The summer is finally here and the weather has become warmer, and with the warmer weather the fishing has also become hotter.

Bream are here in good number, schools of luderick are also around the rock groins and mud banks. Schools of estuary perch are moving throughout the system and can be found on most structures. Mullet are everywhere throughout the whole system.

Good numbers of trevally, salmon and tailor can be found in most of the estuary system. Flathead are lurking in the shallows along the foreshore at Marlo taking advantage of the prawn runs. The prawns at this stage a mostly bait-size, but another moon or two and their size will be perfect for the table.

The surf beaches are fishing well, with big schools of Australian salmon moving along the coastline; anglers are having a ball, using both bait and lures. The most common bait fishing rig in our area is paternoster bait on the bottom and a popper on the top.

With the salmon there are plenty of tailor, flathead, mullet also on the bite. Salmon and tailor are also taking lures, giving anglers plenty of action. When using metal lures shiny silver or blue seems to work great. For those anglers whom fish in the late afternoon and evening, the gummy shark are beginning to run in close to shore thus giving anglers a chance to get their bag of two. Best results seem to be on squid legs, eel, and fresh fillets of salmon.

Fishing offshore from Cape Conan is excellent. Schools of baitfish can easily be found for live baits, and with good schools of baitfish there is always plenty of good fishing. Flathead are in abundance and of excellent size. Squid are also plentiful, along with plenty of barracouta on the chew.

Morwong, pinkie snapper, squid and gummy shark are also in good numbers, giving anglers good mixed bins. But the best news of all is the first of the yellowtail kingfish have began to appear; just an odd one here and there being caught by bottom bouncing.

A visiting angler fishing from a sea kayak reported seeing two schools of good-size kingfish just 400m offshore from Cape Conran. He managed to hook-up but the king was too much for his gear and after a couple of runs the king broke off.

With the kings turning up early it won’t be long before striped tuna also arrive in big schools, and with them mako sharks and other predators arrive. When all that comes together off shore along our coastline becomes a fishing Eldorado, and time for anglers to break out their lures and jigs and test skill and equipment to the maximum. There is nothing more exciting than to hook up on a jig and feel the dead weight as you stop the fish, and then the roar of the reel as the fish realises you have set the hook.

The same applies when using live baits, when the bait gets excited, you prepare for action, the drags off so the king wont feel any resistance, you let the fish run and swallow the bait, and with your adrenalin running you set the hook, and the battle begins.

Bring it on.

Jack Sanna with his younger cousin Jess Sanna display a nice feed of flathead.