The launching facilities for boaties wishing to access the ocean from Tathra are first-class and so is the reef fishing.

Each fishing town has its own little drawcard that attracts anglers and with Tathra it is definitely the reefs.

Leaving the Kianinny Bay boat ramp and turning south, the coastline is rocky for quite a few kilometres and there are many reefs only a short distance out. Simply cruise over them with your sounder on looking for the pinnacles and structure and you should be able to see fish showing.

Once located, drift over them to see what sort of results you have. If this produces for you, repeat your drift while the spot is still productive and then move on and repeat the process.

Travelling north, the coast changes to rocky headlands, bays and long sandy beaches. Out from the headlands anglers can use the same system as down south.

All these areas produce mixed bags of snapper, morwong, ocean perch, pigfish and those ever-present leatherjackets.

While out from the beaches there is plenty of action on tigers and sand flathead, good numbers of gummy sharks and red gurnard.

The locals fish the deep reefs more regularly for large sizeable Tassie trumpeter and a host of other species.

If offshore fishing is not your cup of tea, the other option you have to explore are areas like the Tathra wharf, which always produces some action, currently in the form of trevally and salmon.

These species are regular catches along with the ever-present schools of yellowtail, the odd garfish and quite a few luderick close to the rocks.

Cabbage weed will account for more blackfish off the rocks below the pub, where drummer are also present in good numbers. These fish also have a liking for cunjevoi and red crabs, as do the blue groper and the many wrasse that frequent there.

Salmon are constantly passing between the wharf and Kianinny Bay, where switched on anglers can place a lure or bait to find plenty of surface action.

In the Bega River anglers are awaiting warmer weather to fire up the fish.

There are quite a lot of black bream hugging the bridge structure, where they can be polaroided quite easily. You may sight several fish holding on a snag and entice a strike by placing a suspending lure in the right spot. You may have to do so with several schools before a result occurs.

This method also works with estuary perch, which can be clearly seen at this time of year in the cold water and persistence will eventually pay off.