"

Rain sets up new season
  |  First Published: September 2006



Good rain in the Genoa and Wallagaraugh catchments has come for a second time over winter and the whole system is coffee-coloured, with dirty water making its way out to sea.

This dirty water has been hindering the abalone divers from Mallacoota in their efforts to dive for miles up and down the coast.

Before the rain there was some great fishing for flathead with plenty of small fish to 45cm caught on soft plastics and some crackers to 90cm. During one week clients experienced catches of 50-60 flathead on an average day and catches of 80-100 on a good day, along with yellowfin bream and school jew.

To say it was smiles all around would be an understatement. The 7g Bassmaster Stand Up jighead on a 2/0 hook with a Firebait Captain Kev Minnow in gold fleck accounted for school jew to 5kg and the bigger flathead. These fish were eating small whitebait so it’s no wonder this lure was successful.

Black bream have been scarce but when they’re found, fish to 1kg aren’t uncommon. Trevally and tailor were also being caught around the weed beds on lighter jigheads and small plastics. The trevally have been around 600g and the tailor about a kilo.

The most recent rain has slowed the fishing throughout the system. Small flathead have been common but the bigger fish seem to have disappeared. The odd good estuary perch has been caught but black bream have been scarce.

Sand whiting have been caught in the murky water around the entrance with good numbers taking sandworms. When the water clears there should be some good fishing but when that will be is uncertain, because more rain has been forecast.

Offshore, good numbers of flathead are being caught along with some good gummy sharks to around 1.5m, with fillets of salmon and tailor the right baits to use.

Salmon have been caught on local beaches along with the odd gummy shark.

1. Before the rain there was some great fishing for flathead with plenty of small fish to 45cm caught on soft plastics (image courtesy Andrew Clark).
Reads: 806

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