Summer is here and the town is abuzz with visitors enjoying the warm weather. The fishing is firing up with the longer, hotter days.

The new boat ramp at Bastion Point is busy over the coming months with anglers chasing tiger flathead and dusky flathead. There’s been some great fishing available, with the best action coming once the water reaches its warmest. Just make sure you check the conditions, because if the swell is too big, getting out can be risky. An early start is needed, so get out there and get a few fish and get back before the summer northeasterlies make things very unpleasant.

Good numbers of gummy shark are also being caught, with the front of Gabo Island the most reliable spot to catch a few.

Around mid January, you can expect some good size kingfish to put in an appearance once they turn up. Most boats end up getting a few fish, with the best fishing being around the new and full moon. Fishing around the harbour has been good, with a variety of fish from flathead, bream, blackfish and both yellowfin and King George whiting all being caught with fresh bait, worms, pipis and prawns.

Good numbers of salmon have been caught on all the local beaches, but with the warming water their numbers have thinned out.

Out wider there is always a chance of striped marlin. The best time to get out there in the coming months is once the water is at its warmest.

Fishing the lake is where you will see plenty of boats out there catching fish. The flathead have really fired up with patches of fish around the Top and Bottom lakes and up towards Gypsy Point. Lure fishing has been good, with plenty of fish being caught on a variety of soft plastics. Just remember, you need to keep on the move and continue swapping your lures until you can find the fish and offer them what they want.

Bream fishing has been good – out around Goodwin Sands is a reliable spot, but once again, keep on the move, as they don’t stay in the one spot for long.

Some good-sized silver trevally are also being caught, along with flounder, and you can expect to catch them wherever you can find the schools of bait.

The warmer weather has also seen some good size estuary perch caught, but these fish take a lot of hunting out, as they school up around certain snags, and there is no shortage of cover in Mallacoota!

If you are heading to Mallacoota in the coming months, why not join me on a charter. I can guarantee I can put you onto some great fishing.