Offshore, it’s gummy shark galore! For the last few weeks gummy sharks have been found to swim in big numbers close to shore, and anglers have taken advantage of their good fortune.

Anglers have reported the best fishing is just offshore, a couple of waves from the beach break or as close to the break as it is safe for boat and crew. The good news is that most anglers have been able to get their bag limit of two on most occasions. Not only are the gummy shark plentiful, anglers have also reported plenty of big flathead caught, a bag limit of twenty can be reached on most outings. Anglers are also getting plenty of pinkie snapper, gurnard, barracouta, morwong and squid. The surf fishing has been great, and with the gummies swimming close to shore it makes for an exciting time for those who like flake for the table. The beaches also produce plenty of salmon, tailor, flathead and skate.

As the prawns begin to mature and make their annual run to the ocean, the fishing in the estuary becomes excellent, with huge schools of bream spread through the whole system and can be found from the Marlo entrance up to the Snowy River, to the highway bridge at Orbost and up the Brodribb River and on to Lake Curlip.

There are also big schools of luderick that have colonised the rock groins that surround the islands and river banks. Travelling along with the bream and luderick are big schools of golden eye mullet – a favourite of the locals in this area. Estuary perch can be found on most snags and structures along both rivers, use live prawn or lures for best results.

The sand flats that run from the Marlo jetty all the way to French’s Narrows is an ideal habitat for estuary flathead, anglers find good results wading the shallows and spinning with soft plastic lures. The same sand flats are where the mature prawns gather waiting for the right tide and moon to run to sea.

At this time the prawns are only bait size, but it wont be long until they are of eating size, prompting many anglers to abandon their fishing rods for a prawning light and scoop net to gather some sweet crustaceans for the table.