giving a good feed of snapper, morwong and odd nannygai, plus all the other species we tend to throw back. The snapper are averaging 40cm and morwong around 35cm. There are still odd larger snapper being caught from that 50 to 60 centimetre size range, but those fish, I’m hearing, are coming from the Eden area to the south. Plastics are still working very well over the reefs and the baits of choice are pilchards and squid pieces with a bit of prawn on the hook also.

The surf fishing has changed a bit over the last two weeks, with the gutters all moving. The beaches that had good gutters that were holding fish have nearly all been filled in by the sand movement. So you’ll have to check those beaches before wetting a line now. Tathra still has some reasonable gutters and I understand a school of salmon also. Bournda has a school of salmon at the Turingal end. Tura has some good gutters and patchy salmon, and at Haycock Beach most of the good gutters have filled in now.
The estuary at Merimbula still has tailor and salmon in the Top Lake. The problem is when the bait is brought to the surface and the birds go in for a feed, there are a couple of seals that come and crash the party and the fish all move on. So as a boater trolling around the lake with a casting lure rod ready to cast at any surface action is a must, I’m told. An 80mm Double Clutch bibbed lure is a perfect trolling lure for the tailor, which goes down around 1.7m, and light metals and blades for casting. There are a few trevally under the bait, so the blades can be let sink for them. The Bega River this week was giving up a few small to medium bream and trevally around the bridge. The estuary water temperature is sitting around 14 degrees at the moment.

The local gamefishing over the last week, from my reports, has been pretty dead. I know of a couple of boats that went out from Tathra and saw plenty of bait and birds around that 100 fathoms of water or shelf line, but the further they went out, the rougher it got and the signs of life all vanished. They ventured out to the 150.30E line, where the current and breeze made it very uncomfortable, and they saw no bird or bait life and got no hits on their lures. The water is sitting around 18 degrees. But you won’t get lucky if you’re not out there trying.

Coming Events for the MBGLAC
Salmon Sunday at Tathra Beach, out from the Lion’s Park at Mogareeka – Sunday 2nd August

The Presentation Night August 8th at the Lakeview Hotel.
The Club AGM August 10th in the club rooms, starting 7pm.
The MBGLAC is open this Friday night from 6pm. Come on down and enjoy a couple of hours chatting with the locals. We have a fully stocked bar, Friday night raffles supported by Goodalls Butchers, the Lakeview Hotel and the Bar Beach Kiosk when it’s open. Catch up on the week’s fishing activity by those who are fishing. Enjoy a quiet evening at the club.

Till next week.
Fishy Fellow