Monday 22nd February 2010
Report courtesy of Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol
MERIMBULA
Best news of all is the abundance of fish to be caught from our rock platforms, headlands and local wharfs. Bonito are thick as flees on a dogs back and salmon and kingfish are also about in big numbers. Plenty of kings over 10 kilo and fish have been taken on live baits, poppers and plastics.
Marlin have been active from 40 fathoms on and have popped up when least expected. Plenty of striped tuna and some small yellowfin tuna have also hit the deck. The local beaches are fishing just as good with salmon keen to take a bait or lure and whiting lining up to take a beachworm.
Bottom bouncers are still having a hard time catching flathead on the sand and the inshore reefs are still a bit quiet. Estuary fishing has come to a screaming holt but once the waters clean up anglers can expect a red hot bite.
Monday 22nd February 2010
Report courtesy of Bermagui Bait & Tackle
BERMAGUI
Water temperatures have settled back down to below 23 degrees obviously much better suited to marlin fishing on the south coast. Given we have had in excess of 20 inches of rain for the month and so too various places to our north the ocean has been dirty and whilst improving it will take a few more days. In saying that the marlin seem more concerned with finding clearer water where they are holding in good numbers. There are plenty of fish off shore and north to Tuross Canyons and most hooks up have occurred in the better cooler clear water. Wobbles of 'Hotshot' took 4 from 6 Friday and 3 Saturday gone, Stu Hull on 'See Bee' got 3 yesterday also. A number of Trailer boats got fish and 'Bill Raiser' captured a 140kg Blue Marlin with one boat taking 6 fish for the Saturday.
SST's remain in our favour but the fish are basically here at present and let's hope the main bite of the season thus far continues through march. Dolphin to 10kg are not uncommon and despite the slight fall in water temps they are still on floating structure that continues to move down current along the shelf line. We had a few vessels last week catching Yellow Fin Tuna to 25kg some catching their limit on the day. There are some solid Blue Marlin in similar water and a couple have been lost again this week.
Waters in the local estuaries have cleared somewhat and the Bermagui River, Wapengo and Wallaga Lake are all producing good captures of Bream, Flathead and Whiting. Snapper and Garfish being on offer in Wallaga Lake along with some large Tailor in and out side the lake's mouth. Pilchards suspended under a float whist drifting in these water are a good sleeper rig whilst you may be using your other rods for casting lures or drifting the bottom at the same time. Those fishing lures both hard and soft are doing very well. Gulp's are a stand out in Wallaga lake, maybe this is more a function of the number of people determined to use them only given their ongoing success. large flick baits, wriggler, shads and fish styles across a number of brands work very well in particular the Squidgy Pro Lobby in the largest size.
Local Beaches are fishing the best they have in a couple of years with Wallaga Lake mouth a stand out for large Tailor, good sized Salmon and fat Bream although the second big rain downpour change the gutter structure there and it is not as good as previous week. More attention is now focused on the recent success of anglers at Cuttagee, Long Swamp and Hayward's. Mulloway to 6kg are certainly worth targeting and just as we get as excited about bait choice we see time and time again it is also very important to simply find them as these school sized fish are indeed schooling in particular on and around new and full moon phases.
Monday 15th Febraury 2010
Report courtesy of Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol
MERIMBULA
Fishing was a bit hard for most unless a full set of wet wheather clothes or a boat with a shed was used. Highlight of the weekend was the appearance of kingfish up to 10 kilos caught off Haycock Point.
Most of the fish took weighted livebaits although some anglers reported hookups on poppers and lures on the surface. Most other species including snapper, flathead and salmon were on holidays and didn't fire at all. Even the lake systems shut down with anglers finding dusky flathead, bream, whiting and tailor very hard to find.
Monday 8th February 2010
Report courtesy of Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol
MERIMBULA
Fishing came to a screaming holt due to rain and wind but I'm sure no one is complaining and is happy to take time out and prepare for the next time on the water. Good news is that the ocean flathead came on the bite before the weather set in and estuary species will fire especially near the entrances of the lake systems.
Rock, reef and beach fishing should also pick up and now is the time to target snapper.
Thursday 4th February 2010
Report courtesy of Bermagui Bait & Tackle
BERMAGUI
We've been punished by the weather this past week and no-ones really going anywhere until Saturday at the earliest. Prior to that marlin remain offshore and a few 5-10kg Yellow Fin Tuna's are amongst them. Water temps are holding between 21-24 degrees and look to do so for a while yet. SST charts remain positive with the best bites yet to come as far as marlin are concerned. Dave Cassar spent 4.5 hours on a Blue Marlin in full view of many other vessels unfortunately losing the fish as it chaffed out the 250lb leader in use for smaller marlin of the striped variety. Special mention goes to Joel Death who at 12 years of age landed a pending new Australian and NSW record for a Junior on 15kg tackle (also the all tackle Junior record) of 141.6kg. An incredible result.
Good flathead and Gummy Shark captures continue to the north off Tilba and Cemetery. Kingfish have slowed down at the Island but will return to the chew on the back of a little more current running to the south but without a little run there's no fun ('run' being current of course).
Gummy's and Bronzies off the beach are a likely capture where targeting these fish on both the northern and southern surf areas. Salmon numbers and size remain sporadic both bait and the spinning of your favourite slug will produce fish. Surface fishing the racks remains productive and those popping across the flats are picking up a few flathead and bream amongst their whiting captures. Pan size Flounder are not uncommon where using hard or soft lures across the flats or on the weed edges.
Bait fishing around the bridge remains productive so too the boat ramp where local mackerel fillets continue to produce a nice bag of bream, flathead and trevally. No rock fishing is occurring obviously with the inclement conditions but once this settles down there will be some good Drummer fishing on the agenda. Also the fresh water pushing down our river mouth will provide the right conditions for Tailor, Salmon and Mulloway off the Rock wall, marina entrance and local rock ledges.
Wallaga Lake continues to produce plenty of legal sized Snapper and good sized Tailor. A pilchard suspended under a float on a large single hook or gangs is good for tailor as with spinning metals or trolling. The Snapper will eat most larger soft lures on offer with Larger Jerk shad's being preferred in Cajun Chicken or Pink Shine etc.
Monday 1st February 2010
Report courtesy of Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol
MERIMBULA
Fishing for flathead on the grounds off Merimbula proved to be very tricky for all anglers. Not many were caught but fortunately some nice gummy sharks up to 10 kilo were caught. Inshore reefs were a bit patchy but excellent catches of salmon were caught from Tura Headland, Short Point and Haycock area. Always pays to fish for these with heavier gear than normal in case a kingfish turns up. All the local estuaries are firing with plenty of bream, dusky flathead, flounder, snapper, trevally, whiting and tailor all lining up to be caught. Gamefishing is good with striped tuna and yellowfin caught over the week. Even better news is the rise in water temperature above 20 degrees with marlin sighted and caught from 30 fathoms to the second drop off. Also good to hear that some crews were lucky enough to troll up dolphin fish and as usual the majority of fish were found wherever schools of bait were present. So true is the saying that you don't leave fish to find fish.
