We’re lucky here on the South East Coast, especially in late Summer when water temps are up and conditions are good.

Anglers benefit from these patterns and can take advantage of some great action – school holidays may have finished but the fishing has even improved.

Tathra has a variety of options from great estuary, rock and beach, through to an excellent offshore fishery and nearby Brogo Dam for bass.

Offshore, warm currents have brought a host of game fish following schools of bait. Marlin are definitely on most fishos’ hit lists and at this time of year they come within range of even the smallest boats.

Lures are probably the easiest way to cover ground to find concentrations of game fish. Find the bait schools and work them over with the lures in conjunction with your sounder looking for larger fish shadowing the schools.

Quite often there may be predator fish around the bait, although not feeding, so persist by staying with them until the bite happens.

A variety of tuna, sharks, dolphin fish and kingfish should be in the same vicinity as the marlin and will also respond to a lure pattern. The sharks may not be as active on lures but definitely respond to berley and livebait. Hammerheads are very partial to a live trolled striped tuna.

Reef and bottom fishing is producing a great variety of table fish and whether you go north, south or straight out the front, you should produce a reasonable feed without much effort. Snapper and morwong are the most targeted species but the variety you may achieve might surprise you a little.

For a bit of fun try using a light spin outfit with braided line and drop some soft plastic jigs around the headlands, it can be very exciting. Flathead are also in good numbers at present and anglers should have little trouble gaining a feed from the more popular grounds.

The warm water will push right in to the coast and so will the predators. Land-based fishing is at its prime and a host of species may be obtained from the Tathra rock platforms and the old wharf.

This is the time to start drifting out livies under balloons off the wharf to see what might be in the area. Anything from tuna to sharks, kingfish, salmon and the possibility of a marlin are all available from this fine old structure.

The Bega River is hot to trot with great fishing towards the entrance for flathead on lures and bait. When the river is closed to the ocean and a little stained in colour, try using lures with a lot of gold in them – they seem to reflect well in the discoloured water.

On the flats whiting are on the move with some very nice fish taken on worms and nippers. Mixed in are a few good bream, flounder and blackfish.

Some of the deeper holes around the bridge and rock walls have produced the odd jewfish, mostly at night on strips of tailor or live mullet although a few have been caught in daylight hours on lures.

Down towards the entrance try your luck at prawning at night. The river has been one of the best areas this year with prawns now at a very good size. If you intend to use some as bait, place them in a bucket with wet seagrass over them and use fresh the next day.

Nelsons Lagoon, only a few minutes north of Tathra, is well worth a look. This picturesque little tidal estuary has been producing excellent results for anglers wading with bait and lures. Most species will be encountered here and it’s a great place to take the family.

Back in the river further upstream bream, flathead and some very nice estuary perch have kept lure anglers entertained. The fish are scattered throughout the system so if it looks good, fish it.

The Brogo River runs into the Bega River and Brogo Dam bass up to 40cm are going well. Look for those lovely balmy nights when the insect life is very active and surface fishing is at its best.