With the days getting longer and hotter, we really know that a Summer of great fishing is on the way.

Over the past month there have been some great days on the water with the flathead in the lake really firing up and plenty of bream on the chew.

However, it won’t be for at least another month before the fishing offshore gets going. The colder water will take time to give way to warmer current that will have the sand flathead, dusky flathead and gummy sharks out and on the bite.

Last year a few pinkie snapper turned up offshore, adding a bit of variety to outings, so fingers crossed they turn up this year.

All the local beaches have been fishing well for salmon and those wanting a change of scenery have been catching good fish down at Quarry Beach and Shipwreck Beach.

The fish have been taking bait and lures with the average salmon around 1.2kg. Remember if keeping salmon to eat, they need to be bled straight way and don’t freeze them because they go soft and mushy.

Flathead season is in full swing and it’s going to be interesting just to see how long the flatties can sustain the fishing pressure they are exposed to over the Summer. The fishing over Winter was definitely not like winters before.

The flathead have been spread out with fish caught in the rivers above Gypsy Point right through both the Top Lake and Bottom Lake and in the front section near the channel markers.

Plenty of black bream have been caught upstream from Gypsy Point and back into the Top Lake; whether fishing with lures or bait you need to keep moving until fish are found, then concentrate your efforts in that area.

Suspending hardbody lures worked in the depths between 30cm and 1m have been providing the best action.

Good numbers of smaller bream to 32cm will stay in the rivers over the Summer, with the majority of bigger fish out in the Top and Bottom lakes.

Some good King George whiting have been caught over the past couple of months.

With warmer water on its way and a good entrance to the sea, we could see a good influx of sand whiting and with any luck, this year could be good for jewfish.

Over Summer the smaller waterways like the Betka River really start to pick up with flathead, bream and the odd estuary perch coming on the bite.