The headlands around Merimbula are holding some bigger-than-average drummer at the moment.

Tura Head, just north of Merimbula, has been the pick of the locations with fish averaging a kilo. A lot of bigger fish have been hooked but these hard-fighting machines are pretty tough to stop.

The best way I have found is to use heavier line and locked-up drags. You pop the odd fish off but you also land a lot around 2kg. While fishing this way, the chances of hooking a groper are high but with the heavier line blackfish exit the equation.

I have found that low tide is best and if you can coincide this with daybreak, all the better. Best baits have been red crabs, cunjevoi, cabbage weed and bread.

Bread is a favourite of mine, it’s easy, clean and readily available. Good-sized bream don’t mind a chew on bread also, so always have the lighter outfit ready just in case.

A little berley in the wash will greatly improve your chances.

The beaches will continue to fish well for salmon, tailor and bream. Most of the beaches will hold fish, but take the time to look at various ones around the area to see which have the deeper gutters and holes. I know it’s a little more work, but the rewards will definitely make it worthwhile.

Tura and Bournda beaches have had nice gutters so they would be worth a look. Best baits would be blue pillies for the salmon while live beach worms should fool a bream or two.

The local estuaries will gradually slow down as we head into winter but have been fishing extremely well. Pambula Lake is full of good-sized trevally and soft plastics have been doing the damage. Berkley Bass Minnows and Squidgy Flickbaits have been best. Rig these on a light Finesse jig head and a line-burning trevor won’t be far away.

There’s still some nice bream around, but as the water temperature drops the flatties will become a little harder to entice. Some ripper tailor are making the local whitebait population nervous, especially in Merimbula Lake. These fish are up to 2kg – great fun on light tackle. Early morning is the go; as soon as the sun’s up the fish go down. Any small shiner in the 15g to 25g range will get results.

Offshore fishing will still be good for albacore and yellowfin tuna. The water will be around 19°, ideal for these speedsters.

Every year some jumbo tuna get caught and indications are good for this season. The shelf is the place to fish with trolled lures and live bait in berley the best methods.

I have heard some good reports from down south of sizeable southern bluefin tuna so let’s hope they make their way up as the water cools.

The bottom fishing has been a little patchy with good bags one day and nothing the next. Snapper, mowies, and leatherjackets are making up the majority of the catch.

The sand flathead are a little quiet but what they lack for in numbers they make up for in size. Off Pambula seems to be the pick of the spots for the flatties.