Lake Tyers has been fishing its best in as long as I can remember with big numbers of quality fish. The highlight has been the incredible run of big dusky flathead, which have been caught on almost every small sand patch in the lower system.

Catching a feed of smaller 40-50cm flatties have been easy, but it’s the big breeder females that have made things interesting. It hasn't been uncommon to hear anglers bragging about catching several giants in a single session on both lures and bait. Soft plastics have been the most productive on fish up to 95cm, as have live mullet fished on a running sinker rig. Remember the maximum size limit for them is 55cm so any over must be released.

Soft plastics such as the Savage Prawns, Gulp Nemesis and Z-Man Jerk Shads are all scoring big fish, and have also accounted for some thumping big bream. Bait anglers using live prawn, sandworm and pilchard fillets have caught some beautiful big bream and a few solid trevally too, mainly along the trident arm and around Mill Point boat ramp.

Big tailor have been hooked in the main channel on hardbody lures trolled behind boats at slow speeds. Keep an eye out for the birds and any surface activity.

The upper reaches of the system have been a little slow with the odd perch and bream falling to hardbodies fished in the timber in low light conditions.

Around Lakes Entrance the fishing has been patchy with reports of whiting filtering through from the weed beds around Kalimna and Barrier Landing. Up towards Nungurner has also seen a few landed along the red peg on mussel and sandworm.

Some good size yank flatties are being hooked too along with pinky snapper to 1kg, which will also respond to pilchard tails or soft plastics. Use mussel shells for berley as the smell attracts the whiting to the area.

Trevally and salmon are being caught along Bullock Island on sandworm, prawn and metal lures. While not huge they are ideal size, especially if you like smoking whole fish. Sand crabs have been in huge numbers and are easily caught in a drop net with either chicken carcass or fish heads tied inside the pots.

Cunningham Arm has seen good numbers of whiting and mullet along the jetties, mixed in with some nice luderick on worm and shrimp. Some good flatties have been caught on plastics along the sand flats.

Prawns have shown up and are easily dipped after dark using a light and dip net. Focus on the dark of the moon and the run out tide if they coincide with each other. Bulloock Island Creek is a hotspot every year and offers some great sand flats.

The surf beaches have been firing with good numbers of salmon to 3kg taken on pilchard and surf poppers. Spinning has been good on the calmer days when the wind has allowed. Some nice gummies have been caught at Pettemans Beach on squid but the crabs have been in huge numbers and make things difficult.

Some nice snapper have been caught at Lake Bunga Beach, and a few of the local shark crews have had a few runs from big bronze whalers but nothing to write home about just yet. It won’t be long before the first toothy hits the beach. Whole salmon, tuna or squid are preferred baits fished under a balloon just beyond the breakers.

Offshore has been sensational with the big snapper making their annual appearance on the reefs and wrecks. The 6 Mile has seen fish to 6kg, whereas the pipe has had fish to 11kg landed on pilchard and slimy mackerel. Plenty of smaller size pinky snapper have been caught too, making a great feed, along with morwong, nannygai and a few squid.

In close, the gummies have been in good numbers with some nice flathead and butterfly gurnard. Fish the 20m line with fresh slimy mackerel or squid and drift for the best results.