"

Tamboon Inlet
  |  First Published: May 2016



Tamboon Inlet has to be one of my favourite fishing locations in Australia. With the diversity of species this place has to offer and the size of the fish, you will see why Tamboon is a destination both lure and bait anglers consider a must fish location. The Lake or inlet system offers top notch flathead, bream, salmon and tailor to name a few. You can also snake your way up and enter Cann River and catch a fish up in this pretty system.

PRIME TIME

Tamboon Inlet can be fished with great success all year round. Target flathead in the warmer months when the shallow water heats up and the fish become more active, basking in the sun and waiting for an easy meal to swim by.

Bream fishing is exceptional in the winter months when the fish start to school up pre-spawn. Cricket scores of fish can be caught during the time of the year and can make for some top-notch fishing in the lake and river.

THE GEAR

Like most estuary fishing, a light 2-4kg graphite spin rod with a 2000 size reel is best to chase bream and flathead. If you choose to target the abundant tailor, then don’t forget to use a wire trace otherwise this can become very expensive in the pocket with the amount of lost lures!

THE RIG

A reel spooled up with 6lb braid and a long 4-6lb fluorocarbon leader is ideal to cast lures at bream. You might want to bump it up a little if you fish the snags as light leader doesn’t last long around barnacle encrusted snags and big perch. If specifically targeting flathead, then 8-12lb leaders are a good starting point with a 1/8oz jighead and your favourite plastic tied on the end.

BAIT AND LURES

A couple of go-to lures to target flathead in the estuary are squidgy fish, grasshopper and poddy. Poddy are very good replicas of mullet and are a proven flathead catcher. Softies for bream work well also – tie on and cast Squidgy Bloodworm Wrigglers in 80mm and 100mm first thing! Fishing blades in the open water and along rock walls is very effective, and one of the easiest ways to catch bream, along with other species that are available in the lake.

BEST METHOD

When targeting bream in the winter months a quality sounder is essential. Locate schooled up bream in open water and cast small blades to the fish to have great success and an enjoyable time on the water.

MOTHER NATURE

Dusky flathead rules and regulations have recently changed, so just remember that the size limit for dusky flathead are now 30-55cm with a total possession limit of five fish per angler. Let the bigger fish go to ensure stock levels of fish are maintained and the breeders are left to do their thing. Fish for the future!

HOT TIP

It’s important to adjust the drag on your reel to suit the surrounding and environment that you fish. When fishing for bream in snags you want to have the drag locked up to make it easier to pull fish from the timber and not get busted off. Fishing in open water for bream and flathead having the drag backed off is best. You will not pull as many hooks from mouths of fish as you are not required to pull them from timber in a white knuckled affair.

Reads: 4882

Matched Content ... powered by Google




Latest Articles




Fishing Monthly Magazines On Instagram

Digital Editions

Read Digital Editions

Current Magazine - Editorial Content

Western Australia Fishing Monthly
Victoria Fishing Monthly
Queensland Fishing Monthly