With the water temperature rising, it's a great time to wet a line around Merimbula, whether from the beaches, rocks, estuary or offshore.

The estuaries will be high on anglers’ lists and almost all species will play the game.

Those after monster flathead are in for a good time as both lakes are likely to produce on big soft plastics and live bait. Already a handful of 85cm-plus fish have been caught and released, which is great to see early in the season.

I'd be concentrating around the ribbon weed edges on lake edges in 3m to 7m.

You will get a good feed of 40cm to 50cm fish so let the big ones go if you’re lucky enough to get one.

Cast smaller plastics for trevally, bream, tailor and smaller pinkie snapper along the same edges.

Those using live nippers or worms will start to see some solid whiting and bream on the flats and channels. As the water warms further, surface lures will be another option.

On the beaches, salmon are still in numbers and are responding to all methods, although blue bait and pilchards have certainly accounted for bigger fish.

Those casting small chromies into the suds on light line will be in for some serious fun. You do lose a lot of fish when they throw the hook, so try replacing the treble with a decent straight-shank single hook.

Mixed in with the sambos are some nice tailor and it won't be long before the mulloway start to show. Better beaches to try are North Tura, Tura Main and Haycock.

Outside fishos have done it tough lately but that will certainly change this month.

We have had cold, dirty water off Merimbula but the way the temperature charts look north of us, it won't be long before clean, warm water is on our doorstep.

They’ve been catching some nice pelagic fish north and south of us so our turn can't be too far away.

When it does pick up, kingfish and bonito will be found on the inshore reefs with Long Point and Horseshoe worth a look.

I'd be using jigs and live baits to tempt them but trolling smaller bibbed minnows will also work.

There's the chance of albacore and smaller yellowfin tuna for those venturing wide. Every November we see some solid fish although a lot will depend on conditions.

Although the bottom fishing also has been slow, expect some snapper, morwong and flatties from the gravel ground this month. Again, Long Point and Horseshoe reefs are the go.

Anglers fishing the rocks stones have had a lot of fun, with a handful of kingfish to 14kg coming from Tura Head, mainly on live bait with a few on poppers and bigger chrome slices. The lads tell me they lost good ones, too, so it is certainly worth the walk in there.

As we head further into the month bonito and big salmon are on the cards.

Short Point has a few pigs and blackfish taking cabbage, as long as you berley.