There is a vast number of lakes around Bermagui and after most were opened to the sea over the past couple of years, prawn stocks have multiplied.

Wallaga Lake, just north of Bermagui, has plenty of fish that have grown fat on the prawns.

Flathead are in exceptional numbers and anglers using bait or lures are cashing in on these prime fish.

Early morning is a great time to fish with lures, especially soft plastics imitating prawns.

The best areas are the back reaches of the lake on the western side and up towards the entrance and even into Narira Creek.

In these areas you will find plenty of weed beds and working lures or bait along the edges of the weed will produce the best results.

Even though there are a lot of prawns around, drifting the margins of the lake with live poddy mullet will also produce some excellent results on flathead.

Nearby estuaries and lakes all have their own stocks of prawns and are fishing equally well.

Most other species, including bream, whiting and trevally, are cashing in on the abundant food life.

Local beaches are producing a wide variety of excellent fish.

At night anglers are encountering excellent tailor, the occasional jewfish and plenty of sharks – gummies and small whalers.

Through the day bream, whiting and mullet are responding well to worms and pipis while the ever-present salmon are likely to take a pilchard, strip bait or a lure.

Salmon also feature along the rock platforms where a pilchard or lure will also produce bonito, tailor and the occasional kingfish.

The ‘regulars’ off the stones, like bream, trevally, drummer, luderick and some exceptional blue groper, are also available.

Those heading to Montague Island will find plenty of kingfish and bonito as well lots of bottom fish in nearby areas.

Sand and tiger flathead, red gurnard and gummy sharks are being taken over the sandy, muddy grounds, while on the reefs the usual morwong, snapper, nannygai and pigfish are all featuring in catches.

For some larger specimens of these species, try the deeper water around the Twelve Mile Reef or if go out over the shelf for blue-eye trevalla, hapuku, gemfish and ling. An electric reel helps here.

December usually heralds the start of the Bermagui game season.

Small tunas like stripies, albacore and school yellowfin are available at the moment and there is still the prospect of some southern bluefin cruising with the other species.

Out over the continental shelf to the 1000-fathom line is the best area to target them and where there are tuna there will be sharks. A berley trail of tuna will entice makos, blues and whalers.

Water temperatures seem to be rising rapidly this season so don’t rule out December providing some early season marlin so whenever you are trolling for tuna make sure you have a suitable marlin lure out.

Back in the hills, Brogo Dam is really on fire. All the insect life has the bass extremely active and in the right conditions anglers can rack up cricket scores of 30cm-35cm bass in top condition.

This fishery is a result of the efforts of the Far South Coast Bass Stocking Association and its annual fishing comp, the Brogo Bass Bash, is coming up on December 1 and 2.

This is a great catch-and-release event with friendly competition at a wonderful venue.

For the first time a general invitation has been extended so anyone interested in competing can call me on 0427 934 688.