The good news is we have had a fresh in the rivers, thus giving them a good flush and clean out and allowing new fish to enter the system.
As a result, the fishing in the Snowy and Brodribb River system is fishing at a premium. Bream are in good numbers and can be found from the Snowy River bridge at Orbost all the way down to the entrance at Marlo, and from Lake Curlip on the Brodribb River to the entrance.
Luderick are holding on most of the rock groins in good numbers and estuary perch are holding on most snags and structures, taking soft plastic or hardbodied lures, and live prawn. The sand flats along the foreshore at Marlo have been producing plenty of good size flathead on both soft plastic and hardbodied lures.
Big trevally have been caught from the cut down to the entrance. Salmon and tailor are still giving anglers plenty of action on lures, both trolling and casting plastic and hardbodied lures. Amazingly the prawns are still around but in diminishing numbers, with most only bait size.
Over the busy season the boat ramp at Cape Conran, being a single lane ramp, has caused plenty of problems, being the only ocean access ramp between Lakes Entrance to the border. The facilities for parking, cleaning and boat access is inadequate for the numbers trying to use the facility.
Just recently a southerly buster come through very quickly catching many boats and crews all trying to access the ramp at once, thankfully common sense and seamanship followed allowing the smaller boats access first while the bigger boats and crews waited in the rough weather for their turn to get ashore.
The reason the Cape Conran ramp is so busy is that the fishing is fantastic. The baitfish are in huge schools, meaning the pelagics will be here.
The kingfish have shown up and in big schools and are hunting near the surface, although so far most seem to be around 65-80cm. Anglers are having a ball either trolling, jigging or casting lures into the schools. Medium skirted lures and silver Spaniard lures for trolling along with Xraps are getting good results.
Poppers are also being used, giving anglers some thrilling captures. Catching kings on the surface tests angler skill and fishing equipment to the maximum.
Enough of the fast and furious action back to the norm! Flathead, gurnard, barracouta, squid, pinkie snapper, morwong, leatherjacket, gummy shark and many other shark including makos are all on the chew.
Many different rigs and jigs anglers have in their weaponry, but the old paternoster and JIG-EM lures are hard to beat for bottom fishing.
The surf beaches in our area seem to produce good fishing all year round, with plenty of salmon tailor, mullet, flathead and many different shark on the go all the time.
When the gummy shark start to slow up the other species step up, creating good fishing on most occasions.
Reads: 2422