Now that school is back and the majority of tourists have left the area, the lakes are a lot quieter.

Merimbula and its surrounding estuaries really cop a lot of pressure over the Christmas period but seems to handle it quit well. Merimbula Lake has been firing with great catches of bream, whiting, flathead, luderick, tailor and the elusive jewfish.

The best lures by far have been soft plastics. They are accounting for more and more fish every day and, if fished properly, will catch fish in all situations.

A great way to learn about soft plastics is on the Squidgy video presented by Steve Starling and Kaj Bush. They’ll show you how to rig them up and how to retrieve them properly, as well as the right colours to use on the day.

Brogo Dam has really been firing this year at the time of writing the dam level is extremely low and the fish are more concentrated, so finding these great little sport fish is a lot easier than normal. Fifty-fish sessions in Brogo are becoming the norm with some of the bass up to 40cm.

They are not as big as the bass in other impoundments (yet!) but on light spin gear, it really is good fun. Small hard-bodied lures and spinner blades have been doing the damage during the daytime. Then we’ve used fizzers and Jitterbugs into the late afternoon.

Brogo makes for a great day out and the majority of anglers are releasing 100% of their catch, so the future is looking good for this great little impoundment. One thing to be aware of, though: While the water level is so low, the boat ramp is very tricky and a 4WD may be required.

February is a great month for marlin and all the signs are pointing towards a bumper month. Baitfish schools have been plentiful and the striped tuna have been everywhere.

There have been plenty of salmon schools in close around the headlands. These fish are great fun and are often overlooked by a lot of the boats. Salmon fight as well as any fish for their size and they’ll really test your skill on light tackle.

While trolling or spinning the headlands, always be prepared for another great fighting fish, the kingfish. A lot of small kingies have been showing up in the salmon schools. They are always a bonus and add a little more excitement to an already great session.

Remember your bag and size limits on all these fish, especially the kingies. They are starting to make a real comeback on the Far South Coast and it’s great to see.

captions

1

Bushy with a Brogo Dam bass – Brogo has produced 50-fish sessions of late.

2

After being nearly wiped out by floating traps, kingfish are making a welcome comeback on the Far South Coast. Rachel McLeod with a nice rat king off Haycock Point mixed in with the salmon schools.