In early July, Mallacoota received over 200mm of rain inside 36 hours. The mouth is now open and there’s plenty of brown, muddy water flowing out to sea. Let’s hope that this entrance will stay open for a considerable time.

This flush will improve the fishing by removing an ugly slime that has been present for the last few months making fishing very difficult. This flush was desperately needed; the rivers will benefit and some species of fish will be able to move freely in and out of the system.

As is usual for this time of year, the bream fishing has been excellent in the Gypsy Point area. When you are fishing with bait, it is important to remember to keep moving, as this will help to catch fish and continue catching fish. After you have hooked a few fish, don’t get too comfortable, as it is probably time to make another move.

There are plenty of bream being caught between 26 and 28cm – not big fish, but great sport anyway. Bream to 1.5kg are there but not as common as the smaller fish. The key is to find the section of river where the fish are, then fish thoroughly, moving from spot to spot.

When fishing with soft plastics for bream, it pays to experiment with different size jigheads in order to find the depth the fish are striking at. Lure colour and style can be important, so mix it up for best results.

Regular sightings of jewfish to 10kg often occur at this time of year but sight casting to these fish is yet to reap rewards. Try to locate where the jewies are holed up because when they are out and about in 4ft of water they just don’t seem to bite.

Flathead are still being caught by those putting in the effort with many fish coming from deep water drop-offs not far from schools of bait. Sounders will usually show the bait and flathead and more often than not the bream won’t be far away. At this time of year flathead are often found sitting in black mud in the northern facing bays because this is the warmest spot.

Anglers tossing around soft plastic lures are still catching a few perch. These fish can be found around the weedbeds and are caught out in the front lake during the winter months. Some salmon are hanging around the beaches and have been taken on metal lures and pilchards.

A day spent on the water at Mallacoota really reminds you of why fishing is so special. With beautiful scenery and a great atmosphere, catching a fish is a bonus. Good fishing!