The Tamar is still fishing well as winter approaches.

The water temperature has dropped somewhat since last issue and is sitting around 16C at the moment.

The yellowtail kingfish seem to have departed from the Heads due to the colder water temperatures. Good schools of Australian salmon are still hanging around the Low Head beacons and also around the George Town area.

Land-based anglers have been having fun catching them from the rocks at the Low Head breakwater and also from the monument in George |Town. Silver slices seem to be the best choice of lures.

Slimy mackerel have also been abundant. George Town anglers have had fun catching them up to 1.5kg from the George Town pontoon. Sabiki rigs have been taking most of the mackerel. Berley mix really increases your chances of success.

Beauty Point has been fishing well. Australian salmon, mackerel and pinkie snapper have all been on the cards.

One local angler, Lindsay Fenner had a great trip off Inspection Head wharf. Lindsay is a Fishcare officer and was helping a group of children learn the basics of fishing.

Lindsay had a rod in the water, after a while he noticed that his rod was biting. He grabbed his rod and hooked up tight.

After a short but hard battle Lindsay landed a beautiful 60cm, 2kg flathead. Lindsay said he has been fishing the Tamar his entire life and has never seen a flathead anywhere near this size.

Most of the flathead we do catch in the Tamar are undersize. A few years ago the Maritime College did some research on the southern sand flathead of the Tamar. They aged 700 flathead by there otoliths (ear bones), and found that not one of the flathead was over three years old.

This suggests the Tamar is more like a nursery for juvenile southern sand flathead. Apparently the adults breed in Bass Strait. Their theory was the juvenile come into the Tamar for three years then leave and return to Bass Strait.

Snapper have still been on the bite!

One local angler had great mornings fishing catching seven snapper. Most were around the 3.5kg mark but one was a whopper. He also lost several others. He only kept his bag limit which is five. The size limit in Tasmania is 30 cm.

Baits that worked well were pilchards, squid and garfish.

Cocky salmon also have been on the bite around the bridge area. Anglers trolling soft plastic lures such as the YEP Tassie Tackle, 3” Whitebait Flappers have been bagging out.

Bream are on the bite here with one local angler catching nine in one session.

They were taken in the river from the shore on frozen prawns and were up to 38cm.

Ryan Butt with a 4.5kg Tamar snapper caught recently.