Late winter rain put the Tathra area in prime condition for all forms of fishing and it is delivering.

Starting in the fresh, Brogo River is one of the feeder rivers which enters the ocean at Tathra. It was dammed in the 70s as an irrigation dam for the Bega Valley. Due to the efforts of the Far South Coast Bass Stocking Association it is now a very good bass fishery. With the weather starting to warm it’s now firing with some very nice fish already being captured, and it looks set for an excellent summer season. It’s also looking good for the annual bass comp held on 5-7 December, and you can find more info at the end of this article.

The Brogo River joins the Bega River at Bega where it meanders its way to the coast to meet the ocean at Tathra. Bass can be found in the freshwater section of the river where any deep holes have occurred, especially if they harbour some structure. At times you may get smashed by some very big fish, as 50cm+ models do lurk here.

Due to the rains the estuary section of this river and surrounding ones are producing some fantastic angling. All your usual species are on offer, with common catches of large flathead with plenty of bream as well. Throw in some whiting, luderick, tailor and the odd mulloway and things are primed for summer. You should also start looking around in the lakes or rivers as the prawns are starting to become active.

Thanks to the rainwater filtering through the waterways, the beaches are already fishing well. There are plenty of salmon, tailor, whiting and bream on offer, with the odd jewfish also being caught. Some of these fish can also be found around the local wharf and rocks where they are joined by other popular species that are on the chew. These include luderick, drummer, silver trevally, mackerel and yellowtail with a few garfish starting to show.

Although the fresh is filtered to salt once it reaches the ocean, it still carries a supply of nutrients and this produces excellent offshore reef and bottom fishing. Those juicy tiger or sand flathead in particular benefit from this, and now is the time of year to target them. Most areas are producing, with the 30-40m line popular for sandies. The deeper 50m mark or beyond is best for the tigers, with the chance of the odd gummy shark or red gurnard for good measure.

On the reefs, morwong (both blue and jackass) are the most common catch. Throw in a few snapper, ocean perch, the odd pigfish or nannygai and life’s good, thanks to the rains.

The annual Brogo Bass Bash comp, now in its 16th year, will again be held in December. Anyone wishing to enter this great fun weekend can contact the Far South Coast Bass Stocking Association via President Darren Redman on 0427 934 688, Secretary Jan Redman on 0427 934 857, or via email at --e-mail address hidden-- Alternatively you can visit www.fscbsa.weebly.com to download an application form. More info is also available on their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/fscbsa.