The tranquil waters of Narooma’s Wagonga Inlet have come alive over the past few weeks with most species willing to play the game.

Mulloway numbers have increased with fish to 14kg taking baits and artificials. The main basin has been the place to fish with anglers concentrating on the tailor schools having the most success.

Flathead to 95cm have to been captured with soft plastics again proving effective. These bigger fish are quite widespread throughout the system so moving around is definitely required.

Tuross is fishing OK without being dynamite. With the entrance now closed you can expect the water to warm very quickly with whiting and bream numbers increasing, especially in the shallows.

Flathead have been caught in the lower sections with live poddy mullet working well. Soft plastics have worked but quite a lot of casting is required to get a decent bag.

Outside, yellowfin tuna to 30kg have been patrolling the Continental Shelf, with anglers trolling skirted lures and bibbed minnows getting them.

A few albacore to 8kg are mixed with the tuna. These fish will be around for most of January, it’s just a matter of locating feeding fish.

January will also see increased marlin captures. Trolling lures and switch baiting are the best methods, with striped and blacks the most prolific but out wider blue marlin are on the cards. These brutes are generally targeted in very deep water and with larger lures so good luck if you connect with one.

The inshore reefs like Brou, Potato, Tuross and the gravel patch off Dalmeny will continue to fish well for snapper, morwong, smaller kingfish and flathead.

At Montague Island the kingfish have been patchy with some days great and others poor. On the good days jigs have worked particularly well with the northern end and Fowlhouse Reef producing fish to 8kg, though most are 3-4 kg.

Beach anglers are having a great time with salmon in plague numbers at times. I thought they would have tapered off with the warmer water but not so.

Almost all beaches are holding fish, with the better ones Tilba, Narooma Main, Kianga and Brou. Most methods are working with paternoster rigs rigged with bait and surf poppers popular.

Tailor numbers have picked up and there are quality bream from Tilba on live beach worms, with tuna cubes a close second.

Expect bigger and more whiting this month from the close gutters on light line.

After dark, mulloway and gummy sharks are possible opponents with big, fresh slab baits like tailor ideal. Fish the deeper sections of the gutters on a rising tide.

The rock fishing brigade should be happy with salmon, tailor, kingfish and surface speedsters like frigate mackerel, striped tuna and bonito.