Summer has been and gone; leaving us with memories of one of the best seasons we have had in recent years.

With all the excellent fishing we have had, and with more bait fish arriving early and in big numbers it only stands to reason more game fish are arriving each year, it makes us wonder if it might get even better next year.

Over the last few months I have mentioned angler reporting yellowtail kingfish in bigger schools and of bigger size, and taking a variety of different lures as well as live baits. This year the run of kings is the best we have seen in recent seasons ranging from rats to good size kings measuring well over 100cm.

Along with the kingfish there has been plenty of mako sharks to give anglers plenty of action and a test of their skill and endurance to capture the bigger shark. Recently a report of a marlin being caught in our area, and with at least another month of the season left, so maybe more marlin will be caught. Incidentally the first marlin caught in Victoria was by Jim Pardew off Cape Conran in the early 1960’s, and at that time they also were catching bluefin tuna in our area.

Who knows if maybe the warm water is changing to a different cycle and coming early and lasting longer our area will become the envy of all Victoria; game fishing on our doorstep.

Game fishing has taken up enough of our time. Our bread and butter fishing is still great, plenty of flathead, gurnard, squid, pinkie snapper, morwong, leather jacket, barracouta and shark, to keep bait anglers occupied. Many reports of good bags of flathead and gummy shark, being taken just off the point at Cape Conran.

Other reports of good mixed bags being taken further out to sea. With reports like that it would suggest you could start fishing almost as soon as you leave the boat ramp. The surf beaches are fishing well, with plenty of salmon and tailor on the chew, and can be caught on bluebait, squid, pilchards, always in conjunction with a popper. Plenty of flathead and mullet are also on the bite and taking pipis and beachworm.

The whole estuary system is still firing, and with plenty of prawns on the sand flats along the foreshore at Marlo, it will remain so until their run has finished. Bream, luderick and mullet can be found up both rivers and throughout the whole estuary.

Estuary perch can also be found on snags and other structures. Salmon and tailor are smashing lures; the best area seems to be down towards the entrance.