The winter has been wet and cold, with short days and long nights, but at last we are moving forward getting a little warmer and a bit more daylight every day.

Along with the winter flush through all our rivers the estuary is in a very healthy condition. With all the fresh water that has flushed through the entrance is deep and allowing plenty of water to move in and out with the tides, and should remain so for some months to come.

With the conditions perfect it is little wonder the estuary is fishing very well. Schools of bream have moved in already and giving anglers plenty of opportunities to land their bag or bag a few for the table. Anglers have reported catching bream from the entrance all the way up to Lake Corringle and up the Brodribb River to Lake Curlip.

Best results have been using sandworm, shell, prawn and lures. Schools of luderick can be found along the rock groins that surround the islands and along the riverbanks with best results using sandworm.

With the winter frosts, mullet begin entering the system to spawn and re-populate the waterways. In our area mullet are regarded as an excellent table fish and with their arrival, many anglers are out trying to get some fresh mullet for their table; mullet bite best on sandworm.

But the most prized and sought after fish in our system is the estuary perch, a great fighting fish and an excellent table fish, and with the estuary in pristine condition they are here in good numbers.

Estuary perch school around snags and structures such as jetties and bridge pylons as well as natural obstacles. Anglers who target EP fish the structures either using live prawn or lures and anglers must be prepared to lose plenty of tackle and lures.

Anglers are also getting plenty of trevally mixed in with the other species, and with lots of salt water coming in with the run-in tide there are plenty of salmon and tailor for anglers to try out their lures.

The surf beaches are still fishing well; anglers have reported getting plenty of salmon, tailor, flathead and mullet. Best results are had by using bluebait, whitebait, squid, pilchards, pipis and glassies, and always accompanied with a popper.

Anglers have also reported getting plenty of salmon and tailor using lures.

Off shore when weather permits is fishing well several anglers have reported getting plenty of flathead, gurnard, barracouta, squid and gummy shark.