Significant rain over the past two seasons has left our part of the country in good shape and anglers are poised to take advantage of some good fishing prospects.

Wallaga Lake has prospered from these recent events. For the best part of a decade, Wallaga has a low-priority fishing venue but now it is definitely a must.

Already the flathead are on the chew, feasting on the numerous small prawns in the system. Lures and baits are working well, with areas on the western side of the lake adjacent to any rocky point along the edges of the weed beds producing well.

Trolling in around 3m with deep-diving hardbodies adjacent to the weed beds is definitely worthwhile.

Bream have moved into the system as well and are steadily increasing in numbers from the bridge to the entrance over the sand flats full of nippers and worms.

A rising tide is best; use nippers, worms or fresh or live prawns.

In the channel below the bridge use striped tuna as berley and bait for bream, trevally, tailor, salmon, flathead and countless numbers of tasty garfish.

Those pursuing luderick will find them on the flats taking nippers and worms but for best results, fish around the bridge pylons with weed.

The Bermagui River is also improving, with similar species available.

Good flathead in the upper reaches are chasing lures and in the shallower sections on a rising tide plenty can be caught on baits similar to those used at Wallaga Lake.

Around the entrance, especially in the evening, tailor are showing in numbers accessible along with a few good salmon.

Salmon are in very good numbers along the beaches, providing hours of entertainment, and are also readily available from the main headland around the Blue Pool.

This area is also producing good numbers of drummer, the odd blue groper, plenty of luderick and a nice run of silver trevally.

At sea it is time to hunt tiger flathead; October is generally one of the best months to find these tasty fish.

Anglers need to travel only a few miles east of Bermagui to 40m or deeper.

With the prevailing northerly winds, an excellent north-south drift gives the best opportunity for the flathead and for reef species such as snapper, morwong and perch.

This drift will generally take you over patchy reef and muddy banks. This type of structure can continue for miles with the right drift and often one drift for the morning is all that is required.

Montague Island is starting to see the first of the kingfish for the season, which are responding well to jigs and squid, with the odd better fish taking a live yellowtail or slimy mackerel.

Following the good Winter run of tuna there seems to be a legacy of small striped tuna in various areas to keep anglers entertained on light gear. Surface schools can be cast to with small metal lures, while trolling will pick up the odd unseen fish.

Trolling is also the best method wide over the continental shelf, where schools of albacore, the odd yellowfin tuna and southern bluefin have been encountered.

Wherever there are tuna there are likely to be sharks such as makos, blues or hammerheads. Berleying can help attract them.

October heralds the start of a new prawning season. Most of the lakes and estuaries are hosting good stocks of small prawns as a result of the earlier rains.

Cuttagee and Wallaga lakes will be the best options on the dark of this month’s moon.