Wagonga Inlet’s extensive sand flats have yielded some quality sand whiting over recent weeks with bags of 10 to15 fish not uncommon.

A lot of the fish are around 35cm with the occasional thumper to 42cm. The best I have seen is 44cm and weighed 1.10kg, a huge whiting in anyone’s language.

The run-out tide has been the best – look for a deeper channel running close to the sand flats and you should be in business. Don’t be afraid to use heavier sinkers; the tide runs pretty fast and you want your bait right on the bottom.

Best baits have been live bloodworms, squirt worms and nippers. You should be able to get all the nippers you need down on the flats near the Fisheries office. If the nippers are full of roe put them back and take only the ones which aren’t. A decent feed of whiting won’t be far away.

Quality flatties are still being caught. You have to work a little harder for them now because they had a fair flogging over the holidays. Live poddies have been working well and soft plastics getting their fair share.

Some nice black bream are up the back of the inlet around the oyster racks. Very small soft plastics have been doing the damage with surface lures also getting results.

There have been a number of notable offshore captures over recent weeks. Yellowfin tuna are still around but not in the same numbers as up to January but their size has increased. The marlin have been a little quiet of late but that should change in coming weeks. I’m not sure why they’ve been slow, there is certainly plenty of bait around. Most fish that have been caught have taken trolled lures out wide. The water is still around 21° so patience is all that’s required.

The bottom-bashers have been having a field day with numbers of snapper, mowies, flatties and most sorts of bottom fish. The bottom end of Montague Island has been the pick of the reefs, with Potato Point a close second.

A lot of gummy sharks have been caught by the flathead fishos. It’s good to see them around and they’re a great by-catch if that’s what you want to call them – I love eating gummies!

The beaches have been a little quiet for salmon and tailor but the whiting and bream have made up for it. Live beach worms and pipis have been doing the damage and light lines are required for consistent results. A little berley won’t hurt here: crushed pipi shells with a little tuna oil are a favourite. I have heard rumours that some good-sized jewies are being caught up around Tuross, so a couple of nights on the beach with the big gear might be worth a go.

The Narooma breakwall has been fishing great guns for bream, smaller snapper and the odd kingfish. I have never heard of kingies there before but some guy got two around 70cm, a good effort considering the conditions.

The Golf Course Rocks should be holding some nice kingies. Then. Live yellowtail or ganged pillies are doing the trick. There have been some good catches of bonito from these rocks spinning with 40g to 50g slices.

Bream and blackfish are still being caught in the washes, with ab gut good bait if you can get it.

Darren Turvey with a solid 12kg Narooma albacore caught in 1000 fathoms due east of Montague Island.

Not a bad flattie for your first ever. At 85cm and nearly 4.5kg who wouldn’t smile? Fish was caught in Wagonga Inlet on a soft plastic.