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Less wet, better weather ahead
  |  First Published: December 2016



The past month has seen more rainfall, adding to what has already been a long wet season with still plenty of cool days. With summer around the corner, we should start to see hotter weather – it’s well and truly needed to liven up the town. The cold wet weather keeps the visitors moving, looking north for the sun. Fishing wise, there are fish to be caught so long as you’re prepared to put on a raincoat, rug up and have a shot.

The offshore fishing is yet to fire up – the weather over the past month hasn’t really allowed for boats to get out there and give it a go. When conditions have allowed, a few fish have been caught with gummy sharks out wide on fresh fillet baits. Salmon, tailor and decent tiger flathead have also been caught. In a bit closer to shore, sand flathead haven’t been big, but with a bit of persistence you can come home with a feed.

The offshore fishing will improve over the coming months as the water warms up and add options for the fishers heading to Mallacoota. Fishing the local beaches over the colder months means salmon catches near the entrance on the rising tide. Numerous deep gutters along the beaches on the high tide are the best option. The new break wall and harbour at Bastion Point is great for wetting a line and gives you some protection from the elements – and a good chance of catching a variety of species like bream, luderick, salmon, flathead and more.

The recent bad weather has not affected the fishing in the lake. Discoloured water only means you have to look a bit harder to find the fish, but they’re still there to be caught. Salmon have been in the lake. Harrisons Channel and the entrance area are reliable spots to catch fish on the incoming tides. Wonderful silver trevally and yellowfin bream are around in the same area.

Big luderick are being caught around the main wharf. Fresh weed fished under a float is the way to go. Fish are also available in Coulls Inlet with bream, flathead and silver trevally in this area. The inlet often fishes well after a bit of rain. There are several spots in both the Top and Bottom lakes that fish well after rain, if you stay on the move until fish are found.

As the days warm along with the water, flathead are starting to fire up. Remember to keep only what you need, as these fish are under a lot of pressure. Give them an extra hand and let a few go – it can’t be a bad thing.

Upstream, good numbers of black bream have been caught. These fish will start spreading out through the system as they finish their annual spawning run.

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A great bream on a blade – this fish was caught on one of those challenging days.

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Flathead are starting to wake up as we head into summer.

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