"

Greenbacks in the inlet
  |  First Published: June 2005



The estuaries around Narooma have fished extremely well over the past month and I think June won’t be any different. With the water still hovering around 19° most estuarine species will still be available.

June is a great month to target big fat tailor. Over recent years tailor up to 5kg have been caught and fish over 2kg are quite common. Fish of this size put up a great fight, especially on light tackle, and bag-limit (20) captures don’t raise locals’ eyebrows.

The greenbacks are generally found in the deeper water of the main basin with Fosters Bay being a favourite.

When the tailor are really on the chew, the diving birds give them away. Cast 15g to 25g shiners close to the school and wind flat out. It won’t be long before you have a bend in the rod.

Good bream and blackfish are still being caught in the main channel. The bream have responded well to soft plastics in the faster water; fish them very slowly while drifting and you should pick up a few. We had a session doing this recently and got 20 solid bream up to 40cm with a few duskies and trevally thrown in.

There are still some nice whiting around – not in any numbers but the fish are large.

The jewies have been quiet of late. I heard of one around 4kg caught in Wagonga and a monster lost at the boat. Rick, one of the local jewie gurus, was telling me of a jewie that ate his kilo-plus tailor at the boat. He estimated it at 30kg and fought it for 40 minutes before the jewie lost interest and spat the bait back at him. Next time I hope you get him, Rick.

On the beaches, the salmon are still around in good numbers and most beaches are holding fish. Brou, just north of Narooma, has been the pick.

Pilchards and red surf poppers on a paternoster rig should get you results. There are still a few bream in the washes so get some live beach worms or pipis and a feed won’t be far away.

The rocks have been a little quiet, mainly due to the flat seas recently. With not much wash close to the rocks the fish seemed to have gone off.

Some bonito and rat kingfish have been spun up but not in any numbers.

There have been some nice drummer and blackfish coming from Dalmeny Headland, north of Narooma. You have to be there on daybreak and berley to get the fish to bite, but they are there. When the swell picks up again,

be prepared for some red-hot drummer action.

MARLIN, YELLOWFIN

Offshore boaties have been having a ball. Out wide there has been a great run of striped marlin with most fish over 80kg and some thumpers to 160kg.

The water has been 22°, very warm for this time of year. Bennie from Nitro caught three fish over 100kg and lost two others before lunch a few days back.

Some big yellowfin are starting to turn up, the best I have heard being a 74kg jumbo. Good to see a lot of smaller fin being caught, too, and I think this month is going to be a cracker. Most of the tuna have been caught trolling anywhere from the shelf to the 1000-fathom line.

Montague Island has produced some good-sized kingfish on the surface chasing bait. Slow-trolled slimies have been working well, as have poppers.

Bonito have been prolific at the island. Troll almost any surface lure and a bonnie won’t be far away.

The bottom bashers are still getting snapper, mowies and the like, but the leatherjackets are thick. They have become a nuisance and in some places it’s impossible to fish because of them.

There are still some sand flathead around; fish in 30 metres off Fullers Reef or straight off the Narooma bar and you should get a feed.

Reads: 905

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