More rain has fallen in the Mallacoota area. We were on the edge of a major dump experienced in Gippsland, with major flooding to the south around Orbost but at Mallacoota the river only just broke its banks.

In early August the water was dirty but although clear water was pumping into the entrance on a rising tide, up towards Gypsy Point the it was the colour of a cup of coffee.

The recent rain, however, has really improved the entrance to the ocean with Harrisons Channel flowing really strongly on the incoming and outgoing tides.

The beaches have been quiet, with very few salmon caught since the rain. No doubt when things clear up they will be back.

Offshore there has been little to report with only a few boats heading out to berley up and fish for sharks with mixed results. The water has been mostly cold, sitting around 12° to 13º.

The Bottom Lake has been fishing well, although finding fish has been tricky and, as usual, they have been there one day and gone the next.

But searching for fish is well worth the effort because it has been one of the best runs of yellowfin bream I have seen, with big fish willing to hit soft plastics and hardbodies.

Harrisons Channel on an incoming tide has been fishing well with at times big numbers of bream in crystal-clear water. Silver trevally are also being caught in the same area, along with a few flathead.

Take care when navigating in this area, it is only too easy to run aground and suck sand up into the engine.

Some good fish have also been caught in the Top Lake but those chasing big fish in numbers have concentrated on the Bottom Lake.

Anglers chasing flathead have managed to get a feed after wading their way through hordes of baby fish of around 27cm. Most anglers are keeping flathead around 36cm (the legal size in NSW) with prime eating fish between 36cm and 45cm.

Up-river there have been heaps of black bream caught from Cape Horn through to Gypsy Point. However, they are not that big and average only around 35cm.

There are no doubt bigger fish there but you need a bit of luck to catch one.

All the rivers and creeks are open to the ocean after the rains, so as the water starts to warm over coming months, the action in these smaller waterways will pick up.