Mallacoota remains busy, with plenty of visitors to the area enjoying the summer weather, swimming and fishing. The water temperature is 20 degrees on the beach, and the fishing has been excellent both offshore and in the lake.

As is usual at this time of year, you have to pick your days, as the wind can make fishing near impossible. Up early and back before the breeze hits is the go.

Those heading offshore have really enjoyed launching their boats at the new boat ramp at Bastion Point. With no ocean swell over the holiday period, the ramp has been basically incident free. The fishing for kingies has been great, with plenty caught over the past month. Fish around the 75cm mark have been common, with the bigger ones around a metre in length. The fish have initially been caught trolling, and once located jigged metal lures have produced most of the action. Best spot has been out around the Aerials. Plenty of baitfish schools are about, and if they hang around, then so will the kingies.

There’s been good fishing for flatties, with sandies and tigers being caught, along with some nice gummy sharks. Unfortunately, in the last week the leatherjackets have arrived in plague proportions, making it near impossible to drop anything in the water and expect to get it back.

Those wetting a line on the local beaches have been getting a few salmon, along with yellowfin bream.

Fishing from the breakwall has been good, with plenty of sizeable blackfish moving along the rocks. The lake was great over the Christmas period with quality yellowfin bream around the front and at Goodwin Sands.

The black bream are spread throughout the system. Fish are being caught, but it’s not easy. The flathead fishing has been better though. I have been guiding in the Mallacoota system for 20 years, and I've seen the fishing come and go, but this season my clients have enjoyed catching plenty of fish, with numbers over 50cm regularly released. With all the rivers and creeks still flowing, it’s looking good for the months ahead.

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Bastion Point ramp has opened up the kingie grounds like never before.