The far south coast has experienced a hot, dry Summer and heading into Autumn good rain is needed to fire up the fishing over the coming months.

Last year the fishing was tough without the rain prior to Winter and in the absence of a decent flushing rain, this season will be the same. As the old saying goes: a drought on the land is a drought at sea.

Reports from boats heading out to the shelf have confirmed the fishing has been tough. Fish are being caught but there have been plenty of fishless days in between. The coming months should see the fish moving along the shelf ahead of the cooler water so fingers crossed that the fishing will improve.

Traditionally the best months for gamefishing are towards the end of the season. This is when cubing for yellowfin and albacore gets the best results.

Good reports have been coming in from people fishing Mowarry Point for kings. The fishing seems to pick up around the new and full moon when the current gets moving. Various techniques have succeed in catching fish with trolling, live baiting and jigging the most lucrative. When there is no sign of fish the sounder plays an important role in locating them. Don’t give up on the fish; just keep looking, as they haven’t gone too far.

Snapper fishing has been quiet with only just legal size fish consistently being caught. Flathead, both the tiger and sand varieties, have been caught, with the Pinnacles area producing most of these fish. Good bags of flathead have also been caught by those heading out to sea fishing in Disaster Bay.

Fishing the beaches has been profitable with some good size sand whiting and yellowfin bream taken by anglers using beachworms and prawn for bait. Fishing the rocks for drummer has been a good way to get a feed of fish with a few anglers reporting decent catches from their favourite rock fishing spot.

Decent fishing for flathead in Wonboyn has been reported with the best fishing coming from the deeper water in the lake. Whiting are also being caught in the entrance area, with fresh worms and live nippers yielding the best results. A few quality size bream have been caught around the oyster leases and from the structure in the river.

Good fishing, Capt. Kev.